Razer Kraken x Gaming Headset Black

Absolutely horrible. The headphones work very well until the plastic start to snap from basic use. To take these headphones off you have to pull them out from your head, and the plating is unable to last while doing this. It started to crack on the section that appears when you adjust the size. This did not just happen on my first pair, but also my replacement pair that Razor sent to me after I explained how the first ones broke. I do not reccomend purchasing these headphones.

Do your research before you buy this junk.

The sound quality on this headset is really good considering the price and the noise cancelling is decent, however the build quality is very poor and Razer customer support is terrible.I bought this headset in late August 2020 and I started noticing that the plastic adjustable band had started to break in half in late December 2020. I used this headset daily, for long periods of time and to be honest, it was very uncomfortable. If I adjusted the band to be a bit more loose than what I felt comfortable with, it would start to slide off my head slowly and just become a nuisance. The adjustable band broke off today on January 5th, 2021 just by flexing it a little while taking it off.My return period with Best Buy was obviously over by the time the headset broke, so ... MoreThe sound quality on this headset is really good considering the price and the noise cancelling is decent, however the build quality is very poor and Razer customer support is terrible.I bought this headset in late August 2020 and I started noticing that the plastic adjustable band had started to break in half in late December 2020. I used this headset daily, for long periods of time and to be honest, it was very uncomfortable. If I adjusted the band to be a bit more loose than what I felt comfortable with, it would start to slide off my head slowly and just become a nuisance. The adjustable band broke off today on January 5th, 2021 just by flexing it a little while taking it off.My return period with Best Buy was obviously over by the time the headset broke, so I went to Razer support because they ensure and openly advertise that their products are of high quality and long lasting compared to their competitors, which is not the case. After spending 30 minutes on a live chat with a Razer assistant constantly telling me that they have to ask their supervisor for permission with everything that they do, I was ultimately told that my headset fell under CID, aka Customer Induced Damage. The assistant was very helpful and told me that they could try to appeal that decision for me but at that point, it was just laughable at how stingy their policies and support line were that I really had no hope that this very wealthy company would ensure their promises of a reliable, long lasting product to any consumer. Not so surprising, the case was not overturned and I practically flushed my money down the toilet with this cheap Razer headset.I am just disappointed in the build quality in this Razer headset because it lasted for less than 5 months after regular, daily use. A cheaper, good reviewed headset on Best Buy would probably last you a lot longer than this junk.Another thing to note, the fake leather ear cups are HUGE oil magnets. If you have slightly greasy hair and/or skin then be prepared to clean those ear cups almost everyday.I cannot recommend this headset to anyone at all, it is just a huge waste of money and you're better off spending it on a headset of higher quality or if you do your research, you can find a well preforming headset with better build quality somewhere else.

Good audio, but cheaply manufactured!

I recently needed a new headset for games and video calls, and I thought these were a good choice. The price is fair and actually delivers good audio quality and microphone quality.However, not 3 months into picking it up, the plastic material on the top head-rest started to develop tiny cracks along the edge. I didn't think much of it, until one day the top plastic layer split along the center. Additionally, the headphones would not rest snuggly on my head and started to slide off, requiring repositioning.Because of the cheap materials being used, I simply cannot recommend this to anyone looking for budget headsets (much less to children who can break it easily). Good audio though...

Great Headset

I was really excited to try these. Honestly I’m really happy with the quality of this headset. Never had one with surround sound so it’s a cool experience and it’s nice to have a good quality mic.The only thing I’m having trouble with is how easily the aux cord can slip out of my ps5 controller. It doesn’t really securely lock into it. Even it’s out just a little bit, I won’t notice because the sound will still come through but my friends can’t hear me. I’ll have to push it back in and try position the wire in a good spot to ensure it won’t fall out.

