IMO THX lost it's relevance a long time ago anyway. I haven't seen a THX logo in quite a while. Also, Razer is officially dead to me. My cheap $20 chinese keyboard has now outlasted the combined lifespans of 2 high end Razer keyboards...with more functionality to boot. Get back to me when a drop of water doesn't wipe out a $200 Razer keyboard or when they realize that left handed gaming doesn't mean reversed buttons.
I doubt they paid this much just to get a sticker on their products. Most people just don't care about that sticker enough to pay for the whole investment. Which is why THX was in this position in the first place. I hope they bought them for the expertise. Now they are able to build a better product and command a higher premium than just for a THX sticker.
Razer bought THX to get in on Chinese cinema - a market that is currently exploding and has much more room to grow. THX stands to make a lot of money certifying commercial theaters in China, so this seems like a savvy business move from that perspective alone. I wish that I had thought of it.
Aside from that, I expect that the THX logo will continue to be abused on entry level garbage just like it always has.
If journalists around the world in technical sites, notice that THX label is tailored for Razer equipment, they will quickly throw the THX logo in the nearest trash can. If Razer bought expertize and they are serious to create top quality equipment, it is a good investment. If they just bought a logo that they don't intent to respect, their investment will be short lived.
They're not. Most people are actually happy with the products but there's always going to be a number of users who are unhappy (maybe the product they bought had serous problems, maybe it didn't match their expectations) and they decide to be very vocal about it. Razer products have around 4 out of 5 stars average rating for almost every product on every top retailer. Which is equal or better than other big manufacturers.
But everyone knows that any company that disappoints a few of its customers is a sh*t company, with sh*t products.
I like their mice, mostly for ergonomics and the fact they suit my usual grip well. I also have one Nostromo gaming keypad, but I use it for the macros. Can be very handy.
I dislike their Razer Synapse program as it requires internet connectivity when setting it up, creating a Razer account, etc, which for me is beyond stupid. After that setup I can leave Synapse offline forever. If you like the functionality it saves your macros to their cloud, but at least for me that's gimmicky.
Razer software = garbage. Razer keyboards = garbage. Razer mice = holy grail. There will be those that disagree with me, especially about their mice, but I stand by my personal experience. I have had several razer products and the software has never lived up to the hype. The Razer mouse I bought is the single greatest computer accessory I have ever owned. I have used it for several years and it still works as well as the day I bought it. Your milage may vary.
I definitely disagree about Razer mice. Mouse that can't properly work without custom (and also awful) drivers is garbage to me. I'm fine with installing that awful software in VM to configure the mouse once, but it must not be requited on my main system.
That's not true. It just works under any OS I've used it on. I own several of their mice and they work wonderfully under FreeBSD/Linux/Solaris. Sure, I don't get to customize the mouse in any way but I don't really need to. They simply have the best ergonomics out there, bar none that I've tried so far.
Well damn, that's a "how the mighty have fallen" headline. I can't see this doing anything other than devaluing the THX certification (what little it had left, anyway).
"One big change from this announcement is that THX is going to now offer additional certification lines for headphones, Bluetooth speakers, streaming video, set-top boxes, and connected speakers." Great, further dilute THX's waning brand significance. Eventually THX will just be an icon on the boxes of crappy Razer headphones.
Razer: How can we hurt them? By making them pay us for their distinctive features. OK, buy THX and have Logitech brag about using competitor's technology. At this point, Logitech might as well look for other certifications. I never thought Razer would get in the theater audio business, so that's interesting. I also must day I've never personally owned any of their products, but I've used a few and while they don't seem anything special, I can't talk about their reliability. I've used tons of Logitech products, every since I spent over $100 on a Desktop Navigator kit. I was impressed with design and quality so I remained a fan over the years. The problem with Logitech nowadays is they are carrying H. I. V. from Microsh¡t and their newer products have worse design and less functionality than the ones they replace. Way to go, Logitech. Oh and the pricetag either went up or remained the same.
THX certified Razer devices? Yeah, there's probably a small value to it. Yet, as mentioned, this is much more about getting the engineers and knowledge to create even more expensive Razer stuff.
The article totally fails to mention that in 2002 Lucasfilm sold THX to Creative Technology (aka Soundblaster). In that context, it's much less of a surprise that one computer peripherals company would purchase THX from another computer peripherals company.
Well, this makes me slightly hopeful that their audio quality might improve. I'm not very familiar with their high-end headsets (I've tried a Man'o'war for a minute or two), but the Kraken series ... is utter sh*t. Build quality is crap, audio quality is best described as "$30 2.1 PC speakers with the bass set at maximum heard through a thick blanket," and their features are laughable for the price.
I haven't looked back since I first put on a pair of HyperX Cloud Cores. Best <$100 headphones I've ever tried.
This has also kept me away from the Leviathan, even if it's an intriguing product. A THX certified follow-up might interest me.
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ciparis - Tuesday, October 18, 2016 - link
A vendor cannot own a qualifying entity without affecting the relevance & intrinsic authority of the qualifying entity. This is the sad end of an era.eek2121 - Tuesday, October 18, 2016 - link
IMO THX lost it's relevance a long time ago anyway. I haven't seen a THX logo in quite a while. Also, Razer is officially dead to me. My cheap $20 chinese keyboard has now outlasted the combined lifespans of 2 high end Razer keyboards...with more functionality to boot. Get back to me when a drop of water doesn't wipe out a $200 Razer keyboard or when they realize that left handed gaming doesn't mean reversed buttons.close - Tuesday, October 18, 2016 - link
I doubt they paid this much just to get a sticker on their products. Most people just don't care about that sticker enough to pay for the whole investment. Which is why THX was in this position in the first place. I hope they bought them for the expertise.Now they are able to build a better product and command a higher premium than just for a THX sticker.
