Ask a gamer to list off their gaming essentials and one thing they will mention is the headset that they use every day. It’s a headset that they’ve fallen in love with, a headset that is used for gaming, music, and videos.
Nobody enjoys playing online computer games alone, so the right equipment is required to communicate with your allies and hunt for victory. At the same time, the headset needs to provide comfort for all day gaming sessions.
With the market for gaming headsets already crowded, the gaming division of Kingston decided it was their turn to make an appearance and in August of 2014 they did just that. They developed the Cloud gaming headset, an affordable and excellent headset.
In my review of that unit I stated how Kingston’s first attempt was well designed and I finally found a gaming headset that suited all the needs of gamers: comfort, functionality, and affordability.
Just like many successful products, Kingston is back with a second generation that incorporates the good things of the first generation, corrects the previous imperfections, and introduces some new gaming features that makes the second generation that much better.
If you happen to be an avid watcher of professional gaming, you may have already seen the Cloud IIs in action. Just like the first generation, the Cloud II is the official gaming headset of popular gaming organizations SK Gaming, Intel Extreme Masters, Alliance, and TeamLiquid, but will these headphones turn you into an MLG professional? Let’s find out.
Welcome to my review of the Kingston HyperX Cloud II gaming headset. Throughout this review, I will discuss the design, performance, and my final thoughts. I would like to thank Kingston for providing this unit.
Design
If you were to lay the Cloud I and Cloud II side-by-side, you wouldn’t be able to tell them apart. When I reviewed the Cloud I, I mentioned how their design was stunning and was one of the most comfortable gaming headsets I’ve used, and quite frankly, I’m happy to see that Kingston did not go overboard on making unnecessary changes.
The unit is constructed out of plastic for the ear cups which are coated in a rubberized material to protect against drops, scratches, and bumps. Moreover, the unit receives its structural integrity through the metal band that runs from one ear cup to the other. The metal band also acts as the height adjustment and allows for a good amount of stretch for those with bigger heads.
Padding around the Cloud IIs uses a leather-like (leatherette) material which is incredibly soft and is even form fitting memory foam. Generation one used soft materials, but what I’d call a lesser material than what the Cloud II now offers. When comparing the Cloud II to a $200 professional headset, I can easily say that the Cloud II is on a par with the expensive, real-leather headset, in terms of comfort. Kingston even went above-and-beyond to add additional padding to the inside of the oval shaped ear cups. Furthermore, Kingston retained the gray/red (depending on your model) stitching that is found on the top headband.
Being a gaming headset, a microphone is a must have and this unit offers one that is also detachable! Of course, like gen one, the microphone has a fully adjustable stalk and 45 degree jack to connect to the left ear cup. The only difference I saw was that the pop filter is no longer oblong, but more round.
From there, you receive one of the longest braided headphone cables in existence, nine and a half feet (3ft for the stereo connector, 6.5ft for the USB connector) to be exact, that connects to the incorporated USB sound card. The function of the USB sound card will be discussed below, but a design overview shows a gold plated USB connector, game volume adjustment buttons, voice-sound adjustment buttons, a 7.1 Surround Sound On/Off button and a microphone mute slider. Moreover, the controller unit has a red glow on the 7.1 button and HyperX.
Performance
New to this generation is the incorporation of 7.1 High Definition Virtual Audio, for a true and realistic experience. The Cloud II uses a non-detachable cable that leads to the new USB powered audio controller box.
Kingston smartly designed the Cloud II to be a plug-and-play device, meaning that the 7.1 audio is hardware driven and does not require the use of software or drivers. This also means that they can function on gaming consoles like the Xbox One and PS4. Furthermore, the USB controller uses a built-in Digital Sound Processing controller that can boost sound levels, for a positive and negative effect.
The positive side of the 7.1 audio reveals sounds that you typically don’t hear in games, like creeps snoring when its night or footsteps of the enemy quietly approaching you from behind. The effects even find their way into music and videos with both sounding rich and pronounced. The only negative side is that the unit never gets quiet enough. Even on very low volume, the speakers are pushing out some heavy volume. It does mean that noise cancellation is quite good and you barely hear the people sitting next to you.
Of course, all of this powerful and great sound is outputted by the 53mm drivers that even do a good job at bass reproduction. If you’re used to small drivers in your gaming headset(s), then the Cloud II will be a rude awaking for you.
Lastly, we have the new and improved microphone. This new unit has ambient noise cancellation that should block echo noise and other people in the room and it does a decent job at doing so. Kingston uses their Auto Gain Control to adjust the sound levels of what is being output from your microphone. When using the microphone, I did get a few people who stated that I was too quiet, but at the same time, others reported that I sounded just fine. Expect your results on voice volume to vary. The microphone is also rated to work with TeamSpeak and Skype without any interference problems.
Headset:
Transducer type: dynamic Ø 53mm with neodynium magnets
Operating principle: closed
Frequency response: 15Hz–25,000 Hz
Nominal impedance: 60 Ω per system
Nominal SPL: 98±3dB
T.H.D.: < 2%
Power handling capacity: 150mW
Sound coupling to the ear: circumaural
Ambient noise attenuation: approx. 20 dBa
Headband pressure: 5N
Weight: 320g
Weight with microphone and cable: 350g
Cable length and type: 1m + 2m extension
Connection: single mini stereo jack plug (3.5 mm)
Microphone:
Transducer type: condenser (back electret)
Operating principle: pressure gradient
Polar pattern: cardioid
Power supply: AB powering
Supply voltage: 2V
Current consumption: max 0.5 mA
Nominal impedance: ≤2.2 kΩ
Open circuit voltage: at f = 1 kHz: 20 mV / Pa
Frequency response: 50–18,000 Hz
THD: 2% at f = 1 kHz
Max. SPL: 105dB SPL (THD≤1.0% at 1 KHz)
Microphone output: -39±3dB
Length mic boom: 150mm (include gooseneck)
Capsule diameter: Ø6
Connection: single mini stereo jack plug (3.5mm)
My Final Thoughts
Astonishing that Kingston took an already fully functioning headset, one that was less than a year old, and transformed it into a piece of art. The newly added 7.1 audio is a pleasure to listen to and the comfort material is out of this world. For the reasonable price of $149 ($109 on Amazon), you just can’t go wrong with this gaming headset. It’s a gamer’s dream unit and will be well suited for many years to come.
One side note: if you already own the Cloud I, then I see no reason to upgrade to the Cloud II. Unless you crave the 7.1 audio, you should be perfectly happy with that you already own. New users should opt for the Cloud II.
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