The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you primarily listen to music and want an immersive experience, the Philips Fidelio X2HR would be a better choice due to its superior sound quality and open-back design that offers a more spacious soundstage. However, it has an open enclosure which means less noise isolation and might not be suitable for noisy environments. For gaming purposes and calls, the Razer Kraken, with its closed back design and superior microphone quality, could be more appropriate, offering better noise isolation and clearer communication; it also tends to be significantly less expensive. Neither model is well-suited for exercise due to size and weight, and both lack wireless capabilities. The Razer Kraken's lower price makes it a good value option, especially for gamers, while the Fidelio X2HR's build and sound quality justify its higher cost for audiophiles. 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 Philips Fidelio X2HR
Excellent for music
Very good for TV and video
Good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Razer Kraken
Very good for gaming
Key differences
Music
9.3/10
7.1/10
The Philips Fidelio X2HR is excellent for music, while the Razer Kraken is good.
Gaming
7.0/10
8.3/10
The Razer Kraken is very good for gaming, while the Philips Fidelio X2HR is good.
Phone Calls
5.0/10
5.5/10
The Razer Kraken and Philips Fidelio X2HR are both poor for phone calls, though the Razer Kraken is somewhat better.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
7.9/10
4.7/10
The Philips Fidelio X2HR is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Razer Kraken is poor.
TV and Video
8.8/10
7.4/10
The Philips Fidelio X2HR is very good for TV and video, while the Razer Kraken is good.
Noise Reduction
2.5/10
6.5/10
The Razer Kraken is only fair for noise reduction, while the Philips Fidelio X2HR is poor.
Cost
$140
$50
$0
$50
$100
$150
$200
The Philips Fidelio X2HR has a price of $140 and the Razer Kraken costs $50.
Build Quality
9.0/10
8.5/10
The Philips Fidelio X2HR has excellent build quality, while the Razer Kraken has very good build quality.
"This piece is a fantastic option for music lovers searching for premium sound and a snug fit. You should get these headphones if you care about sound quality and want to hear music in a new light. This technology is a great option for high-quality headphones with superb sound reproduction."
"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 Philips Fidelio X2HR or the Razer Kraken
About Philips
Philips is a Dutch conglomerate and electronics manufacturer with over 130 years of history. Philips makes the Fidelio audio line which includes several models of full-sized wired and wireless headphones, true wireless earbuds. soundbars and wireless speakers.
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
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
123,800
Recommendations made
18,570
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.