72 PCWorld JULY 2020REVIEWS RAZER KRAKEN X
Razer Kraken X
PROS- Inexpensive.
- Looks just like the high-end Kraken models.
- Extremely lightweight.
CONS - Headband could use more padding.
- Sound is “good enough” for a $50 headset and
not much more. - Noisy microphone.
BOTTOM LINE
The Razer Kraken X is a no-frills take on a headset line
that already had few frills to offer. For $50 it’s not a
bad option, but it rests in the shadow of the standard
Kraken, which offers better comfort and sound
quality for only $20 to $30 more.
$35
with USB soundcards, as they employ noise
gates. The Kraken X doesn’t have that luxury.
It performs fine in quiet environments, but if
you’ve got talkative roommates or street noise
or even a whirring box fan sitting nearby? This
might not be the best headset for you.BOTTOM LINE
Like the Cloud Stinger, the Kraken X mostly
suffers from being the entry-level version of a
headset that’s not that much more expensive.
The Cloud Stinger plays second-fiddle to the
Cloud Alpha. The Kraken X sits in the shadow
of both the Kraken and the Kraken
Tournament Edition, a no-frills take on a
headset line that had few frills to begin with.
That’s not really a problem. Razer has aheadset for everyone, at every price
point, and the Kraken X is a solid
option at $50. It’s comfortable
(enough), it sounds decent (enough),
and the microphone works. It’s not
exciting, but it checks all the boxes I’ve
come to expect in this price range.
Still, it’s hard to recommend
going with the somewhat-less-
comfortable Kraken X with its
somewhat-less-impressive audio
when for just $20 or $30 more you
could have a much better headset. It’s
a relatively small difference in price
and a relatively large difference in
performance, and for most people,
the standard Kraken is the better
option—or any of a number of different
headsets in the $80 range.