u/IgnacioTech

This unit was kindly sent out for review, although this won't change my opinion on the product itself.

Thank you to Darmoshark for this opportunity.

• Contents of the box

1. Darmoshark M9.
2. Type A to type C cable.
3. 8k Hz receiver (Display with DPI, Polling rate and Battery life).
4. Grip tape.
5. Warranty card.
6. Manual.

• Mouse shape and base

The shape of the M9 is very unique, with it being only similar to the WLmouse Beast X Max and the Darmoshark M3 4K, though with major differences in the overall size and especially the placement of the hump.

Regarding the width, it has an hourglass-like shape with a very wide rear that narrows down around the sensor to then flare out at the top.

Although wider, the side profile is actually similar to that of the Beast X Max but with a more pronounced rear, which is quite rare since this kind of hourglass width usually aims for a more centralized hump.

When it comes to the height, this is the most differential aspect, as its highest point is in the back, which slopes down onto medium- to high-height clicks with finger grooves that aren't as noticeable until the very edge, but they are a good addition.

The shape is aimed at 20x10 hands or bigger with a claw grip or even a palm grip if the rear hump doesn't bother you, with my 18x10 hands it's quite unsuitable for me, but surprisingly it's still usable and decent even for my handsize.

The M9 rear hump is extremely wide and tall, making already big mice like the VV4 or the GPX shape feel like a small size in comparison; the wideness and height lead my fingers to be positioned at only 50% of the main clicks when using an aggressive claw grip.

The thenar feels locked on the rear and due to its size it almost pushes it back, this limits finger mobility drastically, combined with the high clicks, makes micro-adjusting with the fingertips almost negligible. My wrist also has a harder time doing fast flicks; which ends up feeling like playing at a lower sens all around.

Even then, it's great for practicing on aim trainers to focus more on arm and especially wrist tracking due to the limitation on maneuverability; for normal shooters, it was still very usable, and I actually enjoyed using it a lot, both for practicing and playing, mainly because it's exceptional on most aspects that I will cover later on.

Also, the shape being more claw-oriented and with the pronounced side curvature makes it a more interesting shape than universal ones like the GPX, allowing for more suitability for medium hands like mine.

The base features an On/Off/BT switch, a DPI button, and the pre-installed full size skates which are virgin PTFE being very similar to the ones on the Leviathan V4 and the same set as the extra one included in the box, they are somewhat flat, have very good glide on clothpads and glasspads.

• Build integrity and coating

The build integrity is its biggest weakness, as the side walls present a popping sound when pressing on them, especially the right one, this does occur when using it in-game but it didn't really bother me, though it's something to take into account.

Aside from that, the sides present some bending, which makes me think the side popping might be an issue with my unit; the base also has some bending and popping, but really nothing that is noticeable in-game.

The coating is very good, and matte-like, it's feels good with dry hands and extremely grippy with warmer hands, it does leave fingerprints on my black unit though nothing out of the ordinary.

• Primary and side clicks

M1 and M2 are using Omron Opticals, the implementation feels great to play with and very responsive, the only problem is the side to side wobble which is on the minor side, whilst also being enough to make the buttons feel somewhat loose on the very front, since my fingers click at around 50% it wasn't really a problem for me, though it may not be the case for others depending on their contact points.

Besides, the click itself feels very tactile and quite crisp, there's minimal pre and post-travel even when clicking on the very edge, the button tension is medium I would say and it felt very spammable in-game.

The side buttons are huge, the biggest I have tried, they do not have a coating which might make them feel slippery for some, it wasn't really a problem for me due to the bigger side, and also the shape they have that makes them portrude in the middle.

The side clicks have a close to perfect implementation, they have no pre and minimal post-travel, they are very firm though also slightly heavier to actuate, they are very crisp but not as tactile.

• Scroll wheel

The scroll has a rubberized finish with a hexagonal pattern leading to somewhat defined steps, combined with a medium to low scroll force it makes it feel cheaper but functionality wise I had no problems.

It's using an F-Gold mechanical encoder; M3 has a medium-to-high actuation force and is relatively spammable.

