It's not a bargain, but it has Chroma support

Sep 21, 2018 11:54 GMT  ·  By

The Nommo Pro is a 2.1 speaker system from Razer that’s sure to blow everyone away, both in terms of quality and price.

Razer has a wide variety of audio-related hardware, and that includes speakers, headsets, and a few other items. It might not seem like the obvious company to go to for a high definition speaker system, especially since they are mostly known for their peripherals, such as mice and keyboards.

To be fair, Razer has some speakers systems available in their shop, but it's not anything fancy. It includes a couple of speakers, one with Chrome lighting and one without. I’m not going to give credit for the soundbar or to the portable speaker because it’s not something that should exist on the desktop of a gamer. They’re not bad, by any standard, but they don’t fit well into this picture.

The Nommo Pro speakers were announced all the way back at CES 2018, and they were definitely noticed. It’s the kind of product that was missing from Razer’s lineup, and they are surely working on a 5.1 solution as well since that’s the proper definition of a speaker system for gamers.

I googled Nommo looking for the official website, but I was surprised to see that Razer wasn’t the first answer on the list. I thought that was a given since the speakers have a unique name, but it’s actually Wikipedia that comes up first. The Nommo are spirits worshiped by the Dogon people, mostly in Mali, a country in West Africa.

Design

Nommo Pro is a beautiful speaker set that will immediately capture the attention of anyone passing by. It consists of two main speakers and a subwoofer. Typically, it should go under the table because it’s really large, but that's not without good reason.

The two speakers also come with dedicated tweeters, which are designed to offer the high-frequency sounds you will need. It’s interesting that they don't share the same case with the regular speakers, which makes a difference.

What you will also notice right from the start is that the speakers are also massive and it’s not entirely unexpected. If you buy them from a store, you will know what your getting, but if you buy them from the website, you’re going to be surprised by the size, as it’s not obvious from the images.

Razer Nommo Pro
Razer Nommo Pro
Razer Nommo Pro
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The length of the speaker is about 15cm or 6.5 inches, so you won’t be able to place them or use them properly on a smaller desk. All I’m saying that they might prove to be a little bit inconvenient if you don’t have a big enough desk or office space to fit them.

I’m going to include the control pod in the design section because I think it looks fantastic, although it’s not all functional. Or better yet, it’s not as good as it should be, give the features that it has.

Functionality and sound

The speaker system comes with both THX and Dolby certifications, but please keep in mind that you can’t use them at the same time. Of course, the desktop's speakers have Chroma support and a small ring of light around the base. As you can imagine, they can sync with other Chroma-enabled devices such as mice or keyboards, to get the full effect. You will need Razer Synapse to make that happen.

The subwoofer points downwards and not to the side, which won’t be something that you’re downstairs neighbors will be happy about, most likely. I have the feeling that it provides a deeper range of frequencies by pointing downwards, but it might be just an impression.

Also, I have to say that the subwoofer is massive. It’s way bigger than the regular subwoofers that we see in equivalent 2.1 systems and even 5.1 speakers. The size seems to be useful in this case as the sound it makes is remarkable.

The frequency response ranges between 35 and 20,000Hz, but we need to put that in context. The range of a human adult hearing ranges between 20 and 20,000 Hz, and it’s a little more for kids and a little less for seniors. In any case, the Nommo Pro is right on the mark.

What you won’t find for the Nommo Pro is a watt rating for power, which is interesting. I, for one, don’t find it all that surprising because that kind of evaluation has lost all meaning in the past few years. It used to mean something, and you could use it as a rough guide, but it’s been so abused by the industry that it doesn’t make any sense any longer.

Razer Nommo Pro
Razer Nommo Pro
Razer Nommo Pro
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The speaker connects to the PC via USB (which is problematic as usual), but it also comes with an optical connection and a 3.5mm connection. The funny thing is that the 3.5mm jack is located on the control pod, which usually sits on the table, and not on the subwoofer, along with everything else.

Users can also plug in their headphones in the control pod, which makes sense. Also, the control pod comes with a small button to switch between the four available modes, Optical, Bluetooth, Analog, and USB. To connect via Bluetooth, you will have to press the button for a couple of seconds; otherwise, you will only see the Razer remote and nothing else.

The Volume ring is by far the most exciting feature for the control pod, and there is no minimum or maximum position. Just rotate for more or less volume. It’s a good design, as opposed to the lights on the same control pod which are pretty much useless but will cover that later.

As for the software, the Razer Synapse can be used to control pretty much all aspects and offers almost the same control as the app available for mobile devices. Users can choose from THX, Dolby, or their own settings, but they can also change the lighting settings and effects.


The Good

The sound quality is the high point of Nommo Pro, and no one can really dispute that. The quality of the sound is immediately noticeable, no matter how you connect the speakers to your system. The bass, medium, and treble are almost perfect, and it’s a completely different experience once you turn it on.

The control pod is also a nice addition, even if it’s not the most useful of the bunch. It’s easy to use, and the volume control is smooth and a joy to turn. In fact, I found that it’s a pleasure to change the volume even if I didn’t need it.

Another important aspect the subwoofer and the quality it projects. The fact that it’s pointing downward is almost certainly a good idea, albeit not for the neighbors.

The last thing I want to mention in this category is the extended connectivity. It basically gives users almost all of the connections they would need. It’s also easy to set up, no matter what the type of connection you’re using.

The Bad

You would think that at $500 you won’t find any issues, and you would be correct, for the most part. All of the problems are minor ones, but not so small that they shouldn’t be mentioned.

Let’s start with the control pod. While it’s a great idea to have dedicated manual controls, it’s not well implemented. When the speakers are connected via USB, there is a noticeable lag when turning the volume up or down, and that includes the light. That lag doesn’t exist if you connect your phone via the AUX  entry, for example.

Then, the pod is pretty much useless if you are using this set up in the living room. Granted, there is a phone app that can be used to control the speakers, but if I don’t have the phone on the couch, I would have to get up to get it. At that point, I might just as well used the control pod.

And lastly, the lights on the control pod have such low intensity that I can’t see them unless I’m standing above it. If I place the control near the monitor, on my desk, at about 20 or 30cm, the lights are no longer visible from that angle.

As for the sound, the only issue is that the base of the speakers only has a thin material that prevents them from moving on the table. They should have used something thicker that would also act as a decoupler, preventing vibrations and interactions with the table itself.

One final remark I need to amke regarding the Nommo Pro. Razer included a Chroma-enabled light ring around the base of the speakers, but they ignored the subwoofer. I know that it’s supposed to be on the floor, or at least out of sight, but that’s not always the case. It would have been nice to have Chroma lights on the subwoofer as well.

Conclusion

Users will be torn between the exquisite sound and the price, which is a little bit steep. Granted, there is a lot of quality in this package, and it’s impossible to dispute it. If we add the THX support (which is awesomely integrated) and Dolby support, it kind of makes sense ,barely.

It’s true that the $500 price for Nommo Pro might seem a little bit excessive, given that it’s possible to find good speakers at haft that sum. On the other hand, they won’t have Chroma, multiple connections, or any of the Razer support that we might get in certain games.

All of the negative aspects I mentioned are minor ones, and they don’t really detract from the overall value of the product. I would be glad to replace my 5.1 current set-up with this 2.1 version. It would be a massive upgrade, and I’m sure that most users will feel the same if they don’t find them to be too expensive.

Photo Gallery (14 Images)

Razer Nommo Pro
Razer Nommo ProRazer Nommo Pro
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