Razer Kraken (2019) vs Razer Kraken X [Review and Comparison]
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Overview and Differences
Headphone Audio Quality
Microphone Audio Quality
Comfort and Build Quality
Verdict
Overview
Razer Kraken (left) and Razer Kraken X.
The Razer Kraken and Razer Kraken X are both wired headsets. They have non-detachable 3.5mm cables and come with a splitter for desktop PC use.
The Kraken has in-line controls for the headphone volume and mic mute. The Kraken X has those controls on the bottom of the left earcup.
These are both fully functional on desktop PCs and PS4, but if you have a laptop, I can't guarantee the mic will actually work unless you have both a mic and headphone port.
The mics didn't work with mine with only one port. But that's not a Razer problem - I've never had headset mics work with my laptop. For laptop users, I suggest a USB headset to make sure this isn’t an issue.
Both devices come with an access code in the box to download Razer's 7.1 Surround Sound app.
The Kraken X is supposed to be the budget option of these devices. The key differences between them are the headphone audio quality and build, so I'll go over both in depth.
I bought my Razer Kraken for $70 and Kraken X for $38. Click the Amazon links to see their current pricing.
Razer Kraken Variations
There are a bunch of other variations of the Kraken. There's the Tournament Edition, Ultimate Edition and V3 X. I’ll cover those in other articles…
Headphone Audio Quality
Call of Duty: Warzone with the Razer Kraken.
The Razer Kraken is easily a better sounding headset than the Kraken X. But these two have radically different sound profiles, so it's worth breaking down a bit more.
In terms of detail, the Kraken is clearer and you can pick up more sounds in music and in games, but the sound signature of these two headsets is night and day.
The Kraken X has very little bass, okay mids at best, and shrieking highs that sound distorted. It's definitely not something you'd want to be listening to for a long period of time, but I won't be too harsh on it considering how cheap it was.
Warzone with the Kraken X.
The Kraken makes everything sound like it's coming from a closet. The bass is actually not very strong and not very detailed. It gets kind of deep, but you'll actually get stronger and clearer bass from something like the HyperX Cloud II or Cloud Alpha.
You can really test this out with rap music or EDM - the drums are muddy in the the Kraken.
The Kraken dips the highs and the mids really far down. So footsteps and gunshots and sounds like that you can tell they're being suppressed. You can still hear them better than the Kraken X, but the volume compared to the bass is really low.
Mirror’s Edge Catalyst with the Kraken.
You'll either have to have your ears adjust to this sound signature on on console, or use some free EQ software to boost the highs if you're playing on PC. The mids and highs, even when boosted with EQ, don't get close in clarity to some of the competing headsets on the market like the Cloud II or even Razer's own BlackShark V2 and V2 X.
Call of Duty: Black Ops - Cold War with the Razer Kraken X.
So to summarize, The Kraken X sound isn't that high quality, but it reflects how budget it is. The Kraken is super bass heavy, but the bass isn't actually that good. Detail is mediocre. It definitely sounds like a cheap headset, but the one thing it has going for it is it's easy to listen to for a marathon session.
7.1 “Surround Sound”
Right now, Razer's surround sound app justs make things sound a bit hollow and closer. Adding a slick filter on top of a stereo sound is not gonna help you out when it comes to tracking the position of objects or enemies. Cool gimmick though if you’re into that sort of thing.
Microphone Audio Quality
MIc test with the Razer Kraken.
Mic test with the Razer Kraken X.
Here is sample audio from both mics using my desktop PC and the splitter that comes in the box of each of these headsets.
The Razer Kraken has a slightly better mic than the Kraken X. They're not too different in a blind test; they're pretty tinny and not super clear like most headset mics. So you can go with either one.
However, the Kraken gets louder with less gain required. On a lot of motherboards like mine, increasing the gain to the mic increases the noise floor. So you'll basically just hear less of that electronic feedback sound in the Kraken when they're at the same volume.
Comfort and build quality
Both the Kraken and Kraken X are made of plastic, and I find the Kraken X to be way more comfortable than the Kraken. It's lighter, not as bulky, the ear cups are softer. The fake leather also gives an excellent seal for blocking out background noise.
The Kraken X is very comfortable, but not durable.
The Kraken isnt really snug, it's just big and bulky hovering over my head. It doesn't really fit over the ears right. It's not bad, but the Kraken X is more comfortable to me. I don't actually know the material of the Kraken’s padding, but it looks a lot softer than it actually is.
The problem with the Kraken X is it’s probably the least sturdy headset that I have right now. The only thing close is the Arctis 5. The Kraken X creaks when stretching it even a little, and it feels like it's going to snap in half any second.
The Razer Kraken isn’t really that soft.
I give the Kraken X the win in comfort, but the Kraken the win in overall build quality because of the sturdier build and better flex.
Verdict
Unfortunately, I do not actually recommend either the Razer Kraken or Kraken X. The Kraken is definitely better in almost every way, so if you can find it for about $50 or under, I think it's a pretty good budget headset.
Anything higher than that is pushing it. The Kraken X I can't recommend because the sound is pretty bad and the build is suspect.
Alternatives
Some good alternatives I recommend are the HyperX Cloud II (for FPS), Cloud Alpha (for general use), and the Razer BlackShark V2 or V2 X if you’re a hardcore Razer fan or on a budget.
All of these devices have better drivers than the Kraken and Kraken X and smoke them in headphone audio quality when you use free EQ sofware with them.
Amazon Listings
Razer Kraken: https://amzn.to/3DP5Axo
Razer Kraken X: https://amzn.to/3yOHi2T
HyperX Cloud II: https://amzn.to/3xvVKN0
HyperX Cloud Alpha: https://amzn.to/3wIAzY0
Razer BlackShark V2: https://amzn.to/3vAICoi
Razer BlackShark V2 X: https://amzn.to/2Sx3qQk
