The Razer Kraken X are simple gaming headphones. They have a lightweight design that’s fairly comfortable and a bit less bulky than other Razer headsets we’ve tested. Their boom microphone offers excellent recording quality and noise handling capability, and their wired connection ensures an audio latency-free gaming experience. Unfortunately, they feel cheaply made and their simple control scheme is lacking for casual use. They also have a somewhat unbalanced sound profile. That said, if you prefer a more exaggerated, bass-heavy sound, they could be worth considering for console or PC gaming.
Our Verdict
The Razer Kraken X are mediocre for neutral sound. Their mid-range response is very even, but they have overpowering, boomy bass and uneven treble response. Their sound lacks in brightness and clarity while also sounding too sharp and sibilant. Also, they struggle to provide a consistent listening experience, especially if you have long hair or wear glasses.
- Low levels of audio distortion.
- Inconsistent audio delivery.
The Razer Kraken X are bad for commuting and travel. They’re relatively lightweight and decently comfortable, but don’t isolate very much noise, particularly the deep rumble of bus engines. They have a fairly bulky design that doesn’t fold into a more compact format, so they’re not very portable. Their wired audio connection works with most mobile devices and provides an audio latency-free experience, which is nice if you like to watch videos or play games while traveling, but their unbalanced sound profile may not suit all listeners.
- Lightweight, stable design.
- Cheap build quality.
- Bulky construction.
- Poor noise isolation.
- Limited control scheme.
The Razer Kraken X are middling for sports and fitness, though they aren't designed for this purpose. Although their fit is pretty stable, they’re not very breathable, so you're likely to sweat more than usual when wearing them. Their wired connection is prone to catching on things while running, which could yank them off your head. Their mic also isn't detachable or retractable, so it may get in the way.
- Lightweight, stable design.
- Cheap build quality.
- Bulky construction.
- Limited control scheme.
The Razer Kraken X are a poor fit for office use. They’re fairly comfortable and lightweight, but do a sub-par job of filtering out ambient ambient office chatter. Unfortunately, their bass-heavy sound profile won’t be suitable for everyone, and they’re also a bit leaky.
- Lightweight, stable design.
- Poor noise isolation.
- Limited control scheme.
The Razer Kraken X are wired-only headphones and can't be used for wireless gaming.
The Razer Kraken X are okay for wired gaming. They a fairly comfortable design. They have an excellent boom microphone that should ensure your teammates hear you clearly. Unfortunately, their sound profile is very bass-heavy, which could overwhelm in-game dialogue or music, and their control scheme is quite basic.
- Excellent microphone recording quality.
- Amazing microphone noise handling capability.
- Inconsistent audio delivery.
- Limited control scheme.
The Razer Kraken X are satisfactory for making phone calls. Their boom microphone should make your voice sound clear, full-bodied, and detailed. Thanks to the mic's amazing noise handling capability, speech should also be mostly free of background noise, even if you call from a noisy environment. Unfortunately, due to their poor ambient noise isolation capability, background noise may disrupt your call.
- Excellent microphone recording quality.
- Amazing microphone noise handling capability.
- Poor noise isolation.
- Limited control scheme.
Changelog
- Updated Jul 22, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
- Updated Nov 19, 2020: Updated review for accuracy and clarity.
- Updated Mar 24, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.4.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Razer Kraken X come in two color variants: 'Classic Black' and 'Classic Black/Blue'. We tested the 'Classic Black' variant, but expect the other model to perform similarly overall.
If someone comes across a differently-equipped model, let us know in the discussions so that we can update our review.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Razer Kraken X are budget-friendly gaming headphones with excellent overall microphone performance and an audio latency-free wired connection, but unfortunately, their sound profile isn't especially well-balanced. They also don't have any companion software and have a somewhat limited control scheme. See our suggestions for the best gaming headsets under $50, the best Xbox One gaming headsets, and the best PS4 gaming headsets.
The Razer BlackShark V2 X are somewhat better gaming headphones than the Razer Kraken X. The BlackShark V2 X are more comfortable, deliver bass and treble more consistently, and leak less sound. They also have a downloadable virtual soundstage feature, and they come with a soft pouch. However, the Kraken X's boom microphone is slightly better at noise handling.
