A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 11, 2024·
Considering your preference for a budget-friendly option, the Sony MDREX15AP offers a very good value proposition since it's typically much less expensive than the Razer Kraken. If you're looking for something portable for listening to music or watching videos on the go, the Sony earbuds are small, light, and provide excellent sound for TV and videos. However, if you immerse yourself in gaming or need a high-quality microphone for calls, the Razer Kraken's robust build and excellent mic quality are more suitable, acknowledging that they are less portable and have no wireless capability. Both lack active noise cancelling, so in noisy environments, neither will be ideal. If you exercise frequently or need sweatproof gear, you might want to consider other products as neither of these are sweat or dustproof certified. 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 Razer Kraken
- Very good for gaming
Advantages of the Sony MDREX15AP
- Very good for music
- Excellent for TV and video
Key differences
Music
7.1
8.3
The Sony MDREX15AP is very good for music, while the Razer Kraken is good.
Gaming
8.3
6.7
The Razer Kraken is very good for gaming, while the Sony MDREX15AP is only fair.
Phone Calls
5.5
3.5
The Razer Kraken and Sony MDREX15AP are both poor for phone calls, though the Razer Kraken is somewhat better.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
4.7
5.4
The Sony MDREX15AP and Razer Kraken are both poor for podcasts and audiobooks, though the Sony MDREX15AP is somewhat better.
TV and Video
7.4
9.3
The Sony MDREX15AP is excellent for TV and video, while the Razer Kraken is good.
Cost
$50
$20
$0
$10
$20
$30
$40
$50
The Razer Kraken has a price of $50 and the Sony MDREX15AP costs $20.
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Key similarities
Noise Reduction
6.5
7.0
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Sony MDREX15AP to be good for noise reduction, while the Razer Kraken is only fair.
Build Quality
8.5
8.0
The Razer Kraken and Sony MDREX15AP both have very good build quality.
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How the Razer Kraken and the Sony MDREX15AP compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Razer Kraken | Sony MDREX15AP |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$50 | $20 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Razer | Sony | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2019 | March 1, 2014 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 7.1/10 | 8.3/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.5/10 | 3.5/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 8.4/10 | 6.8/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 7.4/10 | 9.3/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 4.2/10 | 4.6/10 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | No | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 6.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | N/A | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 9/10 | N/A | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | N/A | Small | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 322 Grams | 3.1 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Boom | N/A | |
Shopping
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."
Sony MDREX15AP
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Dig into reviews and images
Make It Sound Great
Pete Anthony | June 2022
"At the ultra budget $10 price-point (and we’ve seen the no-mic version go for as cheap as $7), I’d say these are a decent option if you’re looking for a passable pair of earbuds for basic use that’s as cheap as possible. I wouldn’t say they feel or sound as good as some of the ultra-budget alternatives out there – of which there are a few at this point – but some might disagree. I will say though that the cable is a little bit nicer than those of that same competition."
Get a great deal on the Razer Kraken or the Sony MDREX15AP
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.
About Sony
Sony is a multinational corporation, based out of Japan, with over 75 years of experience in the consumer electronics industry. In the audio market, Sony has been a trendsetter several times throughout its history. In 1979 they released the first-ever portable music player, the Sony Walkman, followed by the Discman 20 years later. Today, Sony is one of the leaders in the wireless headphone and earbud market, especially in terms of Active Noise Cancellation technology.
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Why trust us
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
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.
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