Important note:
This review has had significant alterations made since I first posted it. Upon listening to them again post review and comparing them to the HD 600s (which I will use as my reference), I felt that parts of my review overstated traits/aspects of this headset and some impressions were given from memory rather than back to back tests with a reference. I will endeavour to be more methodical in future reviews.
Introduction
Before owning this headset I owned the AKG K240 Mkiis and before that the budget Turtle Beach PX21 headset (prior to my interest in hi-fi equipment). I have subsequently bought the Sennheiser Game One, HD 600 as well as some in ears (I feel it is not relevant to list them here). Part of the reason for my purchase was curiosity about all the hype. I won't be speaking about the mic as I haven't used it much and I think that it would be a better use of your time to listen to a demo of it somewhere like Youtube than have me describe it to you. I also won't be talking about the included sound card as I must admit, I've not used it. I am reviewing this product more in headphone terms than your typical headset review (of which there are many on the internet).
Notes
I have spent the majority of my time listening to these at what many would consider low volume as I have sensitive hearing and don't enjoy listening at high volume. I have used these in conjunction with my PC sound card which is a Sound Blaster Omni 5.1 (USB), a Mixamp Pro Gen 2, a Fiio X1, a Galaxy S4 and guitar multi-effects units for silent practice. This headset is very easy to drive and I felt it performed well with the Galaxy and Fiio, though as stated, I listen at relatively low volume.
The majority of the time I have spent with this headset I have used the leather/pleather/faux leather pads or whatever they are made out of. I have briefly used the velour pads but quickly switched back as I found they made the sound thin and unpleasant. Seeing how they come with the leather pads (as I will refer to them) pre-installed, it wouldn't surprise me if they tuned the drivers with these pads in mind.
Review
Overall I would call these quite well balanced. My experience with closed back headphones is limited but when comparing them to my other headphones and in ears, I would honestly say they come closest to the HD 600s for overall balance. I wish to be clear, I am not saying these are just like the HD 600s. I'm just saying that there are similarities in the general listening experience in comparison to my other headphones/in ears.
The soundstage is better than I expected from a closed back headset and not far off that of the HD 600s to my ear (the HD 600s are a bit more open and it is possible that the gap would widen between them at higher volume, but at the volume I listen at, the difference isn't huge in terms of the "out of your head" experience). In comparison the AKG K240 Mkiis sounded more open and wider than the Cloud 2 and the HD 600s though I found I had problems with positional accuracy (I speak about this in my review of them) and they seemed to have less depth but a lot of width.
The bass weight and character/texture is pleasing and has a nice amount of punch. In fact the sound overall has a decent amount of punch which becomes apparent with bass and percussion. It also seems to be reasonably well extended. PC Gamer did an article where they compared a number of gaming headsets and took measurements with a HATS system. It was said that the Cloud 2 suffered from distortion in the bass frequencies. None is readily apparent, so I assume that this means it is not entirely accurate as opposed to distorted in the traditional sense (guitar amp/speakers audibly distorting). I personally find the bass very pleasing and musical. I previously owned a pair of Panasonic RP-TCM125 in ears that made a bass line that you would vocalise as "bom bom bom" sound like "mmm mmm mmm". I know this isn't the most eloquent way to put it but it describes well how some headphones lack definition in the bass and don't capture the intial attack. That is certainly not the case with the Cloud 2.
The mids are reasonably good in terms of detail, though they aren't in the same league as the HD 600s or K240 Mkiis which both really shine in this department. By comparison, the Cloud 2s mids are just not as special or lush and are a tad harder sounding.
