One minute review
Razer may be known as one of the leading manufacturers of computer peripherals, but the company isn't afraid to dive into console accessories as well.. Take a look at the new Razer Kaira and Razer Kaira Pro gaming headsets for Xbox. With built-in Xbox Wireless support, the headset works natively with the entire Xbox family of consoles, from Xbox One to the new Xbox Series X, adding an auxiliary headset to gamers' arsenals.
Despite what their names might suggest, the only difference between the Razer Kaira Pro and the regular Kaira is that the former supports Bluetooth 5.0, while the latter does not.. This means that the Kaira Pro can connect to PCs, Macs and mobile phones via Bluetooth, but both require a separate dongle to connect to the Razer Headset Setup for Xbox app on PC for full customization options. Fortunately, the headset has an unusual detachable microphone that sounds really good, and the RGB side lighting clearly has strong visual appeal. In addition to this, thanks to their foam pads, they are also very comfortable. Otherwise, though, there's nothing truly unique about them: Their 50mm drivers sound really good, if not amazing; the construction is light but mostly plastic. These aren't exactly definitive factors, and they even help make the Razer Kaira a decent alternative option to competing Turtle Beach headphones,
but they keep Kaira and Kaira Pro from earning top commendations and a spot on our list of the best Xbox series and Headset X.
- Razer Kaira Pro in Razer for €169.99
Price and launch date
Razer released both the Kaira and Kaira Pro in November two thousand and twenty, around the same time as the launch of the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles.
For cost, look at $99 (€99 and AU$169) for the Razer Kaira which only accepts Xbox Wireless and $149 (€149 and AU$259)
for the Razer Kaira Pro that accepts Xbox Wireless charges both Xbox Wireless and Bluetooth.
While this is a huge cost for a wireless headset, it puts the Razer Kaira squarely against Microsoft's new Xbox Wireless Headset, which we adore for its stellar audio playback capabilities. The Razer Kaira Pro also offers good value for money, but we think other headphones like the Steelseries Arctis 9X offer more for a bit more money.
![Razer Kaira y Razer Kaira Pro para Xbox]()
(Image credit: future)
Integrated
The Razer Kaira is very stylish enough for a gaming headset. With a black and green color scheme and also RGB lighting on the sides of the ear cups, it clearly has that gamer aesthetic, so much so that you won't want to use it anywhere else or outside your home - but that's not a terrible look by any means. stretch of imagination In terms of construction, the Razer Kaira is primarily plastic, save for a thin strip of metal that runs across the bridge of the headset. This means that the platform is quite sturdy, but the joints are made of plastic and are more prone to breaking. Not exactly what you want to see when you buy a $2 headset, but that's what Razer chose here. The good news is that because it's primarily plastic, it's a fairly lightweight headset at just XNUMXg for the regular Kaira and XNUMXg for the Razer Kaira Pro. This lightweight design, coupled with the foam padding memory foam and canvas ear cups, it really makes for a soft and comfortable headset to wear for a long period of time. Speaking of the headphones, each one of them comes with its own set of controls. On the left, it has a mic mute switch, a volume wheel, and a power button; on the right you have the Xbox pairing button, the game/chat volume balancer, and the bluetooth pairing button (exclusive to the Kaira Pro). The only headphone port is for a USB-C charging cable that you can also use to connect the headphones to your computer for firmware updates, but that's about it. There's no XNUMXmm audio jack on the two headphones, which means you can't get them to work with a cable. Finally, there's the detachable ambient noise reduction microphone that makes you sound great. To disconnect it, all you have to do is pull it out, then you can reconnect it at any time simply by plugging it back in.
![Razer Kaira y Razer Kaira Pro para Xbox]()
(Image credit: future)
In terms of tonal balance and overall audio quality, the Razer Kaira and Kaira Pro fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. That is, the headphones don't focus as much on the highs or lows and instead focus on the mids so that dialogue is crystal clear. The result is a shell that sounds great, but is not active, spacious, or full of details.
We've played a few different games with the Kaira Pro, including Xbox Game Pass's Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Overwatch, a competitive entry-level shooter. In both cases, we were able to pick up nice detail in ambient sounds and certain positional audio cues, but all lacked the level of precision we've heard from other headphones.
For music and movies, Kaira and Kaira Pro are good but not great. You'll appreciate that the emphasis is on the mids you'll hear when paired with consoles and even a bit of bass response, but it's missing some of the detail you'll hear with a proper pair of on-ear headphones.
The good news is that while its audio reproduction abilities aren't great, it gives you great sound for the rest thanks to Razer's HyperClear cardioid microphone. The microphone does an unusual job of picking up your voice and drastically reduces the amount of ambient noise coming through the other end. To test it, we called someone with background music. The person on the other end of the phone surprisingly claimed that they couldn't just pick up our voice through the microphone.
Although the microphone was a particular highlight, the Kaira's battery life is just mediocre. Razer claims the Kaira can get up to XNUMX hours of playback if you turn off the RGB lighting, which you'll need to configure the Razer headset for the Xbox app to do, you'll probably get about XNUMX hours or less. Worse still, since there's no actual battery indicator via Bluetooth, you can't see how much battery is in the headset until you start getting low battery warning beeps.
Speaking of beeps, if you connect your headset to your console and a Bluetooth device, you'll likely hear it over and over again. Despite being charged and connected via Bluetooth, the Razer Kaira Pro gave us a warning beep every minute or so to let us know something was wrong when paired with the two devices. In fact, since our Xbox was in the living room and the computer in the office, the headset beeps to let you know it's pretty much out of range, supposedly only about twenty feet tall.
This is a common issue with other Razer devices, according to the Razer discussion forums, and has even been noted in other reviews.
Should you get the Razer Kaira and the Razer Kaira Pro?
![Razer Kaira y Razer Kaira Pro para Xbox]()
(Image credit: future)
Buy them if...
You need a comfortable headset for Xbox Series X
The 2 main advantages of the Kaira are that it is comfortable and is tailor-made for Xbox. It's simple to pair with Xbox Series X and, thanks to its canvas pads, comfortable to use over long periods of time.
You need a headset with a huge microphone
Razer did an unusual job with the detachable mic. The quality of the call is clear and the background booms are almost imperceptible. This is one of the best microphones in any headset at this cost.
Don't buy them if...
Searching for surround sound or precise location signals
They are great to chat with friends, take an assembly or even use them for phone calls, more as a way to perceive music or movies, they leave a lot to love. They are also restricted to stereo sound and do not do any simulated surround sound version.
You want a wired headset or connect to another system
The Razer Kaira and Kaira Pro are premium Xbox headsets, sure, but getting them to work on other systems like your computer or, heaven forbid, your Nintendo Switch is next to impossible. This could have been solved with a simple XNUMXmm audio jack, but no luck here. Cost - Razer Kaira Pro: ▼