Turtle Beach Recon 70 VS Razer Kraken X
Turtle Beach Recon 70 vs Razer Kraken X are solid options for a budget gaming headset under fifty bucks. Both of them are specifically designed to provide comfort for long gaming sessions and articulate, immersive sound. Below, we will see how Turtle Beach Recon 70 and Razer Kraken X compare against each other to determine the best budget gaming headset.
After reading this article, you will understand all about Turtle Beach Recon 70 vs Razer Kraken X:
- The design and build quality of Turtle Beach Recon 70 and Razer Kraken X
- Why Turtle Beach Recon 70 is generally more comfortable and convenient to wear
- The additional features of Turtle Beach Recon 70 and Razer Kraken X
- Why Razer Kraken X is not really suitable for other things than gaming
- Whether you should get Turtle Beach Recon 70 or Razer Kraken X
Turtle Beach Recon 70 vs Razer Kraken X: Design
Turtle Beach Recon 70 may look cheap because of the plastic shell, but we can’t really complain because it is indeed cheap. The headset also does not feel very tough. It can bend to accommodate different head shapes, but it may break apart if you put too much pressure.
On the positive side, Turtle Beach Recon 70 should be able to survive for a long time just fine if you don’t abuse it. Also, this headset is available in many color variants, such as black/red, black/green, black/blue, and white/blue – all of which look pretty cool. They intentionally match the color themes of Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch, so that you can find the one that suits your setup perfectly.
Razer Kraken X also comes with a plastic chassis, so the build quality is not significantly better. But the headband seems to be a bit thicker and more durable. It can withstand more pressure to some degree. Nevertheless, you still need to keep this headset away from abuse.
Appearance-wise, Razer Kraken X is arguably more elegant. The back panels of the earcups feature a honeycomb design, though it is not an open-back headset. It is available in black, white, and black-and-blue variants. Unlike most other gaming headsets, it does not include too many colors, and thus creating a no-nonsense impression.
| Turtle Beach Recon 70 | Razer Kraken X | |
|---|---|---|
  |   |
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| Product Dimensions | 3.74 x 9.37 x 8.23 inches | 6.3 x 8.27 x 3.47 inches |
| Shipping Weight | 3.03 Ounces | 8.8 ounces |
| Best Offer | click here | click here |
Turtle Beach Recon 70 vs Razer Kraken X: Comfort
In terms of comfort, Turtle Beach Recon 70 is really nice. It comes with a nice padding under the headband and thick cushions on the ear cups, covered in synthetic leather. The headband is easy to adjust to achieve a snug fit. And the entire headset is really light at 9.5 ounces.
As a result, it is easy to forget that you are wearing Turtle Beach Recon 70. The ear cups provide a decent seal, too, so you won’t get disturbed by your surrounding. The mic, while not detachable, can be flipped up when not in use, and is quite discreet in this position.
Razer Kraken X is actually also really comfortable to wear. It weighs only 8.8 ounces, and the headband padding is thick. You can also adjust the headband to get a perfect fit – although the adjustment system is not really intuitive at first, there are useful notches on the slider that will help you determine the most comfortable setting. Meanwhile, the leatherette ear pads are thick yet soft, particularly suitable for people who are wearing glasses.
Unfortunately, the mic design of Razer Kraken X is really annoying. It is flexible, but it can’t be detached, retracted, or flipped up. As a result, it will always remain somewhere in your field of view even though you are not using it. It can be quite distracting. Read also: Turtle Beach Recon 200 VS Stealth 600 here.
Turtle Beach Recon 70 vs Razer Kraken X: Features
Turtle Beach Recon 70 keeps everything simple, which is really good and wise. It essentially only has one control in the form of a volume rocker, which is located on the left ear cup. The volume rocker is easy to find and press.
To mute the integrated microphone, you just need to flip it up. The microphone quality is quite impressive; it can capture your voice with excellent clarity and articulation. It will make voice chats really smooth and convenient. However, it is not perfect – it doesn’t handle loud sound really well. If you scream into the mic, your voice will come out distorted. Also, it is unable to filter environmental noise.
The Turtle Beach Recon 70 headset itself connects to your computer or gaming console via the included 3.5mm cable. The cable length is about 4 feet (1.2 meters), which should be long enough for most use cases.
Razer Kraken X comes with a bunch of features. For control, there is a volume dial and a mic mute button. One minor issue with the volume dial is that it is a bit too slim, so it is a little difficult to find. But it works just fine.
The mic quality is pretty good. It can pass your voice quite clearly with almost no buzzing or feedback. But it is also prone to environmental noise.
Razer Kraken X also comes with a 3.5mm cable. The length of the cable is slightly longer at 4.3 feet (1.3 meters). However, it also includes a splitter, which can be handy if you want to split the audio input and output for use on a PC. The splitter also effectively doubles the total cable length.
Turtle Beach Recon 70 vs Razer Kraken X: Sound Quality
Turtle Beach Recon 70 does not produce surround sound by itself, but it has been optimized for Windows Sonic and Dolby Atmos. So, it should be able to deliver surround sound when you are gaming on PC, Xbox, or a mobile device that supports one of those technologies.
The performance of Turtle Beach Recon 70 is generally very good for gaming. The headset provides plenty of details. The bass is a little subdued, but this is a good thing in most games due to making it easier for you to hear important audio hints. The treble tends to be sharp, but without actually causing a disturbance or discomfort. The headset deals with surround sound really well and is able to provide a fairly accurate sense of direction.
Turtle Beach Recon 70 can play music with an okay-ish quality. Musical soundtracks in games are quite enjoyable. When used for real music listening, the headset doesn’t sound really accurate but the overall performance is still acceptable. The headset itself can get really loud without suffering a distortion.
Razer Kraken X comes with its own proprietary software for surround sound, but this software is entirely separate from Synapse, which has been the popular go-to app for customizing Razer peripherals. The quality of the software itself is underwhelming. You will get better surround sound if you just use the headset with Windows Sonic or Dolby Atmos.
Razer Kraken X puts a lot of emphasis on the upper midrange and treble frequencies. As a result, the sound is really bright and crisp. It works quite well in most games – dialogues, sound effects, and soundtracks come out really pleasing and enjoyable, though sometimes they lack the oomph. It also provides plenty of details.
However, the lack of bass can be a bit problematic. Razer Kraken X won’t give you a totally immersive experience because low-frequency sounds like rumbles and explosions don’t have power at all. It is also not suitable for music listening for the same reason, in addition to the annoying microphone.
Conclusion
Between the two, Turtle Beach Recon 70 is generally better and more recommended. It has a better design with the flip-up microphone. You can put the mic away from your view when not in use, which is really convenient. Turtle Beach Recon 70 is optimized for Windows Sonic and Dolby Atmos, and the overall sound quality is very good for gaming.
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