The HyperX Cloud Revolver is currently among the most premium headsets offered by the company. To celebrate Gears of War 4, HyperX teamed up with Microsoft to put a unique spin on the headset's outward design, making it the ultimate audio option for Gears fans everywhere. Still, even the most awesome headset design in the world wouldn't be worth it if the audio quality was bad. Thankfully, I can report that this isn't the case.
Is the Gears of War version of the HyperX Cloud Revolver headset good enough to make celebrating your Gears 4 fandom worthwhile over a more expensive, potentially more premium headset? Let's find out.
Design
The Gears version of the Cloud Revolver headset makes heavy use of the classic Gears of War color pallet. Deep crimson, gritty patterns and faded texturing give the headset an authentic, almost militaristic look, with some of the universe's physical hallmarks. The cans feature the iconic Crimson Omen logo, which displays when your character is near death. The symbol is set on a gear-like design which houses the headset's steel outer frame, with a ball-joint on either side for the speakers themselves.
The steel frame is connected to an inner headband, coated with a thick memory foam. It's worth noting that the steel frame does conduct sound into the earcups. This will only become an issue if you were planning to use the headset lying down or in any other situation where the frame might come into contact with an object, but it's something to bear in mind.
The visual design captures the striking essence of Gears of War without being gaudy or toy-like.
The inner headband automatically adjusts to your skull, allowing the headset to rest comfortably without any need for manual corrections. The speakers are coated in genuine leather, sitting on top a generous amount of memory foam to further aid comfort.
The materials used for the Gears CloudX Revolver headset feel premium throughout. There are combinations of shiny and matte reds and impressive details like matching red stitching on the headband and highly flexible fabric coated cables for the 4-pole 3.5mm connector. The mic boom is detachable too, making them a viable option for use on the go. The visual design captures the striking essence of Gears of War without being gaudy or toy-like.
Like some of HyperX's other headsets, they're incredibly light without feeling cheap. While some may feel they're a little loose fitting, the light weight and roaming headband almost entirely remove the sense that you're wearing a set of headphones, a feature that almost typifies HyperX's range. They can get a little clammy compared to other more expensive headsets I've used, but at this comparatively lower price point finding similar comfort and quality will be a tough endeavor.
Audio
As cool as the Gears of War design looks and feels, a headset is only ever worth its audio quality. Thankfully, this custom Cloud Revolver delivers in the sound department. I have used a lot of headsets across the entire price spectrum, and for me, the general rule of thumb has always been "you get what you pay for." HyperX, however, is bucking the trend with both the CloudX and the Cloud Revolver, which enjoy big audio at a more accessible price.
The HyperX Cloud Revolver headset features what the company calls a "studio-grade" sound stage, which is designed to give you an extended sense of depth and range when it comes to the headset's stereo sound. Gears of War 4 is the obvious choice for testing this headset, and it does indeed impart the feeling that you're in a wider space than other headsets I've used, even at the highest price points. Sadly, HyperX left 7.1 surround out of this set, which can make a difference in certain situations.
Higher-end surround headsets seem to offer better accuracy when it comes to pinpointing specific sounds in noisy settings. While the raw audio on offer on HyperX's Gears headset competes with the most expensive cans out there, delivering clear, sweeping bass tones and crisp highs and mids, the positioning of those sounds isn't as accurate as more costly sets I've used. Playing a Scout in the upper waves of Horde mode, you really need to hear whether there's a chainsaw wielding Drone sneaking up behind you. While the Gears headset's 50mm drivers do a great job, it feels like surround sound headsets I've compared these to grant a slide edge during chaotic games like Horde 3.0 and 64-player Battlefield 1 matches.
The Cloud Revolver's detachable mic delivers robust audio for those listening on the other end, but if you want to add decent mic volume monitoring, you will either need to include an adapter for your Xbox One controller or put up with the Xbox One's unimpressive native mic feedback. As the headset uses a standard 4-pole 3.5mm jack with in-line audio controls and a mute toggle, you can use these with your mobile phone or your PC, and they work well in all sorts of sound scenarios.
Conclusion
All things considered, the HyperX CloudX Gears of War Revolver headset is an ideal headset for Gears of War fans, and would make for an incredible gift as we move into the holiday season. They feel hard-wearing, premium, complete with a comforting, unobtrusive fit and a pleasing aesthetic.
While this is cheaper than something like Turtle Beach's Elite Pro Tournament headset, I would have liked to have seen some additional features at this price point, such as surround sound or mic feedback, but they still offer an impressive array of features resulting in some solid value.
Pros:
- Extremely comfortable
- Premium feel
- Epic Gears of War design
- Solid sound experience
- Decent value
Cons:
- Missing features relevant to this price point
- Steel band conducts sound
HyperX CloudX Revolver Gears of War headset shrugs off the idea that third-party licensed and branded peripherals need to be cheap and tacky, offering a rich, distortion-free raw sound experience that competes with the best headsets out there. If you're a fan of surround sound you might find yourself disappointed by the omission, but for all but the most competitive and chaotic scenarios, this headset gets the job done.
