HyperX Cloud II – Gaming Headset, 7.1 Surround Sound, Memory Foam Ear Pads, Durable Aluminum Frame, Detachable Microphone, Works with PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One – Gun Metal Everything ElseLive viewers eye icon

10 reviews for HyperX Cloud II – Gaming Headset, 7.1 Surround Sound, Memory Foam Ear Pads, Durable Aluminum Frame, Detachable Microphone, Works with PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One – Gun Metal Everything ElseLive viewers eye icon

1. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Zachary – March 19, 2020

   I came here from a wired gaming headset (Sennheiser Game Zero) after getting tired of constantly yanking the cord when it got wrapped around my chair, desk, or whatever else.The sound quality is definitely good, I’d say rivaling Bluetooth headphones of a similar price. The mic is very good, far surpassing your typical Beats or Bose and doing a good job at isolating noises in the room. They also do a good job at isolating sound for you, almost lending them to feel like they’re noise canceling.The battery life has remained at 90% for my entire first week, leading me to believe that the 300 hour claim is entirely true. I’ve also been able to walk out to my kitchen without losing connection, so the range is also respectable.The ear cups are very comfortable, and the band follows suit. The metal holding on to the ear cups is fantastic, and leads to a much more premium look and feel.This headset is very plug and play, I didn’t have to do anything special to get Windows 11 to immediately recognize and name it, along with the sound and recording to both immediately switch over without any software.The volume wheel is surprisingly nice feeling, although the power and mute buttons are a little lacking. Muting the microphone does cause a red ring light near the end of the mic to stay lit up, which is cool but can be distracting. Luckily, you can easily unplug the mic at any point if that bothers you.I’ve attached some photos of the buttons, band materials, and the microphone disconnected for reference.All in all, this is a fantastic wireless mic and I can’t see anything competing with it in this price range or even above. The insane battery life coupled with great sound and microphone quality really sell this as the gaming headset king to me.

2. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Consumer Extraordinaire – April 17, 2020

   Let me just start this off by saying I never leave reviews. I’m not very easily impressed. I usually buy something, receive it, and carry on with my day. However, I’ve had these for over two years now, and it only just recently dawned on me how much of an anomaly this headset has been compared to others I’ve had in the past. In the hundreds, if not thousands of hours I’ve used this headset for, not once has it ever consciously occurred to me that they’re being worn while in use. You slap them on out of the box, adjust the earcups to your liking, and then forget they’re there. These things are so damn comfortable that I regularly forget I’m wearing them when I leave my apartment to go do other activities. I can’t sing its praises enough in terms of comfort, since it feels like wearing nothing at all once properly adjusted.As for the sound quality, it’s pretty damn good. I’ve never really been much of an audio snob, but this is more than sufficient if you’re just looking for something with quality sound. I’ve used them for everything from games to podcasts, and there has never been an instance where I was underwhelmed in any capacity by the sound quality here. Absolutely zero complaints from me in this department. The noise cancellation is pretty good, too. I mean, it’s not gonna completely tune out anything and everything, but background noise is definitely reduced. My apartment’s AC is only about ten feet from my desk, and it gets to be decently loud at times. Though the noise from it is still noticeable when wearing them, it still becomes maybe 30% quieter; even at that close a range. Get sucked into a game, movie, podcast, or album wearing these, and you’ll soon forget about any white noise going on in your immediate vicinity anyway. You can also buy HyperX’s 7.1 surround sound USB adapter to beef up the sound a bit should you so choose, but I mainly use it for additional volume control and ease of use instead of the surround sound. Maybe I’m using it wrong, but it’s just never worked for me.If you’re sometimes rough with your peripherals like me, you probably are looking for something that can take a bit more punishment than most. Rest assured you won’t be disappointed here, because this thing’s rock solid. Just off the top of my head, my Cloud Alpha has survived:-Being slammed in the heavy wooden door leading to my apartment-Being slammed in a car door-Being accidentally rolled over at least two dozen times by sixty pound steel office chair-Being tossed onto hardwood flooring when I missed my intended target of the couch more times than I can count-Being dropped six feet onto solid concrete-Being stepped on at least two hundred different times-Being vomited on on more than one occasion, though that can probably be attributed to luck more than anything elseSeriously, there are times when throw this guy around and have the headband pretzel in a concerning fashion, only to pick them up again, put them back on, and continue where I left off none the worse for wear. Every time I’d get a little alarmed at the aggressive way that I’d just manhandled my headset, it’d be a completely irrational fear. Barring smashing these things with a hammer or actually trying to bend the headband 180 degrees in the opposite direction, there’s no conceivable way to me you could break these in day to day use. I’ve included a few pictures of the wear and tear they’ve accumulated over the years, as well as the lengths to which they regularly bend just to give you an idea of the punishment they can take. Believe me when I say the build quality is second to none.Now, at this point you know the headset itself is durable, but you might still be wondering about the cable used to connect said headset to your preferred device. Wonder no more. The included cable is 48 inches of (what might as well be) braided steel, and in my two years of usage, it’s accumulated nary a scratch save for a small, nearly nonexistent kink below the volume control. It’s detachable too, so you never have to worry about the annoyance and potential stress point that comes from having a cable permanently anchored to your headset. I’ve coiled this thing up all sorts of ways, tossed it into my pockets and backpack in a ball, and it’s none the worse for wear considering. Even if you DO somehow manage to break the cable or render it otherwise unusable, don’t worry; it can be replaced with any other 3.5mm audio cable with zero hit to sound quality. Trust me. I’ve checked.My only real gripe about this product is that my microphone has never worked; even brand new out of the box. I’ve since bought a replacement mic that also hasn’t worked either, so my guess is that it’s a manufacturing defect rather than something that broke during use over the years. This is really only something that you should think about if you don’t already have a mic and/or will be using this mainly for games. Even if yours also turns out to be broken, I’m sure the folks in customer support would be more than willing to exchange your defective set for a functioning unit.But yeah. This has got to be the best headset I’ve ever purchased in the ten odd years I’ve been using them. The price is a bit steep compared your standard headset fare, but the price of admission is well worth it. I’ve used these things so much that the pleather on the earcups is starting to peel off, and I’ll continue to use them until I literally can’t anymore, for whatever reason that may be. Can’t recommend them enough.

3. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Sabrina – April 23, 2020

   I bought these in November of 2018. I regularly play various video games on my laptop daily- over the years its been WoW, Minecraft, Warframe, PSO2, Witness, Valheim, to name a few- as well as plug these into my phone to chat with friends or family for hours on end. These were purchased a year and a few months pre-covid, and during quarantine I had a temp work-from-home job which involved calling patients’ families to give updates on loved ones in hospitals 8hrs a day, 3-4 days a week. I’ve never had issues with anyone hearing me be it during a phone call or through discord. Sound is clear, the cushions are comfy, my head is a bit small, but rather than crushing my skull these hug my face. After 5-6hrs of game play my ears ‘might’ get sore but generally if I rotate the ear cushions slightly that gets corrected. I do wear glasses and I don’t get extra pressure from them. I prefer the soft leathery cushions over the velvet ones, but my boyfriend loves the velvet ones. The velvet is more breathable, but the leather ones still don’t smother my ears like other headphones have done. They do a good job at muting most sounds, but i would not call them cancelling. They allow me to be immersed in what im playing, snd attentive to anyone im talking to, but still hear a knock on the door, so thats a plus for me. I never take out the mic, so I can’t speak to longevity of the connection after being removed and replaced regularly but I’ve never had to re-secure the mic that wasn’t preceded by my bumping the headset against a table like a smart person. I hang them up, so that’s rarely a worry, but they’ve lived on a table as long as they’ve lived hanging under one to no obvious damage. The reason I’m replacing them is that there is a short in the cable. It will cause static after an hour or 2 of game play now. This began about 3 weeks ago and has worsened. Other then the short, I have no reason to replace them. There is no wear or damage anywhere, the cushions have not crushed down over time, the mic is sturdy and secure. I am absolutely in love with this headset. Honestly, I never get things refurbished, but I might look into doing that, first, instead of replacing them.

4. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Quinton – May 17, 2020

   EDIT: Regarding my issue of the sound not working, I think I have determined the problem to be using Chrome Remote Desktop and TeamViewer. Whenever I use those programs, and sound plays on the PC with the headset plugged into it, it seems to bypass the headset and sound comes to my PC accessing the remote PC. Going back to my PC with the headset plugged in (and closing CRD and TV completely), that is when no sound comes out and I have to unplug the USB control box and plug it back in for it to start giving sound. I do not intend to stop using either of those programs, so unless I find a fix, I am OK with having to do this. I will not knock a few points from this headset that I already think is an awesome product; as it is an issue with a program and not the headset itself and as such I will change my rating from 4 *’s to 5 *’s. These have also been great for long periods of gaming and streaming. No headaches or sore spots on my head from wearing these, even with glasses on. My voice from my stream and recordings sound great, and playing Alien: Isolation is truly a terrifying thing when these are cranking up the noises and you hear metal clanking from the alien like it is right there above you! Things sound crisp and clear to me, like voices, even in movies and YouTube videos. END EDITI bought these several weeks ago from Amazon Warehouse, thought I would save $5. I know $5 might not seem that much, but having just spent $1400 on new PC parts for my build, every dollar counts! Anyway, I am new to PC gaming, been with consoles for years. I wanted to find a good headset that would give me good sound, good mic, good fit, good build quality, and cheap. I found these actually by accident, as I was searching for Logitech’s headset, initially.Now, these things are awesome… (The following is updated with my edit above) When they function, which to be honest is quite often. However, sometimes when I go to use these, they sometimes stop outputting sound. I go into my playback devices and I see that it is registering them active and that sound is being transmitted, except nothing comes out of the speakers. I have to unplug the USB control box from my PC and plug it back in for them to get back to working. I also have quite a bit of trouble getting these to work consistently with my HTC M8 (more so than with my PC). I sometimes have to reset my phone for these to work and I am not sure why that is. I am not sure if it is these that are just not very compatible, as I have earbuds that work every single time. That leads me to believe that these are defective in some way. It could be that by trying to save $5, these may have just been defective from the start.The mic is pretty good too. I like that it is detachable and flexible enough to get out of the way if I need it to be. You can hear yourself when you speak, you just need to make sure that, in your recording devices, you set it to listen. I really don’t like this though. There is quite a big delay (maybe around 1/2 second) in you talking to hearing yourself from the speakers. The first time I tried this, I gave myself a headache. Just try to talk, expecting to hear your voice, and as you are saying one thing you are hearing what you just said, it gets very confusing for the senses! My speech became confusing, something my brain couldn’t reconcile, which led to my headache (yes, an actual headache!). I am not sure if this is something that is expected when you have to do this, but I would not recommend doing this (of course, your experience may vary). There is a little rubber piece that goes over the exposed port of the mic when you detach it, from the headset, that I see being lost quite quickly. It is a nice touch to be able to cover that port, I just wish that it could have somehow been kept on the headset, so it wouldn’t get lost. I still do have mine, and I keep it in the bag that comes with this headset (more on that below) so maybe I just need to keep it there unless I use these on a trip or something.The fit on these things are one of the best things about this. Very snug, very comfortable and when I have my glasses on, they don’t press those into my head. You can either use the leather ones or the velour. I prefer the velour, they just feel very cozy and warm and plush!The build of these things, to me, do not seem to equate to a $100 price tag. That is a good thing, as these things feel like I am stealing something from Kingston! I would honestly expect to pay quite a bit more for how well these things are built. ‘How can Kingston sell these for what I paid?’ I keep asking myself every time I put them on! They are built with metal along the top, padded underneath to rest comfortably on your head. With several hours of gaming, they don’t feel heavy on my head. The stitching in these things is fantastic, it is a nice detail, that while it may not improve the functionality, it just proves my reasoning of thinking I am stealing something from this company, but I am glad I am not! The cord quality is great, it is braided so it doesn’t tangle or get easily caught on something. The cord is standard length, from the headset to the end, which can plug into many things to be used for listening. However, it is short for having it just plugged into your PC (this is not using the USB control box). If you do use the control box, which I recommend, then it adds a lot of length, letting you sit quite a distance from your machine. The control box has a clip on the back that allows you to attach it to your pants pocket, shirt, anything else, really. This is nice cos now I don’t have to figure out where my controls are when I quickly need to mute, decrease/increase volume/mic, enable/disable 7.1 virtual. So with these things not functioning properly for me at times, I am not sure if it is the control box, or the headset in general (like I said earlier, I have problems getting this to work properly on my phone too. This could all be due to the fact that I ordered from Amazon Warehouse instead of brand new). I need the control box to add the extra length as my PC sits farther away than some might have theirs. The carry bag that comes with this looks to be great quality too. I expect to use it for the first time in a couple days when I go on a trip and bring these along. It is large for these to fit and keep everything that comes with it, all in one space.Now onto the 7.1. I cannot comment on how well this works. Let me give you some background information. I have a hearing disability. 95% of my left ear is not working and I need a hearing aid in my right ear, which is around 70% deaf. I use these things with and without my hearing aid. I cannot use the functionality of the 7.1, which is not that big of a deal for me as I have come to terms with not being able to hear very well in general. It does, however, seem to increase the volume, which sometimes I need when I listen to movies or TV shows on my PC. So read what others have to say about that, I’m sorry I cannot do this in this review. I will say though that these things can get LOUD. Which is why sometimes I use these without my hearing aid. They really do deliver a lot of sound to my ear that works. There is an audible tone when you push the controls and it is different when you reach the max and minimum. This is a nice touch as well.Finally. I am writing this review for the product I purchased from Amazon Warehouse a couple of weeks ago. Last night (3/24/15) I initiated a return for these. Do you want know what I did after that? I purchased a brand new set of these, for the original price I was trying to avoid weeks ago! That should tell you what I think of them, flaws and all, that I actually want these again. If the new pair doesn’t work correctly, or like these things did, yes I will be disappointed, but it will be a minor issue for me because all of the other benefits of these things! Plus, having looked over the reviews, I see quite often that Kingston will reach out to those who aren’t satisfied with this and offer help. Not many companies care once they have your money. But when I see a company go this far for those who buy their products, being a small business owner myself, I greatly appreciate this large company for acting the way they do, even if the issue isn’t resolved. It speaks volumes to those who love the products of a company and to those who may not be aware of what a company offers. But offering great customer service is another great feature of this product, and one you may not find from many others.Now keep in mind, all of these things are coming from someone who just got into PC gaming, there may be others out there, others that are better, cheaper, more expensive, whatever… But I am glad I stumbled on these when I did, cos I don’t really want to go to another product, I love these things!One last thing, Amazon is amazing! I contacted them about these and when I order the new pair last night, they offered one day shipping free! There are a lot of bad companies out there, but Kingston and Amazon are among the elite in my opinion!

5. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Andrew D – May 22, 2020

   Short of plugging these into a HyperX Quadcast mic, I doubt you’ll find a much better setup for gaming….especially at this price point. The sound quality is amazing for headphones in any context and the earcups are very very comfy. The built-in mic sounds very good for a headset mic, but I digress…I started off with the Cloud I’s first and absolutely loved them, but the volume pot started getting scratchy and I worried about damage to the attached cable becoming an issue. So I figured I’d stick with HyperX and give these Cloud Alpha’s a try, since the cable does detach. I love the Cloud I’s, so I’ll just stick to comparing the two of those as they are both phenomenal headsets and would both be a good buy.-Build and Comfort-HyperX is just KILLING it on the comfort front IMO. The earcups are basically like tempurpedic memory foam and are a joy to wear. Where the Alpha differs from the Cloud I’s is how they feel out of the box. The Alphas still super comfy, but firmer than the Cloud I’s. After some wear-in, they soften up, but I can imagine the Alphas lasting longer because of this. Still comfy, just not quite as squishy. Some people may prefer a firmer feel, YMMV.Both headphones feel very solid and have a good weight to them. Could use some more padding in the headband, but I don’t really feel much discomfort after wearing them. This is about the only comfort area I could see them needing improvement on. Not sure if it really amounts to build quality, but the previously mentioned attached cable on the Cloud I’s has become an issue for me (the volume pot is really scratchy), but the Alphas have a removable cord and the volume pot feels much more sturdy as well.-Sound Quality-Holy crap, I have literally returned $500 Shure headphones in favor of these. And to all assuming I have unrefined, plebian ears…16 years as a guitarist/bassist, audio engineering work for 6 of those years, running PA boards at a few venues, and a gig as a backing bassist for a solo artist (using in-ears) would put me a cut above the typical dude listening to Spotify on his iPhone. I know a good pair when I hear it.Now the Shures were not flat response for mixing or monitoring, they were listening headphones, but while there is a slight EQ curve and some “signature” enhancements on the Alphas, they are surprisingly flat in a good way…albeit with some extended bass and very smooth highs. The difference is the Cloud I’s seemed to have more bass due to an EQ bump in the low-end response along with the seal being tighter on your ears with their squishier earcups. The Alphas are firmer and so the seal isn’t quite as tight on my head, making for less perceived bass at first, but if you squish them on your ears you catch a bit more of the low-end.I will also say the low-end on the Alphas is much cleaner than on the Cloud I’s, which may not be caught by some listeners. When you hear explosions, rumbling, or are listening to bassy music you won’t hear these buzzing or bottoming out like the Cloud I’s can. I use an external Sound Blaster card with one of my PCs and my custom EQ curve for music listening is handled beautifully by these Alphas. This by no means is an insult to the Cloud I’s, they are easily contenders with most $100-$250 listening headsets out there, but in comparison to the Alphas, these are the differences you’ll experience.-Noise Isolation-The Alphas are, again, not as tight a seal as the Cloud I’s but that could change in time. FWIW, these cut out a noticeable amount of noise…with only really rumbly or booming sounds getting through. A neighbor firing up a giant truck or thunder outside will catch my attention, but high pitched sounds get drowned out when you are listening to music or playing a game. I’m sure with wear they’ll get even better, but for a passive headset they do a fine job.-Mic Quality-The mic is perfectly fine and right in line with most $100+ gaming headset mics. Don’t expect something on-par with a dedicated mic like the HyperX Quadcast or a Razer Siren, this is a totally different league of mic, but does a respectable job. Most people use these for Discord or Zoom calls, or want to cut down on background noise as opposed to using an external mic.-Connectors-The core cable has the headphone/mic conductors built into one 3.5mm plug, the same as old iPhone headsets and many other gaming headsets do. There is an extender cable that splits it out to a headphone and mic plug separately. One thing I found weird, is my Cloud I’s were the same, but when I plugged the single 3.5mm combo jack into my HyperX Quadcast they flat out would not work. HOWEVER, the Alphas DO work for some reason. Not sure why, seems like basically the same cable. Either way, the cable is long enough for most folks’ rigs so no worries on that.-Overall-If you want a gaming headset, or even just a headset for listening to music at your computer comfortably, this is an amazing headset. If you’re fine with over-ear headphones for listening on the go, there’s no reason not to use these IMO. If you’re a streamer and want to save money and still get great performance…BUY THESE!!Some people might scoff at these and not consider them good since they aren’t “Pro Level” gear, but honestly for monitoring and even music listening I would put these up against nearly any sub-$600 headset. I don’t abuse the hell out of my headphones, but they definitely get put to use for hours on end every day and I’ve still had no issues. The Cloud I’s (non-USB) are great too, but for a bit more the Alphas are just plain amazing. The only thing you need to worry about these is if they discontinue them!

6. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Amazonian Man – June 18, 2020

   I’ve been able to effectively orient myself to various sounds in games, which has been incredibly helpful for games like Rust or DayZ where it’s pretty damn important to be able to quickly gauge where footsteps/gunshots are coming from or you risk losing everything on your person or even everything you’ve collected for days.I’ve been using them nonstop for 8-14 hours a day, likely more as I sleep with them on sometimes. Despite my not so careful treatment they have held up really well, they show some signs of use but not as bad as I would’ve thought given how often I have them on.The battery life is fantastic, but I have an extra long USB charging cable so I can plug it in if it gives me the low battery boop-boop sound but I’m marathoning games or shows and don’t want to stop.The fact that these are wireless is such a convenience! I’ve been playing the aforementioned games and had to use the bathroom only to hurry back because I heard footsteps approaching or some other alarming sound haha It’s really been a lifesaver. Besides games, being able to go get a drink and still hear my show has been nice too.I’m sure there are better headsets out there, but these seemed good for the price and after a year and a half of near constant use I’m still very happy with them.I would buy them again in a heartbeat if something happened to my pair.So, if you’re used to more expensive headsets or like wired headsets you’ll probably not like these as much as me.If you’ve never had something more than the call center Xbox mic then you’ll love them as I do.Just don’t leave then within range of a guinea pig or the little monster may take a test bite out of the ear piece. 😀

7. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Daniel Horn – July 23, 2020

