Razer Kraken 7.1 Chroma Gaming Headset Review

Final Thoughts and Conclusion

Weve tried demos of Razer Kraken headsets before and though realizing their likability, we had the impression that the headsets boast style at the expense of some substance. The Chroma version is no exception being the RGB lighting update to the Kraken 7.1. The stately black plastic and mesh gives a very aggressive, but mostly tasteful aesthetic minus the subjectively obnoxious Razer type logo on the headband. Furthermore, theres nothing hiding the Krakens heavy reliance on plastic in its material construction which gives it a cheap look.

We’re unable to directly compare what effect on sound quality the built-in Conexant CX4437 combo digital sound processor and RGB light controller gives the 7.1 Chroma over the original 7.1. The Chroma has acceptable sound quality for the midrange segment, not even close to what the few performance driven $80 headsets can deliver. We can say the Kraken 7.1 Chroma is better than the analog Kraken headsets.

The selling point of the entire Kraken lineup has always seem to be gimmicks, but for the Kraken 7.1 Chroma, that extends beyond the RGB lights. Regarding audio features, the headset leans on its dizzying bass heavy sound character and modest virtual surround sound, though we’ve always criticized headphone surround sound implementations because its difficult to recreate positional audio in the limited ear space. Unfortunately, Razer has that feature tied in with their Synapse software, a 50 MB download which necessitates another 50 MB download upon detecting an attached Kraken 7.1 Chroma. That’s super unfriendly to traveling gamers using provided computers such as at professional LAN tournaments and ironic given Razer’s sponsorship presence in the esports community. Even Razer’s slimmed-down and free Surround program doesn’t come in a complete executable package that can be activated offline.

There’s lots to like about the Razer Kraken 7.1 Chroma. It looks good and it has neat features. It has great midrange performance on the level of $60 headsets, but its blatantly overpriced costing $99.99 at retailers ($96.45 at Amazon.) Currently, there’s little competition in the RGB illuminated headset space and the Kraken 7.1 Chroma is the next cheapest option above the SteelSeries Siberia RAW Prism. Still, RGB illuminated headsets may trend larger and parallel the RGB mechanical keyboard bandwagon at which point Razer may be forced to drop its headset pricing just to remain relevant in the face of strong competition.

Legit Bottom Line: The Razer Kraken 7.1 Chroma is a cool looking headset with acceptable audio thats unacceptable given how much the headset costs to buy.