King of cans, back with 7.1 surround
Did we ever mention how much we love Kingston’s luxuriant HyperX Cloud headset? Right. All the bloody time. It’s a rare combination of audio and ergonomic engineering working in perfect harmony, the closed-cup memory foam pads naturally amplifying the low-end frequencies emitted by the 53mm driver. Sure, the Kingston model is little more than a revision of QPAD’s QH-90 headset with more bass and more branding, but the results are so good we can let all that go.
But this is where it all gets a bit complicated. The HyperX Cloud II is a revision on that revision, updating the visuals (read: adding some red bits), refining the inline remote and importantly adding virtual 7.1 surround sound. Crucially, all the things we liked about the original model are still present and correct (red bits notwithstanding). They just come with extra bells and whistles now.
We won’t linger too long on the visuals as any peripheral’s appeal on those terms is subjective. Let’s just trumpet two things, though. One: it’s free of any tribal patterns, baffling ancient Greek mythos, or autographs from pro gamers you’ve never heard of – thank you, Kingston. Two: its construction quality is immediately apparent, and well-built never goes out of fashion. As with the original model, you get a choice of leather or velvet swappable earpads, and an adaptor for use on planes. Nice touch. The mic isn’t retractable, and its bulky pop shield might annoy you if you like your peripheral vision absolutely clear, but the tradeoff is remarkable mic fidelity. Some are even purporting greater clarity than in the original model, though we don’t hear much of a difference.
The heart of the matter lies in the HyperX Cloud II’s surround capabilities, though. Rather than jam each earcup full of individual drivers like some manufacturers, Kingston opts for an inline soundcard offering virtual 7.1 surround. And honestly, it’s via virtual surround that we’ve heard the most immersive and convincing results in the past 12 months. The surround effect on this model can even be toggled on or off at the push of a button on that inline remote, which is handy if you’re trying to perceive the exact effect it’s having. How’s it sound? Well, you’ll want to stick to a stereo output for music, since there is a perceptible dip in fidelity with surround enabled, that slightly wooly ‘digitised’ sound which comes with all virtual surround headsets. But if you want to lose yourself in a movie’s surround mix or feel the war shaking your bones in a shooter, it does the job.
And that’s largely down to the original construction and driver quality. Call it splitting hairs, but this isn’t the most impressive virtual surround tech we’ve heard – Turtle Beach and Creative are ahead of the curve when it comes to playing tricks on your ears, and this model doesn’t quite compete on that level. However, combined with the existing lowend power and clarity further up the EQ, it makes for, once again, just about the best overall package out there. The on/off button is the icing on the cake, giving you the meaty stereo mix you loved about the first model with one press, and something slightly lossier but more cinematic and silly with another press.
Surround sound is the only meaningful difference between Kingston’s two HyperX Cloud models, so it’s important to make it clear that owners of the original model needn’t lose sleep about not having this headset. However, if you’ve been holding out this long, your eventual purchase just became inevitable with the new model’s arrival. Sorry. – Phil Iwaniuk
SPECIFICATIONS
Frequency response 15Hz – 25KHz
Weight 320g
Cable length 1m + 2m extension
Connection type Single mini stereo jack plug (3.5 mm)
Mic Condenser (back electret)