Your gaming headset will significantly impact your overall gaming experience, so it’s worthwhile spending the time, effort, and money to get the one that’s right for you. A good set of gaming headphones can give you a big advantage in many games over someone with speakers, earbuds, or even non-gaming headphones. And fortunately, there are plenty of options available at all price points to choose from. Two of the better ones we’ve seen in recent years are the HyperX Cloud II and the Razer Blackshark V2 headsets, both of which come jam-packed with features that allow gamers to sink into many hours of comfortable gaming. HyperX and Razer are also two of the leaders in the gaming peripheral market.

A gamer could pick either of these options and be pretty happy with their purchase, but there are some key differences between the two to be aware of before making a purchase. While both headsets receive high praise from consumers, experts do generally say that the HyperX Cloud II headphones are better in terms of build quality and performance. 

But that’s not to say that people that buy Razer Blackshark V2 headphones will be disappointed. They won’t. On this page, we’ll run through some of the key features of both headphones that’ll help you to choose the ones that are right for you. 

Side-By-Side Comparison

Let’s begin by running through the similarities between the two. Both of these headsets were designed with gaming in mind and come with a detachable microphone and a fixed 3.5mm input cable. They also feature a pretty similar design.

The differences begin to show once you dive a little deeper. In terms of pure audio performance, the HyperX Cloud II headphones win on virtually every level; they just simply sound better than the Razer Blackshark V2 headphones at high, mid, and low levels. However, there’s an important caveat here; the HyperX headphones only clearly beat the Blackshark headphones out of the box. You can connect the Blackshark V2 headphones to Razer Synapse, which allows you to tweak the equalizer controls to your preference. If you know how to tweak the controls to your preference, then you can get a sound based on your preferences from the Blackshark headphones.

Both headsets are comfortable, but the HyperX Cloud II headphones seem more comfortable, thanks to the choice of materials. The earcups have been manufactured with leatherette that allows gamers to wear them for hours without having to take a break. 

The Gamer Opinion on the HyperX Cloud II and Razer Blackshark v2

So what do gamers think of both of these headphones? Unsurprisingly, both have received extremely positive reviews. The HyperX Cloud II headphones have an average score of 4.6/5 from 120,000 reviews; the Razer Blackshark V2 headphones have an average score of 4.6/5 from 10,200 reviews.

Reviews for both typically mention the high sound quality and comfort levels of the headphones. The one downside that consumers mention for both is that bass levels aren’t as good as they could be.

The Bottom Line 

So which one is right for you? If you’re like most gamers, then you’ll likely be happy purchasing either. However, if you’re unsure of how to use Razer’s equalizer software, then the high out-of-the-box performance of the HyperX Cloud II headphones will probably be best. As mentioned above, you can’t go wrong either way though.

Do you own either of these gaming headsets? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Also, if you are still unsure, you may want to check out our post about the best budget gaming headsets under $100 or are recent comparison between the Logitech G933 vs Hyperx Cloud Revolver.