CM Storm Sonuz Gaming Headset Review

1. Introduction2. Packaging and Bundle3. CM Storm Sonuz Headset4. Comfort and Performance5. Closing Thoughts6. View All Pages

Headsets are an integral part of any gamers arsenal, and the competition has been fierce in 2012. CM Storm have already produced an impressive gaming headset the CM Storm Sirus 5.1. It even seems the company have improved on a few things we didn't like, as the new CM Storm Sonuz is said to be lightweight and features larger ear pads.

Unfortunately, the CM Storm Sonuz doesn't support native surround sound and several of the Sirus key features, but it does boast larger 53mm drivers, which could improve sound quality. Additionally, the Sonuz is targeted at a much wider audience, being half the price of the Sirus.

Model Number	SGH-4010-KGTA1
Headphone	Driver diameter: φ53mm Frequency range: 10 – 20,000 Hz Impedance: 45 Ω Sensitivities(@1kHz): 98 dB ± 3 dB Connector: 3.5 mm gold-plated headphone jack Inner Ear Cup Diameter: 97.0 mm Cable Length: 2.0m Max Output: 200mW
Microphone	Frequency range: 100–10,000 Hz Sensitivities(@1kHz): -47 dB ± 3 dB Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 58dB Pick Up pattern: Omni-Directional Diameter: 4×1.5mm
Hardware Requirements	Audio Usage: Devices with 3.5mm audio jack and microphone jack Audio + Microphone Usage: Devices with 3.5mm audio + microphone combined jack(Compatible with Apple iPhone®, HTC®, BlackBerry)

CM Storm packaging hasn't changed much since the brand was formed. As such, the Sonuz headset is supplied in a striking red and black box, featuring a transparent window. Ideal for looking at the product within a retail store environment.

The rear of the box has the continuation of the product picture from the front. Several key features are listed in several languages.

CM Storm have included a small booklet detailing the specifications and features as well as detailing the limited warranty support.

We were pleasantly surprised by the length of cable supplied with the CM Storm Sonuz… a full 2m. Even those people with the computer some distance away will be able to use this headset.

On the left-hand side of the headset we see the cable, as well as the microphone, although this can be switched to the other side.  There is a simple design to this headset with just simple CM Storm branding.

On the microphone itself there is the product name ‘Sonuz' written at the base.

The right-hand side of the headset is very similar, with the exception that the microphone is not fitted to this side so you can see the cover that fits over the microphone socket when not in use.

The headband can be adjusted in length to make sure the fit is just right.

The microphone has a good range of motion from straight up, to around 140 degrees. The microphone is slightly flexible but cannot be positioned exactly where you want … for instance, you can't get it closer than a few inches away from your mouth.

The Sonuz headset has a very simple in-line remote, giving options to alter the ‘Center volume' and turn the microphone on or off. The length of cable between the in-line remote and the headset is just right so that the remote is always within easy reach.

At the end of the cable, there are just two jacks, one is the headphone jack (green) and the other is for the microphone (pink). CM Storm haven't bothered to label these jacks individually and so you do have to look at the colour strips to work it out.

There is no doubt that the CM Storm Sonuz is extremely comfortable because I actually forgot I was wearing it. They are light, especially considering their size, and as such sit on the head without applying much pressure.

The ear cups on the Sonuz are large, and will encompass even the biggest ears as they have an internal diameter of 97mm. They certainly won't flatten or crush your ears like the ear pads from competing headsets.

CM Storm have used a pleasant cloth-like fabric with a very spongy filling for the ear cup. This allows them to mold around the head while still supporting the headset sufficiently. The other advantage of this material is it is breathable, allowing you to wear the headset for long periods of time without body temperature rising too much.

The headband is made of the same material as the ear cups but is slightly less padded than we were expecting. Unfortunately, this was the only place where we could feel a bit of pressure from the headset. A little tweaking with this part of the headset would resolve the minor problem – hopefully with the next revision.

