Why is the Razer Blackwidow Ultimate hated around here?

[ksm123]

Razer popularity among beginner mechanical keyboards enthusiasts  is not about its price of this item but about it availability.

You can usually go to a shop in your town, touch it pay cash and leave with new toy.

It is much harder to put your hands on Filco or Ducky.
In my case (I'm from Poland) it would mean getting it from UK (The Keyboard Co and their outrageous prices, not so cheap shipping and two currency conversions PLN (my account) -> EUR (credit card currency) -> GBP (shop currency) ),

So, yes, many of us do start with BlackWidow, and we learn better when we go deeper into this hobby.

[Lighthouse1]

I have had a few Razer mice and really like them so I think the hate of them is a bit oTT, but my Blackwidow experience was that it was pretty hard to type properly on because of the placement of the macro keys.

It was my first mechanical; I bought it off Ebay because I wondered whether what people said about mechanical keys making a difference was true (I had read a few articles and the review of the partially mechanical Corsair boards interested me) and it was the cheapest way to find out. I much prefer the Filco and QFR I have acquired since  (both in terms of layout and feel) but as an entry to the keyboards I don't think its too bad though the retail price is quite high for what it is. People do like the brand name though - I got more for it when I sold it than I had paid for it! I wouldn't knock people finding their way to somewhere like this via a Blackwidow board.

[Abacus1234]

I personally think that the animus is a little too extreme. I have a 2013 model, non-backlit, and I really do think it is decent to type on. I am a web developer, so I actually use the macro keys to automate a few bits of code here and there which I use regularly. That feature is not lost on me. I probably wont buy many razer products in the future, but in the dozen or so that I have owned, I have never had any of them fail on me.  My first Filco died on me... So yeah. I just think the horrible reliability is overstated. I agree that the font on the Blackwidow is a freaking joke.

[Rule16]

wanted to know how GH feel about their mousepads? it's good right?

Only good mousepad I had from Razer was the Sphex... Its got great tracking and its a cool design that it sticks to the desk aswell... The only problem was the fact that it was too small when I switched to low sensitivity.

[Blue_Moon]

Yay! Commercial spyware!

I was pleased. When I switched from PC to Mac, I installed Synapse, logged in, and all my keybindings were there. 

My zero-to-WoW time was ridiculously short.

[daerid]

Never had a Razer product die on me aside from a screwed up firmware upgrade on a DA 3.5 (which bricked the mouse.. but it wasn't my mouse so I'm not sure it counts). I just don't like the build of their keyboards. The stabilizers are flimsy, and I just can't stand the styling of the case. Gimme a Ducky/Filco straightforward case style any day of the week.

[TheQsanity]

I have that too. It really is just a sticky sheet of paper priced at 15 bucks. I like the feel of the goliathus but it splits and frays.

[SpAmRaY]

I'd like to try a razer blackwidow....the one at walmart I saw had the arrow keys exposed and you could type on them and they felt very different than the blue switches in the coolers master tk i tried out.

But to speak to the topic, I think its just another keyboard that has went too far on the gimmick side of things.

[tauburn]

I like companies like razer and beats by dre. they allow me to clearly see who is too stupid to research before buying before i even meet them.

[tauburn]

I'd like to try a razer blackwidow....the one at walmart I saw had the arrow keys exposed and you could type on them and they felt very different than the blue switches in the coolers master tk i tried out.

But to speak to the topic, I think its just another keyboard that has went too far on the gimmick side of things.

i've tried my friend's blackwidow, it didnt feel bad, but the case is way too bulky and ugly. also the keycaps are like the qfr ones where they have intolerably ugly font

[TheQsanity]

Beats is more of a fashion statement. I tried them side by side along with some bose soul skullcandy but the best one by far would be Logitech. Its also one of the cheapest.

[tauburn]

Beats is more of a fashion statement. I tried them side by side along with some bose soul skullcandy but the best one by far would be Logitech. Its also one of the cheapest.

logitech isnt even an audio company. try something made by sony, sennheiser or beyerdynamic. theres others but yknow

[linziyi]

Beats is more of a fashion statement. I tried them side by side along with some bose soul skullcandy but the best one by far would be Logitech. Its also one of the cheapest.

logitech isnt even an audio company. try something made by sony, sennheiser or beyerdynamic. theres others but yknow

Sennheiser FTW

[Sniping]

Beats is more of a fashion statement. I tried them side by side along with some bose soul skullcandy but the best one by far would be Logitech. Its also one of the cheapest.

logitech isnt even an audio company. try something made by sony, sennheiser or beyerdynamic. theres others but yknow

Sorry, but Sony, Sennheiser, and Beyer don't make IEMs on even the same level as Logitech. Their UE Customs are something that I'm pretty sure none of those companies offer AFAIK.

