CONCLUSION

   The 53mm dynamic stereo drivers used in the original CLOUD produced crisp mids and highs with very good bass levels and that hasn’t changed a bit with the CLOUD II so that’s one piece of good news. The 7.1 virtual surround sound USB card may not be manufactured by one of the usual brands in the market but it does a good job in “translating” the signal into several virtual channels so it may improve the overall experience while playing your favorite games and/or watching your favorite movies. Not all is perfect however since Kingston doesn’t offer a software control panel for the card thus you can’t “tweak” the various settings. The addition of several “modes” would also be good and could “cover” the lack of a control panel but that obviously wasn’t at the top of the “to do” list by Kingston. The end result is pretty good (better than we had expected) regardless but it could have been even better. As for the improved microphone well we never had any issues with the one used in the original CLOUD so we can’t really say if it’s better or not but since the specifications sheet clearly gives it an edge over the older model there’s no reason for us to believe otherwise.

   With a current retail price tag set at USD99.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and 98Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) the HyperX CLOUD II Pro Gaming Headset by Kingston is roughly USD20/25Euros more expensive compared to the original CLOUD. If you happen to own the original I see no reason to move over to the new model especially if you care not about the 7.1 virtual surround feature. On the other hand however if you’re out in the market looking for a sub USD100/100Euros gaming headset then you should really take a look at the CLOUD II. It may not be the best gaming headset out there but it’s very good for the price and that’s why it gets our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality (Flexible/Durable Aluminum Frame)
- Excellent Audio Quality (Crystal Clear Mids/Highs)
- Very Good Bass Levels
- 7.1 Virtual Surround Sound USB Card
- Comfortable (Size/Weight/Cushions)
- Removable Boom Microphone (Improved Model)
- Available In 3 Colors

CONS

- No Control Software
- Price (For Some)