Kingston HyperX Cloud II Gaming Headset Review

Quick Close Up Look

You can see just how nicely designed the Kingston HyperX Cloud II really is up close. It sports a jet black, red-stitched plush headband and HyperX moniker on the ear cups. The ear cups are superbly soft. The cups are held on by two very strong brushed black aluminum frames. They are bent just right for best fit even if you have an odd-shaped noggin.

Between all these basic, well thought-out attributes, the headset is quite comfortable to wear. The only small thing you might have to contend with is whether or not the wires running to the cup(s) hit your ears or not. I haven’t personally had to deal with this issue or heard of anyone else.

Test Setup

System one consists of a GIGABYTE GA-Z97-Gaming GT motherboard with OP AMP for the audio source. It’s one of the top two gaming motherboards to date with semi-integrated audio. It has a Burr Brown amplifier installed. This system had the original Kingston HyperX Cloud Pro Gaming headset connected.

System two has an ASUS Z97 Sabertooth MKI motherboard, which features an integrated Realtek ALC1150 audio processor. It’s still one of the best integrated solutions that helps keep the pricing down. However, since we have a self-powered headset connected, the audio is disabled. This system had the Kingston HyperX Cloud II Gaming headset connected.

After initial testing, the Cloud II was plugged in to the Gaming GT system for a final comparison.

Performance Comparison

This test is essentially subjective, but with a grade of objectivity. I played some games (FPS, action and adventure), listened to music (classical, rap, hip-hop, country) and movies (action, suspense, theatrical, musical) via both headsets. During this process, I noted which headset produced the best quality bass, midrange, and treble, while maintaining clear volume to derive the “audio” score. “Comfort” is scored based on how long a headset can be worn. This test highly depends on the shape of your head. The “design” score consists of design and materials. And finally, the price of each headset in the test group was compared.

The Kingston HyperX Cloud and Cloud II both produced the best quality sound. The Cloud II stepped up, matching the Tritton headset in sheer volume but blew it away in clarity. And, of course, lightweight headsets are always nice to wear, but the Cloud II were also a pleasure due to the headband weight distribution. However, the Cloud II seemed just a little more eager to crank. I could go on and on about how well the Cloud II bring games to life, but we must end this.

Final Thoughts

Of all the headsets I’ve had the privilege of using, the performance of the Kingston HyperX Cloud II Pro Gaming Headset exceeds its price point. The audio quality alone is nothing short of fantastic to experience during any gaming. All of those extra frequencies really help bring out the character of each game. They will also excel when jamming to music or watching movies. Naturally, the Cloud II was awesome with both PC and console gaming. The one tiny caveat against gaming and not the headset is that some games aren’t well-coded to support the multi-channel experience. Still, the stereo experience is blissful.

The design quality just polishes off the experience. I found them quite comfortable to wear for far too long for many a gaming or jamming session. So much attention to detail has been applied right down to their sexy red-stitched exterior. The HyperX designers simply did a great job reflecting quality, comfort and value all at once. I have yet to find a similarly-priced, gamer-centric or enthusiast headset that even comes close.

For a palatable $99 US, the Kingston HyperX Cloud II Gaming headset can be yours in all its audible glory. The Cloud II will leave you feeling your money was well spent given the comfort, performance, and quality which all create an excellent gaming experience. There’s everything to like and nothing to hate. The bottom line: the HyperX Cloud II rocks!