HyperX Cloud II Gaming Headset, An In-Depth Review of Immersive Audio
by Samuel Kalenga on Aug 23, 2024
Unveiling the Essence of the HyperX Cloud II: A Detailed Exploration of its Features
The HyperX Cloud II (the HyperX Cloud II Wireless is its cordless iteration) has been a regular contender for the best gaming headset you can find. It’s known for being constructed well, comfortable, and for having some of the best sound quality available. Let’s dig into what sets it apart.- Game-winning audio: The HyperX Cloud II features custom-tuned 53mm drivers that put you right into the action. Rich bass, clear mids and crisp highs offer up realistic audio so you can hear every detail of your games, from footsteps sneaking up behind you to the faint sound of an enemy weapon cocking from across the map. Talk to your squad or game with your friends on Discord – either way, line-in audio is incredibly clear so you never miss a thing.
- Immersive Surround Sound: Integrated into the HyperX Cloud II is a 7.1 surround sound feature that turns your gaming world into a multi-dimensional sound stage for dramatically improved position awareness. You’ve gotta hear it. Lenny:
- Stereo 3D: You’ll hear every sound clearly from every direction whether positional or immersive audio plugins. Sounds layered over each other will be palpable. And pistols and footfalls will sound as they should: behind or to the side of you, and way off to the left, of course. This would allow you to shoot better, easier, faster and ultimately defeat your enemies more quickly.
- Relentless Comfort: Offering an uncompromising level of comfort, the HyperX Cloud II makes marathon gaming sessions of any kind cringe-free. Plushmemory foam ear cushions were carefully crafted to perfectly fit the contours of the ear, providing a soft, snug fit and isolating your listening environment to provide pure audio immersion by blocking the majority of ambient noise. The headband is also adjustable to provide comfort with a customised fit allowing the headphones to gently contour to a range of varying head sizes for gamers of any shape or size. The HyperX Cloud II is designed to allow you to play and kill your opponents in marathon gaming sessions without a moment’s discomfort for hours on end.
- Durable Design: Made of solid steel and high-quality materials, the HyperX Cloud II is built to withstand the rigors of pro-gaming tournaments and casual gaming alike. An aluminium frame embedded in the construction adds to the durability of the headset, rounding out its rugged design. The sturdy build means the headset could quite literally take a beating for years but still provide you with great performance. It’s a sound investment in your gaming audio, designed to power your passion for countless gaming sessions.
- Detachable Noise-Cancelling Microphone for Clear Communications: Team communications made easy! HyperX Cloud II comes with a detachable noise-cancelling microphone allowing greater freedom of movement, and ensuring that you are heard loud and clear as you strategise with your team on your way to victory in the noisiest of gaming environments. The flexible microphone arm conveniently allows for precise placement for voice transmission, and with the noise-cancelling feature, your voice commands and strategies will be relayed to your team in the clearest possible manner – with the removal of any extraneous ambient sound resulting from your keystrokes or movements with your mouse.
- Versatile Compatibility with Your Favourite Gaming Console or Headsets Across Multiple DevicesL Ever since the original came out, the HyperX Cloud II has been a very popular brand of headphones, thanks to its sheer versatility across a lot of different devices that you’ll likely be using to play games with. It’s compatible with a lot of the premier gaming consoles and computers out there, allowing you to not worry about nasty feedback from using the wrong headset or pulse pounds giving way to static. Simply put, you can use these headphones across multiple devices without worrying about audio quality or compatibility — a win/win in every sense. You can use the HyperX to easily shift between your living room TV set-up, your desk, and your mobile gaming device with ease and without having to worry about compatibility issues.
Navigating the HyperX Cloud Family: Finding Your Ideal Headset
The HyperX Cloud family has a host of headsets from price to gaming needs and tastes. Let’s see a few examples of HyperX Cloud family:- HyperX Cloud Alpha 2: HyperX has frequently targeted avid gamers who expect top-notch audio quality and immersive surround sound. The HyperX Cloud Alpha 2 continues that tradition with HyperX’s pioneering dual-chamber technology, to optimise audio balance and provide a clearer, more natural sound profile. The upgraded HyperX 7.1 surround sound card provides a better hearing experience for truly immersive gaming and you can turn off the surround sound and plug in external headphone audio processors for greater gaming flexibility. New features also mean a more comfortable experience, with a redesigned headband and ear cushions using Hyper-X’s proprietary memory foam that keeps even long gaming sessions comfortable. Noise-cancellation technology uses a foam bass bar and thick ear pad for a more whisper-quiet experience. Type: Virtual Reality-based, Wired, 7.1 Surround Sound HyperX Cloud Alpha 2 is a great choice for discerning gamers who want to hear every explosion and tune out distractions for ultimate immersive gaming.
- HyperX Cloud Stinger 2: Best cheap gaming headset: Gamers on a budget who want something nice and light, and who wouldn’t care about surround sound. The HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 is a good entry-level headset with light build, high comfort levels and decent sound quality. The headset has enough shape to stay in place while remaining light to feel comfortable. Under your ear, you’ll notice soft memory foam that lines the inside, while over the top HyperX adds in light padding to keep the whole package nice and concise. Overall, HyperX delivers a sharp-looking and highly comfortable headset for any casual user or budget streamer, but the sound quality leaves just as much to be desired. It’s not bad, but it’s not particularly good either.
