HyperX has really made a name for itself in the headset industry in recent years with its Cloud line of products, including the Stinger, the Alpha, the Revolver, the Flight, the Orbit, and the Mix. And that’s just its line of headsets! HyperX is heavily involved in many different gaming peripherals and has been since 2002. From their website:

“HyperX is the high-performance product division of Kingston Technology, the world’s largest independent memory manufacturer. Started in 2002, HyperX began with one line of high-performance memory and has grown over the years to encompass multiple product lines of memory modules, solid-state drives, USB Flash drives, headsets and mouse pads. Featuring best-in-class components that deliver superior performance, quality and aesthetic design for more than a decade, HyperX products are the choice of top-rated gamers, tech enthusiasts, and overclockers worldwide. From setting memory world records to achieving the most stringent product certifications, HyperX is committed to delivering reliable products with the highest performance standards.”

HyperX’s latest headset is the Cloud II Wireless, a wireless update to the iconic Cloud II headset. Let’s start with the packaging: HyperX changed things up this time around with a red, black, and white design on the box that shows off many of its features. Specifically, HyperX is showing customers up front that this headset lasts up to 30 hours, is wireless, has memory foam, supports 7.1 virtual surround sound, and comes with a year warranty.

Features and specs

• MSRP: $149.99
• Battery life: 30 hours
• Headphone Driver: Dynamic, 53mm with neodymium magnets
• Weight: 300-g without mic; 309-g with mic
• Frequency response: 50Hz-6.8kHz
• Sensitivity: -20dBV (1V/Pa at 1kH)
• Wireless Range: 2.4GHz wireless connection with a 20-meter wireless range
• LED indicator on the microphone to show the mute status
• Built-in mic monitoring
• NGENUITY support for audio controls, toggle for 7.1 surround sound, mic volume adjustment, and battery life monitoring
• Type: Circumaural, Closed back
• Frequency response: 15Hz–20kHz
• Impedance: 60Ω
• Sound pressure level: 104dBSPL/mW at 1kHz
• T.H.D.: ≤1%
• Cable length and type: USB charge cable (0.5m)

The headset

The headset itself looks very much like the Cloud II headset with a red and black design, showing off the HyperX logo on both sides. The headset has a power button, a mute button, a slot for the detachable microphone, and a volume rocker in the form of a scroll wheel. The biggest difference between this headset and the original Cloud II is that this headset is completely wireless.

The headphones themselves are very light at only 309g with the mic attached, but they certainly do not feel cheaply made. The red stitching on the leatherette headband gives the headset a great professional look. I use this headset for hours at a time without feeling any discomfort.

In addition to the headset itself, this package comes with all that you need: instructions, a USB-C to USB-A cable, a detachable microphone with a cover, as well as the wireless dongle. Using the headset on a console or PC is as easy as plugging in the dongle and turning it on. Unfortunately, however, there's no compatibility with Xbox. The plug-n-play nature of the headset means that you aren’t required to download any software to configure it, but you can still download the official HyperX NGENUITY software to mess with the settings to your heart’s content.

The 7.1 surround sound quality is great for this budget headset and it makes playing games, watching movies, or listening to music that much more enjoyable. It is unfortunate that there is no noise cancellation, but one would be hard pressed to find noise cancellation on a $150 headset.

The microphone quality on the other hand is so-so. Everyone that I’ve talked to can hear me fine while using the headset, but I can’t imagine trying to use it reliably for projects that require crisp audio. If your main goal with the microphone is to communicate with friends while gaming without worrying about having the highest audio quality, this microphone is perfectly serviceable.