   My experience – I watched tons of video reviews, read headset guides and everything I could after I decided to go wireless. I’ve been avoiding wireless headsets for a while, because the performance to convenience trade off was just never there. Either the battery would die too often and need to be recharged, or the audio quality was complete garbage. These are by no means an audiophile grade headphone, but I would definitely consider them to be above average for most listeners/consumers. I haven’t tried a wireless set personally in 3 years, and the last one I tried was bad. The sound quality was bad, battery life was bad, it was all around a horrible experience and I returned them right away.What/Why I’m replacing – I came from Audio Technica ADG1X headset that I’ve had for about 2 and a half years. They have been a great headset, although at a price point of $300 they should be. They were light, comfortable and sounded great. However, I’ve since moved from a small house in the country to a condo and while I like the large sound stage you get from open back headphones hearing my neighbors and other people around me isn’t ideal while gaming or listening to music. The headset was getting a little worn out and my cable is constantly twisting and getting caught under my chair or on my keyboard so I decided it was time for something new and began investigating wireless to see if the technology had come along for headsets as it has for mice (my Logitech G Pro Wireless mouse is a dream).Look/Style – These HyperX Cloud Flights haven’t been out long but clearly HyperX put in the time and research because they just got it right. I’ve seen several reviewers talk about them not looking cool or flashy enough and flagging that as a negative but in my opinion it’s a bonus. You can’t even see the headphones when they are on your head. Maybe it’s a concern if you’re streaming but even Shroud uses these headphones and they look fine. I love that they don’t attract a ton of attention.Battery Life/Buttons/Drivers – I’ve only had these for a few days but I’ve yet to run out of battery since the initial charge. I use them with the LED lighting off, because I can’t see it anyways when I’m wearing them. The mute button is brilliantly placed and easy to get to, the mic is so easy to detach when you don’t need to communicate and would rather not have something in your face. The setup was extremely simple, although they do offer drivers/software you can download to customize further but I prefer the driver-less plug and play functionality and am glad that I can use these without that extra software. All of the controls/buttons are easy to reach and easy to use. FYI, the volume wheel controls the volume for Windows. The headset doesn’t have a separate volume wheel. I actually enjoy and prefer this, because my ADG1X had it’s own volume wheel (which causes audio to cut out sometimes) that even when working properly I would accidentally brush against and change my volume.Comfort – Especially important since we tend to wear gaming headsets for hours on end. Several of the reviewers I read or watched said these were the most comfortable headphones they’d ever worn. I was still hesitant to buy into how great they would feel for the sole reason that my ADG1X were extremely light, and amazingly comfortable. I’m happy to say that HyperX got this right too. I definitely feel a little more airflow with the ADG1X which is expected since they are open back, but my ears never got sweaty with the Flights and they were surprisingly lightweight for being a wireless headset. The free feeling of no wires dangling down to your shoulders/chest is quite amazing. It would be extremely difficult if not impossible to go back at this point. My ADG1X had 53mm drivers and the cloud flight have 50mm, but for some reason the actual cups on the ADG1X were a lot bigger and completely round. Whereas the Flights are more ear-shaped and not quite as large. This makes them feel smaller on your head which is a good thing, turning your head doesn’t feel quite as cumbersome.Sound – At the end of the day nothing else about a headphone really matters if they sound like crap. As I mentioned before, these aren’t audiophile grade headphones, although I don’t think any audiophile would even consider a wireless headset so it’s a moot point. You DO lose a certain level of audio quality by going with wireless over a wired connection. Just like you lose some connection speed going from ethernet to WiFi. For most people, this isn’t an issue and the sound quality on the Flights is more than good enough to make the convenience of wireless 2-way audio with 30 hour battery life worth it. Technically my old headset (audio technica ADG1X) WAS an audiophile grade headphone, although I didn’t use a DAC, amp, or even a soundcard with it to truly push it to its capabilities. That being said, I love the way these Flights sound. I’m actually hearing certain details now that I couldn’t hear with my open back headset just due to noise isolation alone. Music overall sounds fuller since the bass is more prevalent (not overblown or shoved down your throat, but it was practically non-existent on my ADG1X). The highs and mids aren’t as nicely detailed as on my other headphones but its’ nearly impossible to tell without listening back to back and comparing, looking for a difference. The microphone is quite good as well, the people I play with on a daily basis couldn’t even tell I was on a headset that cost nearly half the price of my old one. The few that I asked about it said it sounds really good. Now one big concern I did have was volume. It’s very common for wireless headsets to have a pretty low volume cap due to power restrictions etc. I even read a few comments from owner’s of these headphones that said they didn’t get loud enough. I’m happy to say they must have had something configured wrong in their windows audio mixer because these headphones get very loud. Not blow your ear drum out loud, but they can definitely get loud enough to be uncomfortable. I have been keeping them around 50-70% depending on what games I’m playing, and most of my games have master audio set down to 50%. So there is plenty of power. I should note that the 30 hours battery life that HyperX advertises is said to be at a 50% volume. So if you regularly keep the volume higher or maxed you won’t get quite as much battery life but it should still be plenty enough that you don’t have to charge mid session. I must also say the soundstage is surprisingly better than I thought it would be for closed back phones, and you can very clearly pinpoint the direction of enemy footsteps and gun shots.Final Thoughts – I highly recommend this headset. The level of performance is unmatched for a wireless headset in this price range. Everything just comes together so nicely in an easy, convenient to use package that performs like a wired headset in many ways. I was able to walk my entire condo (1100 sq ft) without losing/degrading the connection to my PC playing music. I’ve always considered HyperX a solid contender in the gaming headset market, but to see this as their first attempt at wireless makes me a true believer in the brand and I look forward to seeing what they come up with next!

8. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   DukeAVW – August 13, 2020

   TL;DR Review: My previous headset broke, so I chose this one after reading/watching reviews. Comfort and durability are excellent, so far. The mic is good enough for calls and gaming. Initially, I was not impressed with the sound of the headphones (sounded like a low bitrate MP3), but then I realized I needed to plug the headset into my motherboard’s USB ports rather than the front panel ports. I am now very happy with this headset and would recommend it to anyone looking for a reasonably-priced, comfortable gaming headset. (Owned for 5 months as of 2/27/16)Full Review:I purchased these to replace my Plantronics Gamecom 780 headset. The Gamecom headset had a 100% plastic headband which snapped one month after the warranty period ended. Apologies in advance, but I sometimes will compare the Cloud II to the Gamecom 780 in this review because its my only point of reference, and I felt like the Gamecom was an excellent headset prior to breakage. Overall, the Cloud II’s have been a worthy replacement, and even an upgrade in many respects, but there are some areas where the Gamecom was better.After looking at YouTube, WireCutter, and Amazon reviews, I settled on the HyperX Cloud II gaming headset. Almost everyone raved about their durability, comfort, and sound. I know a headphone + stand mic combo can provide a better overall experience, but I didn’t feel like spending the ~$200 on that combo just yet.Fit & FinishAfter they arrived, my initial impression of this headset was that it was very high quality. The fake leather on the earcups and the headband is nice and soft, and the stitching on the headband looks good and provides a nice red accent. The red brushed metal on the exposed parts of the frame is also a nice touch. The microphone detaches and reattaches very easily, although I do prefer a flip-up microphone like on the Gamecom 780. However, that’s just a preference and shouldn’t have any bearing on this review. As for fit, I have a larger head (I’m 6’2″, 215 lbs, and probably have a 7-3/8″ hat size) and these fit very comfortably. I’ve worn them for hours while gaming and never felt like the clamping pressure was too hard. Also, they don’t make my head/ears sweat or anything like that. The pads on the earcups provide a comfortable seal around my ears that blocks out a lot of noise, which can be a pro and a con sometimes.DurabilityAfter 5 months of daily use… so far, so good. I recently purchased a hook so I can hang these up rather than just setting them on my desk or on the floor, so hopefully that increases the Cloud II’s longevity, but I still don’t feel like these will break as easily as the Gamecom 780’s. Unless they get stepped on by an elephant or run over by my truck, I don’t think the headband on the Cloud II’s will be snapping after 13 months like the Gamecoms. The drivers in the headphones are still going strong, and the mic still sounds good. I will update if anything changes.Headphone Sound QualityHonestly, the headphones didn’t blow me away at first. There was a noticeable difference from the Gamecom 780’s in this regard. I felt like the sound on the 780’s was awesome for their ~$60 price tag, but the Cloud II’s just didn’t sound as good. It was like listening to 320 kbps vs. 128 kbps MP3. There was a “graininess” (my terminology, sorry) to all sound – gaming, movies, and calls – that was especially noticeable at low volume. After a couple months, it was annoying me so much that I was about ready to buy a good pair of headphones and separate mic. Then I had an epiphany. I always plug my headset (780 or the Clouds) into my front USB ports (Fractal Define R4 case) because sometimes I like to unplug them and listen to movies/podcasts through my speakers. I had tried both the USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports with the Cloud II’s, and the sound was the same on both. One day, I realized I had never plugged them directly into my motherboard’s USB ports (Gigabyte Z170X-UD5). As soon as I did, I noticed an immediate difference in the sound quality. The “graininess” went away and I’m now very happy with the sound quality. I now run a USB extension cable from the back of my computer so I can still easily unplug the headset as needed, and the USB extension doesn’t add any of the noise/bit-rate issues I was experiencing before.Virtual 7.1 Surround QualityI’m really not impressed by the virtual surround performance of the Cloud II’s. I felt like the Gamecom 780’s had a great virtual surround, or at least better than the Cloud II’s. With the Gamecom, I could easily tell when/where an enemy was approaching me in FPS games. With the Cloud II’s, I can hear an enemy approaching, but it’s a lot tougher to tell where they’re coming from. I don’t think it’s enough of a disappointment to lose a star though, since I can try other virtual surround software (Razer) and bypass the “built-in” virtual surround of the Cloud II’s.Microphone QualityThe microphone is great for voice chat during games (Discord ftw) and Hangouts calls, but I would get a separate microphone if I was doing anything more than that. I don’t stream to YouTube or Twitch. I don’t record podcasts. I only use it to talk with my friends. They’ve all told me that it sounds clear and noise-free. If and when I do decide to do more, I’ll pick up a Blue Yeti or Audio-Technica ATR-2100 which I know will have a much more professional and richer sound quality at a reasonable price, but I’m not to that point yet. For a ~$99 headset, the microphone is pretty good.ConclusionI would definitely recommend this headset to anyone looking for something that has great quality and is reasonably priced. I’d also recommend plugging it into your motherboard vs. the front panel USB ports to avoid any sound issues. The fit and finish are pretty nice, and it definitely feels more durable than my previous headset. The sound quality is great, but the 7.1 virtual surround experience is not very dependable. The microphone is good for gaming and voice calls, but look for a standalone mic if you’re doing anything more than that. It’s a great headset that does its job admirably, and I don’t think you’ll find better value for the price.

9. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   RedmondIvy – August 13, 2020

   UPDATE (03/16/17): I ended up giving my pair of Cloud II’s to my son for his birthday. I now had to make a decision whether to purchase another pair of Cloud II’s or try something else. SO, I ended up buying the Beyerdynamic DT770, Logitech G633, Turtle Beach Stealth 500P and the Playstation Golds. I bought all four from Amazon and sat down and tested all of them over a period of 4 months. First off, what I love in headphones is a full sounding, deep bass and some ambient surround sound. I like hearing the boom of a grenade or thump of a stealth take-down of a long-neck in Horizon Zero Dawn.First off, Don’t believe in the 7.1 surround sound hype you get from any “GAMING” headphones under $200. I have now tried 3 different actual gaming headsets and all of them gave the directional sound but at a cost… These gaming headphones that declare 7.1 surround achieve this by diminishing the sound levels of other ambient sounds. I’m not a audiophile or pro so bare with me… The Logitech G633, Turtle Beach Stealth 500P and the Playstation Golds all sounded tinny and the mid-range seemed distant. It hyped up the surround but in order to achieve that it lowered the other sounds to make it happen, including bass. For example, in Horizon Zero Dawn, when Aloy shoots an arrow it sounds like it’s far away, when it shouldn’t because she’s directly in front of you and if you shot off that arrow it should sound like the release happened in your face. It doesn’t. It sounds like your Aloy let go of the bow about 20 yards from where you are standing. If that makes sense. YES, the gaming headphones with 7.1 do give you directional but it just lowers everything else. Which is why I assume pro gamers love them because they want to hear if someone is sneaking up on them.FOR ME though… I’m not a pro gamer. I want bass, a thud. I want a overall strong sound that makes me feel like I’m right there. SO, I did more research online and youtube and came across the Beyerdynamic DT770’s. They are not gaming headphones but many claim the bass is awesome and the sound in games is even better. I just received these today and within 30 minutes I packaged them back up and returning them. Although, I will give them this much. The directional sound was WAY better than any gaming headphones, Logitech G633, Turtle Beach Stealth 500P and the Playstation Golds. No joke, the directional sound was dead on with these. The low bass was also good but wasn’t enough and the mid-range sounded distant just like the Logitech G633, Turtle Beach Stealth 500P and the Playstation Golds. If you want directional sound that mimicks 7.1, with a low bass that isn’t overwhelming I would buy the Beyerdynamic’s.SO saying all of that. I know this sounds funny but I’m basing this all down to shooting an arrow. I switched back and forth between the Beyer’s and the Clouds II’s in Horizon Zero Dawn. I would shoot an arrow at a grazer (metal animal) and the Cloud II’s sounded like I shot that arrow from my shoulder next to my ear. It also enough bass to where you felt like you actually shot an arrow. The Beyer’s and the Logitech G633, Turtle Beach Stealth 500P and the Playstation Golds all felt Aloy (character in game) was 20 yards away shooting an arrow. Only way I know how to describe it. The Cloud II’s also have way more base then the one’s I’ve mentioned. It’s punchy and you feel it. Felt good when I slammed the ground with my spear. The Logitech G633, Turtle Beach Stealth 500P and the Playstation Golds and Beyer all felt weak. When I slammed the ground with my spear it again, felt distant. Not really immersive.I stood on top of a Long Neck. When a Long Neck walks around the map it’s feet create a ground thump that should sound heavy. SO I stood on top of a Long Neck and switched back and forth between the Beyer and Cloud II’s. The Beyer again felt like the sounds were distant and didn’t feel the Long Neck walking very much. The Cloud II’s at the same sound level I could feel the Long Neck walking, it felt like I was right there on top of the Long Neck and could feel every step it took.Also, the Cloud II’s do have directional sound … So if you walk up to someone talking and swing your camera around in a 360, the voice will swing around your head as it should. Is it true surround, no. Does it do the trick, yet. Now in the Beyer and Logitech G633, Turtle Beach Stealth 500P and the Playstation Golds, the surround does sound more ambient and sounds around you but again, it diminishes the bass and mid-range it feels like.So saying all that, I’m a casual gamer that wants good bass, I want to feel like I get hit rather than hear someone walking up behind me. I want to feel the game. The Cloud II’s in my opinion after trying all the headphones are awesome. I can honestly say that and feel comfortable suggesting you pick up a pair over any other’s I’ve suggested. They really are good.I can also attest to the 7.1 feature the Cloud II’s do provide with the packaging. You can plug it into your PS4 and your controller and I can honestly say it does provide 7.1 BUT it then turns into the Beyer and Logitech G633, Turtle Beach Stealth 500P and the Playstation Golds and diminishes the mid-range and bass.I don’t plug my Cloud II’s into my controller. I purchased a two speaker with sub-woofer sound system for my desk that comes with a volume control and headphone output. I plug my Cloud II’s into this setup which allows me to turn it up as loud as I want and in a way acts as a amp to push out even more bass and volume. You can’t get that by just plugging into the PS4 controller, it can only pump out so much volume and your maxed out. Not very loud going directly through the controller.By a desktop sound system with subwoofer and volume control with headphone output…. Trust me it changes the sound output and bass levels.SO there’s my updated review. Other’s will probably disagree with my review but this is COMING from someone who doesn’t need 7.1 or games heavily online in COD or