The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 11, 2024·
If you're budget-conscious and need a solid pair of headphones primarily for gaming and occasional TV use, the Razer Kraken V3 offers good sound, comfort, and build quality at a lower price; its built-in boom microphone and low-latency performance are tailored to these activities. However, if you prioritize critical listening and want the most detailed and spacious sound experience, the Sennheiser HD800S, with its exceptional audio quality and best-in-class soundstage, is superior, although the open-back design means less noise isolation and they are significantly costly. The HD800S also benefits from use with a dedicated amplifier, adding to the investment. 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 V3
The Razer Kraken V3 has no clear advantages over the Sennheiser HD800S.
Advantages of the Sennheiser HD800S
Best in class for music
Best in class for TV and video
Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Music
7.3/10
9.9/10
The Sennheiser HD800S is best in class for music, while the Razer Kraken V3 is good.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
4.7/10
8.1/10
The Sennheiser HD800S is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Razer Kraken V3 is poor.
TV and Video
7.0/10
9.7/10
The Sennheiser HD800S is best in class for TV and video, while the Razer Kraken V3 is good.
Noise Reduction
6.0/10
2.5/10
The Razer Kraken V3 is only fair for noise reduction, while the Sennheiser HD800S is poor.
Cost
$80
$1,400
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The Razer Kraken V3 has a price of $80 and the Sennheiser HD800S costs $1,400.
Build Quality
8.5/10
9.0/10
The Sennheiser HD800S has excellent build quality, while the Razer Kraken V3 has very good build quality.
"This Razer Kraken V3 is a great headset for gamers who want comfort, surround sound, and software customization for a reasonable price. It's primarily a headset for PC gamers since THX Spatial audio is only supported on Windows. If you want something more multifaceted for multiple systems, this won't be an ideal headset for you. Luckily, there are plenty of competent Kraken V3 alternatives available to you."
"The cans offer stellar sound quality, comfort, and good maintenance options—so they're an easy recommendation if you have the cash and the need for the last headphones you'll buy for years."
Get a great deal on the Razer Kraken V3 or the Sennheiser HD800S
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 Sennheiser
A family-owned company, Sennheiser is a German, high fidelity, audio equipment manufacturer founded in 1945. Their consumer audio division is now owned by the Swiss hearing aid and cochlear implant manufacturer Sonova. Sennheiser offers a wide variety of, very high quality, audio equipment solutions, from headphones to earbuds, full sets of monitoring speakers, amplifiers and microphones. They also make what is widely regarded as the best, and most expensive, headphones in existence, the HE-1 Orpheus, costing a whopping $59,000 dollars.
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
94,700
Recommendations made
14,205
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.