Razer Kraken Pro V2 eSports Gaming Headset Review




/ 7 years ago

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Introduction


Razer Kraken Pro V2 eSports Gaming Headset Review

Razer is one of the leading brands when it comes to PC peripherals, with a following so large and often so loyal some even joke that they’re a cult. This is no bad thing for Razer, and with a huge collection of award-winning products to their name, it’s easy to see how they’ve grown so much over the years. One of the key components in this growth was their popular Kraken headset, and now Razer is back with a new and improved model, the Kraken Pro V2!

Equipped with new larger and more powerful 50mm drivers, a bauxite aluminium frame, thicker padding, a new headband design and more, the Kraken Pro V2 promises to be bigger, better, louder, strong and more comfortable than the original, and that’s the kind of upgrade we love to see!

50mm audio drivers custom-tuned for balanced in-game audio and communications

“The Razer Kraken Pro V2 is outfitted with larger drivers than its predecessor to offer a louder and richer soundstage than ever before. You’ll feel like you’re right at the center of all the gaming action, while ensuring your team’s shotcalls are heard with absolute clarity.”

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Unibody aluminum frame for extended durability

“Made of Bauxite aluminum, the entire frame of the Razer Kraken Pro V2 is lightweight, flexible and incredibly durable. It has been tested extensively to withstand the rigors of pro-gaming.”

Headphones

  • Frequency response: 12 Hz – 28 kHz
  • Impedance: 32 Ω @ 1 kHz
  • Sensitivity (@1 kHz): 118 dB
  • Input power: 30 mW (Max)
  • Drivers: 50 mm, with Neodymium magnets
  • Inner ear cup diameter: 56 mm / 2.2 in
  • Connection type: Analog 3.5 mm
  • Cable length: 1.3 m / 4.27 ft. plus 2 m / 6.6 ft mic splitter adapter cable
  • Approx. weight: 322 g / 0.71 lbs

Microphone

  • Frequency response: 100 Hz – 10 kHz
  • Signal-to-noise ratio: > 55 dB
  • Sensitivity (@1 kHz): -38 ± 3 dB
  • Pick-up pattern: Unidirectional ECM boom

In-line control

  • Analog volume control wheel
  • Microphone quick mute toggle

Audio usage

  • Devices with 3.5 mm audio jack

Audio + microphone usage

  • Devices with 3.5 mm audio + mic combined jack

Packaging & Accessories

The box comes with the usual Razer black and green theme, and on the front there’s a stylish image of the headset, showing off the ear cup design, as well as the retractable microphone. The box feels thick and durable too, which should help keep the headset nice and safe in transit.

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Around the back, details of the lightweight aluminium frame, 50mm drivers and the in-line remote.

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the headset is very nicely packaged, with lots of protective layers keeping it free from damage.

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In the box, you’ll find the headset, which comes hard-wired with a long black braided cable. The headset is 3.5mm 4-pole but comes bundled with a Y-split 3-pole jack so it can be easily used on consoles, mobile devices and PC with ease.

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A Closer Look


First impressions of the Kraken V2 are very positive, and the overall design of the headset looks pretty slick. Everything on the headset is finished in black with just a few changes in texture giving the aesthetics some dynamics. What little plastic there is comes well finished and feels durable, while the main frame and headband support are made from lightweight and strong aluminium with a soft leather finish over the headband to give it that premium quality look and feel.

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Most headsets use a plastic extension system, but the whole hand band on the Kraken Pro V2 is an aluminium strip, which is stronger, lighter, and certainly more likely to survive a few hard knocks compared to a plastic one. It has a nice measurement engraving to ensure you get each headset perfectly balanced, and a notched slider means that it locks into place at each level of adjustment. Each driver/ear cup is mounted on a wrap around arm, giving it a little bit of a pivot between them for a more optimal fit, but I must stress that this is a very small amount of movement; the ear cups can’t be flipped our or turned sideways at all, not a deal breaker, but worth keeping in mind if that’s something you like your headsets to do.

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There’s a mesh design on the back, but the headset is otherwise closed in terms of design, which helps block some external noise, lock in your own sound from the drivers, and should help tighten up the lower end bass response too. If you’re gaming in a noisy environment, such as a LAN gaming tournament, then a closed back design like this is most certainly welcome.

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The hard-wired cable joins onto the bottom of the left ear cup, where you’ll also find a small nub from the end of the microphone, which can be retracted into the headset when not in use, or slid out when needed. I prefer this to a detachable boom, as it means you can simply misplace the microphone as I so often do with mine! The hard-wired cable feels very durable, but these days, I would have much preferred to see a detachable cable as they’re easy to replace if they become damaged.

