A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
Last updated -- hours ago | Report incorrect information
ER4XR
Company ProductName Specs




Kraken
Company ProductName Specs




What we think

Chevron down
PerfectRec Logo
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·

If you're looking for detailed, accurate sound, particularly for listening to music in quiet environments, the Etymotic ER4XR earbuds would be your choice, despite their higher price. They offer superior noise isolation and precision, ideal for audiophiles. On the other hand, if you're a gamer or enjoy watching movies and want a comfortable headset with a microphone for communication, the Razer Kraken would suit you better. It's less expensive, but it's also bulkier and offers a different kind of sound quality that may not be as finely tuned for critical music listening but includes features like a boom mic and virtual surround sound that enhance gaming and video experiences. 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 Etymotic ER4XR
  • Very good for music
  • Good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Razer Kraken
  • Very good for gaming

Key differences

Chevron down

Music

8.0
ER4XR
Kraken
7.1
The Etymotic ER4XR is very good for music, while the Razer Kraken is good.

Gaming

6.2
ER4XR
Kraken
8.3
The Razer Kraken is very good for gaming, while the Etymotic ER4XR is only fair.

Phone Calls

4.7
ER4XR
Kraken
5.5
The Razer Kraken and Etymotic ER4XR are both poor for phone calls, though the Razer Kraken is somewhat better.

Podcasts and Audiobooks

7.3
ER4XR
Kraken
4.7
The Etymotic ER4XR is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Razer Kraken is poor.

Noise Reduction

9.1
ER4XR
Kraken
6.5
The Etymotic ER4XR is excellent for noise reduction, while the Razer Kraken is only fair.

Cost

$234
ER4XR
Kraken
$50
Product image
Product image

$0

$50

$100

$150

$200

$250

$300

$350

The Etymotic ER4XR has a price of $234 and the Razer Kraken costs $50.

Build Quality

9.0
ER4XR
Kraken
8.5
The Etymotic ER4XR has excellent build quality, while the Razer Kraken has very good build quality.
Image of Earbuds & Headphones
Let Us Help Find Your Perfect Headphones
Find your new headphones

Key similarities

Chevron down

TV and Video

7.4
ER4XR
Kraken
7.4
The Etymotic ER4XR and Razer Kraken are both good for TV and video.

Give feedback

We’re constantly working to improve.

How the Etymotic ER4XR and the Razer Kraken compare to other earbuds and headphones

Chevron down

Spec Comparison

Chevron down
Etymotic ER4XRRazer Kraken
Etymotic ER4XRRazer Kraken

GENERAL

Price
$234
$50
Brand
EtymoticRazer
Release Date
June 1, 2016March 1, 2019
Form Factor
EarbudsHeadphones
Connectivity
WiredWired

SOUND

Music Score
8/107.1/10
Phone Calls Score
4.8/105.5/10
Gaming Score
6.3/108.4/10
TV and Video Score
7.4/107.4/10
Exercise Score
4.1/104.2/10

FEATURES

Active Noise Cancelling
NoNo
Noise Reduction Score
9.1/106.5/10
Virtual Surround
N/ANo
Mic Quality
N/A9/10

BUILD AND DESIGN

Build Quality
9/108.5/10
Comfort score
6/107/10
Size
SmallN/A
Weight (headset or single earbud)
4 Grams322 Grams
Microphone style
N/ABoom

Shopping

Chevron down

Etymotic ER4XR

See more

Dig into reviews and images

What HiFi?

What HiFi? | May 2015
"The Etymotic ER4XRs' top qualities are the detail and definition of the midrange, rewarding the closest listening. While the soundstage is large rather than gigantic, the excellent separation and spatial precision mean you can dive deep into music just as much as when wearing a pair of full-size open-backed headphones."

Razer Kraken

See more

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 Etymotic ER4XR or the Razer Kraken

About Etymotic

Etymotic Research is an American based research, development and manufacturing company founded in 1983. They invented the first insert earphones that were used for the diagnosis and research of hearing loss and other auditory disorders. They went on to pioneer the market of high fidelity, isolating, in-ear earphones.

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.

Give feedback

We're constantly perfecting our model

Earbuds or Headphones guides you might be interested in

Chevron down

FAQs

Chevron down

FAQs about earbuds and headphones

Questions about PerfectRec >

Why trust us

Chevron down
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.

By the numbers

108
Earbuds and headphones evaluated
11,340
Earbuds and headphones stats compiled
15
Proprietary Earbuds and headphones ratings developed
122,900
Recommendations made
18,435
Consumer hours saved

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.

Jason Lew

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.

Chandradeep Chowdhury

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.

Luis Torres

Earbuds and Headphones Expert
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.

Featured in

Color LTT LogoGeekwire logo9to5 Mac logoPhone Arena LogoColor Daring Fireball logo