The main issue with the scroll wheel would be size, since it's using a similar size to those on medium-sized mice like the VGN F2, for example.

• Weight and balance

My unit weighs 59g with the pre-installed skates on, this is incredibly light in hand due to lower density, when comparing it to an universal shape like the GPX for example both have the same weight while the M9 is 1 to 2 sizes bigger.

Another reason for its feeling in hand is the high quality skates it comes with, and the weight distribution being aligned with the sensor area making it suitable for most grip styles that centralize on using the hump as palm support.

• Software

It uses a software web with 6 pages:

1. Home: to select any of the 5 configurable profiles.
2. Key: to bind any of the 5 mouse buttons as well as "scroll up" or "scroll down" to mouse buttons, shortcuts, macros, or multimedia buttons.
3. Pointer: to change the DPI on any of the 5 DPI profiles and also change the polling rate from 125 Hz to 8000 Hz.
4. Macro.
5. Function: includes most of the necessary settings like LOD (low, medium, or high), Ripple control, Angle snap, Motion sync, Scroll direction, Angle adjustment, Esports mode (On/Off/Gaming Overclocked), Low latency key, Debounce time (0-255), and Sleep time (1-40 min).
6. System: to update the firmware, factory reset the mouse, or lock the left click.

• Performance

The mouse performed great, as expected on most mice over 50$ these days, it does have a harder time at reaching higher polling rates especially when Gaming Overclocked mode is disabled, when it's enabled it can reach around 5kHz on average at 8k Hz, also on 1kHz it reaches around 920Hz with Gaming Overclocked mode disabled, so I recommend always using Gaming Overclocked mode.

I tested it mainly on Fortnite and Kovaak's.

On Fortnite, the main clicks felt very good to use even when clicking at 50% of the button, the side buttons are good but with the size of the shell they felt hard to reach at times.

On Kovaak's, I mainly used it for warm ups and tracking practice, it was great at obligating me to engage more my arm when tracking, but also to highlight weaknesses in my aim.

• Conclusion

Overall, the M9 is a great mouse that even I, with my medium hands, could perform well on, although with some issues that didn't take away from the experience as much but do make it feel less polished, like the side-to-side wobble on the main clicks and the overall build integrity. It also presents very strong aspects like the unique shape, very responsive main and side clicks, and also the really good weight and coating.

This unit was kindly sent out for review, although this won't change my opinion on the product itself.

Thank you to Mchose for this opportunity.

• Contents of the box

1. Mchose A7 V2 Ultra+.
2. Type A to type C cable.
3. 8k Hz receiver (Charging base).
4. 1k Hz Dongle.
5. Grip tape.
6. Warranty card.
7. Manual.

• Mouse shape and base

The shape of the A7 V2 Ultra+ is the same as other iterations of the A7, like the V1 and the A7X, it being a clone of the Superlight 2 with minor differences and also the bigger version of MCHOSE's A5 model.

Regarding the height, it has a very pronounced rear that elongates throughout the shell, reaching its highest point in the middle to then slope down towards medium-height main clicks.

In terms of width, it presents a very wide rear, which minorly narrows down, aligning with the sensor to then taper out towards the front; the side curvature is not as pronounced as the A5 shape, and the in-hand experience is very different.

On the A5 the taper in on the sides is more noticeable, which makes the shape more flexible with the grip points, while on the A7 they are very subtle, leading to a more consistent feeling width from the middle to the front.

My experience with the shape, with my 18x10 and aggressive to relaxed claw, has been similar to other universal shapes.

The wide back supports the thenar in a neutral way, not applying too much pressure, but the rear does greatly fill my palm; it does limit the maneuverability, giving a more locked grip with less freedom. This combined with a higher weight than the A7X and a denser back makes it slightly worse.

The sides are too flat and wide for finger mobility (for my hand size), but not completely limiting it, as the hump doesn't get in the way of micro-adjusting.

Though, my opinion has changed over my time using it, and after two weeks of usage the denser back is not as much of a problem, and it's a mouse I could easily main, even though I'm not a big fan of the GPX shape.

Considering there exist the Ultra and Pro versions without the magnetic charging and the denser back, my only real complaint would be the weight compared to the A7X.