The Razer BlackShark V2 are better overall headphones than the Razer Kraken X. The BlackShark V2 are more comfortable, and their boom microphone is detachable. They also have a better-balanced sound profile, and you can even adjust the sound and the microphone settings using their companion software and USB Soundcard. The Kraken X aren't compatible with Razer's software and they don't come with a USB Soundcard. However, their mic does have a better out-of-the-box performance than the BlackShark V2.
The HyperX Cloud Alpha are better wired gaming headphones than the Razer Kraken X. The HyperX are quite a bit more comfortable and look and feel a lot more durable and well-built. Their sound profile is a lot better balanced out of the box, though both headphones are very susceptible to fit, seal, and positioning, so you may experience their sound reproduction differently. The Razer feel more stable on the head and have a better mic with much better recording quality, which can be important if you play a lot of online games.
The Razer Kraken X are better wired gaming headphones than the JBL Quantum 100. The Razer are less fatiguing to wear, feel sturdier, and have a boom microphone that does a better job of isolating speech from background noise. Conversely, the JBL are a little easier to carry around and look a little more casual thanks to their detachable boom microphone.
The HyperX Cloud Stinger is a better gaming headset than the Razer Kraken X. The Stinger are more comfortable, feel better-built, and have a more balanced sound quality. Their microphones perform similarly, but the Kraken X’s can make speech sound a bit fuller and deeper, which is great. The Kraken X also have a control scheme that’s easier-to-use and provides better feedback than that of the Cloud Stinger.
The Razer Kraken X and Razer Kraken Pro V2 are similarly-performing gaming headphones. Both are fairly comfortable with a bulky, gamer-centric design. The Pro V2 feel better built, but the Kraken X are more lightweight and have a more stable fit. Both headphones have excellent boom microphones and similar bass-heavy sound profiles. Neither are compatible with the Razer Synapse support software, but the Kraken X has an easier-to-use control scheme. The Pro V2 are best if you’re looking for something that feels a little more premium at the expense of added weight, while the Kraken X are preferable if you prefer a more lightweight design.
The Razer Kraken V3 are better wired gaming headphones than the Razer Kraken X. While both headphones are decently comfortable, the V3 are better-built, have a more neutral default sound profile, which some users may prefer, and they have a THX virtual soundstage feature. They also have a companion app that offers a graphic EQ and presets to help you adjust their sound to your liking. However, the X have a better overall mic performance.
The Razer Kraken V3 X are very similar headphones to the Razer Kraken X. Both headphones have the same alright build quality, although the V3 X are somewhat lighter. However, the X have a better-performing boom mic and use a 1/8" TRRS cable, so you're able to connect them to PCs, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X consoles via analog. However, the V3 X use a USB-A connector, so they're only compatible with PCs, and PS4 and PS5 consoles.
The HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II are better wired gaming headphones than the Razer Kraken X. The HyperX sound much better-balanced, they're more comfortable, and their USB DAC provides additional features like channel mixing and virtual surround sound. The Razer's microphone sounds even more natural, though. They also come with a Y-splitter, which is helpful when connecting to certain desktop PCs, especially since it helps eliminate the latency a USB DAC can cause.
The Logitech G335 are better for wired gaming than the Razer Kraken X. The Logitech are more comfortable to wear, feel better-built, deliver audio more consistently, and have a less dark sound profile. However, the Razer are more stable on the head, block out more ambient noise, and have a boom mic that does a better job of transmitting speech clearly and isolating it from background noise.
The SteelSeries Arctis 1 are slightly better wired gaming headphones than the Razer Kraken X. The Arctis have a much better-balanced sound profile and leak less audio. On the other hand, the Razer feel slightly better-built and more durable, and feel much more stable on the head.
The Razer Kraken Tournament Edition are better gaming headphones than the Razer Kraken X. The Tournament Edition feel better-built and have a more complete control scheme that provides better feedback and includes channel mixing. Although both headsets have similar bass-heavy sound profiles, the Tournament Edition is compatible with the Razer Synapse application, which provides access to a graphic EQ so you can tweak the way it sounds. That said, the Kraken X have a less bulky design, are more lightweight, and have a more stable fit, which some may prefer.
