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HyperX approach gaming peripherals with a very simple design ethos. Its number one concern is the number one requirement from you, and it's a philosophy that's largely paid off for the relatively young company. The Cloud Revolver S, announced at CES 2017, is the biggest, baddest headset in the company's range.
Going back to that design principle, HyperX is aiming for comfort first and sound second. But between the memory foam cups, wider steel headband, 50mm drivers and plug-and-play Dolby 7.1-channel surround sound, the Revolver S isn't messing around with performance either. There's just a couple of problems with how it delivers.
The gentle elasticity and memory foam cups make the Cloud Revolver S feel custom-made for your head.
Luke Lancaster/CNETKey Specs
- 50mm neodymium drivers
- Memory foam cups
- Weight: 360g, 376g with mic (roughly 0.8lb)
- 3.5mm jack or USB connection
- Dolby Virtual 7.1
- Plug-and-play
- Control box with discrete voice and sound control and 3 sound profiles
Some minor lip gymnastics are required if you're trying to squeeze drinks in between respawns. Or you could use a straw. The point is that the mic itself, once plugged in, isn't retractable or easily folded away. It's bendable, but you can really only do so much with it if it's in your way, and I found myself missing the low-profile or folding mics on other headsets I've used.
The mic is detachable, but that's not really a solution.
Luke Lancaster/CNETSound quality itself was superb, both for gaming, comms and general music playback. I wouldn't be caught replacing my usual bluetooth headphones with these to use in the office or during my commute, but you're getting crisp, multi-channel quality and clear voice chat both ways.
Likewise, the in-line audio control box felt cumbersome. It's quite large and the clip on the back is fine for a pocket or a lapel, but it's not much use if you're in a plain t-shirt. Or I guess, no shirt. I'm not judging how you play games. As it's home to both your voice and audio volume controls and mute buttons, you want to keep it in easy reach, but it's hard to find a good place to put it.