[Dubsgalore]

people hate em enough to break em in half

[tauburn]

Beats is more of a fashion statement. I tried them side by side along with some bose soul skullcandy but the best one by far would be Logitech. Its also one of the cheapest.

logitech isnt even an audio company. try something made by sony, sennheiser or beyerdynamic. theres others but yknow

Sorry, but Sony, Sennheiser, and Beyer don't make IEMs on even the same level as Logitech. Their UE Customs are something that I'm pretty sure none of those companies offer AFAIK.

i assumed he wasnt interested in spending more than 1000 on his headphones lol

[davkol]

Beats is more of a fashion statement. I tried them side by side along with some bose soul skullcandy but the best one by far would be Logitech. Its also one of the cheapest.

Most of these are a fashion statement. Except beetz, they're a statement that their owner is a hipster/d-bag.

[TheQsanity]

I like sony earbuds. I own at least of the same ones and I should be upgrading them soon.
 Their ps3 headphones looks nice.
 I am waiting for the day they have wireless surround for my phone.
I do have an open back senhiser that I use at home and it is good.
 I am very surprised on how. Good Logitech headphones are. I would try their inline mic earbuds but I wouldnt drop 60 bucks for them. Not to many companies make okay sounding android earbuds.
Blue is my favorite color. And I would much rather wear a shiny blue and black lightweight Logitech headphone than studio monitor senhiser grey and black matte.


Being hipster is too mainstream.  I go mainstream so I can stand out.

[Moomoo]

They suck major c**k, 2 months of using it 1 LED shat itself and ENTER key stopped working.

[TheQsanity]

Show Image

people hate em enough to break em in half ;)

I have so much I could say from that photo... ill just leave one...
I hope this was sent into razer or something lol.

[davkol]

Show Image

people hate em enough to break em in half ;)

Wait, this isn't ergonomic tenting like on goldtouch/kinesis keyboards?

[inteli722]

I think enough's been said here that I don't need to say anything.

This makes me particularly glad to have convinced someone to getting a Ducky Shine from getting a BWU.

[Dubsgalore]

I have so much I could say from that photo... ill just leave one...
I hope this was sent into razer or something lol.

lol idk what razer would do...it was a product of Rage

Wait, this isn't ergonomic tenting like on goldtouch/kinesis keyboards?

does that look ergonomic? LOL

[TheQsanity]

Well there goes the rageproof claims...

[tns]

beats fashionable design is way more than razer "fashionable" geeky stuff...
I would add that you don't have a lot of aluminum headsets... It more looks like an apple brand

[admiralvorian]

Just my 2c

- I find the build quality alright but I've only had it for three months. Plate makes it feel very sturdy.
- Low quality keycaps - I don't expect amazing keycaps on a backlit board, at the same time they aren't bad enough for me to want to replace them
- Low quality printing - I have **** eyesight so I'll just concur by default
- Macro-keys I do not like, I press them on accident and they make the keyboard huge
- I don't pay attention to marketing and fanboys.
- It's priced too high. $99 or $109 would get them more buyers
- Cherry MX Blue on a gaming keyboard - this is my preferred switch for gaming. I've tried other switches but I'm very used to blues for gaming, greens for typing.
- USB HUB at the right - absolutely terrible


I thought I would defend the 2013 blackwidow but I ended up agreeing with everyone. I don't hate this keyboard but there are loads of better keyboards out there for the same / less money

[ctbear]

I don't own any Razer keyboards but the other products are actually quite decent. I have the original DA and Orochi and they are still holding up after 3+ years of heavy use. I also have the first revision of the Goliathus mousepad and despite signs of wear (after 2+ years), it is still performing perfectly.
As a heavy gamer (well, used to be), the only comparable gaming brand is Steelseries. Try to compare the cursor acceleration between Razer/Steelseries and other gaming mouses and you will see what I mean.
Quality is alright, not as terrible as people claim. It is quite overpriced though, probably because of the flashy things they add in.

[rationull]

Let me issue the following statements, all of which are true despite their apparent contradiction:

I love my Razer Black Widow.

I use it every day.

I can’t stand not using it.

It occupies a permanent place on my desk.

The body is always nice and shiny and I like that.

I think Razer keyboards suck.

They are damn fingerprint magnets.

I only want to use Buckling Springs.

I do all my typing on Buckling Springs unless I feel like a change.

When I feel like a change, I take out other keyboards.

My Razer keyboard is not for typing.

I will leave my dear fellow Geekhackers to figure out what I mean. Don’t worry, I’ll provide an answer everyone can accept!

Maybe I'm being dense, but I'll bite. What's it for?

[dndlmx]

Gaymer products are mostly lol, but I do like my Razer mouse.

