I was initially looking for a good wireless headset with long battery backup under 10K and did a lot of research, read a lot of reviews, made a list of officially available headphones on Amazon and Flipkart but found that all the wired headphones sound much better than wireless ones (even the wireless ones when connected through aux cable) and so finally ended buying a wired one and hope to use it with a wireless Bluetooth receiver.
I needed a headphone with good sound reproduction
My primary Usage were listening music, watching movie, video/audio/Skype calls etc and gaming or basically I needed a headphone that can be comfortable for longer duration. For a good sounding headphone we look for Bass(low 20Hz-250Hz), Mids(250Hz-2KHz) and Treble(High 2KHz-20KHz). I needed a headphone with good natural sound reproduction (not favoring any particular frequencies like extra Bass etc) as these affects other frequencies and Sound Stage (Surround Sound Effects). These are the headphones I finalized according to my budget.
Wireless -
SteelSeries Arctis 7 - best wireless ones in my budget, had good balanced sound with app support but these had their own USB transmitter (no Bluetooth). Can not use with mobile and fire stick unless I have the transmitter USB powered at all times. Bulky than average and tight. Was only in my budget on Prime Day. I personally don't like these kind of headbands.
Plantronics BackBeat PRO 2 - another good choice but its price never dropped and was not able to find any reliable seller. There are lot of look alike fakes of headphones so I just wanted to get mine from reliable source.
JBL E55BT, Skullcandy Grind, Skullcandy Hesh 3, Skullcandy Hesh 2 JBL, JBL T450 BT - Have mentioned them in order of how they sound. JBL E55BT being the best. These are all good Bluetooth headphones.
Sennheiser HD 4.50 BT - Was only in my budget on prime day. These headphones pack a lot of premium features but for all those the quality is just average. Bass is good on these while other sounds are average, Active Noise Cancellation is also average. They have very basic simple looks and tight fit (some user complained of pain after wearing for long hours). Unfortunately they were unavailable by evening on Prime day (I guess although labelled as deal of the day, they got sold our before day was over).
Sennheiser HD 4.40 BT - Somewhat similar like Sennheiser HD 4.50 BT minius the ANC. Reviews say sound is more balanced on these but unfortunately no discount was given on these on Prime day or at least in time period when I was searching for headphones.
Sony MDR-ZX330BT, Sony MDR-XB650BT - Good ones but with Over bass (good for Bass lovers), Sony does not provide aux cable port for these. So these are purely wireless. I was looking for Sony MDR-XB950B1 but price never dropped to my budget.
Wired -
In wired we have lot of options with great sound and value for money. So we have to look for the ones matching our requirements.
Audio-Technica ATH-M50x, Audio-Technica ATH-M40x - One of the best headphones under 10K. Exceptional well balanced sound reproduction. Lacks any kind of audio button or control. No Mic so had to drop these from the list. But If I ever get a chance to buy headphone in future I will go for these.
Sennheiser HD 598 SR - Bass is below average on these. Other things are good and even has Mic and I found it later. But nothing exceptional to prove it value for money when already ATH-M series are there.
SteelSeries Siberia 200 - Reviewers say these are the best budget wired gaming headset but couldn't find a likable color option and reliable seller.
Brainwavz HM5, Shure SRH440, Beats EP Wired, Sony MDR-7506, Sennheiser HD 280 Pro, Audio Technica ATH-M20x - Few other wired headphones in order based on sound. Few have mics and few don't.
I finalized on 4 headphones - Sennheiser HD 4.50 BT, HyperX Cloud, HyperX Cloud 2, HyperX Revolver. Sennheiser was unavailable by the time I reached a decision.
Now comes my Review of HyperX Cloud 2 and why I choose it.
Pros -
- Wired Connectivity options (both 3.5mm and USB available)
- Removable Mic
- Additional Ear Cups
- Tangle free braided cable
- Definitely loud on same volume levels. Tried different headphones and earphone using same source and volume level and this was loudest.
- Strong and Sturdy build. You can feel the build quality by looking at the thick aluminum parts. Nice finishing too.
- Well balanced sound. Good deep bass (with thump and punch but not over boomy) and Excellent Mids (well-balanced vocals and lead instruments).
- Sounstage effect can be increased using the USB with box on PC to give 7.1 surround sound. It definitely broadens the sound in games and movies.
- Heavy padding on headband and ear cups.
- Noise isolation is good. Blocks outside sound to some good level
- Well balanced weight. Pressure is spread evenly around ears.
- No tightness or clamping force felt while wearing.
- Ability to control Mic and Audio volume and Mute through USB.
- Excellent Mic sound with boom. Speech recorded is clear, full, detailed and natural. Some reviews even say Mic on these are better than that of Arctis 7.
- Last but most important, excellent in breathability and comfort. Can easily use for long durations without any problem. I have glasses and big ears and it was a smooth fit for me. My whole ear were completely under the ear cups.
Cons -
- Although this is an upgraded version of HyperX Cloud the reviews say sound is almost similar so I paid the additional 2.5K only for USB connectivity and 7.1 surround sound box.
- HyperX Revolver was priced too close to HyperX Cloud 2 in sale, and is slightly better sounding and definitely has better Soundstage. Still Cloud 2 is marginally better in Comfort and Build.
- The aux cable length is small So, if you are not using the USB with box the cable falls short even using with laptop
- The aux cable is not detachable.
- Without the USB 7.1 box when using with 3.5mm connection the Sound effect is just average
- I observed that these leak sound too much, and if its not on head you can clearly hear the music playing like mini speaker at medium volume
- Treble is just average.
- 7.1 surround sound is useless for medium that doesn't support audio through USB input.
- Although it is super comfortable, it is still bulky at 306 grams.
- I am not sure why but I was not able to find much sound difference between this one and Boat Rockerz 600 I used earlier. I was confused whether this can be called an upgrade. I will know more after using cloud 2 for some time. I will update my experience here after few months of usage.
These were just my initial observations. I will update the Review after using them for some time.
UPDATE -
After 2 months of Usage I have to say quality of this headset is very good especially the cables. Looks like I just brought them yesterday. The memory foam on ear cups have adjusted well for my years. I rarely used the USB 7.1 surround sound. It does not seems to do much. Sound is great.
| Special Feature | Signature HyperX comfort with Durable aluminum frame, DTS Headphone, Active Noise Cancellation, With Built In Microphone |
|---|---|
| Included Components | HyperX Cloud Core – Gaming Headset for PC, DTS Headpone:X |
| Age Range (Description) | Adult |
| Material | Aluminium |
| Specific Uses For Product | Multimedia, Personal, Gaming |
| Headphones Jack | 3.5 mm Jack |
| Noise Control | Active Noise Cancellation |
| Charging Time | 20 Hours |
| Ear Placement | On Ear |
| Recommended Uses For Product | Entertainment, Outdoor, Calling, Listening Music, Gaming |
| Compatible Devices | PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Laptops, Mobile Phones, Tablets, PC, All Wired Jack Devices, iOS, Android |
| Control Type | Media Control, Touch Control |
| Microphone Form Factor | Built-In |
| Cable Feature | Detachable |
| Item Weight | 408 Grams |
| Package Type | Standard Packaging |
| Net Quantity | 1 U |
| Style | Cloud Core DTS |
| Control Method | Touch |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Manufacturer | HyperX, HP Inc |
| Model | 4P4F2AA |
| Model Year | 2022 |
| Product Dimensions | 14.7 x 20.4 x 9.6 cm; 408.23 Grams |
| Batteries | 1 Unknown batteries required. |
| Item model number | 4P4F2AA |
| Hardware Platform | Gaming Console, PC, Smartphone |
| Special Features | Signature HyperX comfort with Durable aluminum frame, DTS Headphone, Active Noise Cancellation, With Built In Microphone |
| Batteries Included | No |
| Batteries Required | No |
| Cable feature | Detachable |
| Form Factor | Over Ear, On ear |
| Does it contain liquid? | No |
| Manufacturer | HyperX |
| Country of Origin | China |
| Item Weight | 408 g |
