Due to the quality of certain (and apparently cannot be named here) mainstream headsets declining, I decided to look for a headset that delivered the real power to match the price.
My recently purchased but previous headset was stolen, and I was forced to shop again. I told myself this time I wasn't going to give in to the mainstream gaming market and I was going to look for a good quality, decent headset specifically for gaming. I took the approach of researching names you dont hear as often as razer/astro/logitech. The reason for this is, like for monitors you usually get ASUS or something, right? Well, after research, I found Benq has AMAZING and will be getting one soon.
I found the HyperX Cloud I, Cloud II, and Cloud Revolver and started doing more research to find that they are superior, pro gaming adequate headsets. Maybe I just don't read often, but how often do you hear about HyperX? Anyways. It became a toss up of whether I should get the Cloud II or the Cloud Revolver. The main differences other than obvious aesthetics are the fact that the Cloud II has 53mm drivers and surround sound, and then Cloud Revolver has 50mm drivers and no surround sound unless you get the Cloud Revolver S version. The Cloud Revolver are also $20~ more dollars. I read many reviews about both and everyone said that the clarity and depth to the Revolvers were far superior, despite not having surround sound. My final decision was to go with the Revolvers because in all reality.. I don't even really need surround sound unless being pro is in the picture or if I am watching movies.
I can say that this was one of the best purchases I have made regarding headsets. The first impression was they are super light. After playing with them on for a few hours, I sometimes actually forgot they were even on my head.
The sound quality is by far the best quality I have heard from a gaming headset out of at least 4 different brands I have tried. And it's not that I have bad ears. I play multiple instruments well and have experience with audio and music. The drivers for the headset are 50mm and smaller than the Cloud II, but they're angled differently. The effect it gave me was that I felt like I was listening to crisp, clear sounds from within a room around me. This is what they mean by a professional grade sound stage. Unlike like the Razer/Astros, where I feel like sound is being blasted into my hear from something being pressed against my eardrum even if they were full sized and over the ear headsets.
If the headphones are off, you can easily hear what someone is listening to at a low level. But when they're on, you can't hear anything unless you raise it well above a level that would be uncomfortable for most. And, to boot, the mic is noise cancelling.
When playing games, despite not being surround sound, the depth and clarity of the sound made up for it and almost sounded surround to me. With the angle of the drivers, you can hear footsteps and shots in games not only from a greater distance away but also can gauge better how far away they are.
For normal music listening, all levels of sound are crisp and clear. The only thing I would add to this would be more bass for certain types of beats.
The only con I can see is the fact that the metal bar on the top of the headset that is used to help take pressure off your head can carry a lot of vibration to the ears if hit. But.. how often will someone do that?
Overall, I would give these headsets a 4.6 out of 5 and would recommend them over Razer, Logitech, Astro, and Turtle Beach.