To test the sound quality, we plugged it into a Creative X-Fi Elite Pro sound card. We then put the Sonuz headset through its paces in a variety of scenarios, including but not limited to; watching a blu-ray movie, playing PC games (Anno 2070, Formula 1 2011), listening to music from iTunes, and making a video call with Skype.

Firstly, while gaming, we must remember this headset is a straightforward stereo design. That said, the quality of sound produced was fantastic, and really ensured we enjoyed listening to music and playing games.

The headset delivers a good dynamic range of sounds, and speech is reproduced without sibilance or grain. Female vocals are also a strong point for this particular headset. The balance of audio frequencies between deep bass and high treble is well calibrated.

F1 car engine sounds are accurately reproduced and ambient noises could be heard in the mix, with the main foreground audio channels clearly highlighted.

We listened to the whole of Mahler's 9th Symphony, which has a glorious orchestration taking full advantage of its extra strength woodwind section (piccolo, 4 flutes, 4 oboes, Eb Clarinet, 3 Bb/A Clarinets, bass clarinet and 4 bassoons).

The sound staging with this headset is certainly impressive although specific recordings can give the impression of being ‘distant' – due to the wide soundstaging characteristics. There are also a few weak spots in the mid to high range frequencies which just sounded slightly flat and dull.

In terms of bass response, the Sonuz has a depth that we would only associate with a hefty subwoofer – clearly the 53 mm drivers are working well, but they can suffer from ‘booming' with some recordings. When watching The Matrix (Blu-Ray edition) we felt the overall experience was extremely positive, but the bass could do with a little more focus.

We recommend that your configuration has direct equaliser control to fine tune the frequencies to achieve the best reproduction.

While we didn't use the microphone during any gaming sessions, we did use it to make several Skype calls. Our verdict is certainly that the microphone is high quality, and our voice was easily picked up. A little bit more flexibility with microphone positioning would have been welcomed however.

Overall, the sound quality is excellent, especially at this price point … performing well in all tests.

The design of the CM Storm Sonuz is refreshingly straightforward. The company have made the decision to strip out some optional extras and focus on delivering excellent audio reproduction while reducing the cost to the customer. For the most part they have succeeded.

The CM Storm Sonuz features very large 53mm drivers which can reproduce a broad spectrum of frequencies with accuracy and warmth.

Impressively, the CM Storm Sonuz drivers are able to reproduce frequencies all the way down to 10 Hz. That said, the overall sound quality can be improved further with a couple of minor tweaks via a custom equaliser profile.

In terms of performance, we were certainly very impressed with the overall timbre, sound staging, and audio quality produced by the Sonuz. The balance is just right for enjoying music while still delivering enough punch for movies or gaming.

The headset is also extremely comfortable to wear, mainly due to its lightness, but also thanks to the large ear cups which easily fit over the ears. The ear cups use breathable materials which helps to reduce sweating and lower body heat over extended use. The large ear cup design also helps reduce ambient noises within the nearby environment.

The headset is large and when you aren't wearing it, it does take up a lot of desk space. Overall we found it comfortable to wear, but we know some of the potential audience may find it a little too bulky and heavy for everyday use.

Finally, does it offer good value for money? The CM Storm Sonuz retails at £63.54 from Aria.co.uk. We feel this is a fair price, and it puts it directly in competition with the likes of SteelSeries Siberia V2 which also retails at £60. The difference between these two headsets will probably come down to personal opinion as both offer great performance and comfort.

Pros:

• Great sound quality.
• Large ear cups fit well.
• Microphone can be fitted either side.
• Competitive price.

Cons

• Quite large and bulky.
• Heavier than the majority of stereo headsets.
• Not surround sound.
• A few weak spots in mid to high range frequencies.

Kitguru says: A brilliant lightweight stereo headset that offers impressive sound quality at a good price.

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