Seems like a better deal than others on Amazon AU, if you are willing to wait a bit. I ordered one yesterday and it's shipped today, showing ETA 14-Oct. Cheers.
CamelCamelCamel.
Thanks mate for the detailed insight. I've already ordered the HyperX one so no turning back now. I'm not an expert in this area so don't know this much detail, but I'll keep these makes and models in mind if I do need to buy anytime in near future :)
One thing I forgot to mention: there's also the Takstar FLIT, which is the original device manufacturer's more recent take on the Pro 80/Cloud II, sans USB.
That's probably around $70 from AliE after cashbacks and discounts if you know what you're doing:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001041078495.html
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001048891903.html
Coincidentally, those two are the only stores you should be dealing with for the Pro 82 and the GM200.
I have the GM200, they have boosted bass which isn't the best for metal, but good for gaming. The ports can be blocked to make more neutral.
Nice clean sound otherwise.
Girlfriend has these cloud IIs you'll be fine, better yet impressed. This is coming from a guy that owns a pair of SONY MDR-Z7s ($800+).
Sure there are cheaper hidden gems out there but the Cloud IIs are almost industry standard they have been going that long.
Thanks Mickice, looking forward to receiving them.
You'll be fine, they are a great headset. You get a pretty good USB sound card and 2 different sets of ear pads as well. It's just that these used to be routinely sold for under $100 before 2020.
I got the hyperx cloud core for around $70 a couple years ago and it is one of the best headsets ive had so far (for the price). It is pretty much the exact same as the cloud II but without the 7.1 surround sound and some accessories.
For strictly gaming purposes, would the HyperX Cloud II (as opposed to the Takstar GM200) be the preferable option due to the inclusion of the 7.1 USB sound card? Additionally, any idea how either would compare to the Audio-Technica ATH-AD900X for sound quality and the Blue Yeti for recording quality?
Depends on how old your motherboard (and thus its audio chip) is. I'd say the USB sound card isn't really that great, and if you really had to, you can buy one for $15-$20 from China.
AD900X is just OK. Good soundstage, decent imaging, but at that rough price you can get the AKG K702 from Amazon and get a better version of what you're seeking.
Blue Yeti isn't worth it if you're paying more than $110, move onto proper XLR mics. It'll cost you another $70-$100 to move on from that, but the quality jump is immense. They're probably not in stock, but take a look at the Neat King Bee ($190 and under) and the Mackie EM-91C ($170 and under).
The motherboard I'm currently using is an MSI Mortar B450M, but I have an ASUS TUF X570 Plus waiting to be installed, which appears to use the Realtek ALC S1200A audio chipset. I'm unsure if it can simulate 7.1 on stereo headsets. I already own the Audio-Technica ATH-AD900X and Blue Yeti. I was hoping to consolidate both into a single solution without compromising too much on the sound/recording quality. I have found that the Blue Yeti isn't ideal for gaming, as it picks up the clacking of the mechanical keyboard (although, I'm guessing a boom arm might potentially resolve this). With that in mind, HyperX Cloud II or Takstar GM200?
@Ben1985: Your onboard sound is fine.
Windows 10 comes with Windows Sonic, which does the same sort of DSP as the Dolby versions, just without the bloated bass. 7.1 emulation (which is what the Cloud II uses, it's not 6 surrounds, 1 mid channel a subwoofer), aside from videos, is a gimmick. Don't listening to marketing bullshit.
The Cloud II is not comparable to your existing solution, in any way. Buying a Cloud II would be a total waste of money.
There is no headset (capsule) mic that comes through with great quality this side of professional broadcasting gear: upgrade your desk mic and your headphones by all means, but this is in the other direction.
@Ben1985: I should note that thanks to hardware accelerated ray tracing, emulated surround sound will improve in gaming, but it has absolutely nothing to do with your headphones.
Better headphones with better imaging and soundstage will enhance that, not a $10 USB soundcard with a button.
Which should I be looking to buy?
I'm tired of playing Solos hahaha
Paid $89 from jb around Xmas. Alphas were around this price but still cheaper. Great set of gaming cans, highly recommended
I have these. Very good headphones. I paid about $160 at the time a few years ago.
I still think these are great, especially with the ps4 update
Have to agree, these headphones are great especially for the price.
I dont know…The Hyperx Cloud Alphas has a permanent price of $128 on Amazon and I think that would be a better purchase.
Even if you need the mic, at that price you're still way better off looking at something like the AKG K361, or the Takstar Pro 82/GM200 or Cooler Master MH751/MH752, the latter groupings being the spiritual successors to the Takstar Pro 80 (what the Cloud II was built from) and the Cloud II respectively. The last three options also come with a mic.
The Cloud II is an old recommendation now, and it only holds up at this price point because some websites refuse to update their 'best gaming headset' lists or shift to 'best wired headphone' lists.
Don't touch a pair of these for more than $80.