Design: Breathtaking aesthetic that’s perfect for a desk
At first glance, the Razer Nommo Pro speakers are stunning. The bodies are made of a beautiful brushed-metal matte black exterior. The subwoofer is a trash can with a huge shiny Razer logo, and the desktop speakers are these round tubes that surround the drivers. They’re a far cry from the typical brick design of more conventional speakers and subwoofers. While the desk speakers are pretty light, I definitely wouldn’t put the subwoofer on a table. Together, the three weigh almost 30 pounds. Size-wise, the subwoofer isn’t particularly wide, but it’s about 1.5 feet tall— I placed it under my desk, and overall it didn’t have much of an impact on my legroom. The desk speakers, on the other hand, take up very little space. Their bases are 6-inch disks, and they come with an LED strip for maximum aestheticism. Yes, they have RGB lighting, however subtle it may be. The kit also comes with a “control pod,” which is a small disk with a dial and buttons to configure the volume, audio input, and microphone muting. Notably, it does have a headphone jack so you can take advantage of the system’s digital audio converter (DAC). All the components included with the Nommo Pro hook up to the subwoofer, which also has inputs for coaxial and optical cables from your audio source. If your subwoofer is on the floor, cabling can get a little hectic.
Setup Process: Razer bloatware strikes again
Setting up the Nommo Pro isn’t difficult at all. It includes all the wires you’ll need to connect the speakers and control pod to the subwoofer and a variety of ports to choose from. For best audio, I recommend using an optical or USB cable, but a coaxial cable is fine if that’s what you have on hand. The more stressful part of the setup is connecting the Nommo Pro to your audio source. If you want to EQ your sound or modify your lighting, the set only works with Windows or MacOS devices, since you need to download the Synapse and Chroma software.
Sound Quality: A missed chance to shine
The Nommo Pro have a very unbalanced, though pleasant sound. The highs and lows sound great, thanks to the solid tweeters and dedicated subwoofer. However, the subwoofer doesn’t go as low as other subs might, since the subwoofer actually has a woofer for a driver. This doesn’t matter much for easy listening, but it can affect the ambiance of the sound. By default, the subwoofer is so loud that it made my pant legs vibrate. You can adjust that in software. Once adjusted, the bass still punches through, providing a boomy but fairly clear experience that translates fantastically for rumbles, EDM, and jazz. Get Lucky and Tank! were a joy to listen to. The tweeters on the Nommo Pro strike a solid balance between brightness and warmth, letting the treble sing without irritating my ears. As for the mids, they’re a miss. Considering that most sounds fall into the midrange, this is a problem. Not only are they recessed, but they lack the detail and tightness that they should have at this price point. As a result, it sounds rather muddied, and quite a few instruments and auditory cues get lost in the busy-ness of rock or a competitive shooter. The surround on the Nommo Pro is good. It’s fairly obvious how the sound is panning, so movies and games should feel immersive on this front. Their instrument separation is fine, but it could use some improvement, as well. If you want to give yourself hearing damage, you’ll be pleased to know these speakers can get very loud. Overall, the Nommo Pro performs about as well as you’d expect a great $200 pair of speakers should (although there are a few that sound even better than the Nommo Pro at this price). That’s not great, considering the Nommo Pro costs $600.
Features: Weak RGB and a basic control pod feel like gimmicks
One of the Nommo Pro Chroma’s more interesting features is its RGB lighting, yet it is one of its most disappointing features. The lighting is only a thin ring on the bottom of the speakers’ bases, and it’s so dim it barely shows up in a well-lit room. Its other outstanding feature is the control pod, which makes it convenient to change audio settings quickly, but doesn’t add much quality of life over adjusting these settings on your computer and clutters the desk with wires. If you’re more of a console gamer or film aficionado, you should know you can’t modify the speakers’ sound with your TV. Moreover, while these speakers are DTX certified and have Dolby Sound, these features don’t add much to the sound. Overall, there just seem to be a lot of features added more for the gimmick than for the user experience.
Price: They shouldn’t cost this much
At $600, the Razer Nommo Pro has a hefty price tag. If you’re upgrading from your laptop’s default speakers or from some tiny crummy bookshelf speakers, you’ll immediately notice the difference and be very happy with the Nommo Pro. That said, they don’t sound great for their price, so you’re really paying a premium for good looks, a bit of RGB, and a control pod (the software is free). You can easily get a better-sounding 2.1 desktop setup for less than $600.
Competition: There are better alternatives out there
While the Razer Nommo Pro Chroma speakers are undoubtedly beautiful, they’re not a great value for $600. Compared to similarly-priced and lower-priced speakers, they underperform, but if you want something that sounds reasonably good and looks cool regardless of cost, then you might be happy with these. Just know that you can save hundreds of dollars and sacrifice no sound quality.
