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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The EPOS PC38X offers superior sound quality and mic performance, with exceptional scores for music, calls, and gaming, making them well suited for a range of audio experiences, including immersive listening. They're open-back and suitable for home environments, not optimal for noisy places as they'll leak sound. In contrast, the Razer Kraken has a closed-back design providing better noise isolation, making them better suited for noisier environments but with lesser sound quality. If you prioritize top-notch audio and mic quality for gaming and are willing to invest more, the EPOS PC38X is the better choice; however, for a budget-friendly option with decent performance and better noise isolation, the Razer Kraken is suitable. Both are wired, negating concerns about latency during gaming or TV watching. 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 EPOS PC38X
- Best in class for music
- Best in class for phone calls
- Best in class for gaming
- Excellent for TV and video
- Good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Razer Kraken
- The Razer Kraken has no clear advantages over the EPOS PC38X.
Key differences
Music
9.5
7.1
The EPOS PC38X is best in class for music, while the Razer Kraken is good.
Gaming
10.0
8.3
The EPOS PC38X is best in class for gaming, while the Razer Kraken is very good.
Phone Calls
10.0
5.5
The EPOS PC38X is best in class for phone calls, while the Razer Kraken is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
7.9
4.7
The EPOS PC38X is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Razer Kraken is poor.
TV and Video
9.0
7.4
The EPOS PC38X is excellent for TV and video, while the Razer Kraken is good.
Noise Reduction
2.5
6.5
The Razer Kraken is only fair for noise reduction, while the EPOS PC38X is poor.
Cost
$139
$50
$0
$50
$100
$150
$200
The EPOS PC38X has a price of $139 and the Razer Kraken costs $50.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
8.5
8.5
The EPOS PC38X and Razer Kraken both have very good build quality.
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How the EPOS PC38X and the Razer Kraken compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| EPOS PC38X | Razer Kraken |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$139 | $50 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | EPOS | Razer | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | September 1, 2020 | March 1, 2019 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 9.6/10 | 7.1/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 10/10 | 5.5/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 10/10 | 8.4/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 9.1/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 4.5/10 | 4.2/10 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | No | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 2.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | N/A | No | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 10/10 | 9/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 8.4/10 | 7/10 | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 249.4 Grams | 322 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Boom | Boom | |
Waterproof Rating | |||
Waterproof Rating | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
EPOS PC38X
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Dig into reviews and images
Everyday Listening
Ryan Soo | November 2021
"Lightweight and comfortable design, Mic arm with mute, Excellent tuning, Highly natural midrange voicing, Clean and separated bass, Solid soundstage dimensions. Combining all day comfort and integrated coms with a balanced and spacious sound from essentially any source, it is hard to deny the versatility and value provided by the PC38X."
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."
Get a great deal on the EPOS PC38X or the Razer Kraken
About EPOS
EPOS is a relatively new company with a very long heritage. Previously known as Sennheiser Communications, EPOS is the result of the joint venture between the German headphone manufacturer Sennheiser and the Danish Demant that sought to develop premium audio communication solutions. They specialize in two main product groups, enterprise communications and gaming communication headsets and processing devices.
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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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
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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