- HyperX Cloud Flight 2: If you’re a gamer on the move, the HyperX Cloud Flight 2 is a wireless headset with excellent sound quality and up to 30 hours of battery life so you can game for a long time without ever being tethered to your gaming desk. The lightweight build makes the HyperX Cloud Flight 2 a premium wireless gaming headset with exceptional sound quality. HyperX Cloud Flight 2 delivers freedom of movement without compromising sound quality so you can play all day without dealing with a messy cable. Perfect choice for a competitive gamer!
- HyperX Cloud Alpha 2 Wireless: This headset picks up the HyperX Cloud 2 line legacy, taking the great audio of the HyperX Cloud Alpha 2 and the wireless freedom of the HyperX Cloud Flight 2, and merging them into a truly premium wireless gaming experience. This is truly a big step forward. It’s super high-quality audio, the best sound and comfort available, matched with the convenience of wireless. The HyperX Cloud Alpha 2 Wireless gaming experience offers gamers the best in class in everything, and then adds on top of that wireless. The wireless convenience is a cherry on top for those who crave the real ‘premium’ level experience.
The HyperX Cloud II: A Balanced Analysis of its Strengths and Weaknesses
Pros:
- Excellent Sound Quality: Exquisite sound quality. The HyperX Cloud II provides the most clear and powerful audio that’ll make you feel like you’re right in the game.
- Immersion by 7.1 Surround Sound: With7.1 surround sound technology, you get to hear everyone in the very position, letting you start off with better positional awareness, already giving you one up on your opponents.
- Cushioned Design: Memory foam earcups and a sliding padded headband, plus height-adjustable telescoping feature, gives you a secure and comfortable fit for even extended gaming sessions.
- Durable Construction: The high-quality aluminium frame with metal shade and sturdy construction ensures long-lasting performance under repeated use for countless gaming sessions.
- Detachable noise: cancelling microphone: this microphone contributes to ease of communication with teammates in noisy environments.
- Ultra compatible:The HyperX Cloud 2 is compatible with many gaming platforms and is an ideal solution for the gamers who play on multiple platforms.
- Value For Money: The HyperX Cloud II offers great quality at a super-competitive price point, which makes it accessible to gamers on almost any budget.
Cons:
- CLOUD YOURSELF: Wired Connection: While the HyperX Cloud II is the standard wired model, today’s gamers still pine for the freedom of wireless gaming headphones, which also come in HyperX versions. (Wind wouldn’t want to tangle with me.)
- Sound Cancelation: This is a button that mutters. Its adversary is Noise Cancelation, another HyperX offering designed for gamers on trains
- Interchangeable Earpads: If you hate your ears, get the velour. This is a genuine labels squabble: the HyperX Clouds and Cloud II come with yellow and black leatherette pads. Cathay Pacific offers all-brown leatherette as well as blue velour – and these are the fun ones. But a token ‘Pink Princess’ option won’t change how we think about gaming headphones
- Zombite Swarm: A depression on the mixed-material cable that simulates the look of a zombie horde when antsamsquanch in it.
- Earcups Steamed Too Hot: I played Logitech’s G933 headphones for 20-minute stretches while watching shows on my Nintendo Switch Dock, and noticed the earcups got a little toasty. That seems to be a risk when using over-ear headsets for prolonged periods of time.
The Verdict: A Highly Recommended Gaming Headset
The HyperX Cloud II gaming headset is solidly at the top of the recommended list for anyone looking for a combination of comfort, sound quality and durability in a headset for gaming. It delivers superb audio performance for its price, and its well-fitting, soft-covered frame was comfortable for long periods and was fairly easy to adjust. It proved to be versatile (I used it for work as well as gaming) and sounded great with both my PC and a PS4. Tethered headsets of any brand might seem like a deal-breaker for some, and there are more elegant headset solutions out there.
But paying an extra $50 or $100 for big on-the-head pod headphones or a wireless set, with no increase in audio quality, might not be an option for someone who’s serious about gaming. For users looking to embrace the wireless experience for both Freedom of movement and battery life, the HyperX Cloud II Wireless is the HyperX premium wireless gaming experience. In the end, the definitive choice between the wired and the wireless incarnations of HyperX Cloud II would depend on the individual’s gaming modus operandi. Whether you’re a hardcore competitive gamer seeking an edge or a casual user seeking just a great audio experience, the HyperX Cloud II brings a compelling choice to your gaming experience.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- What are the best gaming headset substitutes for the HyperX Cloud II? The HyperX Cloud Alpha 2, HyperX Cloud Flight 2, SteelSeries Arctis 7 and Corsair Virtuoso RGB Wireless SE are all strong contenders.
- Is the HyperX Cloud II any good for gaming? Yes! You’re looking at one of the best gaming headsets thanks to great sound, a great fit and a lot of durability.
- Does the HyperX Cloud II have surround sound? Sure does. The HyperX Cloud II has 7.1 surround sound so you can hear in literally three time dimensions and have even more acute positional awareness.
- What is the wireless version of the HyperX Cloud II called? The standard HyperX Cloud II HyperX Cloud II Wireless is a very popular wireless variant with great battery life and audio quality.
- How do I connect HyperX Cloud II to my PC? This headset can connect to your PC using a USB adapter (for 7.1 surround sound) or via a 3.5mm jack (for standard audio). A splitter cable is provided for the microphone and audio.