INTRODUCTION

   Quite a few months have passed since we last reviewed a gaming headset but since we finally got out hands on Batman Arkham Knight we decided to use it with some of the gaming peripherals we have here (along with Battlefield 4, Planetside 2 and Star Citizen) including several gaming headsets. Now some of you may recall that roughly a year ago we reviewed the HyperX CLOUD Pro Gaming Headset by Kingston a stereo model (actually manufactured by Qpad) with surprisingly good audio performance and certainly a lot better compared to its immediate competition. Still a stereo gaming headset may not have the same "impact" as a virtual surround one and so it didn't take but just a few months for Kingston to release the CLOUD II 7.1 Surround Sound Pro Gaming Headset which we have here with us today.

   Kingston Technology Company, Inc. is the world’s largest independent manufacturer of memory products. Kingston designs, manufactures and distributes memory products for desktops, laptops, servers, printers, and Flash memory products for PDAs, mobile phones, digital cameras, and MP3 players. Through its global network of subsidiaries and affiliates, Kingston has manufacturing facilities in California, Taiwan, China and sales representatives in the United States, Canada, Europe, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, Australia, New Zealand, India, Taiwan, China, and Latin America. HyperX is the high-performance product division of Kingston Technology encompassing high-speed DDR3 memory, SSDs, USB Flash drives, and headsets. Targeted at gamers, overclockers and enthusiasts, HyperX is known throughout the world for quality, performance and innovation. HyperX is committed to eSports as it sponsors over 20 teams globally and is the main sponsor of Intel Extreme Masters. HyperX can be found at many shows including Brazil Game Show, China Joy, DreamHack, GamesCom and PAX.

   Right from the get go we think you should all be aware that the CLOUD II is pretty much the same as the original CLOUD but with the addition of a USB card which takes care of the 7.1 virtual surround feature. Because of this the entire specifications sheet is almost identical to that of the original CLOUD so once again we see the same large 53mm dynamic stereo drivers that feature a frequency response of 15Hz-25KHz with 60 Ohm impedance and a SPL of 98dB (­+-3dB). Now the reason i said "almost" identical is because Kingston has used an updated flexible detachable boom microphone which this time features a far wider frequency response of 50Hz-18KHz with -39dB (+-3dB) of impedance (as opposed to the 100Hz-12KHz of the original - impedance remained the same). We never did have a problem with the original boom microphone but using a even better model is never a bad thing.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Just like with the first CLOUD Kingston ships the CLOUD II Pro Gaming Headset in a medium sized box with a product image at the front and its main features.

Once again two sets of pictures placed on the left are used to showcase the main features of the CLOUD II.

On the opposite side we see a few words about the HyperX line of products in 4 languages.

A very large product picture placed at the rear of the box is used to showcase all of its features.

Removing the exterior cover reveals a large red box with the HyperX logo.

The entire bundle is placed inside a very thick piece of foam which provides excellent protection.

Inside the box you will find the HyperX CLOUD II Headset, 7.1 surround sound USB card, detachable microphone, two velour ear cushions, airplane headphone adapter, carrying pouch, product information paper, warranty information paper and a quick start guide.

THE HYPERX CLOUD II

The CLOUD II features the same aluminum body as its predecessor but actually weighs slightly less at 320g.

Again we placed our REVO Wireless headset next to the CLOUD II and as you can see it's not that large (identical to the original CLOUD).

The HyperX logo is again placed on the aluminum exterior of both earcups.

You can't rotate the earcups but they do swivel.

In the original CLOUD the QPAD logo was placed on the microphone cover but that's not the case with the CLOUD II.

The detachable boom microphone is identical to that of the original CLOUD (minus the specs) so it's 150mm long and flexible as you can see from the above pictures (although I’d still prefer a retractable one).

Both cups feature easy to remove large memory foam cushions covered with leatherette.

If you feel that the leatherette cups are too hard for your ear you can use the very soft velour ones.

The headpad also features memory foam covered with leatherette.

You can extend the headband of the CLOUD II a total of 35mm on each side via 7 visible increments (notice that on the original CLOUD the aluminum of the headband was black whereas on the CLOUD II it's red).

The HyperX logo is stitched on the exterior of the headband and again it looks great.

The 3.5mm connector is gold plated.

The 7.1 virtual surround sound USB card has the volume and microphone controls on it and a large button at the center which enables/disables the 7.1 surround sound feature.

At the rear the card also has a shirt clip and as you can see it also has a microphone mute switch.

The USB connector is also gold plated.

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)