A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
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Company ProductName Specs
What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Philips SHP9500 offers superior comfort and sound quality which is ideal for critical listening and long music sessions at home due to its open-back design; however, it lacks a microphone and noise isolation, making it less suitable for calls, meetings, and noisy environments. The Razer Kraken, on the other hand, with its closed-back design and built-in boom microphone, provides better noise isolation and mic quality, making it more versatile for gaming, online communication, and use in louder surroundings, but it's not as comfortable for extended periods and may not provide the same level of audio clarity for music enthusiasts. 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 SHP9500
- Excellent for music
- Excellent for TV and video
- Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Razer Kraken
- Very good for gaming
Key differences
Music
9.2
7.1
The Philips SHP9500 is excellent for music, while the Razer Kraken is good.
Gaming
7.2
8.3
The Razer Kraken is very good for gaming, while the Philips SHP9500 is good.
Phone Calls
4.9
5.5
The Razer Kraken and Philips SHP9500 are both poor for phone calls, though the Razer Kraken is somewhat better.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.0
4.7
The Philips SHP9500 is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Razer Kraken is poor.
TV and Video
9.0
7.4
The Philips SHP9500 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 Philips SHP9500 is poor.
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Key similarities
Cost
$48
$50
$0
$10
$20
$30
$40
$50
The Philips SHP9500 has a price of $48 and the Razer Kraken costs $50.
Build Quality
8.5
8.5
The Philips SHP9500 and Razer Kraken both have very good build quality.
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How the Philips SHP9500 and the Razer Kraken compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Philips SHP9500 | Razer Kraken |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$48 | $50 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Philips | Razer | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | August 1, 2013 | March 1, 2019 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 9.3/10 | 7.1/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5/10 | 5.5/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 7.3/10 | 8.4/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 9.1/10 | 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 | N/A | 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 | 10/10 | 7/10 | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 294.8 Grams | 322 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | N/A | Boom | |
Waterproof Rating | |||
Waterproof Rating | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Philips SHP9500
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Dig into reviews and images
Headphones Lab
Brian Stone | April 2020
"You can’t go wrong with the Philips SHP9500 for their price. Their audio quality is superb, and the fact that you can use them for just about anything you can think of makes them well worth your money"
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 Philips SHP9500 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.
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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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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.
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