Razer Megalodon Review

[b]The Razer Megalodon (ver. No Stand)[/b]

Right, first up: The Box

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When i first set my eyes on it, i was quite taken aback by the size of it. :shock: (W x B x H: 24cm x 13.5cm x 26cm)

What's inside?

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Upon sliding off the jacket, you'll find the Megalodon's catchphrase: "Put sound in its place"

Opening the black box, you will find:

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Cool, huh? See the sick, acid-green color underneath the jacket? So, in the black box you'll find a square, black envelope on the flap, and the Megalodon's case. (hard case, mind u.. hoho)

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The Megalodon's hard case

So, let's open the case ya?

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This is what the Megalodon looks like inside the case. Of course, the lights are off. When this pic was taken it was already plugged into my pc.

So, before i show you the headphone, let me show you what's inside the black envelope.

This is the envelope...

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And this is what's inside it. From top left, clockwise: The COA (Cert. of Authenticity), Quick Start Guide, Product Catalog, 2 Razer stickers and a Master Guide.

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And, this is it... The RAZER MEGALODON Headphone!

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Out of the box, the first thing you might notice is the glossy frame and Razer logo, the wire mesh and the braided wire which is to prevent tangles (nice job, Razer!)

And this is the APU (Audio Processing Unit)

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I simply love the lights. And the gloss. Now it is in 7.1 mode, you can toggle between 7.1 and 2.0 simply by pressing the "Maelstrom" button next to the 7.1 light. I find this feature very convenient.

Right, so now i'll explain what happens when you plug it into your PC.

Using the Megalodon is very simple. With no drivers, all you have to do is plug in the gold-plated USB to a USB port, and that's it!

[b]Gaming with the Megalodon[/b]
Last night, i tried it with CS:S LAN play de_dust2, cs_office and de_chateau, and this is what i found out.

With the 7.1 Maelstrom Engine on, i was immersed in an array of sounds coming from all directions. It took some time to get used to, since my 5H v2 didn't produce sounds like the Megalodon did. Start walking around and you'll hear, with PRECISION, the location of your teammates.

When an enemy is moving towards you, you'll hear their footsteps clearly, and you'll be able to determine where they'll be coming from. Face that direction; wait for it... and... BAM!!! Headshots, baby... I must say, i am very impressed. With the Megalodon, i definitely have the advantage against my enemies. In gaming, the audio is very detailed. Crisp trebles (not those sharp, ear-piercing ones), and deep, rumbling basses (these are my absolute musts when i buy a headphone). The mic is great, no static whatsoever; even cranking the Mic Level and Mic Sensitivity at the APU doesn't pick up too much background noise. But when i'm playing, i just shout across to my friends... :P

Here is one feature that is quite useful: The ability to individually increase/decrease each channel's volume. You can do this by pressing the Razer logo on the APU, and turning the dial (I-Pod style) until you reach your preferred volume. So, u can emphasize which channel that you want! But now, i'm leaving this setting in default. I'm still exploring the settings now.

[b]Next: Music, movies and gen-purpose listening[/b]

Note: For this you'll have to turn off the Maelstrom Engine. If you don't, you'll hear echoes everywhere, which spoils the sound. But, for DVDs/ BR movies that have surround sound, this is where it shines. (this is a part which i haven't tested yet, but i read it off a review in the net)

In this mode, the sound is.. Also AMAZING. As with the 7.1 mode, the trebles are very crisp and detailed, the basses is deep, and rumbling. Not like the BAM BAM, empty cans sound you'll experience with cap ayam headphones. It's more like BOO~M, BOO~M... This is the kind of bass i really adore and love, before the Megalodon, i only experienced it with my Creative HQ 1900, Phillips SHE 9501 and an old Koss (forgot what it was).

[b]Ergonomics[/b]

Long hours of playing is no issue for the Megalodon, after 5 hrs of CS:S it feels comfortable and it doesn't hurt my ears. Specs users no need to worry, i am one myself and my ZeroX is not heavily pressed against my head, thus i am not in pain.

I wish the wire connecting the APU and headphone could be a little more longer. The Megalodon's (about) 1m wire seems insufficient; you'll have to take the headphone off before you can jump in euphoria after scoring a kill/victory.

