We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-28 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a wired, over-ear headset for PC and console gaming with a retractable noise isolating boom mic, choose Amazon Renewed Razer Kraken Gaming; if you need true wireless earbuds for commuting, workouts and calls with a noise isolating fit and long battery life, choose Skullcandy Mod XT.
• Amazon Renewed Razer Kraken Gaming — biggest strength: a wired 3.5 mm over-ear design with a retractable cardioid noise isolating microphone and 50 mm drivers, built for positional gaming audio and clear voice chat.
• Amazon Renewed Razer Kraken Gaming — biggest trade-off: it's wired and needs a 3.5 mm jack, so there's no wireless freedom, and it's a renewed unit with a 90-day limited warranty rather than a new one.
• Skullcandy Mod XT — biggest strength: true wireless Bluetooth 5.2 earbuds with a noise isolating in-ear fit, up to 34 hours of total battery, IP55 sweat/water/dust resistance and multipoint pairing.
• Skullcandy Mod XT — biggest trade-off: in-ear buds rather than a full over-ear cup, so isolation comes from the seal, and there's no boom mic — just the built-in Clear Voice Smart Mic.
• Who each pick is for: Razer Kraken for desk-bound PC/PS4/Switch players who want a mic on a cable; Skullcandy Mod XT for people who move around and want cable-free listening and calls.
The Kraken is a classic wired gaming headset shape: over-ear, aluminum-framed, and light at 322 g. What stands out for a noise isolating buyer is the combination of physical isolation and a proper boom mic. The oval, cooling gel-infused cushions have indents for glasses, which matters if you wear frames for long sessions — the cushions press around the arms instead of on them, and the gel is there to reduce heat and pressure build-up. Because it's an over-ear closed design with sound isolation as the stated noise control, the cups themselves block a chunk of room noise before you ever touch a volume wheel.
The audio side is tuned for games. The 50 mm dynamic drivers cover a 20 Hz – 50,000 Hz range, and the headset can run software-enabled 7.1 surround on Windows 10 64-bit only — so positional audio is a PC feature, not a console one. The retractable cardioid microphone is the other half of the story: cardioid patterns pick up mostly what's in front of them, so it reduces ambient and background noise and keeps your voice the dominant signal. It retracts into the earcup when you're not talking, which is a small thing that makes it feel tidier than a fixed boom.
Buy it if you game or take calls at a desk, want a mic that isolates your voice, and prefer over-ear isolation you can feel. Skip it if you need wireless, want to wear buds at the gym, or you're not comfortable with a renewed unit backed by a 90-day limited warranty.
Skullcandy Mod XT: Who It's For
The Mod XT is the opposite philosophy: two tiny in-ear buds, no cable, no jack. Isolation here comes from the fit — Skullcandy calls it a noise isolating fit, which is passive sealing rather than active noise cancellation. Push them in properly and the silicone seal blocks a good amount of steady background noise; that's the same principle behind how noise isolating headphones work in general, and it's why fit matters more than any spec sheet number.
The headline number is battery. Up to 34 hours total: 7 in the buds, 27 more in the USB-C case. Rapid Charge gives you about 2 hours of listening from a 10-minute top-up, which is the kind of thing that saves you on the way out the door. Bluetooth 5.2 handles the connection, and multipoint pairing lets you stay connected to two devices at once — laptop for a call, phone for music — and switch without re-pairing.
For calls, each bud has a Clear Voice Smart Mic with dual noise-reducing microphones, working alongside the sealing fit to cut background noise around your voice. The Skullcandy App adds EQ presets, custom button mapping, and Stay-Aware Mode, which pipes in surrounding sound so you can hear traffic or a colleague without pulling a bud out. IP55 means sweat, water and dust resistance, so workouts and bad weather aren't a problem.
Buy it if you commute, train, run, or hop between phone and laptop all day and want cable-free listening with a mic. Skip it if you want a boom mic, over-ear cups, or wired latency-free audio for competitive gaming.
• Best for gaming and voice chat → Amazon Renewed Razer Kraken Gaming. Over-ear cups, 50 mm drivers, software 7.1 surround on Windows 10 64-bit, and a retractable cardioid boom mic.
• Best for battery life → Skullcandy Mod XT. Up to 34 hours total with the case, plus Rapid Charge for 2 hours from 10 minutes.
• Best for true wireless freedom → Skullcandy Mod XT. Bluetooth 5.2, no jack, no cable, multipoint to two devices.
• Best for over-ear physical isolation → Amazon Renewed Razer Kraken Gaming. Closed over-ear design with sound isolation and gel-infused cushions that also accommodate glasses.
• Best for workouts and weather → Skullcandy Mod XT. IP55 sweat, water and dust resistance; the Kraken has no water-resistance rating listed.
• Best for mic quality on a call or stream → Amazon Renewed Razer Kraken Gaming. A dedicated cardioid boom mic isolates your voice better than a bud-mounted mic by design.
• Best for switching between phone and laptop → Skullcandy Mod XT. Multipoint pairing plus app-based EQ and Stay-Aware Mode.
• Best for plug-and-play simplicity → Amazon Renewed Razer Kraken Gaming. Analog volume wheel and mic mute on the cable, no charging, no app required.
• Best for travel and pocket carry → Skullcandy Mod XT. In-ear buds and a charging case beat a 322 g over-ear headset in a bag.
In my opinion, the right pick comes down to where you sit. If your listening happens at a desk — PC, PS4 or Switch — and you want a real boom mic with an over-ear noise isolating fit, I'd buy the Amazon Renewed Razer Kraken Gaming. It does one job well and doesn't need charging. If you're moving, commuting, working out, or juggling a phone and laptop, I'd buy the Skullcandy Mod XT: the wireless freedom, up to 34 hours of battery, IP55 rating and multipoint pairing are hard to argue with for that lifestyle. Neither is a compromise pick — they're built for different rooms.
FAQ
how to noise cancelling headphones work
how to use noise cancelling headphones
For isolation-focused gear like these, the technique is fit first. On the Mod XT, seat the buds so the tips seal your ear canal; on the Kraken, adjust the over-ear cups so the gel cushions sit flush around your ears. A poor seal loses most of the blocking effect.
how to test noise cancelling headphones
Play a steady background sound — a fan, traffic, a hum — then compare it with the headphones on and off. On the Mod XT, try different tip seating; on the Kraken, check the seal around your glasses if you wear them, since the cushions have indents designed for that.
The Kraken has a dedicated retractable cardioid boom mic that reduces background and ambient noise. The Mod XT uses a Clear Voice Smart Mic with dual noise-reducing microphones in each bud. A boom mic closer to your mouth generally isolates your voice better; the Mod XT wins on convenience and hands-free movement.
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