The Kraken is an amazing, corded 7.1 headset that never runs out of batteries or fails to produce decent sound. While there is a downloadable Razer calibration device, you'll never require it as the Kraken works and sounds perfectly, right out of the box.

​Less than year ago, Razer released the , which was a solid headset. In the time since then, Razer has put out an impressive 7.1 surround sound software that enabled virtual surround sound on all kinds of headsets.

The Razer Kraken 7.1 Chroma is a cool looking headset with acceptable audio that's unacceptable given how much the headset costs to buy.

Although it is always nice to have a matching set of peripherals for aesthetics alone, you'll also want the performance to match. So how well does the Razer Kraken 7.1 Chroma actually perform?

Gamers are the type who enjoy decking-out the style and performance aspects of their tech purchases whenever possible. When it comes to gaming it's often difficult to find affordable products that offer both killer performance and a super-stylized presentation.

When push comes to shove, a good gaming headset needs two things above all else: high-quality sound and a reliable microphone. The Razer Kraken 7.1 Chroma ($100) possesses both of these, and offers them at a reasonable price.

Good sound quality; Great microphone; Colorful lighting

Limited software; Very tight fit; Inconsistent volume levels

For $100 price range, the Razer Kraken 7.1 Chroma offers excellent gaming performance, a lot of bass and lot of software support. Oh, and we cannot forget the cool design and the programmable RGB LEDs.

Visually appealing design 7.1 audio headset at very low price Good quality microphone with high SNR No distortion Large drivers Very comfortable to use Braided cable that will last long Very effective EQ

Software isn't perfect; requires you to re-calibrate surround sound May not be comfortable for people with large heads Too much bass bias; needs to be reduced through software EQ

I'm a very discerning sound quality type person when it comes to audio gear and in a word these things ROCK!

In order to test out the Kraken 7.1 V2, we have fired up DOOM, Mafia III, Paladins, Star Wars: The Old Republic but also GTA V. After the initial fine tuning of the headset, we have found that the product can accurately reproduce surround sound, helping the gamers identify the positions of certain...

Sturdier aluminum chassis; Finally ditches the streetpunk look of its predecessors; Better audio than the old Kraken, especially after EQ adjustments;

Bulky looking; Out-of-the-box audio is flat and lifeless; No volume controls;