Both these headsets are great for gaming if you’re more in gaming. Both these headsets have many features and also the great sound quality for gaming. You can take a clear decision that which one will be great in gaming by this review.
Razer Kraken Tournament | Razer Nari Wireless |
BUY NOW | BUY NOW |
PROS | PROS |
Excellent sound. Versatile design. Smart amp. Reasonable price. | Smart and attractive design. Impressive audio and microphone. Plenty of customisation features. Battery life is good for long sessions. |
CONS | CONS |
Potentially buggy software. Too big for easy transport. | Can feel surprisingly loose on your head. Microphone could feel more sturdy. |
SPECIFICATIONS:
MODEL | RAZER KRAKEN TOURNAMENT | RAZER NARI WIRELESS |
Brand | Razer | Razer |
Series | ||
Model | Kraken Tournament | NARI |
HEADPHONES | RAZER KRAKEN TOURNAMENT | RAZER NARI WIRELESS |
Headphones Form Factor | ||
Headphone Technology | ||
Sound Output Mode | stereo | stereo |
Frequency Response | 12 Hz | 12 Hz |
Sensitivity | 109 dB | 105 dB |
Impedance | 32 Ohm | 32 Ohm |
Diaphragm | 2 in | 2 in |
MICROPHONE | RAZER KRAKEN TOURNAMENT | RAZER NARI WIRELESS |
Microphone Operation Mode | uni-directional | |
Response Bandwidth | 100 Hz | |
Sensitivity | -42 dB | |
REMOTE CONTROL | RAZER KRAKEN TOURNAMENT | RAZER NARI WIRELESS |
Audio Controls | microphone on/mute, volume | mute, volume |
Controls | Volume, microphone on/mute | mute, volume |
DIMENSIONS & WEIGHT | RAZER KRAKEN TOURNAMENT | RAZER NARI WIRELESS |
Width | 8.6 in | |
Depth | 3.9 in | |
Height | 7.3 in | |
Weight | 11.36 oz | 15.2 oz |
POWER | RAZER KRAKEN TOURNAMENT | RAZER NARI WIRELESS |
Run Time | 16 hour(s) | |
FEATURES | RAZER KRAKEN TOURNAMENT | RAZER NARI WIRELESS |
Features | Get total control with the USB audio controller. Turn on THX Spatial Audio for increased immersion, control both volume and bass levels, and even configure the game / chat balance. All of this at your fingertips – for gaming audio that is always perfectly customized for you. Go beyond traditional virtual surround sound. THX Spatial Audio* breaks the boundaries of defined 5.1 and 7.1 channel surround to deliver seamless 360 degrees positional audio for a more natural and lifelike experience. It also adds depth to the experience by simulating sound both above and below you for incredible gaming immersion. Never experience your game audio overpowering team communication again. The Game / Chat Balance option lets you fine-tune the right balance of what you hear. Or simply leave it in the middle for a standard mix. Equipped with large custom-tuned 50mm drivers, the Razer Kraken Tournament Edition provides a wide soundscape, from subtle footsteps sneaking up behind you to climactic explosions that blow you away. This clarity in range and deep, punchy bass is crucial in creating a lifelike immersive experience. The cooling gel-infused ear cushions reduce heat build-up, while the soft cloth and leatherette combination provides both comfort and sound isolation. Hidden indented eyewear channels eliminate pressure from glasses. The headband features an incredibly comfortable ultra-soft padding, allowing you to game for hours and forget that it’s even there. With its 3.5mm audio jack, the Razer Kraken Tournament Edition is cross-platform compatible – works with with your PC, Mac, PS4, Xbox One, Switch or even mobile devices. | Cooling Gel-Infused Cushions: Reduces heat build-up during intense gaming sessions. Auto-Adjusting Headband: Maximum adjustability to fit seamlessly onto any head size. Swiveling Earcups: Adapting to the shape and position of your ears. Game/Chat Balance: Fine-tune between game and chat volume for the perfect mix that lets you enjoy immersive sound without interrupting team communication. 2.4GHz Wireless Audio: Get lag-free, high-fidelity gaming audio with a wireless range of up to 12 meters smoothly without disconnection. Wired Mode: Get seamless cross-platform compatibility via a 3.5 mm audio jack in wired mode. Enjoy high quality stereo sound whether you’re playing on PC, consoles or mobile. THX Spatial Audio goes beyond traditional surround sound by simulating sound in a 360° sphere around you. With the Nari Ultimate, you can now react to any in-game movement, even if it’s coming from above or beneath you, giving you heightened senses during your game. Unleash your predatory instincts with sound as a weapon. |
