Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2020
Edit: I intend to keep my original review attached to this update, for the sake of showing the full spectrum of my feelings on these headphones. However, I must confess that these headphones have broken. The failure of the headphones wasn't in their sound, it was in their construction. The right earcup started to feel loose, like it wasn't pushed against my head at all. I took them off to inspect them, and discovered that the point where the cup attaches to the extender part of the headphones was very weak, as if I had bent them intentionally. Shortly thereafter, it completely fell off in my hands. I suspect that this happened because I have fallen asleep on my right side wearing these headphones before, however, it has only happened a couple of times, and never for more than 20 minutes or so. I would like to think that a pair of headphones could withstand that. I've never had that happen to any other headset I've owned, even if I had fallen asleep with them for the entire night. I reduced my rating to 2 stars, because even if they broke, some of the blame definitely lies on me. Besides that, if you never do anything like what I did, they will probably serve you very well. They are still super comfortable and still sound fantastic for the price, so don't let my one negative experience completely detract from the positive aspects of this headset.
Here is my original review, from before they broke.
I bought these to replace the original Razer Krakens I bought back in around 2015 or so. They still worked great after several years, but the faux leather was in absolute ruin and was leaving green chunks in my hair whenever I put them on, so I figured it was time to buy a new pair.
They didn't sell the originals anymore, of course, so I went with the current headphones that were being sold in the same price bracket: around $50 to $60. I came across these, and was a little concerned at first that the quality would be lower than the ones I had been using prior, but I decided to give it a chance anyway.
So let's get into the specifics.
Sound Quality:
I'll be frank: these don't sound quite as good as the original Krakens. I've been using these for several months now, and I can safely say that they're broken in and all, so I must be honest and start with that. Now, if you've never used the original Krakens, this won't mean much to you. These headphones do sound fantastic, I can't lie about that. I'm no audiophile, so I can't give a very detailed description, but suffice it to say that they have a good range of dynamics, they are loud, crisp and clear, and they have solid bass. Once again, they are fantastic, but compared to the original Krakens, I must say that they do sound slightly more... hollow, for lack of a better term. There is likely some software to fiddle and finetune the settings to your liking, but I specifically wanted to talk about the out-of-the-box experience, for the sake of the "average user".
Overall, I'd recommend these on sound quality alone.
Comfort:
I've never been too bothered by headphones that people typically say are uncomfortable, so take what I say with a grain of salt. (For point of reference, the only headphones I've ever used that I can't use due to discomfort are Apple Ear/AirPods.) These are average in comfort, in my opinion. They certainly aren't uncomfortable. They're very light, it's not as though there's a highly noticeable weight added to your head when you put them on or anything like that. They don't press too hard, they're highly adjustable, they stay in place very well (at least when you adjust their size to your head properly) and there's nothing here I can complain about.
I'd highly recommend these for comfort factor.
Build Quality:
As I said before, these are light. To some, that's a sign of quality. To others, it's a sign of cheapness. When I first held them, compared to the original Krakens, they felt cheap to me simply because they were significantly lighter. But after using them for several months, with my biases long gone, I must say that they really do feel quite great, similar quality to the original Krakens at least. The faux leather feels nice and durable, the headband feels flexible yet sturdy, and the swivel on the cups doesn't rattle or seem unintentional in any way. They look nice, they feel nice, and I'm inclined to believe that they are, indeed, a nice pair of headphones.
I'd highly recommend these on the quality of the materials, manufacturing, etc.
Mic Quality:
It's a little hard to judge this, given that I'm not the one hearing my voice. When I asked my friends how I sound, they said I sounded fine. Good, clear (when my internet would allow it, at least) and not static-y or garbled or anything like that. I will mention, however, that you must make sure the mic is reasonably close to your mouth when you speak, even with sensitivity all the way up, because if it drifts a little away from my mouth, my friends immediately take notice and complain about it.
Overall, good mic quality, but beware of distance from your mouth.
Final thoughts:
This is a nice pair of headphones. They're not wireless, they're not Astros, they're not the top of the line by any means. But that doesn't mean that these won't work for you. For a pair of headphones that will last, that sound fantastic, and will allow you to comfortably game for many hours on end, this is a good place to start. If you want to start cheap, I'd ask you to rethink that decision. Sure, you could spend $25 for a pair of headphones that check most of the same boxes, but they probably won't be as good, nor will they be a reputable brand, and for that matter, they're far less likely to last very long. These will last for many years (as long as you don't abuse them) and are well worth the money in my opinion.
TL;DR:
These are good headphones, and you should definitely buy them if you're looking for a set that'll last you a long time.
