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Testing the HyperX Cloud Revolver headset involved using it in a variety of games, listening to many musical tracks and watching a couple of short films to gauge the headset's ability to deliver high-quality sound at various frequencies and volumes.
I also factored in comfort, ease of use and microphone quality throughout testing, as well as considering it as a replacement headset for VR head mounted displays like the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift.
The HyperX Cloud pedigree is immediately apparent with the Revolver – it sounds great. In atmospheric titles like Subnautica, where the distant howls of alien beasts can frighten as much as the frantic swimming of a nearby fish, it is an excellent stereo headset for recreating the soundscape of the underwater world.
In more explosive titles such as Space Pirate Trainer or Hover Junkers, guns sounded fantastic, with each crack of a pistol or humming buzz of a laser charge sounding excellent at high volumes.
Of course though headsets and gaming in general are not just for making your ears bleed. In quieter games with gentler sounds and worlds to explore, the Revolver did an equally capable job. Particularly of note is that individual sounds are easy to place within the mix, never feeling muddied by their counterparts.
I really disliked the metal head-strap addition.
Movies and high-end TV shows sounded excellent too – stereo panning in particular works very well. Although this headset does not offer surround sound capabilities, the two channels it does have do a good job of making the sound feel far more 3D than it actually is.
Music listening tests were a pleasant surprise, as despite gamer headsets typically being a little bass heavy and crunchy, the HyperX Cloud Revolver did a great job of reproducing a number of tracks from various genres.
That could well be because none of the frequencies particularly stand out from the mix, which might not please those who like a very particular sound, but for those with little preference it does provide a nice balance.
Bass is heavy enough when required, delivering a punchy low end and a little taste of that really deep rumble at times. The mid is arguably the strongest portion of the mix, and can be heard loud and clear even when the volume is cranked up to the maximum. The highs come through crisp and clear too and are rarely buried by any other part of the soundscape becoming over zealous.
Unfortunately not every area of the Revolver is something I can praise so heavily though. Although the fit is comfortable, it is extremely loose fitting. Looking down too quickly can see the headband shift forward on your head and if you were to shake your head around – rare I know, but still – it can fall off of your head entirely.
This is not something you would want to wear while doing any vigorous movement, making it not particularly well suited for virtual reality, despite its strong sound. In that same vein, while the metal frame does not creak like a cheap plastic one, it is very resonant. If you brush against it or tap it while wearing the headset, you can quite clearly hear it ringing through the frame work.
Hitting it with any force sounds like you are putting a vibrating tuning fork to your ear.
Likewise the braided cable, although smooth, makes quite a noise in your left ear if rubbed against clothing.
Compared to the Original Cloud and Cloud II headsets too, the ear cups feel too large for me. Much like the headband, they sit loose on your head and encompass more than it feels they need to – though perhaps that is to cater to those with larger ears than I.
None of the problems with the Revolver's build lead to discomfort, but they do make you aware of the headset, which is not something you want when playing a game. Although it might compete well with the Cloud I and II on sound, give me either of those any day for their fit.
Noise cancelling inside the earcups is not bad, but it is clearly not a major focus for HyperX in this case.
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