[b]Summing it up:[/b]

The Megalodon, for me has the PERFECT BALANCE between bass and treble. 3D positional audio is accurate, it definitely gives you an edge over your enemies in gaming. So, i do not have any regrets buying this one helluva headphone. I'd highly recommend the Megalodon to anyone searching for an awesome headphone

Of course, the $$ is another thing... If you have the means, go ahead!

I'm loving it, bros... :peace:

You might want to read other reviews, Everdying made a very nice one :thumbs: ; also try reading up reviews from the net.

Here's [url=http://gear.ign.com/articles/100/1001781p1.html]one[/url]

Again, sorry if my review sounded so... General. I'm just telling it as i have heard... With my own ears. :D

Inter-racial relations

Disclaimer: First of all, please be reminded that this post is TOTALLY NEUTRAL, and in no circumstances did i intend to undermine any particular race whatsoever. Please feel free to point out any mistakes you read here. If i wrote anything here that you deem as "unsuitable", pls drop me an email at fidelisg@gmail.com

Throughout my life, i have encountered various people: Malays, Chinese, Indians, Ibans, Melanau, Kadazan, Rungus, etc... And, i dare say that each encounter (well, most of them) are very pleasant ones. To those concerned, you have my sincerest thanks and gratitude.

I don't know about you, but sometimes i wonder: Why sometimes it seems so hard for people to just get along? Remember these words:

"You tak suka, you keluar dari Malaysia"

Here's the link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badruddin_Amiruldin

I am fully aware that this is an old issue, but an important one nonetheless. For me, I have a deep dislike for people who do not respect other people's rights; beliefs and way of life. I don't care who they are, if they do not show respect, then they don't deserve any. Who needs people like that?

Last year, I was granted a privilege to go to this camp; and one of the topics discussed was the way to improve Malay-Christian relations. Of course, it was very helpful and all that (by the way, I'm studying at UiTM Shah Alam). Then comes the ruling that the usage of the word "Allah" is illegal for use in non-Muslim publications. Thruthfully; that was one of the saddest moments in my life as a Christian. On this, I do not wish to comment any further as I deem myself as not knowledgeable enough.

Malaysian Parliament proceedings. Often are the cases of reps fighting each other using words, sometimes words filled with resent. I remember when one group of secondary school students watching all that mayhem saying something like "they are acting like children". I don't know how they behave now since I've long lost my interest in Malaysian politics.

So, in my personal opinion, in order to be 1Malaysia;

RESPECT

is what we MUST HAVE. One saying that i hold to is "If you don't respect other people, you will not be respected", and "Respect is earned, not gained".

From my point of view, I see Sarawakians in general have more of this RESPECT towards each other regardless of race/religion compared to West M'sians. Most of the times when I walk past coffee shops, i see combinations of Malay/Chinese/Iban/Bidayuh sitting together having fits of laughter. I have Malay + Chinese + Bidayuh + Iban +... etc friends, and i have no trouble at all communicating with them.

GUNDAM Models: The Blood, sweat, &….. more sweat, i guess? (from my Friendster blog)

Mind you, the title is NOT AN EXAGGERATION!! I did cut my finger (right thumb, to be exact) while cutting away the excess plastic off the parts of my STRIKE FREEDOM FULL BURST MODE. And, my hands tend to get real sweaty during the assembly process. I can’t assemble a GUNPLA with a fan blowing next to me.

(GUNPLA is short for GUNDAM Plastic Model)

Anyways, i’m just writing this to share the joy and pain of building my GUNPLA. I’m proud to announce that i’ve just broken my personal record of assembling a model. My fastest was 3 days, but with my Strike Freedom FBM, i managed to assemble all of it, including the stand & pose in just 2 days!!!! I’ve really outdone myself this time…

To those uncommon to my practice, it’s best to stay away; at least till you get to know the legendary series that spurred on the worldwide craze of GUNPLA building:

Mobile Suit: GUNDAM

and those of the same family, GUNDAM Seed for example. You can find these animes in boxsets in a local video store near you. Malaysians, ANIME Tech is where to find it. Or in my case, place an order & painfully wait for it to come to my grubby hands on them.

