Razer Kraken 7.1 V2: 7.1 Surround Sound - Retractable Noise-Cancelling Mic - Lightweight Aluminum Frame - Gaming Headset Works with PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, & Mobile Devices - Black

This review is for the Chroma V2 USB I used it with the PS4 (Have has it for 6 months so far) Yes it is meant for PC so the 7.1 does not work with the PS4. Which I don’t mind at all. I picked up the regular one meant for console before this one which used the 3.5mm jack which was meant to plug into the PS4 controller. If you’re like me and take sound very seriously and can notice any details such as slight hisses or distortion you would know the PS4s Controller has one of the worst DACs ever. Any headset you plug into it will not sound as it’s intended to be because the port does not output high quality audio. So I returned those and got these and they’re much much better. First of all this is the first Headset I received that has audio monitoring (Meaning you can hear yourself talk) the first time I used this Headset I thought man is this stupid and distracting. But over the time it began to grow on me and I found out it’s true purpose this is to prevent you from yelling into the microphone when you get too excited in game. example (playing at night) it’s a very useful feature. I don’t think I’ll ever consider a Headset without mic monitoring ever again because of this feature.Yes the 7.1 is not for PS4 because this Headset is meant for usb but who cares? It sounds amazing even in stereo. At first it took me a while to get used to the bass because it has very powerful bass you notice right off the bat but once you get used to it you won’t be able to go back. Explosions and other bassy sounds are so immersive. Apart from the bass everything else is very clear the bass does not over power the sound you can still hear everything nice and clear like foot steps. Even though it is stereo you can pin point where every noise is coming from and it sounds fantastic overall. The mic quality is very crisp and sharp it does a very good job at blocking out background noise but it doesn’t block our everything. Like if someone is watching the TV very loud or listening to music very loud you’ll be able to hear it on the mic pretty low though, your voice sounds very natural I’ve personally seen YouTubers complain about the mic saying it’s not so crisp and sharp. But this is gaming Headset for the average person or the gaming fanatic to me it sounds amazing compared to my old Astro A40tr. RGBs are also a pretty nice feature they cycle through the colors very slowly. They’re also very comfortable you can wear them for very long sessions and won’t hurt your ears. The leather is fluffy and cushiony it’s fantastic. This is my first razer Headset. And I can guarantee you it won’t be my last. Razer has taken me off the Astro & HyperX train.

Audio Quality: Decent (with software)Comfort Quality: Comfortable (The choice of ear cup shape is a good feature for those that have large ears or wear glasses.)Build Quality: SturdyVERSION 1 of the Kraken: I purchased the original version of this headset and initially was not disappointed. This quickly changed however due toquick deterioration of the headset in multiple areas.Those areas being:Microphone- The microphone switch stopped functioning within two months of operation. While it was heavily used, I expected better from aheadset marketed as one for heavy gaming on multiple platforms.Headband - The padding on the headset became unseated from the retention clips (plastic) within the first month of use. Another note isthat the headband was constructed with a small thin gauge piece of spring-steel. This would have been an advantage for the headset,but was undermined by having plastic attached to the ends causing a major weakness right in the main areas of stress while beingused.Shortly before I purchased the V2 headset, the folding joints (also plastic....sigh) broke on one of the ear cups. This forced me topurchase another headset soon or be left without one.Cable - The braiding of the cable was large and slightly loose. Needless to say, the cable started fraying and pinching.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------VERSION 2 of the Kraken: Each one of these areas have now been targeted directly by their QA team to great success.Microphone- The microphone switch has now been overhauled with a new switch for many more presses.Headband - The retention clips are now metal and offer much tighter clamping for the padding. The Headband is now constructedcompletely out of aluminum. To achieve this, they have removed the folding feature from the headset. That feature loss has allowed the earcups to be enclosed and mounted by the aluminum, making for a truly sturdy frame.Cable - The braiding of the cable is now very small and very tightly knit. It is quite difficult to for a kink or pinch to set in the cable. Thebraiding no longer catches or rubs heavily on surfaces and now wears very slowly.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Final thoughts: There are very few times I have risked purchasing from the same company after a devices build quality failed so quickly. This time I was delighted to find that Razer listened to the complaints made by its community and drastically altered the construction of the Kraken. They eliminated its faults and focused on creating a quality product (planned obsolescence be damned). A once decent headset has now been turned into one fitting of its price.I recommend it highly.