Expert Reviews of Razer Kraken Tournament:
By IGN
The Razer Kraken is an extremely comfortable headset, but suffers from poor sound quality from both the microphone and the speakers. While they may be built to be worn for long periods of time, they’re unfortunately not compelling enough to take your eSports skills to the next level.By Thinkcomputers
When we started this review we wondered if the Razer Kraken Tournament Edition could stand out in the $99 gaming headset crowd, which is where many gaming headsets sit. After spending some time with the Kraken Tournament Edition we feel that it does….By PCmag
Razer’s Kraken Tournament Edition gaming headset delivers strong bass performance and capable simulated surround sound for…By CGM
The inclusion of THX audio makes the Razer Kraken Tournament edition a real step forward for Razer and it’s a device that sounds as good as it…By Gameaxis
The Razer Kraken: Tournament Edition certainly is a solid set of headphones. High quality construction, crystal-clear audio, a plethora of customisation options, comfort… everything you’d usually expect from a Razer accessory.Usually.Although the…Expert Reviews of Razer Nari Wireless:
By PCmag
Razer’s Nari Essential gaming headset offers solid wireless performance at a budget-friendly price. The $99.99 headset works with PCs and PlayStation 4 consoles…By Worldbolding
The Razer Nari is a competitively-priced wireless headset with exceptional comfort, a robust feature set, a decent microphone that’s heavy on the…By Trustedreviews
If it sits within your budget, the Razer Nari is a definite choice for those looking to purchase a new gaming headset. It’s smartly designed, attractive and sporting all of the elements…By Cgmagonline
Immersion has quickly become one of the essential elements of modern gaming during this console generation. Players enjoy the feeling of being transported to their favourite virtual worlds, and one of the best ways to stimulate…
Detail Review:
INTRODUCTION:
Razer Kraken Tournament
This is a wired headset and looks the same as the Kraken original version. The comfort level and also the sound quality and the features for the gaming are just amazing. For this range of price, it’s worth buying.
Razer Nari Wireless
This headset is almost the same as Razer Kraken Tournament like design and comfort. This one has better sound quality out of all the Razer headsets. Also, this one has great features for gaming in this mid-price range.
DESIGN:
Razer Kraken Tournament
The headbands are reinforced by aluminum. So, you can actually twist and turn and they will not break apart that easily compared to the first generations.
Razer Nari Wireless
They do share some similarities with the Tournament Edition, mostly in the earcup and software implementation but the frame is a completely different design. This is a suspension based headband under a lightweight aluminum frame.
The outside of the earcups feature this black mesh insert that we see on a lot of Razors designs, it looks really handsome in black and the logo is RGB and the static color cycling and breathing and its chroma enabled. So, you can sync it up with other Razer devices.
COMFORT:
Razer Kraken Tournament
The earcup has a padding thickness of 2 cm all around. Now, this has the special gel infused pad into the padding technology. We’re supposed to lower the temperature of making it feel cool, I would say after four hours of overwatch and three hours of Call of Duty, I don’t feel much sweat.
When it comes to the headphone grips, it’s a little bit softer for my taste. I wish it is a little bit creepier like the Electra series. Aside from that, when it comes to sound isolation because it does not have to exist and it does not conform to my face easily front wise, I would say the sound isolation is doable but it can be better with thicker paddings or with 2xs swivel mechanism. So, the headbands on each side can expand up to 4 cm long.
Razer Nari Wireless
This thing is just perfect for me, it even fits my unusually tall head measurements with no sweat. The frame surrounding the ear cups is plastic presumably to keep weight down and they do have a 90-degree swivel. So, they’ll sit flat on your desk or you can wear them on your shoulders.