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There’s a tiny in-line controller on the cable, which maybe should have been bigger for ease of use, but with a pass-through wheel for the volume, as well as a small switch on the back for microphone mute, it still gets the job done for a basic controller. While gaming it’s pretty easy to use and it certainly never hurts to have a master microphone mute button while playing online games.

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The microphone pulls out easily enough, and it’s super flexible and positional too. If you want to bend it up out-of-the-way or pull it around for a closer speaking position, not a problem, it’ll stay where you leave it. It sounds pretty great too, with a nice range to it that doesn’t sound tinny like a lot of sub-£100 headsets can and the passive noise suppression does a decent enough job, so your teammates should be happy with the performance of the mic.

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The headband padding is quite slim, especially compared to the rather thick padding on the ear pads. However, it’s surprisingly comfortable and comes with a softer cloth finish that gives it a light grip. The most important part, however, is that the headband is very lightweight, so even with less padding, it still feels rather comfortable to wear for long gaming sessions. My only issue is that I have quite a big head, and it just needed a little more give in it to keep the ear cups 100% flat around my ears, although out of everyone who tried it, I was the only one having this issue.

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The ear cup padding is thicker than the old Kraken headset, and while the ear cups don’t have much pivot adjustment, this thick and soft padding does give you a lot protection around your ears and does a decent job of isolating the sound. The 50mm certainly pack a punch in terms of maximum volume too, which is also handy in a noisy environment, but when it comes to listening to music, I found them a little uninspired. This is a gaming headset, a competitive gaming headset at that, so it’s a little treble heavy and the mids are boosted, it doesn’t sound bad, far from it, but it really shines the best with FPS multiplayer and team chat, which is what it was really designed for.

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When it comes to gaming, the combination of powerful and clear drivers, an EQ that is tuned for picking out your enemies footsteps and giving you crystal clear team chat, and a microphone that does a fantastic job too, the V2 stands tall and will put a smile on your face. If you’re looking for a day-to-day multimedia headset, however, this isn’t it and dedicated headphones of the same price would be the way to go.

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Final Thoughts


Price

The Razer Kraken Pro V2 is available directly from Razer for £79.99 which is good as it’s currently £89.99 at Amazon. This certainly isn’t cheap, but it’s about on par with rival eSports focused headsets, and there is a little bit of an “eSports” as well as a “Razer” premium included in the price. It’s not overpriced given the build quality and use of aluminium, but shopping around for a good deal certainly couldn’t hurt either.

Overview

Razer is one of the biggest gaming brands on the market today, and their fan base is without a doubt one of the biggest out there too. It’s been known for a long time that when you buy a Razer product, you can often expect to pay a bit of a premium for the products, and for many it’s worth it for the badge envy. Premium brands cost premium prices, that’s true of any product range in any industry. Fortunately, while this is a little more expensive that some rival headsets, you do get a lot in return for your investment.

The build quality is superb, and while this headset is noticeably quite large, it’s incredibly lightweight and that mostly thanks to the use of high-quality aluminium for the frame and headband. These not only give the headset a premium quality look and feel, but they shed a huge amount of weight and make the headset a lot stronger than most at the same time.

The ear cup padding is lovely and thick, giving you a very soft cushion around your ears that’s going to really pay off during those long gaming sessions, as comfort is very important no matter where you’re gaming. The headband could do with a little more padding than what is on offer, but the lightweight headband design does a lot of the work and keeps things comfortable regardless.

The drivers pack quite a punch in terms of volume, and really shine with remarkable detail while gaming or using team chat, and that’s obviously a big advantage for any competitive gamer. Personally, I like a lot more bass and play a lot more single player games, so while it’s far from a bad headset, you need to think which kind of headset is best suited to your taste. If you’re going to be doing a lot of competitive gaming and LAN gaming, the V2 Pro is a great choice.

Pros

  • Lightweight design
  • Durable build quality
  • Thick ear cup padding
  • Strong braided cable design
  • Come with single and dual 3.5mm cables for PC and mobile use
  • Stylish aesthetics
  • Perfect for competitive gaming
  • Retractable microphone

Cons

  • Doesn’t sit perfectly flush on my big head

Neutral

  • Music lovers will want to steer towards dedicated headphones at this price range
  • A little more expensive than rival products

“The Razer Kraken Pro V2 is great for the competitive gamers out there, with a lightweight and comfortable design that is well suited to marathon gaming sessions and crystal clear audio. While not perfect, it’s easy to see why many of the top gamers in eSports already love it.”

gamers-choice

Razer Kraken Pro V2 eSports Gaming Headset Review

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