Great headphones

I bought 3 pair for my boys who go through headphones like their mother goes through vodka. They love them.They look smart because they’re all black, plus they’re comfortable for heads their size or even for my huge Irish melon. That’s pretty rare. I also purchased some other headphones for my once-a-week gaming/complain about the government sessions with old buddies which were more money at Best Buy. The Razors are better than those. So I steal them from the kids who are sleeping anyway by that time.The mic sounds great. Apparently my half-drunken 4-minute interjection-laden conspiracy monologues sound crystal clear to my buddies. Directional sound in games like Battlefield 1 and BF5 are pretty good. I have creepy little child-sized ears on my huge head, so I’m ... MoreI bought 3 pair for my boys who go through headphones like their mother goes through vodka. They love them.They look smart because they’re all black, plus they’re comfortable for heads their size or even for my huge Irish melon. That’s pretty rare. I also purchased some other headphones for my once-a-week gaming/complain about the government sessions with old buddies which were more money at Best Buy. The Razors are better than those. So I steal them from the kids who are sleeping anyway by that time.The mic sounds great. Apparently my half-drunken 4-minute interjection-laden conspiracy monologues sound crystal clear to my buddies. Directional sound in games like Battlefield 1 and BF5 are pretty good. I have creepy little child-sized ears on my huge head, so I’m honestly not an audiophile that can tell between fine differences. But I will say they sound as good as my Beats and My wife’s AirPod headsets if that helps.I like Razor stuff. Granted, they probably make these things in the same communist China slave factories as everyone else. But maybe they pay the big boss a little extra because their quality control seems legit.I’ve been using The same Razor mouse for like 4 years and it finally crapped out a couple months ago. But that’s darn good considering I’m a pixel-pusher that puts many miles on it.That’s why I went with Razor headphones for the kids. They’re durable, good quality, and are a reputable player.Cons: the fact that the mic mute is on the headphones as a small button isn’t as good as the lift-up-to-mute other companies use. However, that likely means the mic is more durable in this case.

Great sounding, comfortable, good value headset

Pros: very comfortable. My ears get irritated when wearing on-ear headphones, and the large cups on these clear my ears, I can wear them for long sessions. Sound is great, directional sound is amazing, volume controls are easy to access.Cons: Razer software doesn't always play nice with existing Windows drivers. I have a desktop PC with a 5.1 speaker system for sound and only occasionally wear headphones, but the Razer USB dongle wants to be the primary sound device. I've had some mouse-stuttering issues that I think are related to driver conflicts with Razer/Realtek. If you use these as your main sound system, all should be fine though. Also, these are not noise-cancelling, so if you're looking to really shut-out external sounds, you'll need to look ... MorePros: very comfortable. My ears get irritated when wearing on-ear headphones, and the large cups on these clear my ears, I can wear them for long sessions. Sound is great, directional sound is amazing, volume controls are easy to access.Cons: Razer software doesn't always play nice with existing Windows drivers. I have a desktop PC with a 5.1 speaker system for sound and only occasionally wear headphones, but the Razer USB dongle wants to be the primary sound device. I've had some mouse-stuttering issues that I think are related to driver conflicts with Razer/Realtek. If you use these as your main sound system, all should be fine though. Also, these are not noise-cancelling, so if you're looking to really shut-out external sounds, you'll need to look elsewhere.Bottom Line: Great sound, good value for the price, skip the Razer software if you can.

Oh they got to kracken allright

Let me just say that I own Razer products and thought I should also go for a matching headset. The construction of these headphones was good but has its downside. The headband fits comfortably and wasn't too snug. The ear cups had that luxurious, soft, and cushiony feel but after a while, my ears would steam up (maybe its not so much of a bad thing since it served as a reminder to get away from the computer for a bit). Now for the sound and mic....the sound is average, as to be expected from the price point. Its not bad, but also not the most remarkable.The mic left MUCH to be desired. I've had cheaper $25 Logitech backup headsets that delivered clearer voice output than these. I got on Discord with my friends to get their feedback and they all said that my ... MoreLet me just say that I own Razer products and thought I should also go for a matching headset. The construction of these headphones was good but has its downside. The headband fits comfortably and wasn't too snug. The ear cups had that luxurious, soft, and cushiony feel but after a while, my ears would steam up (maybe its not so much of a bad thing since it served as a reminder to get away from the computer for a bit). Now for the sound and mic....the sound is average, as to be expected from the price point. Its not bad, but also not the most remarkable.The mic left MUCH to be desired. I've had cheaper $25 Logitech backup headsets that delivered clearer voice output than these. I got on Discord with my friends to get their feedback and they all said that my previous (Logitech) one sounded clearer...which made me laugh and thought wtf (yes, I asked if they were trolling but they all said they weren't).Now for the kicker...I resorted to using my Razer Seiren Mini as a mic instead since the mic on this one died out about 7 months from purchase. I figured that ok no biggie, at least the headset had held up and frankly, they were too darned comfortable to replace so I kept using them. Soon as they went 2 days AFTER the warranty WHAM...dead. I almost wanted to dig up the box to see if there was a note that read "These headphones will self-destruct 2 days after your warranty lulz".So that is my experience with Kraken. There are better options out there for $60 so do your research and good luck!