The Corsair HS50 are better gaming headphones than the Razer Kraken X. The Corsair are more comfortable, feel much better-built, and sound significantly more balanced overall. However, the Razer have a better-sounding boom microphone and a more lightweight design.
The Razer Kraken X and the Beats Solo Pro are for different uses. The Razer are wired gaming headphones that are more comfortable. Their boom mic also offers a significantly better overall performance, and their passive soundstage performance seems more open and spacious. However, the Beats are better suited for casual use. They have a wireless design, a better build quality, and a more neutral sound profile, which some users may prefer. They also have an ANC system that can block out a great amount of background noise.
The Razer BlackShark V2 Pro Wireless 2020 are better gaming headphones than the Razer Kraken X. The Pro can be used wirelessly, and they come with a wireless USB dongle that's compatible with Razer Synapse software and all of its customization features. The Pro are also more comfortable. However, the Kraken X have a better microphone recording quality out-of-the-box.
We've upgraded our Headphones Test Bench to 2.0! This update brings several key changes to our tests and usages, making it easier than ever to interpret our sound results based on your personal preferences. You'll also find a brand-new interactive graph tool featuring multiple targets (including our own!) for you to explore and compare.
For a full breakdown, check out our changelog, which includes detailed commentary from our test designer explaining the rationale behind our update.
We'd also love to hear your thoughts: your feedback helps us keep improving, so join us in the comments!
Test Results
The Razer Kraken X look quite similar to the manufacturer's other gaming headsets, especially the Razer Kraken USB. They have large, circular ear cups that feature Razer’s logo on each side and a wide headband. They have a slightly more casual look than the Razer Kraken Pro V2 or the Razer Pro Tournament Edition since they’re a bit less bulky, but they’re still large headphones. They’re available in an all-black design or with blue accents.
These are decently comfortable headphones. They’re a bit bulky and their headband feels tight, clamping down a bit on the head. Thankfully, they have thick ear cup padding that helps distribute pressure well around the ears. Their headband is also decently padded and they’re very lightweight, so they don’t feel uncomfortably heavy. They may not be ideal for your longest gaming marathons, but they’re comfortable enough for more casual gaming sessions. If you want a more comfortable pair of gaming headphones, check out the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro Wireless 2020.
The Razer Kraken X have a sub-par physical control scheme. It's easy to use but somewhat limited in overall functionality. There's a volume wheel and mic mute button on the left ear cup. The mic button feels clicky, but the volume wheel doesn’t provide much tactile feedback since there are no distinct notches while scrolling. It’s lacking some more gaming-specific controls like channel mixing or call management as well as music playback controls that would be helpful for more casual use.
Like most over-ear gaming headphones, the Razer Kraken X have mediocre breathability. Their closed-back ear cups and thick leather-like pads prevent a lot of airflow, which causes a noticeable temperature difference during extended listening or gaming sessions. They can start warming up your ears after a couple of hours of casual use, and so they're likely to make your ears sweat if you wear them while exercising.
Like most gaming headphones, the Razer Kraken X have poor portability. Since they have a rigid headband, they can’t fold into a more compact format. Their large ear cups don’t swivel to lay flat, which makes them a bit of a hassle to carry around.
These headphones don’t come with a carrying case or pouch.
These over-ears have passable build quality. They're very similar in design to the Razer Kraken V3 X. The plastic in their build feels cheap and weak and the headband is very rigid, as though it could snap if the headset is twisted too far. The cable also feels a bit fragile, and it isn’t detachable, so if it breaks you have to replace the entire headset.
The Razer Kraken X have a stable fit. Their lightweight design fits securely on the head and doesn’t move around much unless you shake your head very vigorously. That said, their cable isn’t detachable, so if it gets caught on something, the headphones could get yanked off your head.
- Razer Kraken X headset
- Y-splitter
- Instruction manuals
- Surround sound 7.1 download promotional code
The Razer Kraken X have a dark, imbalanced sound profile. The bump across the high-bass range through low-mid range adds a slightly boomy quality to some mixes and can slightly muddy vocals and lead instruments, and the dip in the low treble range can veil the finer details of some higher notes.
