I've been asked for recommendations for Gaming Headsets. People who do not want an external mic, or can't have one. People who don't have a ton of spare cash to blow need options too. For a closed-back gaming headset; the Hyperx Cloud II is my highest recommendation.
MSRP: $100
First, the two most important things in a gaming headset are sound, and comfort. Everything else comes second. Luckily, the HyperX Cloud II had both of these, and much more. The HyperX cloud II is essentially a Qpad/Takstar/Gemini/etc. This was an excellent choice by HyperX, as they sound fantastic. The #1 problem I have had with gaming headsets in the past is overbearing bass. Amazingly, the Cloud II has no such problem.
Sound:
The sound signature is V shaped for sure. The treble is very present, but not too bright. The bass is very present, but not heavy. The mids are not too recessed, and seem to support the bass and treble. They also do not have the mid-bass boost that some Sennheisers have. I will say that if you want a lot of bass, these may not be the best for you, but they still have enough for me. The best sonic feature for me is the clarity. Cymbals sound great. Electric guitars have a bite, and there is quite a bit of detail to be had that would otherwise be lost. The isolation is better than open headphones for sure, but not the most isolating by any stretch of the imagination. The G4me Zero destroys these in isolation. I didn't have any real trouble with the isolation until I tried them in a car, then I could still hear the engine easily. People talking around me wasn't much of an issue for the Cloud II.
Comfort
Comfort is a surprising attribute these have. I was expecting much more clamping force than these bring. I took them out of the box and simply said wow at how I didn't have to put any effort into pulling the earcups apart wide enough for my head. The pads are shallow, but boy are they good. The pleather is exceptional. They are soft, and pliable. I like the material much more than my HM5 pads. I just wish they could be a tad thicker. Also, the HM5 pads fit on here too, not that I want to do that. The Cloud II also came with velour pads, but these were not very good at all. The Pleather pads are more comfortable to me, and hold more bass. I am impressed with the overall comfort. The only gripe I have with the build is the cord runs externally from the earcup to the headband, I could see the potential for these to get broken at some point.
Features:
Features are what makes many products either seem lackluster, or truly stand out. The HyperX Cloud II passes this test with flying colors, like, actual colors.
There are not many headphones that offer Pink/White color schemes on top of Black/Red, Black/Grey, and if you include the Cloud I: White/Black, and a couple others which are not so common. Clearly I had to have the Pink ones. I look fabulolus in them in case you were wondering.
The microphone sounds above average for Gaming headsets. The Sennheiser headsets I have tried blow everything else away in the microphone department, but I would not be disappointed if I had to use the HyperX cloud microphone. Personally I use an external microphone (Audio-Technica ATR2500). This leads well into my next point. If you do upgrade your mic at some point, you can simply unplug the Microphone from the Cloud II, and place the included cover on the port. This is also very useful for using the Cloud II as a portable headphone. You no longer look like a dweeb with a big mic sticking out of your headphones. Instead you can have a big HyperX logo on your head. I think this is cooler than 'Beats' at least.
The Cloud II specifically comes with a USB soundcard which plugs into the 4-pole termination of the non-detachable cord of the Cloud II. The soundcard is fairly well made and includes volume controls for both the headphones and microphone. This is not the most common feature, and is very welcome. The 7.1 surround setting, as you might expect, is somewhat of a gimmick. It actually added some positioning in the front-back axis, but also screwed up the response. There was also some loss of detail and clarity. The added air of surround seemed to mostly be boosted frequencies. Some may like it, and I only use it as something different to goof around with.
Song Recommendation: We Don't Have to Dance - Andy Black
Would I take this over the G4me Zero? maybe. The mic and isolation are better on the G4me Zero. Many will the find the comfort better too. My trouble comes with the sound.I find the G4me Zero to be more aimed at competitive gaming, while the HyperX cloud is a bit more of an all-around type of headset. Music will likely be more enjoyable on the Cloud II. For this reason and the price, I recommend these over the G4me Zero.
Conclusion:
I you only Have $100 and need a close back gaming headset: This is my highest recommendation. The features, the sound, and the comfort are all there. I absolutely love the HyperX Cloud II. This is a great product all around. I can get lost in games, and not have my audiophile ears be offended all at the same time. HyperX, you did a superb job making these your own, and I approve. Now only if Sennheiser could make me some pink HD700s....
Questions are welcome!
