Wearing the Kraken V4 is a pleasant experience, if a little bulky given how wide the drivers are.
There are plenty of features on the Kraken V4, including various listening modes.
These can be toggled via a button, or customized in greater depth using the Razer Synapse software.
There are detailed EQ prefs and various modes to toggle, including the near-essential Bass Boost function.
There are also mic parameters in a similar vein, including EQ and noise cancellation parameters.
In practice, I didnt find the various sound modes to be particularly useful.
Barring Music mode, the rest reduce low and mid frequencies too much.
And even with Music mode selected and Bass Boost activated, the low-end is still left wanting.
Another feature I would recommend keeping on is THX Spatial Audio.
Unfortunately, this only works on PC, but it conveys a much fuller sound.
Using a wired connection via USB is marginally better too.
Battery life is good too, although as Razer indicates, it can vary wildly depending on usage.
Still, both share numerous specs, so youre not missing out on much.
It comes in one colorway: black.
As wireless gaming headsets go, the Kraken V4 is priced quite well.
Its slightly cheaper than the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro, our pick as the best wireless gaming headset overall.
If youre after superlative sound over features, then Beyerdynamics MMX range of gaming headsets could fit the bill.
However, these are considerably more expensive, even though the MMX 300 and 330 Pro are wired.
And as we noted in ourMMX 200 Wireless review, this headset suffers from awkward setup and connectivity.
Therefore, this isnt a headset I could recommend for sofa players.
The included USB cable is braided yet thick and seems quite durable.
It also doesnt weigh down the headset, as other headset USB cables can.
The party piece of the Kraken V4, though, is the retractable microphone.
Once you get the knack, however, its an elegant solution to keeping the mic stowed.
Again, as with the rest of the headset, the microphone feels premium and hard-wearing.
Theres no cloth tip either, removing another point of potential degradation.
The Kraken V4 can be customized further using Razer Synapse.
In this software, youll find adjustments for the RGB lighting, including options for different colors and patterns.
There are also audio enhancements including bass boost and vocal clarity enhancements.
This offers more in-depth sound sculpting than software from other rivals.
The Kraken V4 works on PC and various consoles, including the PS5 and Nintendo Switch.
Like thebest PS5 headsets, the Kraken V4 connection is instant and works flawlessly with the console.
Connecting via Bluetooth to the Switch is similarly easy and trouble-free.
The different listening modes, however, can alter the sound.
There are also various enhancements, including Bass Boost.
However, even with this activated, the bass still lacks the impact of headphones designed for audio playback.
Its a shame that this mode is only available on PC and not console.
Sound is further improved when using a wired connection via USB.
The bass response is fuller still, and the overall fidelity seems slightly improved as well.
The microphone quality is also good.
Should I buy the Razer Kraken V4?
The sound is great, and it features slightly bigger drivers and longer battery life than the Kraken V4.
Its also not much more expensive.
Read ourRazer BlackShark V2 Pro review.
The large mic and awkward volume wheel are about the only drawbacks we found with it.
If youre prepared to pay substantially more, theres a wireless version available too.
Read ourEpos H3 review.
How I tested the Razer Kraken V4
I tested the Kraken V4 for over a week.
During that time, I used it for gaming, listening to music, and watching videos.
I tried to use as many features and tweak as many parameters as possible using the Razer Synapse software.
I played online multiplayer so you can test the microphone in a true-to-life environment.
I have over 20 years of gaming experience and have tried numerous headphones and headsets during that time.
I have also reviewed other gaming headsets.