[Sniping]

Beats is more of a fashion statement. I tried them side by side along with some bose soul skullcandy but the best one by far would be Logitech. Its also one of the cheapest.

logitech isnt even an audio company. try something made by sony, sennheiser or beyerdynamic. theres others but yknow

Sorry, but Sony, Sennheiser, and Beyer don't make IEMs on even the same level as Logitech. Their UE Customs are something that I'm pretty sure none of those companies offer AFAIK.

i assumed he wasnt interested in spending more than 1000 on his headphones lol

It's a little insulting if you say that Logitech isn't an audio company when you admit that most people can't even afford their high end stuff....Logitech definitely knows what they're doing.

[Melvang]

Beats is more of a fashion statement. I tried them side by side along with some bose soul skullcandy but the best one by far would be Logitech. Its also one of the cheapest.

logitech isnt even an audio company. try something made by sony, sennheiser or beyerdynamic. theres others but yknow

Sorry, but Sony, Sennheiser, and Beyer don't make IEMs on even the same level as Logitech. Their UE Customs are something that I'm pretty sure none of those companies offer AFAIK.

i assumed he wasnt interested in spending more than 1000 on his headphones lol

It's a little insulting if you say that Logitech isn't an audio company when you admit that most people can't even afford their high end stuff....Logitech definitely knows what they're doing.

I would have to agree here.  I have the Z-5500 speaker set and have had them for many years now and they still sound just as good as the day i bought  them and they do get abused.  I have had them into the "Boost" section of the volume and they still work fine and sound good for my small very odd shaped living room.

[TheQsanity]

Logitech is Legit

[WatchMaker]

edit

[davkol]

Beats is more of a fashion statement. I tried them side by side along with some bose soul skullcandy but the best one by far would be Logitech. Its also one of the cheapest.

logitech isnt even an audio company. try something made by sony, sennheiser or beyerdynamic. theres others but yknow

Sorry, but Sony, Sennheiser, and Beyer don't make IEMs on even the same level as Logitech. Their UE Customs are something that I'm pretty sure none of those companies offer AFAIK.

i assumed he wasnt interested in spending more than 1000 on his headphones lol

It's a little insulting if you say that Logitech isn't an audio company when you admit that most people can't even afford their high end stuff....Logitech definitely knows what they're doing.

Actually, some companies manage to make cheap low-quality stuff and hi-end top-notch products at the same time. Makes me wonder what's insulting about that.

[SpAmRaY]

I would have to agree here.  I have the Z-5500 speaker set and have had them for many years now and they still sound just as good as the day i bought  them and they do get abused.  I have had them into the "Boost" section of the volume and they still work fine and sound good for my small very odd shaped living room.

Just wanted to say another Z-5500 user here.....I believe mine are around 7 years old....and still going strong!

On topic another reason razer gets a bad rap is I think they sometimes try too hard at marketing.

[1391406]

I've never been in a recording studio that used Logitech headphones or speakers for monitoring, however I've been in a few that used Sennheiser HD-280 Pro's.

[ctbear]

I've never been in a recording studio that used Logitech headphones or speakers for monitoring, however I've been in a few that used Sennheiser HD-280 Pro's.

Maybe not Logitech itself, but Ultimate Ears is owned by Logitech.

[1391406]

I've never been in a recording studio that used Logitech headphones or speakers for monitoring, however I've been in a few that used Sennheiser HD-280 Pro's.

Maybe not Logitech itself, but Ultimate Ears is owned by Logitech.

Yes, although Ultimate Ears is a fairly niche product that requires a custom ear impression by an audiologist.

[mapple]

me personally hate razer for :
- bad quality of controllers of boards
- very bad quality of keycaps
- actuation force on razer blue cherry is different than on normal blue
- stupid marketing

[zoolzoo]

- actuation force on razer blue cherry is different than on normal blue

source?

[jonjonjon]

i'm not a big fan of razer in general. the paint on my deathadder mouse started coming off in less then 6 months. i refuse to use synapsis 2.0 and they stopped updating the legacy drivers. i got it so cheap that at the time i couldn't pass it up but in hindsight wish i got something else.

razer stopped using on-board memory and instead makes you use their horrible synapse 2.0 software to save profiles and macros to the cloud. this was done so they could save money on memory regardless of what razer's marketing will tell you. exactly what i need an application that requires internet access for my mouse and/or keyboard. not to mention the original TOS said they would collect personally identifiable information and share it with third parties. not sure if that has been changed that but its still shady. steelseries can make a sensei with a 32 bit arm cpu and on-board memory for the same price if not less then razer. that should tell you something.

razer does have good marketing and i guess they know what people want because they seem to be the most popular gaming peripheral company.

[rowdy]

It is just over a year since this was originally posted - had Razor improved their keyboards at all?

