We have looked at products from the CM Storm line up before. Most recently we took a look at the CM Storm Scout 2 case. We also took a look at the CM Storm Sirius not too long ago. Of course we know that headsets are a key part of any gaming setup – what is the point of having a pretty kick-ass rig if you can’t hear the guy sneaking up behind you? Really it is more than just gaming; personally I listen to a lot of music via my headset, so that is also high on my list of qualifications. The Sonuz might just fit the bill – today we are going to find out.
Product Name: CM Storm Sonuz
Review Sample Provided by: Cooler Master
Written by: Jakob Barnard
Pictures by: Jakob Barnard
Specifications
Headphone
|
Driver diameter |
?53mm |
|
Frequency range |
10 – 20,000 Hz |
|
Impedance |
45 ? |
|
Sensitivities(@1kHz) |
98 dB ± 3 dB |
|
Connector |
3.5 mm gold-plated headphone jack |
|
Inner Ear Cup Diameter |
97.0 mm |
|
Cable Length |
2.0m |
|
Max Output |
200mW |
Microphone:
|
Frequency range |
100–10,000 Hz |
|
Sensitivities (@1kHz) |
-47 dB ± 3 dB |
|
Signal-to-Noise Ratio |
58dB |
|
Pick Up pattern |
Omni-Directional |
|
Diameter |
4x1.5mm |
Hardware requirements:
|
Audio Usage |
Devices with 3.5mm audio jack and microphone jack |
|
Audio + Microphone Usage |
Devices with 3.5mm audio + microphone combined jack(Compatible with Apple iPhone®, HTC®, BlackBerry®) |
Packaging
The CM Storm motif never fails to catch ones attention and the Sonuz is no exception. The black and red of the box clearly indicates what product line it falls under.
The headset and controls take center stage in the packaging, though it is important to note that the Sonuz boasts about the 53mm driver right on the front. The sizes and back expand on the features and specifications of this headset. Inside of the packaging Cooler Master kept it pretty simple - just the headset and a small informational pamphlet.
Comfort
Comfort of ear cups – The cups were actually quite comfortable. We have seen different shapes and sizes. The round cups fit nicely over the ears without pinching and I was able to wear them for quite a while before having to take a break. The side pressure was comfortable and plenty sufficient to take some of the weight from the top band.
Comfort of headband – The headband is the deal breaker for me in most headsets. A lot of headsets I find all of the weight is put on the top and even a fair amount of padding this gets annoying for me pretty quick. As I mentioned with the ear cups, enough of the weight is distributed that the pad on the headband proved plenty as I was able to adjust the band to sit a little high so it was barely resting on the top of my head. This allowed me to have the headset on for a longer period of time than other headsets I have tested.
The Mic and controls - The mic is a simple boom mic that can be rotated up and out of the way. The action was a little stiff causing the headset to tilt forward a bit, but that is better than the mic falling down when you are trying to use it. This was also likely due to how I keep the headset as loose as possible. The boom itself has a rubber piece in the middle that allows you to adjust how far the mic is from your face. The controls were nice in their simplicity. The control unit is an in-line pod that has a volume dial and a mic on-off switch. I prefer a switch like this as opposed to a button - I want to know if I am on mic or not, so like it very hard to screw up. The braided cord has a nice feel quality feel to it as well. My only complaint here is the audio/mic jacks aren't clearly labeled. This is really a minor quibble for me since my office normally has poor light when I am trying to plug a headset in anyways - so it's always trial and error to get them plugged in correctly. The mic is also detachable and can be moved to the right earpiece. There are different preferences out there and it is nice that Cooler Master made an easy solution for this that doesn't impact looks or functionality.
Testing
With 53mm drivers, I was confident about the ability for bass to come through. With that being the case, I decided to pull out some alt rock songs to see how it handled a little more subtle of a song selection. Do note that there is no included software, so all audio settings are default. (No equalization.) Not being a USB headset this was unneeded, Cooler Master left it up to your sound card to handle adjustments.
Hoobastank – The reason – The beginning of this song is key with its subtle bum bum bum. It is highly recognizable and a great indicator of how a headset will perform when the vocals come in. The bass was a strong starter, but the vocals were clear when they came in. The highs weren't quite where I like them to be, but I typically tweak the equalizer settings to bring out the highs a bit more. The sound was very rich throughout the song in a good way.
R.E.M – Losing My Religion – This is a song where too much bass can really inpact the feel of the song. Again I found the highs weren't quite how I liked them, but the guitar was clear. I decided to really crank up this song to see if the sound levels would change with a volume change. I was pleased that the headset performed consistently when bouncing between a low volume and a high volume.
Pandora - Trance Radio – I put this into the testing mix while I was writing up this review. I normally throw some trance on while writing and was very pleased with the Sonuz performance here. Whether playing a booming bit of techno, or some really subtle electronica the Sonuz kept it sounding great. A lot of it tends to have a driving bass throughout the piece and the 53mm brought it home here. (Stamina Instrumental by Cozi was particularly intense with long driving bass runs.)
Star Trek 2009 – I saw Wes covered this movie a little while back when reviewing a headset and as a trekkie I thought it was a perfect excuse to re-watch. First off this movie would sound better with a fair amount of headsets when compared to watching in a living room with just TV speakers. That being said, with sound effects and huge amounts of bass making up movies these days (and Star Trek 2009 is a great example of this) a quality headset can make a huge difference. The vocals were spot on, the effects rattled my head, and the "hello" when Nero's first officer comes on at the beginning of the movie had the right amount of depth to it. As we discussed during the comfort section, I could watch a few movies in a row with this headset without getting annoyed or too warm.
In Game - Diablo 3 – This is sold as a gaming headset and it does not disappoint. Say what you want about Diablo 3 (I happen to like it), but I love the music and effects. The Sonuz renders them well. The music and effects came through clearly. The crackling fire was a good example of the environmental effects. (Standing before the Crystal Arch about to do a solo run at Diablo respecing spells one has some time listen to the different effects.) The bass from the crumbling landscape caught my attention and I realized that after a few runs I had gotten used to it. Hearing these environmental effects with a bit more punch brought the excitement of the game back to be a bit.
The Microphone – I use Skype quite a bit for both work and personal life, so the mic quality is pretty important as well. I called a buddy up and caught up with him. Over the course of the call asked how I sounded. I was surprised to hear that it sounded better via Skype and the Sonuz mic than my iPhone. Really not sure how much I can expand on the quality there. Again the switch made it easy to know when I was on mic or not.
Overall and FV
The CM Storm Sonuz is a pretty impressive headset in a somewhat crowded price range. At $79.99 it is pretty midrange in terms of pricing for a gaming headset. The styling and comfort certainly caught my attention and the sound quality kept it.
My quibbles were actually pretty small and far between. The audio/mic jacks weren't clearly labeled and no equalizer software was included. A lot of music players also have equalization software, so this can be worked around with little effort. In some cases the bass did come off a bit heavy, likely due to the large drivers. If you are strictly gaming with these, or don't play with your equalization settings much, this won't be an issue for you at all. The ability to swap what side the mic is on makes it even more flexible to accommodate different preferences. The punch from the 53mm drivers is great and you can go for long sessions without having to take this headset off. We are happy to recommend the CM Storm Sonuz as a great headset for your consideration.
