Today, manufacturers are increasingly venturing into areas other than their own in order to expand their range of products. That’s what Kingston has done, moving from the memory market to the audio market with its HyperX line of headphones. A rather striking addition to this range has been the HyperX Cloud II, a device that aims to offer everything the average gamer wants to have in a headset.
HyperX Cloud IIs feature 53mm drivers for high audio performance and sound quality, plus a detachable microphone. The headset works with all major gaming platforms including PCs and Macs, mobiles and consoles like PS4 and Xbox One. It also comes with some fancy touches like leatherette ear cushions, an airplane adapter, and a case. And best of all, it only costs 90.95 euros.
These characteristics are especially good if we consider the excellent sound quality it has, the good design of its components and the comfort you feel when wearing them during long gaming sessions. As a drawback we have that the HyperX Cloud II do not have wireless connectivity or with active noise cancellation, however, we must be aware that these features are only available, in general, in headphones that cost double or triple.
In general we can say that The Kingston HyperX Cloud II focus on the most important functions and discard everything else. However, it still offers quite striking features. Find out a little more in detail what it is about.
Design
Gamer headphones tend to be quite flashy, usually covered in lights, bright colors, and flashy logos. However, the Kingston HyperX Cloud II, despite having the name at the top of the headband, it has a rather sober design, with a polished metal finish that feels pretty good. They may not be as fashionable as other headphones on the market, but they are still functional enough and pleasing to the eye.
However, beyond the exterior, the brilliance of these headphones is in the interior design. The HyperX Cloud II include 100% memory foam ear cushions, while the default material is leather, which gives it a more luxurious finish for its price. For those who want a different texture, the headphones also include velvet ear cushions. Another interesting detail about this product is the inclusion of a detachable microphone, although it is a quality that – to be honest – might not be that good because it makes losing it very easy.
The Kingston HyperX Cloud II headphones do not offer inline controls but do offer a USB sound card audio control box. This unit is compatible with PC and Mac and generate virtual 7.11 surround sound. It is a pretty clever design that they have placed the controls on the USB sound card and not on the device itself. In this way problems are avoided and a much more user-friendly result is achieved.
The package includes some extra accessories that are not found in other headphones the same price. It not only incorporates a protective cover and an airplane adapter but also velvet pads in case you want to change the ones it brings. Of course, although the case is just a bag that doesn’t offer much protection for the headset, it’s better than nothing.
Audio quality
HyperX Cloud II have powerful and detailed stereo sound, with 53mm drivers that provide great performance with crisp bass, mids and highs. The headphones, while special for video games, also do an amazing job with movies and music.
One of the most outstanding features of these headphones is 7.1 surround sound, which is available on PC and Mac through the USB audio control box. The sound card takes any multi-channel source like a game or movie, as well as amplifying audio and voice for a superior experience. Unfortunately it does not have the active noise cancellation function, however the closed design of the headset helps that there is not much outside noise.
The main feature missing from the Kingston HyperX Cloud II is audio customization. However, it is something that is not missed in excess since the default sound settings are pretty good. In case you want to make any changes, it will be necessary to do so from the configuration of the operating system that is being used.
The microphone on the Kingston HyperX Cloud II is very good, as when used with the USB control box the noise cancellation and echo cancellation functions are enabled. Thanks to this, less background noise is perceived, coupled with the fact that the volume of the voice increases automatically when the sound of the game increases.
Verdict
The Kingston HyperX Cloud II headphones have all the basics a gamer could want for a more than attractive price. It is a product with excellent audio quality, which has most of the useful functions for a device of the genre and works with almost all the major gaming platforms on the market.
One of the things that stands out the most about these headphones is undoubtedly the small details that most manufacturers leave out. Although it has some leather pads that are soft and luxurious, it also includes other velvet pads to be replaced to suit the user, as well as other extras such as the cover or the plane adapter.
Finally, we can say that although the benefits of the Kingston HyperX Cloud II headphones seem to be too good to be true, it really is. So, if you really want a device that delivers great sound, you like all the extras it includes and don’t mind too much that it doesn’t have a fancy design. The HyperX Cloud II are the perfect headphones, so we have included them in our Top 5 of tech gifts for Christmas and here we summarize their benefits in a single image:
