Gaming Headset Recommendation

Hello guys,

I wanna buy a pair of gaming headsets for a range of around 90$ and I have stumbled across these "HyperX KHX-H3CL/WR Cloud Pro Gaming headset For PC" all the reviews tht iv read so far about this headset are amazing. What do you guys think?

 

Hello mmk92,

I bought the Kingston Hyperx cloud headset a month ago and I have not found any fault with it. Best bang for the buck.

I think that the headset is amazing.

 

Your best bet would be to stay away from gaming headsets entirely, go for some stereo headphones and a clip on mic. Gaming headsets are generally badly priced and sound terrible.

 

As you certainly know already, the HyperX Cloud headset is based on the Q-PAD QH-90 headset, but with braided cables and replaceable leather or cloth hear-pads.
There's also a model named Q-PAD QH-85 which has the same features, but built around an "open cup" design featuring velour padded hear-pads.

Anyways, I have been using the QH-85s for a year now and I find them so awesome for the price (cost me €99), I went and got myself the Hyper Cloud yesterday for €95, so I can experience a more closed sound-stage and more effective noise cancellation at the LANs I participate.

Assuming you are aware of the sound differences between "open" and "closed" headphones and you like (or need) the "closed" type, you just can't go wrong with the HyperX Cloud even if you don't have a particular good on-board audio.
In the case you do have a good on-board audio with headphone amplifier , a dedicated sound card or you even an external DAC, then you'll be very positively surprised by the crystal clear sound quality of the Beyerdynamics 53mm drivers powering the headset.

I have used my share of headsets through out the years and for me, the HyperX Cloud are now, in July 2014, the absolute best sub $100 headsets available in the market. They are even better than quite a few more expensive headsets.

In the end of the day, you should consider your own preferences as far as "sound" is concerned and do your own research. There are many good reviews for the HyperX Cloud out there in the Web, both in the written and audio-visual media.

 

I stand by my suggestion to avoid gaming headsets, I can't find a lot of information on that HyperX Cloud. Regardless, if they do use Beyer drivers they should be decent. That doesn't make them ideal however, the beauty of going for a stereo headset is that you can buy a sound that suits you. That's very rarely possible with a 'headset' of any sort.

I would be interested in a few links to some of the reviews you mention for the HyperX Cloud if you have any available? Preferably from audio related websites.

 

I'm with Johnny on this, I want them.
I simply can't find the same features for that price, headset or not. Mic is removable.
Little over-view. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeoyJBwHc3U
Does some comparisons to other headphones.

 

Tek Syndicate should be avoided by the plague by computer hardware and audio enthusiasts alike. They've spouted more nonsense regarding both worlds than I like to think. If I'd known what you'd linked I'd have avoided giving them a hit.

 

I feel they have gotten a lot better in the past year. Their computex coverage was pretty spot on. I'm sorry you have such strong feelings about them, but the video is informative and relevant.
Your credibility is waning imo, you judge a great headset (more like headphones) with preconceived notions, then when showed a video telling you about it you judge that as well with preconceived notions. Pretty ironic.

 

In the past year, they have delivered their famous videos about computer audio and have basically placed themselves on the avoid list of anyone who knows even a bit of audio.

 

You obviously can't read, I've already stated that if the headset uses Beyer designs that it'll likely be good. I asked for links to reviews from audio related websites out of interest, you instead linked to Tek Syndicate. A website that is derided on this forum and any half decent community for the bull it consistently posts. This is made worse again by their audio specific articles/videos which were infamous within the entire audio community, and weren't released that long ago. I would recommend not questioning the credibility of others when your go-to source for anything is Tek Syndicate. Frankly, you should have known better.

 

The video is not informative at all, it's also putting out false informative, misleading people into believing one thing just to get them in the mind set to buy their O2dac and o2amp, There are those who don't use any of the gaming functions when they game and those will be fine with just any external dac/amp, but there are those who are like me who want features like Dolby headphone or SBX or DSP effects for games, Which where a sound card or external sound card with optical in my case come into play, Or those who run 5.1/7.1 speaker setup's or want to keep something simple and use a sound card.

Most on-board's lack features that people are buying sound card's for and only a few motherboard's have good audio but it usually the gigabyte Sniper series motherboards that do, While they do it still not on the same level as the higher end sound card's. There will always be a need for sound card's. As sound cards tend to also have better audio performance then motherboard audio too. But then the audio gear like speakers and headphones still come into play.

