Razer Kraken X: A no-frills take on a headset that had few frills to begin with

Saving $30, but at what cost?

- HAYDEN DINGMAN

The Razer Kraken has long been a favorite of people buying a gaming headset on the cheap. Listing at $80, and often discounted even lower, it’s one of the cheaper name-brand headsets on the market.

But what if it were even less expensive? The new Razer Kraken X retails for a mere $50, or $30 cheaper than its sibling. That’s proving to be a popular price lately, with both HyperX’s Cloud Stinger (go.pcworld.com/ hxcs) and Astro’s A10 (go.pcworld.com/at10) vying for budget-conscious buyers in recent years. The Kraken X boasts a few advantages over the competition though, including rudimentary 7.1 support and the classic Kraken look.

It’s still not an amazing headset, mind you—but for $50? You could do (a lot) worse.

TAKING ANOTHER CRACK AT IT

I’ve said in the past: Just because you want a cheap headset doesn’t mean you want a cheap-looking headset. Luckily, Razer understands that sentiment better than just about any other manufacturer. The Kraken X may sell for only $50, but it looks near-identical to its full-price predecessor. Jet black, with the same metal mesh and three-headed snake logo on the ears, the Kraken X blends right in with the rest of Razer’s headsets.