Audio in gaming is an important issue and not just in the effort of the developer to bring their creations to life. We want to hear it how they intended and sometimes we just want to be able to tune it to our particular ear. So, then, your choice of headphones is rather important. Sound effects and music play an important role in immersion, so you’d do well to choose something that meets and exceeds your requirements. Budget allowing. Razer happens to have a few options to consider. But really, the marketing company may not be your best bet based solely on their own materials. So today we’re going to take a nice look at the Razer Kraken 7.1 Chroma V2. Do they offer acceptable audio quality and reliability? Or are these simply another misguided entry into the world of “gaming audio” devices?
Release the Kraken (V2)
Razer is known for having some impeccable means of convincing you that their products are awesome and better than sliced bread. And in some respects, the renewed attention to detail and quality control have mostly paid off. Now, concepts that generally meet some of the expectations that they set. Their headphones have always had a strong basic set of components, with a well thought-out frame and audio drivers that have been well chosen for the different price ranges. The original Kraken headset was good sounding, though seemed to have some quality issues and weren’t altogether the most comfortable on your head. “Gaming headsets”, at least from Razer, were somewhat well represented.
But of course it wouldn’t do to just remain static and not improve upon their products. Though the marketing from the original Kraken, both stereo and with faux 7.1, make them seem like they’ll make games literally come alive in your ears. They won’t, but hey, they had good ads anyway.
Specifications
The Kraken 7.1 Chroma V2 make several different improvements to the basic recipe. First, the headband is just slightly different with a bit more foam around the band itself. There’s less initial tension as well. Materials for the entire thing seem to be more sturdy and should stand the test of time a little better.
On your head they actually are fairly comfortable. My head isn’t small, nor is it terribly large either, but I had no issues with the fit of the band. They didn’t hurt or pinch at all. The only real issue is with the earcup size. My ears are proportional to my head, though apparently too large to fit comfortably inside. After around an hour with them on I began feeling a small pang of pain at the top of my ear. So, always keep in mind the size of your ears when looking at circumaural headphones. Might seem a little silly, but ear comfort is rather important if you believe that you’ll be wearing these for long periods.