For a long time, Razer was associated with the world of professional gaming, a brand that creates high-end hardware for hardcore players of competitive games. The sleek and cool-looking products were often placed at the top of everyone’s wish lists.

However, few can deny that they’ve begun faltering over the years, being overtaken by brands such as Logitech, Corsair, and SteelSeries. The Razer Kraken Chroma headset, unfortunately, falls into the category of Razer products that are now ‘decent’ and no longer exceptional. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its perks, especially for its price point.

What we played: Overwatch, Witcher 3, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, music

*This item was not provided by Razer. It was purchased by Unleash The Gamer for review purposes only.

DESIGN

Let’s start off with its look. The Razer Kraken headset can be considered rather compact, with rounded cups and faux leather covered headband. It feels and looks sturdy, giving off a very powerful and high-end vibe.

The cups, in particular, are covered in metal grille mesh that any audiophile would enjoy. They look strong and professional, not to mention featuring the sleek jet-black colors that the brand has become known for.

One of the cooler additions of the Kraken Chroma headset is the logo placed in the center of the cups that now has quite a few illumination options. It remains subtle among the black fabric and metal, offering just enough color to look beautifully high-tech.

If you’re like me and enjoyed farming for awesome sets in Diablo II, you would understand the appeal of getting a setup that includes the Razer Kraken Chroma, the Black Widow Chroma keyboard, and the Razer Mamba Elite, all of which feature the same illumination patterns and matching design. It makes for a pretty cool gaming gear collection.

COMFORT

Unfortunately, comfort is one of the biggest drawbacks of the Razer Kraken Chroma. It looks good, sounds good, and feels good… but only for a while.

The first time you place it on your head, it seems comfortable. However, after a couple of hours, your ears will definitely start to feel sore. The faux leather covered muffs offer complete isolation, but they come at a price.

I found them pressing just a little too hard against my ears and when I took them off, it didn’t feel great. You could say they’re perfectly comfortable if you’re not planning on playing for long.

However, if you play for a couple of hours late into the night, you will be going to bed with sore ears. This is especially bad if you wear glasses. The pressure will just push the frame deeper into the side of your head. You will definitely need a few breaks just to take them off for a little while.

STURDINESS

The Razer Kraken headset is definitely on the heavier side. They feel sturdy, especially the cups with their metal grille mesh.

However, they’re not particularly big and won’t take up too much space on your desk. Everything about it feels incredibly sturdy, heavy, and well reinforced. The only weak points are the plastic frames that support the twist of the cups.

I’m sad to say that’s Achilles’ heel of the headset. After a year of use and without meeting any sort of abrupt movement, those tiny pieces of plastic broke. And this wasn’t just for me. It was for a friend who had the same headset as well.

It’s rather unfortunate that even though the Razer Kraken Chroma headset feels incredibly sturdy and like you could clobber someone with them, it’s likely you will encounter the same flaw after just a year of use. So, be very, very careful. Apparently, they’re very tough on the outside but soft on the inside.

Performance

While I’m personally disappointed about how fragile and uncomfortable the headset can actually be, I can only praise it in terms of performance. The Razer Kraken Chroma provides excellent sound quality and near-perfect isolation. I cannot count the times I got startled because someone approached me in my own house and tapped me on the shoulder.

Once they’re on, you’re in the game. And it’s unlikely anyone can take you out by calling your name. That is until your ears start to hurt, and you have to take it off.

The microphone quality is also excellent. I have never had any issues with being on either end. The voice is crystal clear and offers just enough sound isolation so anyone else on Discord doesn’t hear the vacuum cleaner running in your home.

Features

The stories say that there is a mute button at the tip of the microphone, but I’ve yet to use it. Truth be told, while it seems handy, I’ve always found easier ways to mute myself rather than messing with the mic.

Besides, that avoids your friends on the other side hearing you fumble at it before you find the button. All in all, it’s an interesting feature to have and some might find it useful. I personally don’t find it incredibly important and have found better ways to hit the mute button quickly if needed.

CONCLUSION

The Razer Kraken Chroma is an excellent-performing headset that unfortunately suffers from severe issues where its comfort and resilience are concerned. Everything sounds great and noise isolation is absolutely perfect. However, it’s difficult to praise a gaming headset that tortures you after a couple hours of wearing it. If you’re not into long gaming sessions, though, this can be a good choice for the price point. Just don’t jiggle it too much or some of the more fragile plastic parts might break under the heavy metal etched into the cups.