Razer Kraken Pro V2 Gaming Headset Review

Razer Kraken Pro V2 Use and Final Thoughts

The Razer Kraken Pro V2 is not overly large but wouldn’t be referred to as svelte. At 322 grams it’s not too heavy though and didn’t seem to give me any issues with fatigue, even after wearing a few hours straight. The unidirectional boom microphone is designed very well. It goes where a light touch compels it to go and stays put. The fact that it can retract is great for the times you’re just listening and don’t need something hanging out in front of your face. The microphone sensitivity is very good without picking up every breath though that can depend on where it’s placed. There’s no foam filter on the end to mitigate breathing/air noises but I never found that to be an issue.

The ear pieces themselves are rather thick with a foam inside that’s soft enough to contour to your head but bounces back to its original shape relatively quickly. They feel very soft and comfortable on the head. I also wear glasses and had no problems wearing them with the headset. The pleather skin doesn’t breathe particularly well and it can get a bit toasty in there though does a nice job of sound isolation. The stitching is very good and no defects or abnormalities could be observed. The fine foam mesh screen in the center has enough give and toughness that it’s unlikely to get accidentally torn. Taking the cushion off takes a very simple twist so replacing them with the aforementioned oval variety would be a piece of cake.

Underneath the left pad resides the product branding with serial number, etc. The speaker portion is held onto a round metal piece by two pivot points on each side that allow some articulation but a very small degree. They don’t fold back inward to be more compact for travel. The exterior of the speaker housing displays the Razer logo which shows up much better on the green or white models. I’d like to see the logo in a different color (maybe their typical green accent) but you know, costs and all that.

The headband has a nice embossed yet understated R-A-Z-E-R across the top and the inside of it has a soft fabric surface that should work well to wick away moisture while having some light padding for additional comfort. On the inside of the headband, “L” and “R” are stamped into the plastic to give proper wearing orientation though the microphone only extends out on one side so that should be the biggest clue as to which way to put them on. On the outside of the band on the metal piece that feeds into the headband proper are graduated increments to show the amount of expansion. Each increment expanded/collapsed provides a tactile click, assuring that it will hold its position unless intentionally moved again.

The 1.3 meter cord emanating from the headset itself terminates into a single stereo/microphone 3.5mm gold-plated analog plug that also contains inline volume and mute controls. A minor gripe is that the volume wheel spins freely with little resistance so it can be vulnerable to accidental changes in volume simply from rubbing against something just right. A little movement translates into a sizable increase/decrease in volume.

For those needing separate input/output plugs, adding on the 2 meter extension gives that flexibility with dual gold-plated 3.5mm plugs – one for the microphone input and one for stereo output. The cord itself is braided which looks rich but gives it a texture that tends to make noise when dragging and that noise transmits up to the left ear. It’s not horrible but it’s there and it’s the sort of thing that grates on some people – you know who you are. Also included is a nice Razer branded rubber cord wrap though it’s not tethered to the cord in any way so is at risk of loss should it come loose unnoticed though nothing that can’tbe replaced by a twist tie though admittedly less attractive.

The downside of the analog plug is that you lose the benefit of extras that the USB models use such as customized lighting and other software controlled features. The benefit is that you can plug into a million other items with an analog jack, from a PlayStation to an iPod to an old school radio. I popped them on while using the PSVR and it worked great though the width of the PSVR headset does ever so slightly impede a perfect seal around the ear – at least for me but it didn’t diminish the experience. Head shape may come into play here.

By now you’re thinking, ok all that’s great and all but this is is a headset review, how does it sound? Well, here comes the boom – literally. This thing really kicks out the bass which is perfect for typical gaming audio events like explosions and gun fire. Especially when using it in conjunction with the PSVR, the additional audio immersion of concussive blasts and the thumping of gunfire adds that much more to the experience. The 50mm drivers deliver. That said, while I don’t consider myself an audiophile, I found the overall sound to be a bit muddy and not quite as crisp as I would prefer. A little EQ tweaking from the source helped but there’s only so much you can do. I mostly observed this with music since it’s something I’ve listened to through a variety of speakers/headphones, know it well for comparison, and offers variability in sound not always found in games. So is this a deal breaker? Hell no. The sound quality is still above average and this isn’t a high-end headset so expectations have to be set accordingly. Besides, my perception is entirely subjective and others may find it more to their liking, plus my guess is that most won’t be listening to Mozart with these. If your music is bass heavy and you’re into that, these will appeal to you.

So to wrap things up, my overall impression is that the Kraken Pro V2 is a pretty solid offering with some minor improvements from the original. It checks all the essential boxes in terms of features and falls somewhere above entry level but not quite full on enthusiast which is fine because it isn’t the flagship headphone product from Razer. The build quality is excellent and the overall design is very good with quality bass-heavy sound and excellent microphone performance. The 3.5mm analog interface gives it a broad application spectrum but really limits the features it can offer via software like lighting effects and custom user profiles on board. Stereo sound is the name of the game here and any 7.1 audio can only be virtually simulated. At $69.99 shipped, I’d personally be more inclined to pitch in an additional $10 to pick up the Razer Kraken 7.1 Chroma V2 which has true 7.1 audio, Chroma lighting, and is USB based. There are a handful of other options in the marketplace at that price point with equal or more standard features which can make it a tough sell as well. However, it’s not hard to find it a various retailers selling below MSRP so all the better.

Legit Bottom Line: The Razer Kraken Pro V2 has everything you need in a basic but quality gaming headset with an excellent microphone and decent sound quality that favors lower frequencies. The analog 3.5mm output plug means it can be used on your PC, console gaming system, or tablet/smartphone without worrying about compatibility or software issues. If you are in the market for a gaming headset, it’s worth a look.