Headphones Are Still Better Than This Headrest Speaker

Razor’s $230 Clio Headrest Speaker Never appreciated the size of my home gaming chair. I own a cheap chair—technically a hand-me-down from my dad—and the speaker probably gets more use than the chair. But Cleo didn’t reject left support. It just didn’t fit around the back of the chair. The device would sit too far away and the sound would literally blast into my upper back instead of my ears – where you want the sound to go.

I’ve used a lot of odd speaker setups, including neck speakers Sony’s Bravia Theater U That promises to offer personalized audio without the need to sandwich your head between two cans. There’s certainly an audience looking for high-quality, room-filling audio that doesn’t actually fill the room—and encourage angry neighbors to knock on your door.

Thus, the Clio fits the bill. Even though I work in an open office, I didn’t disturb my deskmates too much as I checked my chair speaker on the other side of the room. They could definitely hear me, but the “near-field” directional speakers on either side of the headrest kept the sound down. Of course, what would be even less distracting is a A quality pair of headphones With solid active noise cancellation to avoid any ambient noise bleed.

The Clio almost makes a case for itself – especially if you’re looking for a device to perfect your Razer surround sound setup. It’s also mitigated by efforts to prevent you from developing tinnitus, protecting your ears from the power of two speakers with large drivers. It probably provides the personalized surround sound experience you want; This won’t be the case if you’re used to high-end gaming headsets. These headsets won’t let you down because you lean forward, or your chair won’t fit because it doesn’t have the right headrest circumference.

The chair does not fit very well

I’ve already mentioned my problems getting the Clio to accept the curves of my home gaming chair. Razer notes that any chair with a headrest circumference of 47 to 65 cm (18.5 to 25.5 inches) should be compatible, but how often are people measuring the tops of their chairs? To help me with my plight, Razer sent me a loaner of its own expensive and overly ergonomic Iskur V2 X gaming chair so that I could properly position the device just behind my ear. Iscur is a chair that reminds you of all your poor sitting habits. It is comfortable and curves to the shape of your spine. Although it’s designed with Razer’s products in mind, the $300 gaming chair isn’t quite designed for the Clio.

The speaker uses two horizontal bands with adjustable buckles that are supposed to tighten to the back of the chair. You’d imagine Razor would opt for stretchy bands to give a snug fit. Instead, you’ll do your best to angle and tighten the Clio so that the speakers sit to the left and right of your head. On Razer’s Escor chair, this meant I couldn’t wrap the bottom strap all the way around the chair, leaving the ends hanging out.

The headrest itself is comfortable enough if you decide to rest your head on it. The two wings are made of sturdy material that you won’t want resting on your head. The thing is, I don’t know many people who normally lean back enough to keep their head and neck straight. If you’re a PC gamer, you’re more likely to lean on your keyboard and mouse. While in this position, you won’t get the mainstream experience that Clio is trying to offer. If you’re a console gamer, get ready to sit up straight like a soldier on parade if you want to hear the best quality audio with Razer’s 2.4GHz “HyperSpeed” dongle.

Clio, like almost every Razer product, requires Connect via Razer Synapse PC software for firmware updates and to control EQ, or equalization options. You only have three settings to choose from: Game, Movie, and Music. You can customize your options based on your preferences, but I found that the Game option felt more flat than the Movie preset, no matter if I was watching Netflix, YouTube, or listening to gunshots. Battlefield 6.

At the top of the speaker are controls for on and off, volume up and down, and another switch to toggle between Bluetooth and a 2.4GHz dongle connection. The dongle itself uses USB-C, and sticks in an “L” shape, which thankfully helps you avoid taking up too much space on your desktop. There’s a single USB-C port on the headrest for charging, though you’ll have to use it if Synapse forces you to update the firmware.

Have to sit like an army soldier in the parade

The Clio speaker looks huge; Big enough you’d expect its twin full-range drivers to deliver a full soundbar plus subwoofer experience behind your head. But no, it’s actually more closely aligned with the many, many headphones you can go out and buy right now—only bigger. And despite the size, the sound doesn’t really feel “big” like you’d expect for a separate, $230 full-range speaker.

