With its Cloud gaming headset, HyperX, which Kingston has launched, has become a well-known and popular gaming peripheral brand, which has launched several successful and good gaming products in recent years. He’s been designing and making his headsets for some time, but many still consider the original 6-year-old Cloud to be the best.
It was created in partnership with Swedish manufacturer QPAD and was a genuinely qualitative leap from the gaming headsets available at the time. The recipe was not very complicated: you should also pay attention to the details and sound quality.
The newly released Wireless model is far from hitting that much, but its classic design can make many people feel nostalgic, and from the outside, you can see that it’s a comfortable headset. And this is true, the memory foam pillows covering the oval ear mites are comfortable, but unfortunately, we do not get a replacement pillow this time.
There is no RGB lighting on the headphones, but there is a significant HyperX signal and several connectors and switches. The jack connector requires a flexible, bendable microphone, which can also be muted immediately with a dedicated controller. In addition, we can find the on/off button, as this earpiece is wireless due to its name. This is the most significant novelty of the new Cloud II, and the rest is all about garnishing it.
In addition to thick ear cushions, comfort is ensured by the single padded strap, which keeps the ear mites in place fixed and pleasantly, but perhaps a little too intense for some. The frame of the headphones is made of aluminum and is sprayed in very cool red. You won’t have a problem with massivity, and while you can’t turn the shells, the sturdiness is excellent for Cloud II Wireless.
The earbuds are entirely closed, and the cable Cloud II’s 53mm speakers work inside. You can also control the volume from the shell with a knob, with a digital knob that’s comfortable and obvious.
Battery Life
Most Wireless headphones have a big problem with uptime. Today’s average is 16-20 hours, but the HyperX model can do much more, up to 30 hours, and our test confirms this. Energy-saving timed power-saving switch-offs and Type-C charging is also helpful, which pumps up the battery in 1-2 hours. Prominent speakers, metal frame, and battery slightly threw up its weight, so you have to put up with 300 grams on your head.
Cloud II Wireless uses the 2.4 GHz frequency for data connectivity, and the USB transceiver is quite large, as is the case with competitors. Unfortunately, you can’t connect a 3.5 jack analog, so Xbox owners are excluded, and you’ll need to trick (or dock) on a Switch if you want to use it. The headset is designed for a PC, and here you also get a program for it (NGenuity). The settings are minimal, and in addition to tracking the charge, it is suitable for activating 7.1 surround sound. This is virtual, of course. It is an average, not precisely overwhelmingly miracle-super-solution – it can completely ruin music, for example (but of course, it is not designed for this).
Verdict
HyperX gained a reputation in no time with Cloud I/II models, so Wireless had a (legitimate) expectation not to defile the good names of its predecessors. We found in our test that, fortunately, this is not the case: the convenience is fantastic, the wireless connection is stable, and the uptime is also very average. The sound of the rugged headset brings the high average: warm, full of bass, but the stage image is not particularly open. The volume is just average. From the point of view of games, it is essential to locate the source of noise well, there is no problem with accuracy, and sometimes even by activating software 7.1, it is worth flirting. When creating Cloud II Wireless, engineers followed a well-established strategy:
what hasn’t gone wrong doesn’t need to be fixed.
Because the Cloud is still an excellent gaming headset – it’s true, we wouldn’t even classify it as a high-end model anymore. That’s okay (there’s the HyperX Revolver), and Wireless is pretty appealing to many. HyperX Cloud II Wireless won’t come as an incredible surprise. Still, the quality of the construction, the aluminum frame, will put it in the upper echelons. The sound will bring you the better level you’d expect from gamers, and the uptime and wireless stability are excellent. I liked that the mute and on/off buttons have different surfaces (concave/convex), making it easy to unbutton and switch on with confidence. Unfortunately, there is no cable, analog mode (or Even Bluetooth), the microphone sound is average rather than outstanding, and the NGenuity program could use a thorough cosmetic.
Cloud II Wireless is a well-managed successor to an iconic gaming headset laced with ever-more popular wireless technology, while the sound is still better than the high average. At the same time, he no longer beats the field for kilometers, can’t stand out with extras, and the competition is very aggressive. The recommended price of 220 dollars is very high, especially since the similarly good cable version is available in several colors and can be yours for 100 dollars. Competitors also make hyperx headphones uncomfortable in extras, exteriors, and prices: you can find a high-quality, cable-free gaming headset for 100 dollars.
