Are you allowed to test out headphones before you buy them?

WildFyreful

I'm looking at the Razer Kraken V3. I currently have the Kraken V3 X but as good as the sound is I'm extremely annoyed about the mic not being retractable/detachable, only bendable, and I guess I didn't realize that when I bought it on the Razer store online. I noticed the drivers for the V3 are slightly bigger than the V3 X (50mm as opposed to 40mm) and I want to see if that alters the sound quality any, but I obviously can't "test drive" them if I buy them online from Razer. So does Micro Center let you test out headphones before you buy? I saw they have one or two V3s in stock in my local MC store.

(P.S. Yes I know I can just bend the mic out of the way, but my hand keeps hitting it when I reach up with my left hand. That's what I don't like. There's no way to fully get it out of the way.)

Rye_Bread

Hi, WildFyreful!

We do have a limited selection of headphones that are on display on a per-store basis, but I don't believe that the Kraken V3 is one of them.

I will, however, give you my two cents. I've been using Razer headphones for a decade now and I've found that their 50mm drivers provide better quality audio on the extreme low and high ends of the EQ spectrum with less muddiness at higher volumes (though realistically most people never reach those volumes anyway). At the end of the day, the audio is a little different but in a positive way.

Additionally, the "X" versions of Razer products trend toward the economical side of things and are a great bang-for-the-buck but usually lack the features of their mainline product (in this case, it lacks the detachable mic + has smaller drivers). If I remember correctly, the Kraken V3 X does not have EQ settings via Razer Synapse whereas the non-X does.

I think you'd like the Razer Kraken V3. That's what I would do if I found myself in your shoes.

Best of luck, and hopefully I provided some insight! Let me know if you have any other questions.

-Ryen

WildFyreful

Aw, thank you for your feedback @Rye_Bread! I've been using Razer headphones too since about 2018 and I quite like them. The sound quality on the V3 Xs is very good (my dad is an audio snob and says they're just as good as his almost decade-old Bose headphones) so hearing the audio quality on the V3s is better and can even be adjusted via Synapse is amazing. My dad will be a fan of that feature for sure since he listens to a lot of music and I hope to get him one for a Christmas present.

I just have to replace my current Kraken Pro V2s because my sister's dog decided they were a good chew toy; she completely chewed up the headband lol 🙄

Rye_Bread

https://community.microcenter.com/discussion/comment/53198#Comment_53198

You're very welcome! I wouldn't call myself a snob but I am very picky 😶. I ended up going with the Blackshark V2 for my current headphones. Build quality isn't quite as robust as the Krakens, but I do like their frequency response a little more as well as the cloth earpads. My store has the Blackshark on display, feel free to give them a shot if you see them at yours!

I've gotten lucky with my dogs, they have yet to chew up the headphones. One of them has, however, learned that she'll get attention if she gets herself tangled in the cord. I think I'll be grabbing a wireless pair next.

Let us know which one you go with!

WildFyreful

Unfortunately, looks like my store doesn't even have the normal Blackshark V2 Wired - only the Wireless "Pro" version - and looks like Razer is out of stock on those Blackshark V2s as well on their online store. Drat lol. 😐️

I use Cleer Alpha's for my wireless headset. They also have my dad's "sounds as good as my old Bose" seal of approval. They're a tighter fit and heavier than Razer Krakens but they have some amazing functionality to them. Right now, it's a toss-up between those and the Kraken V3s for my dad.

Rye_Bread

https://community.microcenter.com/discussion/comment/53210#Comment_53210

Dang. They are popular, which explains them being a little hard to find. I've yet to try Cleer headphones, I may have to based on your dad's approval.