Kingston HyperX Cloud II gaming headset review: Buy one

A little less than a year ago, I had the pleasure of reviewing the Kingston HyperX Cloud gaming headset. I wrote that "For the price, the HyperX Cloud is giving you more bang for your buck than a lot of the higher priced headsets out there." I was just really impressed with the product, especially when I didn't know what to expect.

Kingston now has the HyperX Cloud II headset, featuring a new USB sound card audio control box with virtual 7.1 surround sound. Largely, it's the same headset, which isn't a bad thing. It's still an aesthetically pleasing headset, with metallic black portions, gunmetal silver or red metal in parts, including the HyperX logo, and an incredibly comfortable black leather, memory foam head band. The ear cups are soft and provide some awesome noise cancellation. I didn't have a chance to test it on a plane this time, but the first HyperX Cloud got the job done. This time, I tested it in my noisy house populated by two boys — a five-year-old and two-year-old that pretend they're part of the Star Wars universe and play out loud lightsaber fights between the Jedi and the Sith. While I liked not being able to hear them while I played games or got work done, my wife didn't appreciate asking me for help and me not hearing her. So I often found myself keeping one of the ear cups partially off my ear so I could hear.

The HyperX Cloud II also has a digitally-enhanced, noise-cancelling microphone. When combine with the USB sound card, it also has echo cancellation. Overall, the microphone is a pretty nice improvement over the first Cloud headset.

But let's get to the big difference between the Cloud and Cloud II — the USB audio control box. The USB audio control box with a built-in DSP sound card helps deliver a virtual 7.1 surround sound. Is it as good as having an actual 7.1 piece surround sound setup? No. But this does help add more depth to your gaming sessions, and it helps you judge distance a little better. You can't pinpoint sound, but you get the general direction of it. I'll easily take this over just a stereo headset. The controller has a button to activate the 7.1 surround sound or disable it, and then individual volume controls for the microphone and the headset. There's also a switch on the side that mutes and unmutes the mic. Also, the HyperX logo on it glows red.

Like I've stated, the headset connects to PC using USB, and the headset connects to the audio control box with a single 3.5mm cable for mic and sound. If you want to use it with a PlayStation 4, simply plug the 3.5mm cable into the bottom of the Dualshock 4. The same goes for the Xbox One; plug the cable into the bottom of the Xbox One stereo headset adapter.

I've played multiple games with it, watched some movies, and of course listened to the greatest progressive rock band of all time with it: Rush. On the PS4, I played Dying Light and Madden, on PC I played Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel and a tiny bit of Battlefield 4, and on Xbox One I played Sunset Overdrive and Forza Horizon 2. My main complaint audio-wise with the first cloud was that bass didn't feel as punchy as it could, and I'm much happier with the outcome with the Cloud II. Audio positioning definitely helped with the 7.1 surround sound, and the overall audio was clear.

After playing around with the Kingston HyperX Cloud II gaming headset for over a month, I'm comfortable saying that it's the best headset you can get for the $100 dollar and below price range. And it holds its own against some headsets that are far more expensive. Right now, while I prefer to use a specific headset for my Xbox One gaming, the Cloud II is my go-to for PC and PS4 gaming. And it's so easily switches between PC, PS4, Xbox One and mobile devices that it's the most used/versatile headset in my house.

The Kingston HyperX Cloud II will be available on February 9, 2015 for $99.99.

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Specs:

Headset:

• Transducer type: dynamic Ø 53mm with neodynium magnets
• Operating principle: closed
• Frequency response: 15Hz–25,000 Hz
• Nominal impedance: 60 Ω per system
• Nominal SPL: 98±3dB
• T.H.D.: < 2%
• Power handling capacity: 150mW
• Sound coupling to the ear: circumaural
• Ambient noise attenuation: approx. 20 dBa
• Headband pressure: 5N
• Weight: 320g
• Weight with microphone and cable: 350g
• Cable length and type: 1m + 2m extension
• Connection: single mini stereo jack plug (3.5 mm)

Microphone:

• Transducer type: condenser (back electret)
• Operating principle: pressure gradient
• Polar pattern: cardioid
• Power supply: AB powering
• Supply voltage: 2V
• Current consumption: max 0.5 mA
• Nominal impedance: ≤2.2 kΩ
• Open circuit voltage: at f = 1 kHz: 20 mV / Pa
• Frequency response: 50–18,000 Hz
• THD: 2% at f = 1 kHz
• Max. SPL: 105dB SPL (THD≤1.0% at 1 KHz)
• Microphone output: -39±3dB
• Length mic boom: 150mm (include gooseneck)
• Capsule diameter: Ø6
• Connection: single mini stereo jack plug (3.5mm)