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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Bowers and Wilkins Pi5 S2 provides a high-quality music listening experience with superior sound quality, active noise canceling for a more immersive experience, and better scores for use during air travel and overall portability. They are wireless earbuds with a comfortable fit and have a dedicated app for audio controls and customization. On the other hand, the Razer Kraken, being significantly cheaper, offers a better microphone quality which can be crucial for gaming or calls, and a higher score specifically for gaming use. The Kraken is a wired over-ear headphone set that lacks active noise canceling and wireless capabilities but has a longer cable and virtual surround sound, which may be preferred for a stationary gaming setup. If budget is a major concern and you're primarily looking for gaming headphones, the Kraken might be the more suitable choice, but for an all-around premium audio experience, especially for music and travel, the Pi5 S2 would be a better choice despite the higher price. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Bowers and Wilkins Pi5 S2
- Very good for air travel
Advantages of the Razer Kraken
- Good for music
- Very good for gaming
- Good for TV and video
Key differences
Gaming
5.3
8.3
The Razer Kraken is very good for gaming, while the Bowers and Wilkins Pi5 S2 is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
5.6
4.7
The Bowers and Wilkins Pi5 S2 and Razer Kraken are both poor for podcasts and audiobooks, though the Bowers and Wilkins Pi5 S2 is somewhat better.
TV and Video
5.6
7.4
The Razer Kraken is good for TV and video, while the Bowers and Wilkins Pi5 S2 is poor.
Noise Reduction
8.3
6.5
The Bowers and Wilkins Pi5 S2 is very good for noise reduction, while the Razer Kraken is only fair.
Battery
5.0 Hours
N/A
The Bowers and Wilkins Pi5 S2 has 5 hours of battery life. The Razer Kraken does not have a battery.
Cost
$149
$50
$0
$50
$100
$150
$200
The Bowers and Wilkins Pi5 S2 has a price of $149 and the Razer Kraken costs $50.
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Key similarities
Music
6.7
7.1
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Razer Kraken to be good for music, while the Bowers and Wilkins Pi5 S2 is only fair.
Phone Calls
5.0
5.5
The Razer Kraken and Bowers and Wilkins Pi5 S2 are both poor for phone calls.
Build Quality
8.9
8.5
The Bowers and Wilkins Pi5 S2 and Razer Kraken both have very good build quality.
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How the Bowers and Wilkins Pi5 S2 and the Razer Kraken compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Bowers and Wilkins Pi5 S2 | Razer Kraken |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$149 | $50 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Bowers and Wilkins | Razer | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2023 | March 1, 2019 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 6.8/10 | 7.1/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.1/10 | 5.5/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.3/10 | 8.4/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.6/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.3/10 | 4.2/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 5 Hours | N/A | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | Yes | N/A | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 0.75 Hours | N/A | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5 | N/A | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | 19 | N/A | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 8.4/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | No | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | N/A | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | N/A | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 6.5/10 | 9/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8.9/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Large | N/A | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 6 Grams | 322 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Boom | |
Shopping
Bowers and Wilkins Pi5 S2
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Dig into reviews and images
Major HiFi
Chris Golembeski | January 2023
"Bowers and Wilkins isn’t looking to make an obscure, premium wireless bud catered specifically towards audiophiles. Instead, it seems apparent that they’re going for the crown: a cool and popular look, an easy and comfortable fit, and an engaging stage with a great balance that is perfectly suited for mainstream listeners and audiophiles alike."
Razer Kraken
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Dig into reviews and images
PC Gamer
Rob Dwiar | March 2019
"Generally the Kraken is a very comfortable headset and there’s nothing that really identifies it as anything else. All in, the Kraken performed exactly as I’d expect a premium, designated gaming headset to perform: performing well in game audio, though not quite with the same quality of those headsets further up the price scale."
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About Bowers and Wilkins
Bowers and Wilkins is a British audio equipment manufacturer with a focus on innovation and product development. It was founded by a couple of real-life James Bonds, the co-founders John Bowers and Roy Wilkins, who met while working for MI6 during World War II. The company keeps being favored by enthusiasts due to their sound quality, craftsmanship and signature aesthetics.
About Razer
Razer is an American-Singaporean hardware manufacturer aimed specifically toward the gaming market. They manufacture a very wide array of gaming laptops, tablets, phones, peripherals and, of course, headphones and earbuds both wired and wireless. Since 2016, Razer has owned the THX suite, aimed at quality assurance of audiovisual systems such as speaker sets, video game consoles and even movie theaters.
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Why trust us
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec earbuds & headphones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest earbuds or headphones information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the Earbuds or Headphones team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Earbuds and Headphones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Luis is a Mexico-based headphones expert. He’s been making headphone recommendations for five years and has close to 100 pairs in his personal collection.
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