The Razer Kraken X have sub-par frequency consistency performance. They're prone to variances in bass and treble delivery across different re-seats, especially if you have long hair or wear glasses.
The Razer Kraken X's bass accuracy is okay. It's lacking a bit of low-bass, which can rob some sound effects, not to mention EDM and hip-hop tracks, of thump and rumble. The overemphasized high-bass response can add some extra warmth, but it also adds a boomy, muddy quality to some mixes. That said, their bass delivery can vary drastically depending on their fit, seal, and positioning, so your experience may vary.
Their mid-range performance is impressive. The overemphasis in bass continues into the low-mid range, which can slightly muddy and clutter dialogue as well as vocals and lead instruments. The rest of the response is fairly even and well-balanced though, so vocals and lead instruments should sound present and detailed.
The Razer Kraken X have bad treble performance. Low-treble is severely underemphasized, resulting in a loss of clarity, detail, and articulation in vocals and lead instruments. There’s also a spike in the mid-treble range, which can make sibilants sound sharp and piercing on certain tracks. However, treble varies noticeably across users, so your experience may vary in the real world.
These headphones have disappointing peaks and dips performance. The bump in the high-bass range generates boominess in some mixes while the following dip in the low-mids thins out vocals and lead instruments. The bump in the mid-mids can create a slightly forward, boxy quality while the drop in the low-treble range lessens the clarity of vocals and lead instrumentals. The peak in the mid-treble range can make sibilants overly bright and piercing.
These over-ears have decent stereo imaging performance. Their weighted group falls below the audibility threshold, resulting in tight bass and transparent treble. Additionally, the L/R drivers are well-matched in regards to amplitude and frequency response but severe phase mismatch is present. This has a slightly negative impact on their ability to accurately place and localize objects in the stereo image. It should be noted that these results are only valid for our unit, and yours may perform differently.
Like most closed-back headphones, the Razer Kraken X have a disappointing passive soundstage. It should be perceived as being out of the head and somewhat large, but also fairly unnatural.
The Razer Kraken X don't have any virtual soundstage features.
The weighted harmonic distortion performance is very good. There's some slight distortion in the low treble range at moderate volumes, but the rest of the frequency spectrum falls within good limits. This should ensure mostly clean and pure audio reproduction.
These are the settings used to test these headphones. Our results are only valid in this configuration.
The Razer Kraken X have poor noise isolation. They don’t really block out any ambient noise in the bass range, like the rumble of plane and bus engines. They do slightly better with mid-range background noise, but you're still likely to hear some background chatter. Higher-pitched treble range ambient noise, such as the hum of an A/C unit, is mostly blocked out.
The Razer Kraken X have alright audio leakage performance. If you listen to content at high volumes in a quiet room, you may disrupt people nearby, but the bulk of escaping audio should be drowned out by the ambient noise of an average office.
The Razer Kraken X have a boom microphone.
The microphone has an excellent recording quality. Recorded speech sounds full-bodied, clear, and natural, but also slightly lacking in terms of brightness. The JBL Quantum 100 is a comparably-priced alternative that delivers similarly impressive microphone recording quality, though it should be noted that the JBL's boom microphone is detachable.
The boom microphone has excellent noise handling. People on the other end of the line should be able to understand you clearly, even in very noisy environments.
The Razer Kraken X don’t have a battery.
These headphones aren't compatible with any companion software. If you want a wired gaming headset with a good app, then consider the very similar Razer Kraken USB or the Razer Kraken Tournament Edition.
These headphones are wired and don't have a Bluetooth connection. If you want a wired gaming headset that also supports Bluetooth for use with your mobile devices, then check out the HyperX Cloud Mix Wireless.
The Razer Kraken X are wired-only.
The Razer Kraken X have a 1/8” TRRS audio cable that provides audio and microphone support when plugged into an AUX port. They also come with a Y-splitter headset for mic and audio compatibility with desktop PCs.
The Razer Kraken X provide full audio and microphone compatibility with Xbox One consoles when they're plugged into a controller.
The Razer Kraken X don’t come with a dock. For a gaming headset that comes with a wireless transmitter, consider the Logitech G933 Wireless or the Astro A20 Wireless.