The base features an On/Off/BT switch, a DPI button, a forward sensor (54%) that's well positioned, aligning with the middle of the side buttons, and the same white pre-installed skates as other MCHOSE models. They are rounded on the edges and not as flat as most pre-installed skates. Even though they are on the slower side, they are more than usable on both cloth and glass pads.

• Build integrity and coating

The build integrity is good; I can only produce a minor bend on the sides when pressing extremely hard. I opened the mouse during my first week of usage, and after closing it, it has the same rock-solid feeling in hand. There's also some bending on the base but nothing noticeable in-game.

The coating, I would say, is the same or very close to the one on the A5, exceptionally grippy; even with drier hands, it's very easy for your hands to somewhat glue onto the mouse.

• Primary and side clicks

The primary clicks are the main problem with the mouse, M1 and M2 are using Omron mechanicals. The piece below the click used to shorten the travel distance can cause double clicks or inconsistent actuations at times when tapping (mostly noticeable on Fortnite), which is more frequent and easier to reproduce than on any other mouse I've tried. Even then, the overall implementation is still very good.

There's some very slight pre- and post-travel until around 75% of the click, then on the front it does have more play, but the rebound is decently fast. Besides, the main clicks present minimal side-to-side wobble, and the clicks are very tactile and crisp.

They feel more tense than the A5's main clicks, though I prefer the ones on the A5 as they are much more spammable and are very unlikely to cause double clicks when tapping the click.

The side buttons are also extremely good and very similar to the A5 V3 in terms of implementation; they are very robust with no wobble and minor pre- and post-travel. M4 does present more post-travel, but it is still very minor, and it cannot be sunk into the shell.

The side click is not as tactile and also quieter than those on the A5, though they are still very crisp and with similar spammability.

• Scroll wheel

The scroll wheel has a rubberized finish with not as defined steps; it is using a TTC Gold encoder with a medium actuation force M3 that's well implemented and with a very crisp-feeling click.

It has medium to light scroll force, which, combined with the steps that aren't as noticeable, feels too light at times; still, it wasn't a problem during normal usage.

• Weight and balance

My unit weighs 58g with the pre-installed full-size skates and 56g with 4 dot skates; it's a good weight considering the size, as it's at a rather balanced range when it comes to density.

Though the denser rear did feel bad to play with in the beginning, I got used to it in the end, and it didn't feel as much of an issue. Still, I would only recommend the versions without the magnetic charging.

Even though it's decently balanced at around the very front of M4, it would feel lighter in hand with a less dense back.

• Software

It uses a software web with 4 pages:

1. Key remapping: all 5 mouse buttons can be remapped to keyboard binds and macros.
2. DPI: 6 DPI profiles from 200 to 26000; you can also make separate X/Y DPI settings.
3. Performance: includes settings such as motion sync, waveform control, line correction, sleep time, LOD height (1-2mm), click debounce (0-20ms), polling rate (125-8kHz), mode selection (performance, gaming, and extreme), and rotate (sensor angle adjustment)
4. Other: firmware updates and pairing the receiver.

• Performance

The performance has been great, as expected from MCHOSE, with no hiccups or wireless interferences.

I tested it mainly on Fortnite and KovaaK's at 1k Hz and Extreme Mode (I do recommend using Extreme Mode for gaming, as it can give some polling instability below it, even at 1k Hz, as seen on Pzogel's review on the Ultra version).

On Fortnite, the clicks felt very snappy, though with some inconsistencies due to tapping the click at times, the side buttons were some of the best I've tried and extremely responsive.

On Kovaak's, the sensor performed well, and I had no issues whatsoever.

• Conclusion

Overall, the A7 V2 Ultra+ is a great mouse that I would only recommend in its Ultra and Pro versions due to them solving my issue with the weight distribution, though the + versions are still good.
Besides, I think the A7X brings a better package regarding weight, balance, click implementation, and build quality.

This unit was kindly sent for review, though this will not affect my opinion of the product.

Thanks to Razer for the opportunity.