Even though the earpads on these things are super thick, you can still wear them really comfortably. These things do look truly massive on the head as you often run into a lot with wireless headsets but despite tipping the scales at over 420 grams, they don’t really feel heavy on my head even after extended use.
The oval ear cups themselves seem very similar to Kraken Tournament Edition. So, you’ve got all the same awesome stuff. You’ve got that microfiber material where it makes contact with your skin, the near-perfect memory foam also you got the cooling gel layer and the little indentation little channel there for your eyeglass. This is insanely comfortable and provides a way better seal for both sound isolation and for leakage than the Tournament Edition.
FEATURES:
Razer Kraken Tournament
This headset featuring THX surround sound on that virtualization through the USB dongle that it comes included a package. The cable length is 1.3 meters long and on the USB side cable is 2 meters long, effectively the cable line is 3.3 meters long but You don’t have to worry, Razor included a cable management tab on the USB side to shorten the cable if needed to.
The USB has controls of the volume and muting of the microphone, base control, gaming voice balance as well as the THX toggle on and off for surround sound. Do note that the control on a headphone cable can override the volume and microphone anytime since it’s a hardware-based, not software. To use the USB hub effectively, just enable microphone and max out the volume on the headphones control center cable first.
Razer Nari Wireless
This is a wireless headset utilizing THX spatial audio and it sits right in the middle of the Nari range. It offers RGB, better mic implementation, and larger drivers than in the Nari essential and it’s lacking the haptic feedback or hyper sense of the Nari Ultimate.
On the left ear cup, you’ve got your retractable mic which actually retracts a little further up into the ear Cup on this version, and also controls for a chat make power and mic mute. Mic mute active will light a little red LED ring around the tip of the mic itself. On the right side, you’ve got a wheel for volume and this is also where the 2.4 gigahertz dongle is stored. It’s a little fiddly to get out sometimes but it always scores big points with me when the transceiver is stored on the device itself.
The wireless offers 2.4 gigahertz, no Bluetooth. So, if you’re gonna be using this with any kind of external device be aware you’re gonna be using that in a wired mode. I didn’t have any issues with interference even using two other 2.4 gigahertz wireless mice, there’s no perceivable lag in the range is awesome. The distance between my main desk and the rearmost storage closet in my space is about 24 feet, it’s behind 2 walls and an HVAC system and I had no issues.
You can also use the Nari wired if you have a deck amp on your desk and the audio quality sounds fuller and more impressive than it does in Wireless mode and it already sounds pretty good in wireless mode. Due to its low impedance, you can also use this thing wired to a note 9 or an Xbox controller and it works. For console compatibility, you can use this wirelessly but with the ps4 only and with the caveat that there’s no surround sound, it’s gonna be stereo only and also if it matters to you your RGB is gonna be locked to a static color but the good thing is that there’s plenty of volume overhead and there’s no wireless lag.
As for battery life, Razer rates that have 14 hours with lighting enabled and 20 hours with the lighting off. I tested it the entire time with the RGB on. For charging, you got a mini USB port with its own braided charging cable and it goes from dead empty to ready to go in about four hours and like most every wireless headset, it doesn’t use any power at all if you’re using it in a wired mode. You can technically still play while it’s charging if you have a couple of spare USB ports around just be aware that you are gonna be tethered while that’s charging because you’ll have the charging cable plugged into a USB and you’ll still have to use the wireless dongle at the same time.
MICROPHONE:
Razer Kraken Tournament
I would say conversation wise is top-notch but it can be better if you add just a little bit. Aside from that, it does not pick up much of the environmental noise and if you think that the volume is a little bit too low, you can always pull the microphone, so the volume can be way softer. You can even put it the opposite way and the volume drops significantly. So, it does come to multiple directions. The mic is not detachable, you only can hide it by pushing it in.
Razer Nari Wireless
Like the Kraken Tournament Edition, it’s not gonna sound the best out of the box and its stock configuration because synapse has like this auto mic sensitivity that really squashes lower parts of your speaking voice. So, when you talk normally is this really strange like pumping in-and-out effect where whole parts of your sentence wind up missing.