When people give suggestion to op or any one who's looking for a good pair of headphone's they suggest getting a good pair of stereo headphones and attaching a mic to them because that what gives the op or the person who asking more for their money. Because helping some one getting more for your money is the best thing you can do for them, so they get something good the first time and not the second or 3rd time. I have a couple of friends who wished they didn't get the Logitech's the Corsair etc headset's and came to me for help and glad they did, as they was able to get more for their money and not less.

Sorry but gaming marketing headset's like logitechs, Crosair's etc are just that PR marketing, trying to sell lower quality headphones to people, knowing if they use the right combination of words they can sell products that worth less for they they selling it for alot of money. I fell for that so many times in the past before I got into this hobby. Most of them that are usb are just using a build in USB sound card which already isn't a good quality one as it is and is just using Dolby headphone, Which sound card's already have like the Asus Xonar series and any ones that uses the C-media chip set.

The best thing the op can do is first tell us what kind of sound signature that he's looking for and his budget if he already haven't. That way we can suggest a pair of headphones that has the sound that hes looking for. Then he can get a modmic and attach it to the headphones and have a very good setup.

 

No, just no. They all have down syndrome. Don't get down syndrome, don't watch Tek Syndicate videos or recommend anything based off of them. Please.

 

Engaging in this audiophile-type of discussion is pointless, imo. "Audio" is the most subjective experience. Very, very hard to put on words.

Just because a brand name their headset as "gaming" it doesn't necessarily make the headsets crap. Nor the presence of a mic does.
I grant you the fact most "headsets" don't have a high grade microphone but, then again, it's the all point of a headset to cut on the overall price. I could get the Takstar Pro 80 headphone for €10 less and have same sound experience as I have with the Q-PAD QH-85 or with HyperX Cloud because they all have same drivers. But, if I want to have a microphone with the Pro 80s - a very good mic -, I will have to spend (a lot) more than €10.
There are headsets with very good microphones but, they cost more than €100. And is here, above the €100 that you have a good point. Is very hard to find good mics in + €100 headsets. They exist. Take the Senheisers, for example. But, they are rare. Very rare, indeed.

As for a reference video or review, refer to OC3D:
Kingston HyperX Cloud Headset Review;
HyperX Cloud Headset Video Review

 

I trying to help the op get the most for his money and not less. There are plenty of mics that will work like the zalman mic that very affordable, I have gotten a mic off ebay that was a dollar that worked very well. I used to use gaming headset's my self in the past so my suggestion is from experiences with gaming headsets and their prices, that you can get more for the same price or even less. Yes audio is subjective but it doesn't mean he has to get less for his money instead of more.

I know plenty of options that will work off his onboard if hes happy with using it, options that do not benefit from being amp that affordable. It just that he has not mention the type of sound he want if he knows. Like superlux's, Audio technica's, Ultrasone's and just attach a cheap mic like I mention to it so he can get more for his money.

 

Ok. . .

So, what are you saying? Are you saying I am not trying to help the OP? Or are you implying that I can't help the OP because I have not an audiophile "hobby"?
Is because I said from my own personal experience, the HyperX Cloud headsets are very good for the money? Which they are. Very solid build quality for the money; very good sound quality for the money; and very good mic for the money. I am telling the OP the headsets are really worthy the money! My opinion is empiric, based on personal experience, and is as valid as your audiophile opinion.

As for the "sound", how can you even recommend anything over something you don't know or heard for yourself? How can you say the HyperX Cloud doesn't sound like the OP wants - if he even knows how to express in words what sound he wants -, if you don't know how the HyperX Cloud sounds like? Are you presuming they sound crap just because they are a headset, therefore dismissing every headset as being a bad choice and assuming that only "headphones" are good and worthy the money asked for them?


P.S. Don't read my words as trying to be offensive. I have nothing against you, your hobbies or tastes. Just stating my case.

 

Because most gaming headsets that come and gone tend to not perform that well and for the price he can do better. Me having this audio hobby do not mean i didn't have experience with lesser gear or gaming headset's. I my self used to be a big gaming headset user that found I can get more for my money, after having countless gaming headsets that I spend alot of money on and getting less then what I paid for,til I found i could get more for my money if I didn't fall for the gaming tag.

