CM Storm Sonuz Stereo Gaming Headset Review

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by J.D. Kane on August 1, 2012 in Audio & Media, Peripherals

Cooler Master impressed us with its Sirus surround-sound headset last fall so much that we slapped an Editor’s Choice award on it. But what about those folks who prefer their audio to be in stereo? Well, CM has answered the call and the result is Sonuz. Let’s check it out, and see if it can impress us like the Sirus managed.

Page 3 – Final Thoughts

The Sonuz hits most of the right notes as the encore to the CM Storm line’s Sirus surround sound headset. Its unique microphone (capable of being plugged into one of two available ports on either earcup), while arguably gimmicky, loses nothing in terms of functionality. As a gamer’s headset, it does the job quite well.

This, despite the supposed disadvantage of being “only” a stereo headset. Movie lovers might also prefer a surround sound headset, but the Sonuz does the job well. You’ll still be able to track where characters are even without seeing them onscreen and you’ll still be able to follow those Jedi interceptors’ engine sounds as they pan from left to right.

The advantage of a stereo set-up for music playback, though, is arguably the most compelling reason to choose the Sonuz over its surround sound-endowed sister, the Sirus. In this context, the Sonuz is a very good choice given the fact that, at the end of the day, this is still a product marketed to gamers. Traditionally, gamer-oriented audio gear tends to sound very poorly when tasked to play back music.

CM Storm Sonuz Stereo Gaming Headset

The Sonuz, while not meeting “audiophile standards” per se, will still perform better than any gamer-oriented headset out there. It’s definitely got some weaknesses in music playback (the unmistakable bass bias, the slightly airy sound signature due to just a little too much reverb), but these short sour notes are not nearly enough to ruin the concert. These are small nits to pick, indeed.

Considering Cooler Master’s asking price of around $69.99 at the time of writing, it’s very clear that the company has another hit in their CM Storm’s growing audio product line. That’s significantly cheaper than most serious gamer headsets, and a steal compared to even just an entry-level audiophile-approved set of cans. Combined with its performance characteristics and its very good ergonomics once the user has lived with it for a couple of days, the CM Storm Sonuz should be, for some people, the preferred choice over a surround sound headset.

CM Storm Sonuz Stereo Gaming Headset
CM Storm Sonuz Stereo Gaming Headset

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