Razer Kaira X (Xbox Series X/S) Review

I have a bit of a soft spot for Razer headphones. In my opinion and personal preferences, they’re among some of the best in the industry, constantly churning out eye-catching designs held up by impressive sound quality and options. We took a look at the Razer Kaira and Razer Kaira Pro for PlayStation before and this time, we’re jumping into the Razer Kaira X for Xbox Series X/S.

Not much has actually changed from the Razer Kaira X’s PlayStation counterpart. The headset is primarily built for gaming on Xbox Series X/S though thanks to cross platform compatability, can also be played on Xbox One, PC and other consoles. However, you’ll mainly want to use it for its designated current-gen console because it really shines on Xbox Series X.

READ MORE – Razer Universal Quick Charging Stand for Xbox is Fantastic

First of all, here’s the specs for the Razer Kaira X:

Headphones
– Frequency response: 20 Hz – 20kHz
– Impedance: 32Ω at 1 kHz
– Sensitivity (@1 kHz): 96 dB
– Drivers: 50 mm, with Neodymium magnets
– Inner ear cup diameter: Width 45 mm/Length 65 mm
– Oval ear cushions: Designed for full-ear coverage with heat-transfer fabric, perfect for long-wearing comfort
– Connection type: Direct to Xbox Controller/PC via 3.5mm connection

Microphone
– Frequency response: 100 – 10,000 Hz
– Signal-to-noise ratio: > 60 dB
– Sensitivity (@1 kHz): -42 ± 3 dB
– Pick-up pattern: Unidirectional

Out of the box, the Razer Kaira X sports a beautiful design. I got the opportunity to review the Pulse Red variant and while the others still offer the same sound quality and specs, there’s something just so visually striking about the soft red colour. The flowkit memory foam ear cushions are incredibly comfy and perfectly designed for extended hours of game time. Even after sinking dozens of hours at a time into Diablo 4‘s beta, the Razer Kaira X never once felt uncomfortable which is a testament to its excellent cushioning.

The same, however, can’t be said about the plastic build of the headset. Without metal reinforcement, it can feel a bit flimsy, especially under some stress like it was about to snap in two if I applied more pressure. The mic is also non-detachable so for snobs like me who prefer their mics to be detachable, this might be a small issue. The mic isn’t too intrusive, thankfully, but it can ocassionally be distracting, especially since it lacks the flexibility to be bent out of your way.

Under the hood (or cups?), the Razer Kaira X boasts Razer’s Triforce 50 mm drivers that can tinker the highs, mids and lows to your liking. I played around a bit with it and found some sweet spots but overall, the sound quality is exceptional – especially considering the headset’s price point, but we’ll get to that in a bit.

I played a variety of Xbox games on the headset from Halo Infinite to Gears 5 and the results were expectedly great. The crisp sound quality made exploring Halo Infinite‘s ring world an immersive experience with fantastic noise cancellation (I could barely hear my dog furiously barking at the storm outside). Gears 5‘s roaring chainsaws, crunchy shotgun blasts and squealing enemies all contributed to the great audio quality. I’m yet again incredibly impressed by Razer’s work and continued commitment to this.

Razer also seems to have learned from the Kaira PlayStation headsets when it comes cross platform compatability. For those, the experience was solid on PS4 and PS5 but as soon as you brought it to PC, it took a slight dip with weird crackling issues. That’s not an issue on the Razer Kaira X which transitions from Xbox to PC with relative ease and still upholds its quality. Since this is a wired headset, I couldn’t exactly test the range but the cable is long enough to comfortably sit back and relax with, so you won’t have to shove your face into the laptop.

I tested the microphone while playing online and had little to no problems. I could still fine-tune the settings to hear my friends over the game or vice versa which the headset adjusted well to the shifting tones. The unidirectional range of the mic ocassionally picked up obscure background noises (like my dog once again barking at the sun) but overall, no issues were reported from either end of the spectrum.

Finally, there’s the Razer Kaira X’s biggest selling point (well, quite literally): the price. You can pick it up for R1,200 though may cost less depending on where you look. Given the premium sound quality of the product, this is a terrific price point for an entry-level gaming headset tailored for Xbox and PC players.

The Razer Kaira X isn’t going to turn heads in the headset world (no pun intended) but as an inexpensive entry-level gaming accessory, it does the job much better than it gets credit for. The design is wonderful and pops with the Pulse Red shade but the sound quality while gaming or personal usage is where you’ll get the most out of it. The non-detachable mic is a bit annoying and the plastic build feels a bit flimsy, but looks past that and you’ll get your money’s worth – and then some.