• Box Contents

1. Razer BlackShark V3 Pro headset.
2. 2.4 GHz HyperSpeed Gen-2 USB dongle.
3. Braided USB-C to USB-A cable (charging and data).
4. 12 mm detachable HyperClear microphone with foam filter.
5. USB-C to 3.5 mm jack adapter.
6. Manual.

• Design and Build

The BlackShark V3 Pro keeps Razer's signature design, featuring a reinforced metal headband with thicker arms, improving one of the weakest points from previous models.

The build integrity feels very solid, with no creaking or bending. There is no RGB on this model, which is the best for a competitive headset, though it may disappoint some people.

Weighing 365-367g, they are slightly heavier than the V2 Pro, but the weight distribution is well executed, notable on longer sessions where I didn't feel significant discomfort. The clamping force is low, which improves the overall comfort.

The ear cups can rotate roughly 15°, helping them adapt better to different head shapes. A 45° rotation like some other brands offer would have been appreciated.

The ear pads use breathable FlowKnit fabric with memory foam, an improvement over leatherette for long sessions. That said, after many hours, especially in warm environments, they can retain some heat.

A notable addition is the magnetic cover system with battery access, allowing for a replacement.

• Controls and Connections

Left side:

1. Power button
2. USB-C port
3. Detachable microphone connector
4. Volume wheel
5. Mute button

Right side:

1. SmartSwitch button (EQ profiles / connection switching)
2. Secondary dial (chat/game mix or sidetone depending on platform)
3. Dedicated ANC button

The controls are well implemented, especially the dual dial, which allows managing key functions without relying on software.

One of its downsides, is that the buttons feel very similar to each other physically, on the left side, with only 2 buttons (power and mute). Differentiating them is straightforward since one is textured and the other is smooth.

However, on the right side, both buttons (ANC and SmartSwitch) are smooth, and even with a slight raised edge, they are very hard to distinguish by touch during use. Having one textured and one smooth on the right side would have made them much easier to tell apart.

• Connectivity and Compatibility

Connection options:

1. 2.4 GHz HyperSpeed Gen-2 wireless
2. Bluetooth 5.3
3. 3.5 mm jack

Compatible platforms:

1. PC
2. PlayStation
3. Xbox
4. Nintendo Switch
5. Mobile
6. Steam Deck

This model presents a dual connection (2.4 GHz + Bluetooth) with independent chipsets, allowing you to change between devices more easily, though the absence of a bluetooth mode could have lowered the latency.

Even with that wireless performance is excellent, with a latency of 10 ms via the 2.4 GHz dongle, one of the best on the market.

On the other hand, Bluetooth still has very high latency for gaming, which is common with this type of connection.

From my experience, I didn't have any problems with wireless interferences nor hiccups and the latency felt consistent throughout my testing.

• Sound and Experience

The 50 mm TriForce Bio-Cellulose drivers offer good frequency separation and a clear FPS-oriented approach. Clarity and positional audio are prioritized over bass impact.

The Synapse software is divided into the following sections:

Up to 9 profiles can be created within the software, stored natively on the headset, allowing switching between them without needing Synapse open.

Sound

Primarily allows audio EQ customization and per-game profiles:

1. Toggle between stereo mode and THX Spatial Audio.
2. Audio equalizer with 5 preset profiles: Default / Game / Movie / Music / E-Sports (not available in THX Spatial Audio mode), plus full manual customization from 31 Hz to 16 kHz (31 Hz-63 Hz-125 Hz-250 Hz-500 Hz-1 kHz-2 kHz-4 kHz-8 kHz-16 kHz), with individual EQ band adjustment from -6 dB to +6 dB.
3. Game profiles: automatically load an EQ profile when a game is in the foreground. Only some games support THX EQ, such as CS2, Valorant, or Red Dead Redemption. It is a shame not all games are compatible, as audio improves noticeably, though most recent releases do support it.
4. Volume: software volume control (0-100 progressive bar), including a game/chat audio balance slider.
5. Quick access to Windows sound properties.

