The Razer Kraken V3 are wired gaming headphones with a non-detachable USB-A connector. Like other headphones in Razer's Kraken V3 lineup, they have customizable RGB lighting on both ear cups. Out of the box, they have a warm sound profile that can help emphasize boomy sound effects in your games. That said, you can customize their sound to your liking using their companion software's graphic EQ, presets, and virtual surround features. Their boom mic also offers decent overall performance, so you should be heard clearly when talking to teammates. Unfortunately, they're prone to inconsistencies in their audio delivery, so it's important to take the time to adjust their fit to ensure a more consistent sound.
Our Verdict
The Razer Kraken V3 are decent for neutral sound. Out of the box, they have a warm sound profile that delivers extra boom to your mixes. Luckily, if you're looking for a more neutral sound, their companion app offers a graphic EQ and presets to help you adjust their sound to fit your needs. Unfortunately, they're very prone to inconsistencies in bass and treble delivery, so you may need to adjust their fit, seal, and positioning on your head each time you use them.
- Decently comfortable fit.
- Graphic EQ and presets available via companion software.
- Very prone to inconsistencies in bass and treble delivery.
- Poor passive soundstage.
The Razer Kraken V3 are poor for commute and travel. They have a bulky, gamer-centric design that can only connect to devices with a USB-A port, so you can't use them with your smartphone unless you use an adapter. While you can remove their boom mic for a more casual look, their audio cable isn't detachable and could snag on something. That said, they have a decently comfortable fit.
- Decently comfortable fit.
- Bulky design and mediocre stability.
- No call and music controls.
- Sub-par noise isolation performance.
The Razer Kraken V3 are disappointing for sports and fitness. They're not designed for this purpose as they can only connect to devices with a USB-A port like a PC and can fall off your head with moderate movement. Their non-detachable audio cable can also snag on something and pull them off your head. Luckily, you can remove the boom mic for a less gamer-centric look.
- Decently comfortable fit.
- Bulky design and mediocre stability.
- No call and music controls.
The Razer Kraken V3 are mediocre for office use. They're gaming headphones, lack call and music-related controls, and have a bulky design. That said, they have a decently comfortable fit and can block out some office chatter. You can also detach their boom mic for a more casual look or use it to take calls on your PC.
- Decently comfortable fit.
- No call and music controls.
The Razer Kraken V3 are wired headphones, and you can't use them wirelessly.
The Razer Kraken V3 are decent for wired gaming. They have a USB-A connection with low latency and have robust companion software so that you can tweak their sound and mic to your liking. They also have a virtual surround feature, and their mic offers decent overall performance. However, you can't connect them to Xbox consoles. They're also very prone to inconsistencies in bass and treble delivery.
- Decently comfortable fit.
- Graphic EQ and presets available via companion software.
- Very good noise handling performance.
- Very prone to inconsistencies in bass and treble delivery.
- Poor passive soundstage.
The Razer Kraken V3 are fair for phone calls. These headphones only have a USB-A connector, and you can't use them with smartphones unless you have an adapter. They also lack call-related controls. If you're making calls via your PC and if you don't mind their gamer-centric look, their detachable boom mic can capture your voice fairly clearly, even if you're calling from a moderately noisy environment.
- Decently comfortable fit.
- Very good noise handling performance.
- No call and music controls.
- Sub-par noise isolation performance.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Razer Kraken V3 come in one color variation: 'Black', and you can see our model's label here. These headphones are also part of the manufacturer's Kraken V3 range, which comprises four headphones with RGB lighting and virtual surround. The entry-level Razer Kraken V3 X have a more simple and plasticky design but lack robust customization features. The Razer Kraken V3 HyperSense are a step above the Razer Kraken V3 and use the manufacturer's HyperSense haptic technology to produce vibrations for a more sensorial gaming experience. Finally, the Razer Kraken V3 Pro Wireless are top-of-the-line gaming headphones with a wireless design and HyperSense technology. They also support an analog connection.
If you come across another variant, please let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Razer Kraken V3 are part of Razer's Kraken V3 range. Like other headphones in this lineup, they support Razer Chroma RGB lighting that you can customize in their companion app, and they use a USB-A connection, so they're mostly designed with PC gamers in mind. Unlike the Razer Kraken V3 HyperSense or Razer Kraken V3 Pro Wireless, they lack haptic technology to help give you a more immersive gaming experience.
Check out our recommendations for the best gaming headsets, the best headsets for PS5, and the best wired headphones.
The Razer BlackShark V2 and the Razer Kraken V3 are similarly performing gaming headphones, and you may prefer either one. The BlackShark V2 are more comfortable, have better frequency response consistency, and their passive soundstage is wider as well as more natural. However, the Kraken V3 are significantly better-built, have more robust virtual soundstage features, and their mic performs slightly better overall. Unfortunately, you can only use them with devices that have a USB-A port.
The Razer Kraken V3 offer a more customizable gaming experience, but if you're looking for headphones that you can just plug in and play, the HyperX Cloud Stinger offer a solid performance out of the box. The Razer have more robust virtual soundstage features and have companion software that offers a graphic EQ plus presets and mic customization features. They even have customizable RGB lighting on each ear cup. However, the HyperX are significantly more comfortable. Their boom mic also offers better overall performance, and they also have a 1/8" TRRS cable, meaning you can use them with consoles with an AUX port.
The Razer Kraken V3 are better wired gaming headphones than the Razer BlackShark V2 X. The Kraken V3 have a better build quality, a more neutral default sound profile, which some users may prefer, a companion app with a graphic EQ and presets so you can customize their sound to your liking, and their boom mic offers a better noise handling performance. However, the BlackShark V2 X are more comfortable, and their mic has a better recording quality.
The Razer Nari Ultimate Wireless are better gaming headphones than the Razer Kraken V3. While both headphones have similar overall microphone performances, you can use the Nari Ultimate wired or wirelessly, are more comfortable, and have a better passive soundstage performance. They also have low non-Bluetooth wireless latency and can be used on Xbox consoles via their 1/8" TRRS cable. However, the Kraken V3 have more robust virtual soundstage features.
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