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 January 10, 2024·
The Razer Kraken offers a good balance for gaming with a higher mic quality and is better for immersive experiences in music and podcasts. However, the Steelseries TUSQ is more comfortable, more portable, and performs very well in gaming, too. The Kraken is a larger, over-ear headphone which may not be as easy to use on the go as the TUSQ earbuds. If budget is a concern and you need something for active use or travel, you might lean towards the TUSQ. If you prioritize gaming and listening at home and can invest more, the Kraken might be the better option. 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
- The Razer Kraken has no clear advantages over the Steelseries TUSQ.
Advantages of the Steelseries TUSQ
- Good for air travel
Key differences
Music
7.1
7.6
The Steelseries TUSQ and Razer Kraken are both good for music, though the Steelseries TUSQ is somewhat better.
Noise Reduction
6.5
6.0
The Razer Kraken and Steelseries TUSQ are both only fair for noise reduction, though the Razer Kraken is somewhat better.
Cost
$50
$55
$0
$20
$40
$60
$80
$100
The Razer Kraken has a price of $50 and the Steelseries TUSQ costs $55.
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Key similarities
Gaming
8.3
8.5
The Steelseries TUSQ and Razer Kraken are both very good for gaming.
Phone Calls
5.5
5.2
The Razer Kraken and Steelseries TUSQ are both poor for phone calls.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
4.7
4.7
The Razer Kraken and Steelseries TUSQ are both poor for podcasts and audiobooks.
TV and Video
7.4
7.3
The Razer Kraken and Steelseries TUSQ are both good for TV and video.
Build Quality
8.5
8.0
The Razer Kraken and Steelseries TUSQ both have very good build quality.
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How the Razer Kraken and the Steelseries TUSQ compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Razer Kraken | Steelseries TUSQ |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$50 | $55 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Razer | Steelseries | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2019 | August 1, 2021 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 7.1/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.5/10 | 5.3/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 8.4/10 | 8.6/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 7.4/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 4.2/10 | 4.2/10 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | No | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 6.5/10 | 6/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | N/A | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 9/10 | 8.5/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | N/A | Large | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 322 Grams | 11 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Boom | Boom | |
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."
Steelseries TUSQ
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Can Buy or Not
Aloysius Low | March 2021
"The SteelSeries Arctis Tusq is a great headset for those on a more modest budget. You can use it for gaming or music, and I daresay it's also great for Zoom meetings when you don't want to be wearing on-ear or over-ear headphones."
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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 Steelseries
Steelseries is a Danish gaming products manufacturer founded in 2001 and owned by GN Store Nord. Beside a large variety of gaming peripherals like mice, keyboards, and mousemats, Steelseries markets the Arctis line of gaming headsets which feature integrated boom microphones and RGB lighting. Steelseries has partnered with several game publishers and studios for limited editions of their products like a line of Cyberpunk 2077 themed headsets in 2020.
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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.
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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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