HyperX Cloud II Gaming Headset - 7.1 Surround Sound - Memory Foam Ear Pads - Durable Aluminum Frame - Works with PC, PS4, PS4 PRO, Xbox One, Xbox One S - Gun Metal (KHX-HSCP-GM)

I was originally looking for a good wireless headphones with sub 10K long lasting battery backup and did a lot of research, read a lot of reviews, made a list of officially available headphones on Amazon and Flipkart, but I found that all wired headphones sound much better than wireless headphones (even the wireless ones when connected via an aux cable) and so I ended up buying a wired one and hoping to use it with a wireless Bluetooth receiver. I needed headphones with good sound reproduction. music, watching movies, video/audio/Skype calls, etc. For a good headphone, we look for bass (low 20Hz-250Hz), midrange (250Hz-2kHz) and treble (high 2kHz-20kHz). I needed headphones with good natural sound reproduction (not favoring any particular frequencies like extra bass etc) as they affect other frequencies and Sound Stage (surround sound effects). These are the headphones I finalized based on my budget. Wireless -SteelSeries Arctis 7 - best wireless in my budget, had good balanced sound with app support but these had their own USB transmitter (no Bluetooth). Cannot be used with mobile and fire key unless the transmitter is USB powered at all times. Bulky than average and tight. It was only in my budget on Prime Day. Personally, I don't like this kind of headbands. Plantronics BackBeat PRO 2 - another good choice but never went down in price and couldn't find a reliable seller. There are a lot of fake helmets that look alike so I just wanted to get mine from a reliable source. JBL E55BT, Skullcandy Grind, Skullcandy Hesh 3, Skullcandy Hesh 2 JBL, JBL T450 BT - I mentioned them in the order of their sound. JBL E55BT being the best. They are all good Bluetooth headphones. Sennheiser HD 4.50 BT - This was only in my budget on prime time. These headphones pack a lot of high-end features, but for all of them, the quality is just average. Bass is good on these sounds while other sounds are average, active noise cancellation is also average. They have a simple, very basic look and a snug fit (some users have complained of soreness after wearing for long hours). Unfortunately they weren't available on the evening of the first day (I assume that although labeled as the deal of the day they were sold out our watch was over). Sennheiser HD 4.40 BT - Somewhat similar to Sennheiser HD 4.50 BT minus the ANC. Reviewers say the sound is more balanced on these, but unfortunately no discounts were given on these on Prime Day or at least during the time I was looking for headphones.Sony MDR-ZX330BT, Sony MDR-XB650BT - Good but with Over bass (good for bass lovers), Sony does not provide an aux cable port for these. So these are purely wireless. I was looking for a Sony MDR-XB950B1 but the price never dropped to my budget. Wired -Wired we have plenty of options with great sound and value for money. So we have to look for those that meet our requirements.Audio-Technica ATH-M50x, Audio-Technica ATH-M40x - One of the best headphones under 10K. Exceptional, well-balanced sound reproduction. Lacks any type of button or audio control. No microphone therefore had to remove them from the list. But if I ever have the chance to buy a helmet in the 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 proves its good value for money while the ATH-M series is already here. SteelSeries Siberia 200 - Reviewers say these are the best budget wired gaming headsets, but couldn't find nice color option and reliable seller. Brainwavz HM5, Shure SRH440 , Beats EP Wired, Sony MDR-7506, Sennheiser HD 280 Pro, Audio Technica ATH-M20x - A few other wired headphones in order based on sound . Few have microphones and few don't. I finalized on 4 headsets - Sennheiser HD 4.50 BT, HyperX Cloud, HyperX Cloud 2, HyperX Revolver. Sennheiser was not available when I made a decision. Now here is my review of HyperX Cloud 2 and why I chose it. cable - Definitely loud on the same volume levels. I tried different headphones and earbuds using the same source and volume level and this was the loudest. - Solid and robust construction. You can feel the build quality by looking at the chunky aluminum parts. Nice finish too.- Its well balanced. Good deep bass (with punch and punch but not too boomy) and excellent mids (well-balanced vocals and lead instruments). - Stage effect can be increased using USB with case on PC to give 7.1 surround sound. It definitely expands sound in games and movies. - Heavy padding on headband and ear cups. - Sound isolation is good. Blocks outside sound at a good level - Well balanced weight. Pressure is evenly distributed around the ears.- No tension or clamping force felt while wearing.- Ability to control mic and audio volume and mute via USB.- Great boom mic sound. Recorded speech is clear, full, detailed and natural. Some reviews even say that Mic on these is 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 this was a perfect fit for me. My whole ear was completely under the ear cups. Cons - Although this is an upgraded version of HyperX Cloud, reviewers say the sound is almost similar so I paid the extra 2.5K just for the USB connectivity and sound box 7.1 surround. - HyperX Revolver was priced too close to HyperX Cloud 2 on sale, and sounds slightly better and definitely has better Soundstage. Still Cloud 2 is slightly better in terms of comfort and construction. - Aux cable length is small. So if you don't use the USB with case, the cable is insufficient even with a laptop - The aux cable is not detachable. - Without the USB 7.1 when using with a 3 connection, 5mm, the sound effect is just average - I observed these leaks sounding too much, and if it's not on your head, you can clearly hear the music playing like a mini speaker at mid volume - The highs are just average. - 7.1 surround sound is useless for media that doesn't support audio via USB input. - Although super comfortable, it's still bulky at 306 grams. - Not sure why but I Couldn't find much difference in sound between this and Boat Rockerz 600 that I used earlier. I was confused if this can be called an upgrade. I will know more after using cloud 2 for a while. I will update my experience here after a few months of use. These were just my first observations. I will update the review after using them for a while.UPDATE -After 2 months of use, I have to say that the quality of this headphone is very good, especially the cables. Looks like I just brought them yesterday. The memory foam on the ear cups fit well for my years. I rarely used USB 7.1 surround sound. It doesn't seem to do much. The sound is excellent.