The highs again may not be as good as the HD 600s, but considering the price and the fact that this is an affordable gaming headset... One thing I did say in my first draft of this review is that they were a touch sibilant. I had been listening to my RHA T20is which do not highlight sibilance at all before arriving at that conclusion. I have listened to them over the last few days and compared them with the HD 600s and have come to the conclusion that they are capable of uncovering sibilance if it is present/prominent in a track. Due to their punchy nature, a track with very punchy percussion (snares in particular) can become a bit fatiguing too. For anyone that read my initial review, I feel my comments regarding sibilance were a bit overstated. The PC Gamer article I referenced earlier said that there is a dip in the sibilance region that causes "S" sounds to sound more like "SH". "S" sounds may not be as pristine as the HD 600s/K240 Mkiis, but I feel they have overstated this (it's possible that this trait stood out if they listened to this headset immediatly after a headset with very clear presentation in this region).
I feel it important to note how good Hyper X's customer service is. My first Cloud 2 had a channel imbalance (as with any mass produced item, there is a chance of getting a defective unit). Due to reasons I won't bore you with, I didn't identify the problem until more than six months had passed since my purchase. When I searched online for info about the warranty I found information that lead me to believe that the warranty period was six months. I contacted Hyper X and asked whether it would be cost effective to send them in for repair or if I'd be better off just buying a new headset. They contacted me back in less than a day and told me that the warranty period was for two years. They asked me to describe the defect, how I had tested that it was the headset itself at fault and give them other relevant info such as the serial number, product code and a copy of the Amazon invoice etc. Shortly after, they contacted me back and told me that my warranty claim had been successful and that a new headset would be sent out to me with no need to return the defective item. Shortly after that I received another email informing me that my replacement had been dispatched. All of this took place within 24 hours of me first contacting them. I give them a big thumbs up for that.
Overall, considering the price, comfort, build quality, included accessories and sound, I am seriously impressed. There really isn't much to complain about and I would recommend this to anyone looking for a gaming headset that won't break the bank. They are very musical with a decent amount of punch and a soundstage that seems pretty decent considering the fact that my basis for comparison are open back headphones. They don't hold up quite as well in particularly busy/dense tracks as the HD 600s or K240 Mkiis and they aren't as refined sounding overall, but then again, we're talking about an affordable gaming headset vs a respected entry level studio headphone and the a long time favourite of the audiophile world. It certainly doesn't embarrass itself in most scenarios and that's saying something.
This review has had significant alterations made since I first posted it. Upon listening to them again post review and comparing them to the HD 600s (which I will use as my reference), I felt that parts of my review overstated traits/aspects of this headset and some impressions were given from memory rather than back to back tests with a reference. I will endeavour to be more methodical in future reviews.
Introduction
Before owning this headset I owned the AKG K240 Mkiis and before that the budget Turtle Beach PX21 headset (prior to my interest in hi-fi equipment). I have subsequently bought the Sennheiser Game One, HD 600 as well as some in ears (I feel it is not relevant to list them here). Part of the reason for my purchase was curiosity about all the hype. I won't be speaking about the mic as I haven't used it much and I think that it would be a better use of your time to listen to a demo of it somewhere like Youtube than have me describe it to you. I also won't be talking about the included sound card as I must admit, I've not used it. I am reviewing this product more in headphone terms than your typical headset review (of which there are many on the internet).
Notes
I have spent the majority of my time listening to these at what many would consider low volume as I have sensitive hearing and don't enjoy listening at high volume. I have used these in conjunction with my PC sound card which is a Sound Blaster Omni 5.1 (USB), a Mixamp Pro Gen 2, a Fiio X1, a Galaxy S4 and guitar multi-effects units for silent practice. This headset is very easy to drive and I felt it performed well with the Galaxy and Fiio, though as stated, I listen at relatively low volume.
The majority of the time I have spent with this headset I have used the leather/pleather/faux leather pads or whatever they are made out of. I have briefly used the velour pads but quickly switched back as I found they made the sound thin and unpleasant. Seeing how they come with the leather pads (as I will refer to them) pre-installed, it wouldn't surprise me if they tuned the drivers with these pads in mind.
Review
Overall I would call these quite well balanced. My experience with closed back headphones is limited but when comparing them to my other headphones and in ears, I would honestly say they come closest to the HD 600s for overall balance. I wish to be clear, I am not saying these are just like the HD 600s. I'm just saying that there are similarities in the general listening experience in comparison to my other headphones/in ears.