To fight with this problem, set the mic sensitivity to manual and just set that all the way to 100 that’s the only way to go about it, you can combat some of the clipping depending on how loud you talk by keeping your overall mic volume set at around 85 and stay away from anything in the enhancements category including the volume normalization which sounds like it would help out with this whole volume situation but it doesn’t. It actually strips all the bass out of the voice and really degrades the audio signal as does everything over in that enhancements category, just leave all that stuff alone it just sounds way over-processed.
The problem with this mode is that you’re gonna have the least amount of background noise reduction. It will do a pretty good job of canceling out the noise, not a terrific job.
It’s USB, it’s wireless. So, it’s pretty quiet versus a wired connection. I would say that this mic bests the HS70 from Corsair, this is better than that it’s kind of on par with but different than the Cloud Flight. The Cloud Flight has a lot more bass, it’s a lot boomier but I would say that Arctis 7 mic easily tops this microphone.
SOUND:
Razer Kraken Tournament
It uses a pair of 50-millimeter neodymium dynamic drivers. In the Razer synapse software, you can choose to enable which program for the key hitch X surround sound and fine-tune the direction that you are comfortable listening to. There’s your standard Windows, sound enhancement, EQ setting, and microphone control without the need to dive into the system sound to change order settings, everything can be done on the Razer synapse.
I have tested this headset when it comes to first-person shooter games like overwatch and Call of Duty. I would say that the spatial effects and the sound effects when it comes to the shootings, the bombs, and the booms, I would say this is much stronger than the Electra USB version. More notably is this enemy positioning is more noticeable than the electron version, especially if you’re playing hide and seek you want to hear that minor footsteps especially in Call of Duty. In overwatch, if you stay stationary you can hear the tracer bling from a distance and you can set up your symmetric traps and just kill instantly. It’s more notable than the Electra USB.
This despite being virtual, it can actually closely rival an actual 7.1 hardware-based surround sound. So, I also can go to the Razer synapse and fiddle with the settings to hear better enhancement especially you can change the direction whether you want to hear it more forward or back and I say give this a shot when it comes to first-person shooter games.
I tested this with the enhancement to be stereo based as well as EQ to be the default. The low base frequency is energetic and highly notable, you can feel the air pressure booming into your ears. It does not hit into vocals much and it has zero bass distortion. The subtle bass vibration feels a little bit smoother, low bass frequency is good and low bass slightly overpowers the vocals in terms of audible levels. The bass is slightly louder than vocal but there’s a clear separation between the two.
Vocals performed decently at the highest and it needs more shine to sound sharper. Every diction and pronunciation is crystal clear and vocal, big boasting, echoing, and humming is eargasm but does significantly overpower vocal in a song.
Razer Nari Wireless
In Red Dead Redemption 2, the max volume was a little higher than I would like in some places which is a refreshing change for the ps4 and the stereo imaging was spot-on and nighttime gunfights, I had no trouble at all picking out targets just based off audio alone.
There is no toggle for surround sound on the control themselves. If you want to activate it, you have to tap out into synapse to activate surround sound software and then tab back into your game, it’s a really weird omission. Outside of that the sound quality on the Nari is much impressive than what I saw on the Kraken Tournament Edition.
The drivers here 50 millimeters with a range of 20 to 20,000 Hertz and an impedance of 32 ohms. The biggest compliment is that I took it out of the box, I put it on my head and I never felt the need to go into the EQ settings to adjust anything. The Nari sounds great and balanced right out of the box with a big emphasis on low-end but still maintaining balance. There is a separate bass boost adjustment inside the synapse software. I found it to be pretty overpowering and upset that mix a little bit but everybody’s tastes a little different. All in all, I’m very impressed with the Nari Wireless, this one actually did blow me away. For 150 dollars, I’m putting it over the Arctis 7 and the Cloud Flight.
WHICH TO BUY?
In between these two, I will choose the Nari Wireless instead of the Kraken Tournament. The reason for that is the Nari is a wireless/wired version and also the sound quality is better than the Kraken Tournament Edition. Even Though the Nari is double the price of Tournament Edition, it will be worth buying if you’re fully into gaming. Both these headsets will be good for gaming.