Hyper X Cloud II or Audio Technica ATH-M40X

Audio Hardware & Software Headphones and Headsets
1

I'm having a tough time deciding between the Hyper X Cloud II or the ATH-M40X. I want a pair of headphones for music (I mainly listen to progressive house, trance, dnb, etc) but I also want a headset for gaming. I'm looking to spend no more than just over $100

I'd like to get the ATH-M40X for it's sound quality, but I would need a microphone solution. Main thing for me is noise canelation. The usual recommended Zalman ZM-Mic1 wouldn't work because its very sensitive, nor would the V-MODA Boom Pro because it also is quite sensitive, and out of my budget. An ant lion mod-mic is also out of the question, because that's waaaay too expensive.

I heard that the Hyper X Cloud II sounds quite good, and the microphone on it may not sound so great, but the noise cancellation is acceptable. I've heard that it's very comfortable, even for long sessions. While the original cloud headset needed an amp for the best audio, the Cloud II has a USB soundcard dongle that (I think) also acts as an amp. It also has volume control for the headset and the microphone independently, which I think is a great feature.

TL;DR: Choosing between the Hyper X Could II and the ATH-M40x. If I go for the M40X, I would need a noise cancelling microphone costing not much more than $10.

2

If you want hardware made by an audio company get the Audio Technica. If you want a knock off that worked with an audio company go with HyperX. If you want a good mic get one from Blue, Audio-Technica, or Samson. If you want an average mic get the superbeam.

Headphones and Mics
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1eF0bNQRKpaa2VQVXdodkpuR1E

If you care more about gaming - the Philips SHP9500 is a solid choice for the money but you won't get the bass that you'll have with the AT40 or 50.

3

Thanks for the advice. I'm thinking that I'll get the Audio Technica ATH-M40x, and get a Sony ECMCS3 lavalier mic, and just clip that onto the cable. Background noise shouldn't be too bad. At least I won't be the one hearing it :P

4

You could get the first gen Clouds. They are the same as the Cloud IIs, but don't come with a fancy DAC/amp or have increased color options. They are about $25 cheaper too.

I have the original Clouds and don't use an amp and they sound great. In fact, I don't max out volume levels in Windows (usually running around 33/100).