nathanddrews - Tuesday, October 18, 2016 - link
Razer bought THX to get in on Chinese cinema - a market that is currently exploding and has much more room to grow. THX stands to make a lot of money certifying commercial theaters in China, so this seems like a savvy business move from that perspective alone. I wish that I had thought of it.Aside from that, I expect that the THX logo will continue to be abused on entry level garbage just like it always has.
yannigr2 - Tuesday, October 18, 2016 - link
If journalists around the world in technical sites, notice that THX label is tailored for Razer equipment, they will quickly throw the THX logo in the nearest trash can. If Razer bought expertize and they are serious to create top quality equipment, it is a good investment. If they just bought a logo that they don't intent to respect, their investment will be short lived.TheITS - Tuesday, October 18, 2016 - link
LOLOL Razer serious about creating top quality!!!That is the funniest thing I may have ever heard online!
yannigr2 - Tuesday, October 18, 2016 - link
Are they really that bad? I really don't know them as a company, not I haven't heard them, I just haven't bought any stuff from them.close - Tuesday, October 18, 2016 - link
They're not. Most people are actually happy with the products but there's always going to be a number of users who are unhappy (maybe the product they bought had serous problems, maybe it didn't match their expectations) and they decide to be very vocal about it.Razer products have around 4 out of 5 stars average rating for almost every product on every top retailer. Which is equal or better than other big manufacturers.
But everyone knows that any company that disappoints a few of its customers is a sh*t company, with sh*t products.
@TheITS, what brand do you buy and consider good?
LordanSS - Tuesday, October 18, 2016 - link
I like their mice, mostly for ergonomics and the fact they suit my usual grip well. I also have one Nostromo gaming keypad, but I use it for the macros. Can be very handy.I dislike their Razer Synapse program as it requires internet connectivity when setting it up, creating a Razer account, etc, which for me is beyond stupid. After that setup I can leave Synapse offline forever. If you like the functionality it saves your macros to their cloud, but at least for me that's gimmicky.
fanofanand - Tuesday, October 18, 2016 - link
Razer software = garbage. Razer keyboards = garbage. Razer mice = holy grail. There will be those that disagree with me, especially about their mice, but I stand by my personal experience. I have had several razer products and the software has never lived up to the hype. The Razer mouse I bought is the single greatest computer accessory I have ever owned. I have used it for several years and it still works as well as the day I bought it. Your milage may vary.Senti - Tuesday, October 18, 2016 - link
I definitely disagree about Razer mice. Mouse that can't properly work without custom (and also awful) drivers is garbage to me. I'm fine with installing that awful software in VM to configure the mouse once, but it must not be requited on my main system.igavus - Sunday, October 23, 2016 - link
That's not true. It just works under any OS I've used it on. I own several of their mice and they work wonderfully under FreeBSD/Linux/Solaris. Sure, I don't get to customize the mouse in any way but I don't really need to. They simply have the best ergonomics out there, bar none that I've tried so far.edzieba - Tuesday, October 18, 2016 - link
Well damn, that's a "how the mighty have fallen" headline. I can't see this doing anything other than devaluing the THX certification (what little it had left, anyway).wrkingclass_hero - Tuesday, October 18, 2016 - link
"One big change from this announcement is that THX is going to now offer additional certification lines for headphones, Bluetooth speakers, streaming video, set-top boxes, and connected speakers."Great, further dilute THX's waning brand significance. Eventually THX will just be an icon on the boxes of crappy Razer headphones.
3ogdy - Tuesday, October 18, 2016 - link
Razer: How can we hurt them? By making them pay us for their distinctive features.OK, buy THX and have Logitech brag about using competitor's technology.
At this point, Logitech might as well look for other certifications.
I never thought Razer would get in the theater audio business, so that's interesting. I also must day I've never personally owned any of their products, but I've used a few and while they don't seem anything special, I can't talk about their reliability. I've used tons of Logitech products, every since I spent over $100 on a Desktop Navigator kit. I was impressed with design and quality so I remained a fan over the years. The problem with Logitech nowadays is they are carrying H. I. V. from Microsh¡t and their newer products have worse design and less functionality than the ones they replace. Way to go, Logitech. Oh and the pricetag either went up or remained the same.
lurker22 - Tuesday, October 18, 2016 - link
Isn't THX that horrible certification that your sound mix is almost entirely in the bass range and pumped up volume 10x higher than necessary?dsraa - Tuesday, October 18, 2016 - link
I imagine I'd see THX certified headset from them soon.....jsntech - Tuesday, October 18, 2016 - link
Haha...you read my mind.zodiacfml - Tuesday, October 18, 2016 - link
THX certified Razer devices? Yeah, there's probably a small value to it.Yet, as mentioned, this is much more about getting the engineers and knowledge to create even more expensive Razer stuff.
Gunbuster - Tuesday, October 18, 2016 - link
THX stickers for everyone!!wbwb - Tuesday, October 18, 2016 - link
The article totally fails to mention that in 2002 Lucasfilm sold THX to Creative Technology (aka Soundblaster). In that context, it's much less of a surprise that one computer peripherals company would purchase THX from another computer peripherals company.Valantar - Tuesday, October 18, 2016 - link
Well, this makes me slightly hopeful that their audio quality might improve. I'm not very familiar with their high-end headsets (I've tried a Man'o'war for a minute or two), but the Kraken series ... is utter sh*t. Build quality is crap, audio quality is best described as "$30 2.1 PC speakers with the bass set at maximum heard through a thick blanket," and their features are laughable for the price.I haven't looked back since I first put on a pair of HyperX Cloud Cores. Best <$100 headphones I've ever tried.
This has also kept me away from the Leviathan, even if it's an intriguing product. A THX certified follow-up might interest me.