Razer Kraken X USB Headphones, Voluntary Isolation

I must start by saying that I've never been a headphone or headphone type.

Differentiation may sound strange to you, and it's another age trait (yours and mine). In my youth, headphones were a generic name, encompassing anything you put on your ears to hear, like landline phones at home, which consist of a headset and a microphone.

“Helmets” have begun to be called the type of headphones like the one we deal with today, because they are so large and bulky that it looks like you've put on a helmet. This is my personal explanation, I didn't search the internet or anything, I just thought all my life that it came from there? his name…

Also, due to - I suppose - the particular shape of my ears, I have never endured earphones for a long time (now we call them "in ear") because within minutes they started to hurt me.

My problem with headphones is that I can perfectly hear my pulse.

So I never found the time to get attached to wearing them.

And then Covid arrived

My placid work routine, in a house emptied because everyone had gone to their duties, was upset by the mandatory confinement.

When one does not come out, the other shouts or asks the one on the other side. For a person who spends the day reading and writing, it is unnerving.

Also, now everyone wants to have a video conference, even though it always seemed nice to go months without seeing each other, all by email and phone, now they are missing face to face.

So headphones like the Kraken X USB are perfect for not being distracted by ambient noise and for its microphone to offer a clear and professional sound of my voice, allowing the interlocutors not to be distracted by home life.

How it works

The Razer Kraken X USB Headphones require no setup. Just plug them into your Mac's USB port and they are automatically detected.

If that doesn't happen, you can go to System Preferences and in the Audio panel you can select it

Also, if you hold down the Alt key and click the volume icon in the top menu bar, you can change the output source without having to plug and unplug your headphones.

Otherwise, its operation is very simple: in the left atrium, where the microphone is located, there is a button to activate or mute it (it would be nice if it offered some kind of signal indicating the change of state) and a dial to turn the volume up and down. It affects the volume of your computer, so if that's more convenient for you, you can use the keyboard to do this.

A driver can be downloaded from the Razer website to enjoy 7.1 surround sound, but - amazingly at this point - it's only available for Windows (the headphones include a serial number card to authorize the driver).

Sensations

For everything that was described at the beginning, I wasn't very sure if I could get used to using them, but the truth is that I am comfortable with them.

The set is light, the headband is padded and has the right curvature to hold without disturbing. It grades effortlessly so that the "helmets" are in the right place.

The isolation, without being absolute, is sufficient so that as soon as you hear the sound emitting through the headphones, you can completely abstract yourself from the outside.

Price

The price is hugely variable depending on where you look, so I recommend that you do your research before buying. From the € 56 I saw in a large chain, to the € 80 that the manufacturer asks on their website, look for the option that best suits your needs.