Purchased to Replace Astro A10

Excellent value at $39.99. Bought these as replacement for the Astro A10s used by my grandchildren. The Kracken Razer X has a better sound profile (lower frequency response) so the game audio sounds less tinny. The X is much light and is more comfortable to wear for long periods. It has a detachable cable. I personally like the location of the mute button and the volume control which is on the headset body. As an added plus, it comes with an optional cable if you want to connect it to a unit that has separate speaker/mic. All in all I'm satisfied and the grandchildren love them.

Very basic. Big compatibility problems.

I bought this headset for my son to replace a Turtle Beach brand headset that was a very good headset, but finally began to periodically fail after a good run. The Kraken X ear cups are soft and pretty comfortable, without too much squeeze on the head overall. The cups are covered in a faux leather, not a cloth material, so for some people, they might be warmer over the ears.The mic is fairly short, compared to the last headset we owned, and isn't nearly as flexible. It is fairly flexible and can be bent up out of the way when not in use.The left ear cup has a built-in volume control, but even at its loudest, this headset isn't very loud. It also comes with an in-line mic mute button near the volume control. This is what made us disappointed & frustrated with ... MoreI bought this headset for my son to replace a Turtle Beach brand headset that was a very good headset, but finally began to periodically fail after a good run. The Kraken X ear cups are soft and pretty comfortable, without too much squeeze on the head overall. The cups are covered in a faux leather, not a cloth material, so for some people, they might be warmer over the ears.The mic is fairly short, compared to the last headset we owned, and isn't nearly as flexible. It is fairly flexible and can be bent up out of the way when not in use.The left ear cup has a built-in volume control, but even at its loudest, this headset isn't very loud. It also comes with an in-line mic mute button near the volume control. This is what made us disappointed & frustrated with this product.The headset works well as a plug & play device with my son's gaming laptop, but the mic mute button DOES NOT function. At first, we thought it was faulty, but when I plugged the headset into my iPhone, the mic mute button functions properly. So it appeared to be a compatibility issue. My son's laptop is a pretty new, high-end gaming laptop running Windows 10, so this headset should be plug & play without issues. To test the problem, I plugged the headset into another laptop, but again, the mic mute button would not function. On that laptop, I also got a loud humming noise when playing back a recording made with the headset. I contacted Razer and they wanted to know if I had tried the "Y" adapter that came with the headset. The Y adapter is for computers that have separate mic and headphone jacks. I hadn't tried that because a vast majority of laptops, including ours, have a single, combined headphone/mic jack. Besides, if the mic mute button only works with the separate jacks, that's a major design flaw. They also blamed it on a Microsoft software issue, because of course they would.At that point, I tested the Y adapter on a computer that does have separate headphone & mic jacks, but I could not get the Kraken microphone to work AT ALL. The headphones would work, but the microphone would not function at all on that computer.So to recap, I've tried this headset on 3 different computers with both jack configurations and the mic mute button will not function on any of them. On one, the mic doesn't work at all and on another, there's a loud hum when playing back a recording. Keep in mind that every other device I plug into these 3 computers, including an old stand-alone microphone, work flawlessly. This is a clear indication that it's NOT a Microsoft issue, like Razer claims, but is a major compatibility issue with this Razer headset. I'm still waiting for their response, but they had to start a new trouble ticket because after our last exchange, they deemed the problem solved and closed the case without confirming it with me.After the purchase of 2 Razer mouses and now this Razer headset, we're done buying Razer products. Their customer service is terrible. Giving this review 3 stars might be too generous, but the Kraken X headset does technically work on my son's gaming laptop. He just has to mute the mic through his gaming chat software instead of the built-in mute button.