Razer Carcharias (New Version) vs. Sennheiser X320

Been looking for a headset+mic combo for my PC and 360, both of these were on sale so I decided to try them out. I also own a pair of Denon D2000's (screw fell off, they are out of commission currently), a Denon 1713 receiver and Astro A40+AMP (2009 version).

So far I have some initial impressions which I will continue to update. Will just be comparing them to my A40's and each-other since I don't feel like holding my D2000's together.

I do realize that the Sennheisers are just meant to be used with an xbox 360, but I figured I could get a 3.55mm to mini 3.5mm adapter to plug them mic into my PC.

If anyone else has experience with these as well as other headphone+headset combos please share. I might try the Steel Series V2's next. I bought the Razer's with the intention of keeping them so I got NCIX's 3 year no hassle exchange warranty for 15$, not sure if I should bother trying to exchanging them since the mic is so awful. I might test out another pair from Best Buy since they are easy to return. If they have the same issue I will return the Razer's.



Razer Carcharias
+90$ in Canada, got them on sale for 60$ from NCIX
+Cords are more manageable
-USB powered: hissing/humming/static: I've tried it with a bunch of different sources and it varies from a very light amount to being absolutely terrible.
-USB Powered via PC: Very noisy, when I scroll with my mouse the noise increases
-USB Power: Obvious hiss when powered by my xbox 360
-Volume isn't loud enough at maximum volume for me when connected to my 360
+Build Quality is excellent!
+Adjustable Bass slider: Increasing it slightly produces the best results. The lowest setting is awful, and once I raised it past a certain point the bass became obviously overpowered
+So far I feel that the Razer's have better audio quality
-Leaks some sound
-USB Power cord, 3.5mm line out and the headphone connector are all joined.
-Mic is completely unusable on my PC. There is far to much noise and static and they are far too quit unless I boost them to 30db in my sound settings.
-Comfort: While more comfortable than the Astro's they slide around on my head and don't fit my ears properly.
-Near maximum volume causes distortion
-1 Year Warranty

Returned for refund


Razer Kraken Pro
+60-80$ in Canada
+Sexy Greem
+Very comfy
+Fantastic sound isolation
+Great build quality
+Mic actually works and cancels outside noise well
+Closed back
-Way too much bass
-Bass is fake sounding and drowns out other sounds
-Worst sound quality, can't recommend these for anything
-1 Year Warranty



Sennheiser X320
+120-180$ in Canada, got them on sale from London Drugs for 80$
+USB powered: minimal to no hissing/humming/static
+USB power: No noise when powered by my receiver
+USB power: No noise when powered by my xbox 360
+Build quality feels cheap and plasticy despite having a 30$ higher base price here
+Bass Boost: is nice but obviously over powered once the bass boost is engaged
+Separate USB power and audio connections makes it really easy to use multiple power sources
+Comfort: they fit nice and tightly around my head and ears, I can shake my head without them falling off. I find them much comfier than my Astro A40's and a bit more than the Razer's
+Higher maximum volume vs. the Razer carcharias when connected to my 360
+2 Year Warranty
-USB power:minimal noise when powered by my PC, activity slightly increases the noise
-Lots of cords!
-Bass Boost: When disabled everything sounds recessed until the volume is set high enough
-Build Quality: they are too plasticy, especially the head band...they scare me
-Near maximum volume causes distortion
-Mic didn't work

Returned for refund

Sennheiser PC 360
+Mic is fantastic
+Great build quality
+balanced sound
+Sound stage
+Decent amount of base
+2 Year Warranty
+I prefer these vs. my Denon D2000
-Bass+treble is a bit lacking
-Sound quality is basically the same as the Sennheiser HD 555's which are much cheaper
-Slightly less bassy vs. the Sennheiser HD 555's
-Open back: leaks sound
-Premium Priced mic
-280$ in Canada

Emma Hewitt Be Your Sound. This is a good song for comparing headphones bass, highs and mids.

-itunes Digital Download: The stating few notes=static fest on all 3 headphones. The A40's sound fine when connected to my Denon 1713 receiver.
-Sennheisers sound is far too recessed with the base boost disabled unless the volume is cranked. The Astro A40's are nicely balanced by comparison.