The Clio uses 43mm drivers with an aluminum core. If you assume it’s going to produce some head-pounding bass, you may be disappointed. Words are more subtle than that. Even when I turned up the volume on it and my PC, I didn’t feel disturbed by it. Then, if you recline your chair at all, you’ll start missing out on the best audio quality. Sorry, but I don’t have an English gentleman’s sense of perfect posture. I grew up playing games on my basement couch. My spine is a permanent letter “C.”

At the fully balanced EQ settings, I felt I was getting the most out of the speaker’s sound suite. Gunshots can be a bit muffled in some games, but it wasn’t so toned down that I couldn’t hear small differences between different weapons in a game. Cyberpunk 2077. I’ve tried several games with more expressive or subtle audio. As I played Marvel’s Spider-Man 2There was a part of me that knew I could feel the horns of the soundtrack deep in my chest.

The Clio’s sound was balanced and clear with the “wow” factor of anything I played. Playing any shooter game requires the audio to be punctuated with the loud staccato of machine guns, but sitting in my chair I felt like I was peppering my surroundings with loose gravel. Of delicate lutes and lyres Baldur’s Gate III Cleo needs more to help sell the fantasy than she can fully deliver. Audio quality is good – feels like a game Ninja Gaiden 4, Where the sound of your slicing and dicing has the satisfying quality of being right off the butcher’s block.

The headrest speakers felt a better position for listening to music. My usual slate of indie folk rock is tuned for this device. Andrew Bird can swoon and fiddle, and I felt right at home. Heavy music that you want to feel deep down your spine will give a light shiver instead. Again, the audio felt right for the price for passive listening, especially with your back pressed against the chair. I want this from a relatively inexpensive speaker setup but without the need to lug multiple speaker units around your desk. However, in that case, it doesn’t matter how you sit if you expect to get the full effect.

What is enclosed?

A unique feature of the Clio is that it can act as the driver’s seat for a 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound setup. More specifically, the Clio can act as the rear speaker while another device can act as the front speaker. You can use your monitor or laptop’s built-in speakers to do the job, although that’s obviously not the best use case. You’ll want an actual speaker setup in front of you. But Razer’s Synapse software fails to recognize separate speakers like the BlueAnt SoundBlade soundbar. This is another quirk of Razer’s software, of which there are many. If you plug in other Razer speakers or soundbars like the company’s Leviathan V2, you’ll have a much better time.

If your content doesn’t support full surround sound, hitting the settings for audio mirroring will provide a better full-sound experience. In this mode, you don’t need to worry about the position of your head for the best audio experience If you have some sort of desktop speaker setup but don’t want to bother with putting speakers on the other side of your gaming room, the Clio can actually be a great addition. It also defeats the purpose of “near-field” speakers if you’re hoping to put your roommates to sleep.

A big selling point behind this speaker is the promise of THX immersive audio. In Synapse, you can get a demo of the spatial audio sensation when the sound moves around the room. Again, in games, “spatial” sensitivity is less distinct. I get better spatial awareness from Razer’s own Kraken V4 Pro headset. If you’re expecting these drivers to offer enough bass that it’ll run from your spine to the tips of your toes, you’re going to be disappointed, too.

Why not just buy a gaming headset?

The Clio promises up to 14 hours of battery life, which is considerably less than many of the big name wireless headsets out there that promise at least 30 or more hours of listening time. During my days using it, I don’t have to worry so much that I can only do a few hours of gaming a week, at most. Charging the device isn’t that difficult if you have an extra-long USB-C cable. Otherwise, you’ll need to get Cleo off your chair somewhere to give it extra juice.

My mind kept going back to the various headsets used throughout 2025. For the same price, you can pick up a pair of headphones that will offer personalized audio with enhanced bass. A Alienware Pro Wireless Headset Particularly light on bass compared to similarly priced devices, and I’d still prefer it over the Clio to make my spine tingle. A HyperX Cloud III Wireless At $180 it delivers meaty sound without pitch in the annoying highs or lows.

For anything of good quality, you can spend $300 or more. This year’s crème crème headset is still there Sony Inzone H9 II. This is the moment when “balanced” audio transforms into something more meaningful. Razer’s own BlackShark V3 Pro, Built for competitive gamers, it will cost you $250. A Razer Kraken V4 Pro The sale will set you back $400, but I can confirm that it offers truly immersive audio. Yes, all these options involve earcups. The Clio might be the extra piece of kit you need for surround sound (if Razer likes your device). Otherwise, it’s best to stick with what works for most people.