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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize superior audio quality for listening to music at home, you might prefer the HifiMan Edition XS as they tend to provide a more detailed and expansive soundstage. However, if you're looking for a versatile headset that you can use for gaming, casual music listening, and with an integrated microphone for voice chat, the Razer Kraken offers a more budget-friendly option with those additional features. Keep in mind that while the Razer Kraken provides good overall value, the sound quality may not match that of the HifiMan for critical listening situations. 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 HifiMan Edition XS
- Very good for music
- Best in class for TV and video
- Good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Razer Kraken
- Very good for gaming
Key differences
Music
8.8
7.1
The HifiMan Edition XS is very good for music, while the Razer Kraken is good.
Gaming
7.4
8.3
The Razer Kraken is very good for gaming, while the HifiMan Edition XS is good.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
7.9
4.7
The HifiMan Edition XS is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Razer Kraken is poor.
TV and Video
9.5
7.4
The HifiMan Edition XS is best in class 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 HifiMan Edition XS is poor.
Cost
$269
$50
$0
$100
$200
$300
$400
The HifiMan Edition XS has a price of $269 and the Razer Kraken costs $50.
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Key similarities
Phone Calls
5.0
5.5
The Razer Kraken and HifiMan Edition XS are both poor for phone calls.
Build Quality
8.5
8.5
The HifiMan Edition XS and Razer Kraken both have very good build quality.
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How the HifiMan Edition XS and the Razer Kraken compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| HifiMan Edition XS | Razer Kraken |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$269 | $50 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | HifiMan | Razer | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2021 | March 1, 2019 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 8.9/10 | 7.1/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.1/10 | 5.5/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 7.5/10 | 8.4/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 9.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 4.4/10 | 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 | No | No | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | N/A | 9/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7.6/10 | 7/10 | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 421 Grams | 322 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | N/A | Boom | |
Waterproof Rating | |||
Waterproof Rating | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
HifiMan Edition XS
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Dig into reviews and images
Headphonesty
Eric D Hieger | January 2023
"The Edition XS easily compete with headphones in their price range with a very high price-to-performance ratio. The XS are an amazing value and offer performance not far off from headphones more than twice their cost. These will be a mind-blowing revelation for enthusiasts and music lovers who have only heard standard big-brand mainstream headphones."
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 HifiMan Edition XS or the Razer Kraken
About HifiMan
HiFiMAN is a Chinese, high-end, audio product manufacturer, with 20 years of experience, that specializes in amplifiers, digital audio players and planar magnetic headphones, some of which have become a staple in the audiophile community such as the entry-level Sundara, the midrange Edition X, and the very well-regarded, high-end, Arya.
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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