Battlefield 1. I love games like Horizon Zero Dawn, Last of Us, Dying Light, Metal Gear Solid 5, Just Cause 3, Nioh, Dark Souls, BloodBorne, Evil Within, Dishonored, etc. I should also mention I’ve also owned the X12’s, PX24’s.Previous Review: OKAY, SO FINALLY, after buying the X12, PX24, TB 500p, Sony Gold Wireless and returning all of them, I purchased the Cloud II. Before I bought the Cloud II, I was almost going to settle with the X12’s or PX24. The 500p and Gold Wireless you’d think are superior BUT THEY ARE NOT. The surround sound on the expensive gamer headphones are just a gimick. Most of the surround sound gamer headphones are made for gamers who primarily play FPS. It tones down quite a few sounds including bass and other environmental sounds to pump up footsteps and reloads. This allows the FPS gamer to hear what’s around him. Sounds cool, YEA BUT, again, it drowns out other sounds to make that possible.Saying that, I’m a casual gamer and I love bass. I love feeling the thump of the explosions and gun fire. The 500p and Gold Wireless sucked at this. IN fact, the 500p did have good bass but ONLY when I switched it to the mode called, “Bass & Treble”. Great right? NO, because that’s basically what the X12’s and PX24’s do. Even the x12’s simulate surround sound. I’ve had a pair of x12’s for 5 years and I can honestly say they simulated surround just as good as the 500p and Gold’s but kept the bass and overall depth of sound. More balanced.This is where the Cloud II comes in… Very skeptical and was almost ready to return them before I got them. Was just tired of buying and returning. Before I begin, a few disclaimers… 1. I game on a PS4 and I don’t plug my headphones into my controller or through USB. I actually bought a device online that allows me to plug in my toslink directly from the output on the PS4 to the adapter which is where I plug my headphones into. This gives it way more depth and power then plugging into the controller or via USB on the front of the console.2. The 7.1 on this particular headset doesn’t really work with PS4. Saying that, it actually works but doesn’t. Bare with me on this… In order to get it to work, you have to plug it into the front of the PS4 via a USB. Then you plug the headset into the 7.1 mixer. I tried it with and without and quite honestly it sound MUCH better without the 7.1. Mainly because the 7.1 mixer is designed for PC and MAC. It wasn’t designed to use with the PS4 even though you can get it to turn on. SO, I actually don’t use the 7.1 mixer. I put it back in the box.3. DONT plug the headset into your controller or via the USB. A lot of people don’t realize they can buy a very cheap setup that allows you to use the toslink which pumps out the 7.1. I’ll do my best to link my set up below. I’ve been using it for years and won’t go back. Only because when I plug these into the controller it loses something, can’t put a finger on it but it doesn’t sound as good. Same with using the mixer.I highly recommend the Cloud II. It has really good deep base, the mid’s are clear and sharp and the high’s as well. It’s a very well balanced sound, as well as, it does simulate surround sound even without the 7.1. I switched back and forth between the Gold’s and these while playing NO Man’s Sky, Dying Light, Dark Souls 3, BloodBorne, Just Cause 3 and these really sounded good and very good balance of sound.Best part, I own a Nvidia Shield and plug the headset into the controller that comes with the shield and watched a couple movies with it and it blew me away. Awesome sound and even simulated surround sound.FINALLY satisfied with a headphone purchase after using my x12’s for 5 years. Both my sons are sold on them as well comparing them to other headsets they’ve owned. Worth the purchase in my opinion.OH, they are comfortable!!! Although, be aware… It comes with a leather or fake leather material and it comes with a replacement that is cloth. I noticed a huge difference in sound when I used the leather over the cloth. Mainly because the leather is air tight and keeps all the sound in and out. The cloth I noticed I could hear outside sound more and it leaked the sound coming from the headphones. Wasn’t a big deal but the bass felt deeper and stronger with the leather padding. Both are awesome and sound good though.USE THIS DEVICE to hook up your headphones using the Toslink output on the PS4. I’ve used these for the past 3-5 years and they work great and pump out way better sound then plugging into the controller or using the USB on the front of the PS4. A lot of people don’t realize you can use this with any headphones whether they are made for Xbox or PS4 or PC. It’s makes it to where you can use any headphone and uses the Dolby surround from Toslink.PORTTA PETDTAP DIGITAL COAX AND OPTICAL TOSLINK TO ANALOG AUDIO CONVERTER: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005DIRI6I/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

10. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Circuit Static – August 22, 2020

    I was reluctant initially to spend this much money on headphones, especially wireless ones. However, I have been pleasantly surprised. They have had no issue reaching anywhere in my home so I can roam around and still listen to music or talk to people.I can even take a leak and the noise cancellation make it so nobody is the wiser.Sound quality was also very important to me, as I produce music. The quality and clarity on these is fantastic, just like the battery life. Even using it almost all day every day for the last many months, it still easily holds enough charge to do almost 2 full days of constant use. (which matches or exceeds their 30 hour claim, making it accurate.)While I won’t take a point away for it, I would like a safer place for the cables going into the top of the ear muffs on the headset, if you are trying to adjust your hair (and have long hair), it can be easy to get the cable confused with your hair, or tangled in it. I have found solutions for this, but it’s a minor gripe you may need to contend with.