HyperX is on a roll. Over the last year, we’ve reviewed two of their headsets, the best-in-its-bracket HyperX Cloud Alpha and their first impressive take on a wireless headset with the Cloud Flight. Today, we’re looking at the Cloud Revolver, re-released in the brand new gunmetal colorway. The original Revolver’s been out for a little over two years - does the new version hold up to the high standards of their latest and greatest? Let’s find out.
Specifications
- MSRP: $119.99
Headphone
- Driver: dynamic, 50mm with neodymium magnets
- Type: circumaural, closed back
- Frequency response: 12Hz – 28,000Hz
- Impedance: 30 ohms
- Sound pressure level: 104.5dBSPL/mW at 1kHz
- THD: < 2%
- Input power: rated at 30mW, maximum 500mW
- Weight: 360g
- Weight w/ mic: 376g
- Cable length and type: headset 1m, audio control box 2m
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Connection headset: 3.5mm plug (4 pole)
- Audio control box:3.5mm stereo and mic plugs
Microphone
- Element: electret condenser microphone
- Polar pattern: uni-directional, noise-cancelling
- Frequency response: 50Hz–18,000 Hz
- Sensitivity: -40dBV (0dB=1V/Pa,1kHz)
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Having reviewed the last two pairs of HyperX headphones we’ve had in the office, I went in with high expectations. The Cloud Alphas remain my one of my favorite pairs of $99 headphones ever, so coming to the Revolver, my hopes were high that the extra premium in pricing might just make things even better. They are quite different headsets, which means they’re not exactly a 1:1, but the Cloud Revolver remains impressive through its own feature suite and performance.
Starting things off, the Cloud Revolver is a larger headset with earcups that fully encompass my ears. The adjustment system self-adjusting and reminiscent of the AKG K7XX we also reviewed last year. Underneath the steel-banded frame is a cushioned strap that will automatically adjust to fit any size head. The plus side to this is that the headset is extremely flexible with lots of room to expand. You do lose any kind of manual tightening however, which some users might miss.
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While the AKG K7XXs could feel loose with that system, the Revolvers have enough grip to stay in place without ever making you feel squeezed. They’re very comfortable with the memory foam earpads and overall low weight. The earpads are also covered in a high quality leatherette that does an excellent job of sealing out outside noise. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that these are some of the best passive noise isolating headphones I own. Toddler tested, dad approved. (Though, they do trap heat around your ears fairly easily).
Speaking of toddler tested, these are headphones I would consider “safe” to have in a house prone to, shall we say, “mishaps.” Gamer parents of small children know, it doesn’t matter how well you take care of your things, if they’re within reach, they’re probably going to get some rough treatment.
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The HyperX Revolver’s are very well made. The frame is steel, so you don’t have to worry about it bending or breaking, and it features rubber dampeners to prevent unwanted reverberation. Where the frame meets the driver housings, it’s reinforced with multiple pieces and multiple screws for durability. I don’t have any doubt that these could withstand a drop or two. I’m also a big fan of the soft-touch matte plastic coating. They don’t show fingerprints much at all and it looks great with the white accents that make up the gunmetal colorway.
I’m also a fan of the stitching on the headband and that HyperX opted for a higher quality leatherette than is featured on many gaming headsets. The cable is also braided and two-piece; you can use it with a single 4-pole adapter on different devices or with the included, line-lengthening splitter to connect it to your PC. It’s these kind of small touches that make a headset stand out, both in style and in meaningful features like the aforementioned sound isolation.
Of course, all of this is meaningless if the sound doesn’t hold up. It does. For being closed-back in design, the Revolver has a surprisingly large sound stage. It’s a stereo headset but feels delightfully open, especially when plugged into my Creative Sound BlasterX Katana soundbar. It’s stereo only, though Dolby fans can pick up the “S” variant for thirty dollars more. Yet, try enough headphones and one thing quickly becomes true: quality stereo is better than middling surround sound any day of the week.
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When it comes to sound coloration, I found that the Revolvers give both a slight low-end and high-end push, with mids falling back slightly. This allows both games and music to achieve a full sound without overwhelming the clarity of the mids and highs with bass. The frequency response is also quite extended at 12Hz – 28,000Hz, whereas most gaming headsets limit themselves to 20Hz - 20,000Hz. This keeps the headset free from distortion across the audible frequency spectrum.
Audio is also driven by a pair of 50mm neodymium drivers, which is also an improvement from most “standard” gaming headphones which tend to ring in at 40mm. This allows helps the sound remain full and encompassing without needing to juice the low end.
For games, I found the Revolvers to have less bass than many “optimized for gaming” headsets. To be honest, this is pretty much a plus in my book. Gaming headsets tend to push bass to the point where listening to music or watching Netflix becomes unrealistic. Instead, this headset emphasizes clarity, which is perfect for hearing small details like the footsteps of approaching enemies or being able to discern the background details in the midst of a hail of gunfire. For music, you may find them less ideal for hip hop and genres that live or die on heady bass, but sounded great in my selection of rock, metal, pop, and folk.
Last but not least, we have the detachable microphone. It’s on a flexible arm so can easily be positioned in front of your mouth. It features +30db of boost within windows but anything over +10db leads to clipping as the pick-up is already quite good. The noise isolation is also well done, applying little compression, and can also be disable for a more natural capture. I do wish a pop filter had been included as it is fairly sensitive to plosives. Have a listen:
Final Thoughts
Overall, I’m quite pleased with the Cloud Revolvers. They’re comfortable enough to be worn for hours, which you just might do since their tuned for more than just games. I’m a big fan of the overall look and the leatherette does an excellent job of isolating outside noise. For $119, the Revolvers are a great choice. If you need surround sound, the “S” variant is also available in gunmetal grey.
Pros
- Very comfortable
- Well built, should withstand falls
- Soft-touch coating doesn’t show fingerprints
- No RGB
- Great frequency range and tuning that doesn’t overdo the bass
Cons
- Fairly pricey with Cloud Alpha’s available for $19 less
The product discussed in this review was provided by the manufacturer for the purposes of review.
