HyperX Cloud II Review
Review Author:Craig H
Review Date: December 7, 2015
Rating:   (4.5 / 5) |
Summary:
This year Kingston came out with an upgrade to last year’s HyperX cloud headset. This HyperX cloud II review will give you an idea of the improvements over last year’s version. This is a major redesign, but there were a couple of problems from last year, and Kingston technologies have done everything they can to address these issues.
Inside the Box
Like the Hyperx Cloud the HyperX Cloud II comes packaged in a nice presentation. Everything is nestled down into the form-fitting foam, nicely protected and secure. There is an additional cloth covered set of ear cups prefer those over the leather ones. The leather ear cups do appear to be real leather not cheap plastic pleather.
In the center is the headset with its attached wires, one for the mic and one for the inputs to the headset. The microphone sits detached in its own little recess. In the upper Right an adapter for use on an airplane is tucked into its own little recess ( a nice bonus feature). The change with this headset is that it includes an audio amplifier. This has nice easy use buttons for the headset volume and the mic volume separately. It also provides you with simulated 7.1 and an on-off button on the amplifier.
The single connector plugs right into the amplifier or you can plug into your Xbox one adapter are your mobile phone. There is also an additional two wire extension cable in the box. With the 1 meter cables coming from the headset and the 2 meter extension, you can sit a comfortable distance from your console or plug the cable into the back of your computer and still have plenty of cable to work with.
The Build
I like the way this Kingston Technologies HyperX is put together. This is an aluminum build overall. The headband has a nice aluminum undercarriage covered with what appears to be real leather. The Earcups have a replaceable cover and ship with a leather covering but can be switched out with a set of velour coverings if you like. These are included in the package.
The earcups have a nice brushed aluminum detail with a very attractive Red HyperX logo. The brushed aluminum is quite resistant to the inevitable fingerprints. A welcome change.
The padding in the earcups are the best that I have worn in a very long time. I don’t see any problems wearing these for long gaming sessions. These items are all very similar to the previous version. The build hasn’t changed all that much.
The Mic
Headphones to Headset, is a breeze, the included microphone plugs into the left earcup with a pleasant little click to show its seated. The microphone has a flexible boom and can be adjusted to just about any position you like. The noise canceling mic has a foam cover to quiet the sibilant “s” sounds (hissing) and get rid of pops. The performance of the mic is still pretty good. The HyperX II Mic seems to be a bit of an improvement over the previous one. It’s still not audio technical quality, but then we’re talking $100 headset, not a $300 headset.
I like the fact that the headset is usable without the mic. If you don’t always like to have a mic in your face, you can pull off the mic and use these as just a headphone.
The Sound
The sound is where the hyper XII headset really shines. The solution to the soft volume control was to include an amplifier. This removes all of the complaints that I had with the previous version. Not only does it give you good impedance match, or at least takes care of the volume problem, but it also gives you a 7.1 virtual sound field.
The highs on this headset are nice and crisp. The mids are better than most I’ve heard and the bass is strong but not overpowering. Overall, they have hit a nice balance with all of the sound ranges.
The 7.1 simulated sound is actually pretty good. The sound feels expansive when you turn it on and does give good directionality that is after all, what the 7.1 should do. If you don’t like the surround sound, or if you are listening to music, it is simple to turn this off with the click of a button, no need to go into the software and monkey around with it.
Final Thoughts
Overall this Kingston Technology HyperX Cloud II Gaming Headset Review should have given you a pretty good idea that I really like this headset. The sound is top notch, the included amp takes care of the short points. Even without amplification the sound is better than most of the headsets I’ve tried. In this price range, you won’t find a better sound. I think the Sennheiser’s still have a slight edge in sound quality, but this comes at a significant price differential. The mic is good, better than most. It does seem to have been enhanced over the previous model so even though it’s a small change, each improvment adds up to a better overall experience.
