Razeris unquestionably one of the biggest names ingamingperipherals and accessories, so I was excited to test its newest edition of the Kraken gaming headset, the Kraken V4. Among the lineup of Razer gaming headsets, the Kraken has always been the one most focused on audio quality over sportiness and gamer user-friendliness compared to other, more competitive models. The latest generation since theV3 in 2021, the V4 proves to be a step forward in gaming headset technology and will likely be a lasting stalwart for Razer.
Razer Kraken V4
The Razer Kraken V4 is the latest update to Razer’s immersive and audio-focused gaming headset. It offers stellar sound and RGB galore amid a few drawbacks.
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Price, availability, and specs
The Razer Kraken V4 is launching at a very reasonable $180, which is extremely competitive for a wireless, high-quality gaming headset. It’s available now from BestBuy and directly from Razer, and should be making its way to other retailers soon.
The Razer Kraken V4 is all about audio performance, both in-game and out. Sound is delivered through 40mm drivers in each headphone cup, allowing the Razer Kraken V4 to support sampling rates of up to 32,000KHz, achieving impressive fidelity for a gaming headset. The headset connects to your PC via a 2.4 GHz wireless dongle and also supports Bluetooth for use with compatible devices. It can also be used in wired mode via a supplied USB-A to USB-C cable. As with previous generations, the Kraken features a retractable microphone that sits flush against the headset’s frame when not in use.
The Kraken V4 is compatible with Razer Synapse, which allows users to customize audio via an equalizer, adjust microphone settings, enable THX Spatial Audio, and customize the 9-zone RGB lighting featured on the outside of each cup. The Kraken V4 recharges via USB-C.
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What I liked about the Razer Kraken V4
Audio quality is the V4’s strongest feature
The immediate standout in my testing was the crisp and clear audio I experienced with the Kraken V4 when wearing the headset for gaming, movies, and music. Listening to some Rush on Tidal proved snappier and clearer than with any gaming headset I’d used before, and in-game audio was equally vibrant and detailed, especially when I turned on THX Spatial Audio. Orienting myself using sound cues while playing Counter-Strike was easy with the Kraken V4. While I certainly have some dedicated headphones with a more refined soundstage for music, and I also think the BlackShark V2 Pro has better in-game audio, the Kraken V4’s ability to excel in both areas is impressive and makes it a great all-around headset for mixed-use.
The wideband microphone performs equally well, with fellow gamers commenting that my voice sounded crisp and ‘better than most mics.’
The audio quality in the headset gets another boost from the Kraken V4’s connectivity choices. The headset communicates with your PC via a 2.4 GHz wireless dongle plugged into a USB-C slot in your computer. I can also be set to a maximum sampling rate of 32,000KHz, offering fairly high-fidelity sound for a gaming headset.
The wideband microphone performs equally well, with fellow gamers commenting that my voice sounded crisp and “better than most mics.” I was able to adjust microphone volume in the Razer Synapse app as well as adjust a volume equalizer that would help adjust or cut my mic if I was too loud. Between the sampling rate, the THX Spatial Audio, and the native performance of the Kraken V4’s 40mm drivers, I was thoroughly impressed with the sound quality of the headset offered across all uses.
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What I didn’t like about the Razer Kraken V4
Razer, lighten up on the audio customization
The raw, out-of-the-box audio quality on the Razer Kraken V4 is its strongest feature, so it’s curious Razer Synapse goes to such lengths to offer the user ways to make the audio quality worse. The Kraken V4 comes with thoughtfully designed EQ presets meant to get the most out of games, movies, and music. They all sound terrible, and clicking “custom” to get a flat EQ is the best way to go. Any decent game in the last decade already features digitally mastered audio, designed for performance in a gaming headset. Music is best listened to with a flat EQ, again to let the mastering speak for itself, and as far as movies are concerned, every movie and television show I watched sounded better with a flat EQ.
Synapse doesn’t stop there, offering additional features like Voice Clarity, which tanks your bass and acts as a treble booster on steroids, and Bass Boost, which blows out your soundstage with overpowered bass. Turning on any one of these features or making changes to the EQ only made the audio quality worse. The Kraken V4 sounds fantastic right out of the box, and Razer should just let that shine.
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Should you buy the Razer Kraken V4?
The Razer Kraken V4 is a welcome update to the Razer Kraken lineup and serves as an excellent all-purpose headset for gamers. The 9-Zone Chroma RGB is a first for the company regarding gaming headsets, though this isn’t a huge factor for me either way, as it’s not like I can see the headset’s Chroma when I’m wearing it. If you were already a Kraken owner from a previous generation or are seeking a well-rounded set of headphones for gaming, work, movies, and music, then the Kraken V4 fits the bill.
