Page 3 - Subjective Audio Analysis
As with all the audio products we review here at APH Networks, it takes quite a bit of experience and training of the ears before we can begin making a fair judgment. Even for the best of audiophiles, it can be hard to produce an exact and accurate evaluation of a product without a thoroughly familiar product to use as simultaneous reference. While I will not claim to be the reviewer of all reviewers for headphones, I can say quite a few other computer review sites have editors lacking in training for reviewing anything audio related. Give them anything and all you will get is some vague description of “awesome bass, amazing midrange, nice treble, no muffles, 10/10”. Do not get me wrong though; there are knowledgeable audio reviewers out there on respected online media outlets, but they are far and few. There are no true objective measurements for audio sound quality. As the reviewer, however, I will put the Kingston HyperX Cloud Revolver through a series of subjective tests to try to come up with the most objective rating as possible. The tests were conducted primarily with the HyperX Cloud Revolver plugged directly into the Auzentech X-Fi Bravura sound card's dedicated headphone circuit. Comparisons between the Revolver and the original Cloud and Cloud II were made throughout testing.
After over 50 hours of break-in time (Well above the typical required period), we put the Kingston HyperX Cloud Revolver to the tests. All tracks are uncompressed CDs, FLAC, or LAME encoded MP3s at 192kbps or higher. For gaming, I played Crysis 2 Maximum Edition, Blade and Soul, and Rocket League. First-person shooter games are probably the most crucial games to test these headphones, as gameplay can heavily rely on hearing additional sounds. Blade and Soul, a third person MMORPG, and Rocket League, a racing-sports combination, definitely have aspects where audio is helpful, including where the sound comes from, but this is less of a factor.
At the lowest end of the frequencies, the Kingston HyperX Cloud Revolver followed the second iteration of the Cloud with a prominent but controlled bass. It was plushy, full, and had the "oomph" expected from a lower-end. Bass was not overwhelming other frequencies, which is a common trend with some other headsets marketed to the bassier audiences. The prominent bass also provided a better foundation for the midrange and treble frequencies. In games, this translated to several things for different games. In first person shooters, I was able to hear footsteps easier and even deep breathing, giving me an idea to the location of my enemies. The deep rumble and roar of engine sounds was also heard. Much like the HyperX Cloud II, Kingston has kept the prominent bass without going to the other extreme of having too much.
In the midrange, we had a relatively natural sound. Vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, and pianos were clean and clear. The reproduced noise from these instruments was with warmth and a nice resonance. Pianos and guitars had their natural wood sound. Midrange vocals were also good, and sounded moist with decay. Low mid-range frequencies followed the bass trend with adequate amplitude, while the higher end of the middle came through clearly. The midrange sounded less boosted than the original Cloud, with the adequate foundation built with the bass. The midrange performance was reflected in games through clear vocals, and through gunshots and gun reloading.
At the upper end of the audible frequency, we had little trouble with the treble. High-hat clashes and higher-range instruments like violins were clear and clean, but as always, rolled off near the highest end of the treble. Even so, the treble was tight and felt together. There were a few noticeable frequencies in this high-end, which felt a bit more accentuated than others. It might have been very slight, but still noticeable. In games, the higher frequencies can be heard through things like glass breaking. Specifically, in Blade and Soul, a high pitch ping is sounded to tell the gamer your enemy has spotted and is about to attack, also known as getting "aggroed". In terms of overall balance, the Cloud Revolver offered a pretty balanced sound, with everything being supported by the lower frequencies. While these pair of headphones are not designed to be for the audiophile, they were still capable of producing pleasing sounds. Overall, there is a flat characteristic to the headset, rather than the sharp V-shape we usually hear from most gaming headsets. While the V-shape is sometimes preferred for most gaming situations, this headset is definitely more audibly pleasing.
As for soundstaging, the crew at HyperX noted this was a huge focus for the Cloud Revolver, stating a "Studio-Grade Soundstage". I was a bit worried they would overcompensate and make an unnatural sounding headset instead, but after listening to this headset, I was proven wrong. The soundstage was quite wide with this headset, providing a very large directional sound. This was even better than the Cloud II, which I was already quite happy with. Depth of sound was excellent too. Despite this being a closed-back headset, it definitely sounded a lot more open than I expected.
Together, all three layers produced a detailed sound. The entire audible range was present and, more importantly, clean. The ranges were separated and defined, but the transitions between the ranges was relatively smooth too. There was a bit of a dip between each set of frequencies, but this was almost unnoticeable. The sound felt cohesive, like it was being reproduced in a smooth gradient.
Sound isolation on the HyperX Cloud Revolver was a bit less than ideal, as there was quite a bit of sound leakage, even at lower volumes. This was probably because Kingston had to choose between the balance of soundstaging and isolation. The more open-back a pair of headphones get, the better soundstage you will get due to ambient noise leaking in. However, it also means it is more likely to leak sound to the environment. The over-the-ear headphones still seal your ears completely in, unless you have much larger ears than myself. The passive noise cancellation did remove quite a bit of external noise. Of course, this was also a characteristic of the leatherette ear cups. Microphone performance too was great, with it recording a clear sound, while reducing external noises such as my mechanical keyboard or my mouse clicks. In addition, the flexibility of the mic was very helpful to find an ideal placement.
Overall, the Kingston HyperX Cloud Revolver is a very sound headset (Pun fully intended). With the audio signature of the previous headsets, they kept their good balance and clarity throughout all the audio frequencies. The wide soundstaging was excellent to hear, and felt natural. The Cloud Revolvers also struck the right balance in the layering of the sound, with the distinct frequencies being distinguished, but cohesive. It seems like HyperX have definitely learned how to make a pleasant sounding pair of headphones.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Hardware
3. Subjective Audio Analysis
4. Conclusion