[terrpn]

i can't speak for others............i have a 2012 bwu and i have read there have been improvements made to the 2013 version

the orig keycaps are awful, however since switching out to pbt that was my only complaint- of course i have went a little overboard, but i could care less as it is my resident vomit board

everybody has got to have at least one ugly board

that all being said.........never had one issue, has treated me good so far- no complaints

being respectful of others, being here for awhile there are legit faults that people have experienced with their's, so i guess i am one of the lucky ones

[rowdy]

i can't speak for others............i have a 2012 bwu and i have read there have been improvements made to the 2013 version

the orig keycaps are awful, however since switching out to pbt that was my only complaint- of course i have went a little overboard, but i could care less as it is my resident vomit board

everybody has got to have at least one ugly board

that all being said.........never had one issue, has treated me good so far- no complaints

being respectful of others, being here for awhile there are legit faults that people have experienced with their's, so i guess i am one of the lucky ones

Some people do indeed not have any problems.  But it is generally only when there are problems that we get to hear about it.  Razor must sell thousands of these - presumably there are lots of people out there with no problems, quietly enjoying their keyboard.

[EvilOliv3]

I owned the 2013 version for a year. Only problem I had was on the software end. The keyboard itself was great.

One thing I noticed
Unlike Ducky, Razer had the sense to arrange their letters directly above the keycap to give a even lighting.

[Blusey]

The BlackWidow Tournament Edition isn't actually bad, TKL, seems to be non back lit. Not sure about keycaps (Still new to this haha) but it does feel well built and quite nice when comparing it to my Ducky Shine 2 TKL. I've also used the MK85 QPAD, SS 7g and it's probably me second favorite. I think the Tournament Edition fixed the **** they ruined with the ultimate. Although when it comes to mice, DeathAdder is by far one of the top 3 mice ever made for gaming imo. Only two that come close is the EC1/EC2 and the Shogun Bro's Ballista Mk1. So Razer do actually produce some good products. Although all their headsets are ****.

[tp4tissue]

Razer...

[yasuo]

The BlackWidow Tournament Edition isn't actually bad, TKL, seems to be non back lit. Not sure about keycaps (Still new to this haha) but it does feel well built and quite nice when comparing it to my Ducky Shine 2 TKL. I've also used the MK85 QPAD, SS 7g and it's probably me second favorite. I think the Tournament Edition fixed the **** they ruined with the ultimate. Although when it comes to mice, DeathAdder is by far one of the top 3 mice ever made for gaming imo. Only two that come close is the EC1/EC2 and the Shogun Bro's Ballista Mk1. So Razer do actually produce some good products. Although all their headsets are ****.

I think so just tournament/TKL edition and silent edition (brown switches) not bad
Razer BW blue often broken, in my country have high rating RMA )

[Blusey]

The BlackWidow Tournament Edition isn't actually bad, TKL, seems to be non back lit. Not sure about keycaps (Still new to this haha) but it does feel well built and quite nice when comparing it to my Ducky Shine 2 TKL. I've also used the MK85 QPAD, SS 7g and it's probably me second favorite. I think the Tournament Edition fixed the **** they ruined with the ultimate. Although when it comes to mice, DeathAdder is by far one of the top 3 mice ever made for gaming imo. Only two that come close is the EC1/EC2 and the Shogun Bro's Ballista Mk1. So Razer do actually produce some good products. Although all their headsets are ****.

I think so just tournament/TKL edition and silent edition (brown switches) not bad
Razer BW blue often broken, in my country have high rating RMA )

Maybe, I mean, I've worked with teams that were sponsored by Razer and I've managed teams that were sponsored by Razer, I've tried different keyboards from them such as the Anansi which quite honestly I found piss poor. The Tournament Edition which I recently bought on here from IMBH which was an awesome guy to trade with, but I'm loving my MX Blue one, just not using it as a main focus as I currently love my ducky too much. Also the more I type im slowly starting to think about changing switches from blues. So will see what other switches I may like. Tried blacks but not sure I like those too much. But yeah, the Tournament Edition is nice, the rest I find are ****/cosmetics mostly. Especially the one with a UI screen -.-

[cherpalla]

I just want to chime in and say that literally everything I've ever owned that was made by Razer has fallen apart within a year. Mice, within 6 months, other than the Orochi, whose side buttons lasted 15 months before dying. I used to love their stuff because it was so darn pretty, and well, I'm female. I've come to hate their peripherals and never recommend anyone purchase something made by them. My last Naga died in 5 months, and when I picked it up after it failed, it sounded like a damn maraca. Razer will replace things, but at this point, I was ready to sever my relationship with them, so I took the thing apart and its insides were completely disassembled. From NORMAL use. The only thing I've ever thrown at the wall was my Corsair K90, and that thing is made of solid steel so it was fine. (don't blame me for my keyboard abuse, blame Diablo 3.) :3