The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you're looking for affordability and good sound quality for music, the Koss Porta Pro would be a more cost-effective choice. However, if you need a microphone for calls or gaming and want better noise isolation and build quality, then the Razer Kraken with its higher price point would be the better option. Also, consider the Razer Kraken if you prefer a closed, over-ear design that offers better passive noise isolation, whereas the Koss Porta Pro has an open, on-ear design that won't block as much ambient noise but allows for a more natural soundstage. 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 Koss Porta Pro
Very good for music
Advantages of the Razer Kraken
Very good for gaming
Key differences
Music
8.2/10
7.1/10
The Koss Porta Pro is very good for music, while the Razer Kraken is good.
Gaming
6.4/10
8.3/10
The Razer Kraken is very good for gaming, while the Koss Porta Pro is only fair.
Phone Calls
4.3/10
5.5/10
The Razer Kraken and Koss Porta Pro are both poor for phone calls, though the Razer Kraken is somewhat better.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
6.8/10
4.7/10
The Koss Porta Pro is only fair for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Razer Kraken is poor.
Noise Reduction
2.5/10
6.5/10
The Razer Kraken is only fair for noise reduction, while the Koss Porta Pro is poor.
Build Quality
6.0/10
8.5/10
The Razer Kraken has very good build quality, while the Koss Porta Pro has only fair build quality.
"It’s clear to see why these have been such a popular choice amongst listeners for nearly four decades. It’s a charming pair of headphones that delivers a truly enjoyable listening experience and one that I think punches well above its weight."
"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 Koss Porta Pro or the Razer Kraken
About Koss
Koss is an American headphone manufacturer established in 1953. In 1958, they created the first set of stereophones, that is headphones with stereo sound, and in 1984 they released the world-famous Porta Pro, a set of on-ear headphones that has remained essentially unchanged for more than 30 years and that is still made, sold and loved by many audio enthusiasts around the world today.
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
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
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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.