How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-07 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
• Razer Kraken Kitty V2 — biggest strength: a complete wired streaming setup in one package. USB Type A connection, a HyperClear cardioid boom mic, 40 mm TriForce drivers, 7.1 surround sound on Windows, and Chroma RGB kitty ears that react to stream events.
• Razer Kraken Kitty V2 — biggest trade-off: it is wired and USB-only, so it lives at your desk. No Bluetooth, no battery, no cable-free freedom, and 7.1 surround only works on Windows 10 64-bit.
• LOBKIN Open Ear Headphones — biggest strength: freedom and comfort. Bluetooth 6.0 wireless with a 15-meter range, roughly 180 grams of weight, 30 hours of battery, and an open-ear design that never blocks your ear canal.
• LOBKIN Open Ear Headphones — biggest trade-off: no active noise control and no sealed earcups. You get almost no isolation from the room, and the open design trades punchy immersion for awareness.
• Who each pick is for: Razer for the streamer or PS5/PC player parked at a desk who wants style plus a broadcast-quality mic. LOBKIN for the person who wants a wireless headset for gaming, working and calls without ever feeling clamped in.
The Kraken Kitty V2 is built around one idea: make the headset part of the show. The kitty ears on top are the hook, but the real story is the lighting. Razer's Chroma RGB system drives the earcup lighting and the ears, and it can respond to stream events like emotes and alerts. You get a huge color range and plenty of effects to play with, and the company's app handles the control side so you can tune things without digging through menus on the headset itself.
For voice, the HyperClear cardioid mic is tuned to reject sound from the sides and rear, which is exactly what you want in a room with a fan, a keyboard or a chatty housemate. The hybrid fabric and leatherette cushions are snug and designed for long sessions, and they add real passive isolation — you will hear less of the room. Everything connects over USB Type A, so there is no charging, no pairing, no latency.
Buy it if you stream, you want lighting that reacts on camera, you need a reliable boom mic, and you play at a desk on PC or PS5. Skip it if you want wireless freedom, you game on the move, you need surround on a console, or you dislike being tethered.
LOBKIN Open Ear Headphones: Who It's For
The LOBKIN set takes the opposite approach. Instead of sealing you in, it deliberately leaves your ear canal open. The cups sit over your ears but do not press against them, which means air moves, ears stay cool, and you keep hearing your surroundings. That is the whole point of the open-ear format, and it is why people reach for this kind of headset for long work sessions, calls and casual gaming rather than competitive play.
The internals are respectable for the category. A 40 mm dynamic driver handles the sound, with 32 ohm impedance, 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz frequency range and 110 dB sensitivity — that higher sensitivity number means it gets loud easily from a modest source. The mic is detachable and rotates a full 360 degrees, so you can angle it where you need it or pull it off entirely when you are just listening. It is designed to pick up your voice accurately in noisy rooms, though the open-back design means it also lets room noise in.
Connectivity is the headline. Bluetooth 6.0 gives a stable, low-delay wireless link with a 15-meter range — enough to walk to the kitchen mid-call. Battery life is rated at 30 hours with a 2-hour charge time, and LOBKIN claims 5 minutes of charging gets you about an hour of gaming, which is a genuinely useful top-up. If you would rather not use wireless, there is a 3.5 mm jack and an included audio cable for a wired connection. The frame is ABS and metal, weighs roughly 180 grams, and uses simple push-button controls. There is no noise cancellation at all.
Buy it if you want one lightweight headset for gaming, work and voice chat, you value staying aware of your environment, and you hate charging anxiety. Skip it if you need isolation, you want virtual surround, or you want lighting that syncs with streaming software.
• Best for streaming and content creation → Razer Kraken Kitty V2. Stream-reactive Chroma RGB and a cardioid boom mic are purpose-built for being on camera.
• Best for wireless freedom → LOBKIN Open Ear Headphones. Bluetooth 6.0 with a 15-meter range versus a fixed USB cable.
• Best for all-day comfort and cool ears → LOBKIN Open Ear Headphones. Around 180 grams and an open design that never blocks the ear canal.
• Best for immersion and isolation → Razer Kraken Kitty V2. Sealed hybrid fabric and leatherette cushions block out the room.
• Best for positional game audio → Razer Kraken Kitty V2. 7.1 surround sound, with the caveat that it is Windows 10 64-bit only.
• Best for battery life → LOBKIN Open Ear Headphones. Up to 30 hours per charge, plus a fast top-up and a wired fallback.
• Best for a console desk setup → Razer Kraken Kitty V2. Plug the USB into your PS5 or PC and you are done — no pairing.
• Best for awareness and safety → LOBKIN Open Ear Headphones. You hear traffic, doorbells and coworkers while you listen.
In my opinion, the Razer Kraken Kitty V2 is the stronger buy for anyone whose gaming happens at a desk — especially for PS5 and PC players who also stream or record. The cardioid mic, 7.1 surround (on Windows) and reactive lighting do more for that specific job than an open-ear wireless headset can. I would pick the LOBKIN if my priority were comfort, wireless range and hearing my surroundings, and I would accept the lack of isolation as the price of that. Decide which of those two lives sounds more like yours, then check the current price on Amazon before committing.
FAQ
are in ear headphones good for gaming
They can work, but they trade soundstage and mic quality for portability. Neither headset here is in-ear: the Kraken Kitty V2 is a sealed over-ear design with a boom mic, and the LOBKIN is an open-ear design that sits over the ear without blocking the canal.
Volume and duration matter far more than the form factor. The Kraken Kitty V2 has 92.5 dB sensitivity and the LOBKIN has 110 dB, so the LOBKIN gets louder from the same source — keep levels reasonable on either.
how do over ear headphones work
They place a driver over the ear and convert an electrical signal into sound. The Kraken Kitty V2 uses 40 mm TriForce drivers over USB, while the LOBKIN uses a 40 mm dynamic driver over Bluetooth 6.0 or a 3.5 mm cable.
is gaming headphones good for music
Yes, with caveats. The Kraken Kitty V2's 20 Hz–20,000 Hz range and 32 ohm impedance handle music fine, and the LOBKIN's 40 mm dynamic driver delivers strong bass, but open-ear designs leak sound both ways.
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