Or, if you’re willing to wait, & search, the net always provides a good alternative to download the animes. NO BOX, mind you…

Well, let’s get back to the topic, eh? To me, assembling a gunpla is all about relaxation… That’s me speaking, at least. Why, you may ask. To me, while assembling a gunpla, i really feel like i’m just alone.. no one else disturbing me. In other words: TOTAL PEACE.

My parents understands this, they do not disturb me during those times, unless to remind me to eat or shower. (hehe). They actually support this in a way, my mom especially.. She shows enhthusiasm when i show her the completed ones, like asking ‘how do you pose it?’; ‘what does this part do?’; etc, etc…

Somehow it gives me a deep, DEEP sense of satisfaction with every finished model. That aside, personal satisfaction also plays BIG TIME in this hobby of mine.

Everytime i pose my GUNPLA, take pictures of it… Gosh, it’s just breath-taking to see something so majestic in its pose. It’s just that that drives me on and on to build more GUNPLAs. You can safely say, an addiction, perhaps?

Music I love + Audio Stuff to Bring Out Their Glory (from my Friendster blog)

Sounds familliar? So you may have read it in my profile, about songs having the wow factor, and so on, bla bla bla…

Out of sheer boredom and tension from studying Mechanics of Materials 2, I’ve decided to take the liberty of posting a new blog. Something that i rarely do. RARELY.

Basically, sometimes I do find myself somewhat weird. I wonder: Why do almost all people I know, and meet; when asked about the music genres they listen to, they almost always have their own fixed genre. Ballads, rock, heavy metal, classical; you name it.

Here’s the weird point: My genre ranges from the smooth, sultry sounds of Jazz, relaxing harmonics of an orchestra, foot-tapping country songs (Diana Krall, Shiela Majid, Bach, Rachmaninov, The Shadows,CCR); up till the realm of rock and metal. Headbanging tunes; that’s what i;d refer them to for the sake of simplicity. Listen to Mudvayne and Rise Against; for example.

Weird right? I bet you thought so. Well, i guess it all boils down to the WOW factor that a song has. The song that is able to make me say “OMFG, i have to buy this album now!!!!” I mean, i wasn’t all that interested in heavy metal before the tunes of Mudvayne’s “Determined” blasted my eardrum and mind to oblivion. The same for Rise Against. No need to talk about the slow stuff; i’ve loved them since i was born. (Let you in a little secret: my mama loves those kind of songs. That’s why they have a significant effect to my choice of music)

Another thing i’d like to bring up here is the appreciation of high quality audio equipment. I strongly believe by using the best audio stuff (that won’t burn a hole in your bank account, of course) then you will be able to LISTEN to the songs you intented to listen to in the first place. For me, i won’t settle for headphones less than RM 50. From that, by bank acc. figures sets the limit. Though, i won’t be tempted to grab those of Klipsch, which can rocket up to RM 800 for some flimsy in-ear hps. NO, no, i’m not that rich… Creative and Koss are my top faves. Dirt cheap (expensive dirt, though); but it sure as hell blows your eardrum with @ w/out proper EQ (equalizer) settings. Panasonics were also awesome, i remember having one with neodymium drivers. Hooked it up to my MP3 player, turned up Mudvayne and…. Sweet…

My choice headphones will have high sensitivity; with a soft bass response. I tried to put it in proper words: Crisp, crystal clear treble with “pushing” bass beats. Not those “boom” types, they hurt my ear for some reason. The simplest analogy would be the comparison between E-view and Sonic Gear speakers. Sonic Gears have the “pushing” type bass. The E-view has the other one, which sounded like SHIT.

Ok, back to music… That being said, you readers should give it a try. I know some friends who buy headphones just because they were cheap; and the next day went asking for mine to plug into their IPods. That’s just a waste of $$$, why buy something you’d use for only a day? Better splurge your cash with a good one and put it on with a smile later on.

Why am i saying this? Even music made by the greatest composer WILL sound like CRAP when you hear it thru a CRAP HEADPHONE. Don’t hear your songs, LISTEN TO THEM using quality headphones. Let them immerse you with the magic that the composer intended to cast upon you in the 1st place. You’ll never regret it for the rest of your lives.