I might not use the hyper's but in general gaming label headset's tend to not perform for the price they cost from my experience. For 80 dollars or whatever it cost in his location, I suggestion alt options and it still be up to him to accept the suggestion or not. No reason why I can't since he did mention it in the thread title. If op doesn't know how to explain the sound he want, he can try and give us a idea by giving even little detail, doesn't take much.

To go with what you said which can work in reverse, how you know the op will like the sound signature that the hyper gives you don't, He may get it and hate it and may want to throw you off a bridge. Which why it important for him to give us a idea so I can suggest something to him that closer to what he looking for. Because in the end only the op knows the sound that hes looking for. Even if he does get the Hyper, his onboard audio wouldn't do justice to the headset either. Unless he love the way his onboard sounds.

 

By this same logic, why would we recommend anything other than neutral balance, known good quality stuff? Since he didn't express specific taste, like you said. Your opinion is just that, an opinion. It's great you think this generic headset is decent. I'm sure it is. But there are certainly better options that we like to stick to here.

 

I never said that all headsets are crap, merely that most of them are. There are some very good headsets out there, although the bang for the buck is rarely in place. While the headset you're recommending very well might be great, and this would be in large due to the Beyerdynamic designs used in it's build, that doesn't mean it has a sound signature that the OP wants. That being a large part of my point, as well as that of other people posting here.

If the OP could inform us as to what sort of audio he leans toward, making a valid suggestion would be a lot easier. Beyer based products tend to have a fairly distinct in house sound, there's no getting away from it. I enjoy their stuff, as do many people on this forum. On the other hand, I know people who really can't get away with them.

When suggesting a product to someone that is very subjective due to personal taste, it's usually best to gain an idea of what that persons tastes are. When you have an idea of that, suggesting a suitable headphone is generally far easier than suggesting a headset. If the OP thinks he'll enjoy a Beyer based sound in closed back cans, by all means. I'd rather not recommend something based entirely on supposition however.

 

Interesting how you mine-quote a statement and then remove it out of contest. My point was that no one can/can't endorse a headset 100% if never listened to it before.
And yes, maybe for gaming, the best thing to do is to buy a "neutral balanced" headset and use the equalizer when listening to music. I am not saying the HyperX Cloud are neutral headsets. That was your assumption.

Of course, was "just my opinion" as yours is "just your opinion".
And of course there are "better options". However, those "better options" usually, come at higher price tags than $100.

Now, stating a headset is "generic" without even listen to it, is grounding the judgement on preconceptions at least, and a lack of intellectual honesty at most.

We are in the same page, basically. I agree with your suggestions and points.

My only gripe with your post was that it sound to me, like if every headset was crap and every headphone was great. Now, I know is not what you think. Surely, there are good headsets and bad headphones. The thing is that is easier to find an over-priced crappy headset than it is to find an over-priced, crappy headphone. Certainly, there's a lot of "branding rights", PR nonsense and fan-boy hype in the "gaming headset" market, which is one more reason to be easier to recommend headphones than headsets.

Again, is very hard to put our personal "sound tasting" on words, specially when it comes to music - and within "music" as an whole, when it comes to a specific genre of music.
But, what about games? What about if the OP wants the headset mostly for gaming? (which I think being the case). Do you think the "games" are meant to be listened like the programmers design them?

 

The question that we ask does benefit gaming as well, it doesn't just benefit music only,It can and does benefit gaming too as a factor.As people do want a certain type of sound signature even for gaming. Some people may want a lot of bass for explosives as they like hard hitting gunshots going boom bang Ka Pow instead of muddy one note while being able to still hear foot steps while having a good sound imaging, Some may want the same but with less bass and a even bigger sound stage. Some May want a neutral headphone or close to it and so forth for gaming.

It does not only apply to music usage but to games as well. For most part people the same sound signature preference usually is for both not one or the other. Which why I made the point about getting some idea of what he is looking for in sound. As every one has a different type of sound signature that they want in general. Which why the question is the first thing that get asked, so we have the better understanding what the op or the said person wants. Then go into detail helping the op,explaining to him in detail's. To get the whole picture.

edit: I think the op must had came and saw the results of the thread and ran back out and went into hiding. since there been no word from him since he asked.