Kingston HyperX Cloud Headset Review

Conclusion

Reviewing headsets is one of the more pleasant jobs here at OC3D Towers. Place them on your bonce, dig out our expansive testing playlist that has everything from brown note bass to jangly Motown and hit play. It’s a tough job but someone has to do it.

When we first heard of the HyperX Cloud there was a worry that this was very much a branding exercise. It wouldn’t be the first time a manufacturer had taken another product and just stuck a logo on it for the sake of sales. Having spent a week putting them through their paces though, nothing could be further from the truth.

Let’s start with the obvious element, the looks and build quality. The packaging is superb, with plenty of protection for your purchase, and lots of little compartments inside the box. The included accessories go beyond the “two jacks into one” that seem to be the norm. Instead Kingston have given us an array of connectivity options, cable extensions etc. Heck even the microphone and in-line remote are options, so you can just use the Cloud as a pair of headphones for when you’re out and about or on your way to the gaming convention, but quickly convert them into a full-on headset once you arrive. The cables and adaptors are of a very high quality with a reassuring click when connecting them and an outstanding braiding job. We adore the looks. There is something about the all-black nature of them, but all black and metal construction rather than just black plastic, which lends an air of quality. If first impressions are as vital as everyone claims then the Cloud is like opening your front door and discovering Scarlett Johansson.

Fortunately the Cloud isn’t all show and no go. The move up to 53mm drivers with an expanded response range really allows the audio reproduction to shine. Despite being a closed-back design the sound has a glorious airy quality which helps you feel like you are immersed there, rather than the sound just existing inside your head. Bass is tight and pounding, the midrange is broad and responsive with vocals being a particular highlight, and the highs are crystalline. The litmus test is always whether you can discover new aural delights in a familiar film or piece of music, and the Cloud ensures that all the frequencies are distinct enough that you can definitely discern things you had previously missed. They are comfortable enough to wear for long periods, and the microphone is clear and crisp.

At £90 the Kingston HyperX Cloud at priced at the midpoint of gaming headsets, and yet the audio reproduction, build quality, and connection options are at a level you would expect from something costing twice as much. There is nothing about them we dislike or can even nit-pick about. They look outstanding, are built like a tank, and not only sound better than any equivalently priced headset, but better than almost any headset at all. Rush out and buy one now before anyone realises that even at twice the price the Cloud would be worthy of our OC3D Gold Award, let alone at a mere £90. Fantastic.

     

Thanks to Kingston for supplying the HyperX Cloud Headset for review. Discuss your thoughts in the OC3D Forums.