The soundstage is better than I expected from a closed back headset and not far off that of the HD 600s to my ear (the HD 600s are a bit more open and it is possible that the gap would widen between them at higher volume, but at the volume I listen at, the difference isn't huge in terms of the "out of your head" experience). In comparison the AKG K240 Mkiis sounded more open and wider than the Cloud 2 and the HD 600s though I found I had problems with positional accuracy (I speak about this in my review of them) and they seemed to have less depth but a lot of width.
The bass weight and character/texture is pleasing and has a nice amount of punch. In fact the sound overall has a decent amount of punch which becomes apparent with bass and percussion. It also seems to be reasonably well extended. PC Gamer did an article where they compared a number of gaming headsets and took measurements with a HATS system. It was said that the Cloud 2 suffered from distortion in the bass frequencies. None is readily apparent, so I assume that this means it is not entirely accurate as opposed to distorted in the traditional sense (guitar amp/speakers audibly distorting). I personally find the bass very pleasing and musical. I previously owned a pair of Panasonic RP-TCM125 in ears that made a bass line that you would vocalise as "bom bom bom" sound like "mmm mmm mmm". I know this isn't the most eloquent way to put it but it describes well how some headphones lack definition in the bass and don't capture the intial attack. That is certainly not the case with the Cloud 2.
The mids are reasonably good in terms of detail, though they aren't in the same league as the HD 600s or K240 Mkiis which both really shine in this department. By comparison, the Cloud 2s mids are just not as special or lush and are a tad harder sounding.
The highs again may not be as good as the HD 600s, but considering the price and the fact that this is an affordable gaming headset... One thing I did say in my first draft of this review is that they were a touch sibilant. I had been listening to my RHA T20is which do not highlight sibilance at all before arriving at that conclusion. I have listened to them over the last few days and compared them with the HD 600s and have come to the conclusion that they are capable of uncovering sibilance if it is present/prominent in a track. Due to their punchy nature, a track with very punchy percussion (snares in particular) can become a bit fatiguing too. For anyone that read my initial review, I feel my comments regarding sibilance were a bit overstated. The PC Gamer article I referenced earlier said that there is a dip in the sibilance region that causes "S" sounds to sound more like "SH". "S" sounds may not be as pristine as the HD 600s/K240 Mkiis, but I feel they have overstated this (it's possible that this trait stood out if they listened to this headset immediatly after a headset with very clear presentation in this region).
I feel it important to note how good Hyper X's customer service is. My first Cloud 2 had a channel imbalance (as with any mass produced item, there is a chance of getting a defective unit). Due to reasons I won't bore you with, I didn't identify the problem until more than six months had passed since my purchase. When I searched online for info about the warranty I found information that lead me to believe that the warranty period was six months. I contacted Hyper X and asked whether it would be cost effective to send them in for repair or if I'd be better off just buying a new headset. They contacted me back in less than a day and told me that the warranty period was for two years. They asked me to describe the defect, how I had tested that it was the headset itself at fault and give them other relevant info such as the serial number, product code and a copy of the Amazon invoice etc. Shortly after, they contacted me back and told me that my warranty claim had been successful and that a new headset would be sent out to me with no need to return the defective item. Shortly after that I received another email informing me that my replacement had been dispatched. All of this took place within 24 hours of me first contacting them. I give them a big thumbs up for that.
Overall, considering the price, comfort, build quality, included accessories and sound, I am seriously impressed. There really isn't much to complain about and I would recommend this to anyone looking for a gaming headset that won't break the bank. They are very musical with a decent amount of punch and a soundstage that seems pretty decent considering the fact that my basis for comparison are open back headphones. They don't hold up quite as well in particularly busy/dense tracks as the HD 600s or K240 Mkiis and they aren't as refined sounding overall, but then again, we're talking about an affordable gaming headset vs a respected entry level studio headphone and the a long time favourite of the audiophile world. It certainly doesn't embarrass itself in most scenarios and that's saying something.
