Razer headsets are still the de facto standard in the industry, and the Kraken V4 doesn’t change that much. It’s not full of innovative features, but it has everything you need and expect in reasonable quality and at an affordable, albeit high-end, price. .
Like many others, it has decided to implement 9-zone RGB lighting. I’m still struggling to see the reason, besides generating heat and using extra power. It might look cool on an Instagram photo where everything is from the same brand and in the same colors, but in everyday life I don’t think it has any value, put in good counseling language.
It is not surprising that both the standard wireless connection with radio waves via a USB-C dongle, additional high-speed Bluetooth and wireless via USB. I still miss the implementation of wireless charging soon. Battery life is pretty decent, rated at 70 hours, and I managed to squeeze a bit more out of it without any problems. One design issue is that there is no cavity or anything to store the dongle, and I’m not impressed. The old Nari headset had that, as well as haptic feedback, so why did they forget these two excellent features this time?
The price is around £180 It’s not exactly cheap, but unfortunately it’s about what a wireless headset costs these days. That said, you can get really good headphones for less. No, they don’t have triple connectivity, but when you’re at the price point of the Kraken V4, you have to deliver those extra features.
Here’s a hint:
Razer still uses its Triforce three-way 40mm Tannoy-like drivers in titanium, and they deliver a fairly balanced sound, although there is an emphasis in the high frequency range. There is a much smoother transition between bass and midrange than you are used to, and almost linear reproduction in the same frequency range. However, more could be done to improve the transparency of the sound image. The resolution is nice, but as a closed headphone there are limitations. Although the bass has a good punch, it would have been nice to have the deeper frequencies, but this is traditionally reserved for headphones. The sound is generally fine and detailed.
The cushions are made of memory foam with fabric, and are very comfortable to wear, along with very light weight from the ear cups. On the side you’ll find the on/off button, volume controls and the custom toggle for chat/game balance.
The microphone is the Razer HyperClear Super microphone. That’s probably a bit of a myth in more ways than one, because while it’s a definite upgrade sonically, the sound is still a bit treble and a bit tinny compared to many competitors. That said, it’s well articulated with minimal intonation of P, T and S sounds. We’ve tested it as is, but if you’re willing to tweak it a bit, you’ll get results reasonable. That said, collapsible/rollable microphones are not as robust or mechanically well-built as the external fixed microphones, and for good reason. So it’s also about being realistic about what you can achieve. Personally, I think it’s a good choice to have an integrated microphone instead of an external one, but maybe it depends on what kind of games you like. In addition, it samples at 32 kHz, which is not quite at CD level, but close.
On the software side, Razer’s Synapse software is, as usual, a user-friendly search and functionality. But it’s a bit misleading, because if you want to use THX Spatial, which I admit is one of the few virtual reality solutions worth spending time on, you have to pay extra . That might put some off, but at least there’s a demo link on the Razer website. There are also several EQ profiles as standard, and Razer should be praised for not going crazy with the gaming profile.
Here’s a hint:
You can’t go wrong with the Razer Kraken V4. There are some drawbacks, and you’re paying for a premium brand, but in return you get a solid audio experience and a smartly built headset.
2024-11-11 17:00:00
#Razer #Kraken
