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Company ProductName Specs
What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Razer Kraken offers a strong gaming experience with good microphone quality and durability at a lower midrange price point. It's wired, making it suitable for gaming with no latency issues but less portable for commuting. Meanwhile, the Sony WH-1000XM5, at a premium price, provides superior noise isolation and active noise canceling, making it ideal for air travel and noisy environments; it also has a longer battery life and is wireless, offering more freedom of movement and better sound quality for music listening. However, it has lower gaming and TV scores, and might not be as optimized for gaming due to potential latency issues. 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
- Good for TV and video
Advantages of the Sony WH-1000XM5
- Very good for music
- Very good for air travel
Key differences
Music
7.1
8.2
The Sony WH-1000XM5 is very good for music, while the Razer Kraken is good.
Gaming
8.3
5.6
The Razer Kraken is very good for gaming, while the Sony WH-1000XM5 is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
4.7
6.0
The Sony WH-1000XM5 is only fair for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Razer Kraken is poor.
TV and Video
7.4
5.8
The Razer Kraken is good for TV and video, while the Sony WH-1000XM5 is poor.
Noise Reduction
6.5
9.1
The Sony WH-1000XM5 is excellent for noise reduction, while the Razer Kraken is only fair.
Battery
N/A
40.3 Hours
The Razer Kraken does not have a battery. The Sony WH-1000XM5 has 40.3 hours of battery life.
Cost
$50
$398
$0
$100
$200
$300
$400
The Razer Kraken has a price of $50 and the Sony WH-1000XM5 costs $398.
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Key similarities
Phone Calls
5.5
5.5
The Sony WH-1000XM5 and Razer Kraken are both poor for phone calls.
Build Quality
8.5
8.8
The Sony WH-1000XM5 and Razer Kraken both have very good build quality.
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How the Razer Kraken and the Sony WH-1000XM5 compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Razer Kraken | Sony WH-1000XM5 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$50 | $398 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Razer | Sony | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2019 | May 1, 2022 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired | Wired + Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 7.1/10 | 8.3/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.5/10 | 5.6/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 8.4/10 | 5.6/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 7.4/10 | 5.8/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 4.2/10 | 6.3/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | N/A | 40.3 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | N/A | No | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | N/A | 3.5 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | N/A | 5.2 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | No | Yes | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 6.5/10 | 9.1/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | Yes | |
Android App | |||
Android App | N/A | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | N/A | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 9/10 | 8.5/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8.5/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 322 Grams | 249.4 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Boom | Integrated | |
Waterproof Rating | |||
Waterproof Rating | 0 | 0 | |
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 WH-1000XM5
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Headphonesty
Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir | February 2023
"The Sony WH-1000XM5 are the best Sony Bluetooth headphones so far and one of the most well-rounded Bluetooth headphones around. Look no further if you need class-leading ANC with a mostly inoffensive sound signature. Just be ready to pony up the price premium."
Get a great deal on the Razer Kraken or the Sony WH-1000XM5
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.
By the numbers
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Earbuds and headphones evaluated
11,340
Earbuds and headphones stats compiled
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Proprietary Earbuds and headphones ratings developed
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Recommendations made
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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.
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