Revolver: the new HyperX weapon to seduce players

Ergonomics

Even if its atypical look may surprise, the HyperX Revolver is an over-ear headphone which benefits from a good quality of manufacture, a serious assembly, a large metal hoop and plastic shells to protect the earpieces. The only details that bother us concern the apparent wiring between the top of the earbuds and the base of the lower headband as well as the non-removable cable.

Apart from that, the helmet is at the same time solid, light and relatively flexible, which augurs good durability if one takes a minimum care of his belongings. If you are often on the go, know that HyperX has chosen to get rid of the many accessories that were one of the strong points of the Cloud. There is therefore no storage case to protect the helmet or even an extension cable or additional pads.

This Revolver uses a double hoop that is found more and more in the world of audio gaming. This choice is quite clearly inspired by what can be found at Steelseries with the Siberia 650, for example. The problem with this upper metal hoop is that it tends to resonate when you wear the helmet on your head and touch this part. Fortunately, the phenomenon is much better controlled here. HyperX has retained the arch of the Cloud, but the foam here is a little more flexible and airy. The two ear cups are connected to the headband by a ball-and-socket pivot system which allows slight vertical or horizontal movement. The removable imitation leather pads are similar to those of the Cloud: they are particularly thick and soft to the touch.

This combination adds a new dimension to the comfort provided. The Revolver is naturally placed on the head and adapts fairly well to different body shapes, especially the larger heads. The weight is well distributed and the pressure points are homogeneous all around the ears. The pads do not provide an extreme feeling of warmth.

However, we find that the pressure exerted on the top of the skull is just a little too marked for large heads from the first hours, which can be embarrassing if you decide to do long sessions from the start. The shaping and softening of the pad is done little by little, but we always feel a little the arch in the end. A slightly more flexible and thinner lower hoop could have changed that. The acoustic design is a little more open, passive insulation is far from being extreme. It still allows you to cut a minimum of the environment to be comfortable in play.

The Revolver connects to console controllers and mobile devices via a particularly thick braided cable which measures approximately one meter. It ends with a 3.5 mm 4-pin mini-jack connector. A 2 m extension cable, which ends with a double 3.5 mm 3-point mini-jack is also provided. It has a command which allows you to control the listening volume via a continuous potentiometer and which allows you to mutate the microphone via a switch. Like many other helmets, the Revolver does not have a dedicated computer application.

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Audio

The sound performance of these headphones is generally good. The rendering is certainly musical and the signature in W is marked, but it remains in the end relatively controlled and precise.

The bottom of the spectrum is delivered with great depth, but it is not extremely warm. However, this remains under control, because the membranes never really get carried away and there is only a small masking effect on the low mids. The voices are particularly well put forward. They are clear and intelligible, but female voices lack a bit of warmth and therefore appear more pinched than male voices. This signature in W still remains a bit marked in the high-mid / treble. The sibilance awakens from time to time according to the songs, just like the "fff" voices. Guitars, especially distorted electric guitars, are a bit sharper and more aggressive than usual. Our favorite songs in this kind of case, signed The Dillinger Escape Plan and Oh, Sleeper, are however soft enough to be listened to without too much aggressiveness. If you like rock or metal, this is the kind of reproduction that is likely to please you. The treble is restored more gently, but remains present enough to bring a minimum of shine and air. However, we expected better in this area given the slightly more open design of the earbuds.

The Revolver offers a nice reproduction of the stereophony even if, there again, we expected even more width. The sound scene remains particularly legible, however, and each element that composes it is easily identifiable. It is less the case in depth, especially on the evaluation of the distance in play. It is a little better than what the Cloud is capable of, but less good than some other references.

This model is powerful and can be used with the majority of sources, even nomadic devices that are a little tight in power. Even at high listening levels, the distortion remains at its lowest levels.

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Microphone

This model also innovates in terms of micro. It is still removable and swan neck, but it is now without windscreen and protected by rubber. It is easy to handle and is easily positioned in front of the mouth. It captures the voice very well and cuts enough outside noise to be heard clearly. However, a small gain boost will not be too much to achieve a good level of capture.

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Conclusion

Hyper took a risky bet by changing a large part of the codes that made the success of the Cloud. The new design of the Revolver is more comfortable and more suited to different body shapes, but the many accessories have disappeared. Sound reproduction is really different, but it remains generally controlled and precise. In the end, and contrary to what HyperX announces, this model is nothing really special for FPS games. It will satisfy those who seek an effective closed helmet that does not insulate in an extreme way, but which offers a feeling of greater ventilation.

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