Razer Kraken X review – a comfortable, budget pick

If you’re on a budget and just want a general use headset for any or all of your devices, the Razer Kraken X is one for you. Going for $50 (~RM209), it’s got enough brand quality while being affordable. Pro quality pics to follow!

UNBOXING/BUILD/DESIGN

The box comes in the familiar neon green and black design typical of Razer products. There’s nothing flashy about either packaging or the headset itself. Aside from the light Razer decals, you wouldn’t even be able to tell it’s a Razer headset from a distance, certainly very understated.

It doesn’t feel heavy at 250g, living up to its ultra-light claim on the box. The microphone is easy to bend or tuck away depending on what you want to do. It’s wholly made of plastic, which really helps reduce its weight.

COMFORT

I’m not familiar with differentiating between headphones, but this one I can say quite decisively doesn’t hurt the top of my head even after extended wear over an entire day. The glasses I wear makes it only slightly awkward to remove on occasion, but no major complaints. There’s no actual pressure on the glasses when the Razer Kraken X is worn thanks to hidden eyewear channels, so that’s another point in its favour.

The headband is adjustable, rest assured. Its weight is barely noticeable upon the head and ears as the foam cushions enough. It’s memory foam, and some might find it able to heat up more unlike more premium headsets. The foam can also be removed if you need

SOUND QUALITY

The Razer Kraken X supports 7.1 surround sound via software (provided with headset) separate from Razer Synapse, but only for Windows 10 64-bit PCs. It does very nicely provide directional sound even without, so for gamers, you’d be serviced just fine. Bass can be a little lacking, but vocals come through well. I didn’t have any major complaints when plugged into either my Switch or my phone. If you listen to more varieties of music, it probably won’t be satisfying if you’re really looking for that rich experience. It doesn’t perform very well outside a quiet room, providing minimal isolation. There’s no audio mixer either for the audiophiles. It’s something you’d probably expect from this price range.

The cardioid – meaning, it picks up sound from the mouth while rejecting surrounding sounds – microphone works well enough, providing clear sound. It will not be as good as a dedicated microphone, of course. It still has a tendency to pick up background sounds quite easily, however, depending on your location. You also can’t detach it.

MISCELLANEOUS

The buttons for volume and microphone may be slightly awkward. You’ll likely get used to them being on the left after fumbling initially. The microphone can be easily bent out of the way, but can’t be retracted if you prefer that. Simply plug in and play into virtually any device with a headphone jack, and the Razer Kraken X is good to go. It comes with a splitter if you need it for separate inputs or to extend the cable length.

VERDICT

The Razer Kraken X is most suitable for those who want a new headset, but aren’t too fussy about what they’re using it for, or are just on a budget. It does most things well, but won’t be able to perform for more specific needs. It’ll be up to personal preference if you think the microphone sticks out too much.  A jack of all trades, master of none as it were.

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