Enhancement

Unique features including:

1. Ultra-low latency: reduces audio latency to around 10 ms, though this significantly reduces battery life.
2. Active Noise Cancellation: offers 4 levels of background noise reduction. Excellently implemented, I have not seen any other headset capable of isolating as well out of the box. There is also an ambient mode, which is a softer noise cancellation (non-adjustable), similar to what other brands offer.
3. In-call audio mix: lets you choose what happens when receiving a mobile call while connected via both 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth simultaneously. It can combine both, lower 2.4 GHz volume, or mute 2.4 GHz volume.
4. Audio enhancement: can be disabled, modifies sound processing through 3 options:

- Sound normalization: amplifies subtle sounds like footsteps or quiet conversations.

- Bass boost: enhances low-frequency sounds, ideal for single-player gamers.

- Voice clarity: improves voice quality, perfect for those who prioritize calls over gaming.

Activation

Dongle and power-saving customization:

1. LED indicator: choose what the dongle LED displays: connection status / battery status / battery warning only.
2. Wireless power saving: set auto-off timer for inactivity: 15 / 30 / 45 / 60 minutes. A gradual slider would have been preferable.

All changes are stored natively on the headset without needing Synapse open or running in the background.

Additionally, Xbox supports native "Windows Sonic on Xbox" audio enhancement, PlayStation supports "3D Tempest Audio on PlayStation," and PC supports "THX Spatial Audio 7.1.4."

The software is extremely comprehensive for both audio and microphone customization. That said, the headset requires Synapse to have access to all the features, and despite audio enhancements for consoles, I cannot fully recommend them for console only, as many features are lost without the software. If you have a PC to configure them, it is a safe recommendation.

• Microphone

The 12 mm detachable HyperClear microphone is a clear improvement, it is larger, and its foam filter is higher quality than its predecessors, resulting in clearer, more natural voice reproduction and up to a 48 kHz sampling rate.

The features available through Synapse:

- Microphone: adjust volume and test microphone settings.

- Microphone Enhancement: process your voice with the following options (can be disabled):

1. Volume normalization: reduces sudden spikes and boosts softer sounds (10-100 progressive bar).
2. Vocal clarity: isolates and enhances the microphone's vocal range (10-100 progressive bar).
3. Microphone noise cancellation: subtle but effective for a cleaner voice (10-100 progressive bar).
4. Noise gate: controls the input sound threshold, lower threshold = less sound captured (Low / Medium / High).

- Microphone Equalizer: detailed EQ adjustment with 4 preset profiles (Default / E-Sports / Broadcast / Flat), plus full customization from 31 Hz to 16 kHz (31 Hz-63 Hz-125 Hz-250 Hz-500 Hz-1 kHz-2 kHz-4 kHz-8 kHz-16 kHz), with individual band adjustment from -6 dB to +6 dB.

- Microphone monitoring (Sidetone): hear your own microphone through the headset without amplification (0-15 progressive bar).

In this area, it's far better than other models in this price range. It is a great microphone for a headset, though it still cannot replace a dedicated microphone for professional content. For streaming, however, it works without issue, something that can't be said for most models on the market.

• Battery Life

The battery is excellent:

- Up to 70 hours on 2.4 GHz (PC)

- 45-50 hours on consoles

This difference is due to Synapse's battery optimization options on PC. It would have been nice to have similar endurance across all platforms, especially consoles, via a power-saving mode that sacrifices some minor features to extend battery life.

Despite this gap, it still offers solid battery life for a gaming headset. It can be used while charging, and fast charging takes around 4 hours on both PC and consoles. A short 15-minute charge provides approximately 6 hours of use depending on the platform.

Unlike many other models, the battery is easily replaceable by simply lifting the front cover of the left ear cup.

Overall, considering the audio and mic implementation it has good battery life, especially if used on PC. Otherwise, you lose a lot on battery life, thus, it may not be the best option for console.

• Conclusion

To summarize, the BlackShark V3 Pro is a great headset in terms of performance, noise isolation, an excellent microphone, and sound for FPS.

Though it's not perfect, with a slightly higher weight, the materials can generate heat, and some features, particularly Synapse and its PC dependency to have all the features, create a clear gap between PC and console.

It is a very solid option if your priority is competitive games and you play PC, but not necessarily the best choice for console only.