Sometimes it seems like gaming headphones end up being a little too recent, with everything from superfluous RGB lighting a built-in rumble engines. When I try to choose great headphones for wireless gaming, I don’t ask for much. I am looking for comfort, solid audio, solid battery and connectivity, and a simple design. That’s pretty much it. And updating its classic wired Cloud headphones with the new wireless compatibility, the HyperX Cloud II Wireless is a great example of simple wireless gaming headphones that have done well.
Starting with its design, the Cloud II Wireless is practically a carbon copy of the standard wired Cloud headphones, which is definitely not a bad thing. A couple of years ago when I finished the best headphones for games under $ 100, the original HyperX Cloud finished in second place, barely missing SteelSeries Arctis 5, mostly because during long gaming sessions of three hours or more, I found the Arctis 5 to be more breathable and a little more comfortable. But it was very close.
With the Cloud II Wireless, you’ll get more of the same, including a sturdy aluminum headband with wide padding and soft memory foam headphones. HyperX also includes a handy on / off button, a mute button, and a volume wheel right on the headset, which may seem a little spartan, but it covers all the most important features. Adding a game / chat balance dial as in other wireless headphones would have been nice, But.
Like its predecessor, the Cloud II Wireless has a closed design that offers good passive noise cancellation. Be careful not to start talking louder when you put them on because it’s harder to feel yourself, which I did (to my wife’s dismay) when I pulled away from my normal openingcans with backrest. Throughout its audio area, the Cloud II Wireless seemed tight and crisp, with no muddy hints that I sometimes find in other brands. In fact, while you can use the free HyperX app to adjust various audio settings or turn on the surround sound feature of HyperX 7.1, the Cloud II Wireless was set up so well that I didn’t use them for several days before. connecting them to the application. I just connected the wireless dongle to my PC, turned on the headphones and started playing. Basically no setup was needed, how simple is that?
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In terms of microphone performance, just like standard Cloud headphones, the Cloud II Wireless features a detachable microphone that sits at the end of a bendy boom, which sounded bright and clear. HyperX includes some built-in noisecancellation technology to help reduce environmental background noise, which I have generally found effective, but not too deep. That said, I have to admit that in a parallel test with a Blue Yeti support microphone, the HyperX didn’t capture as much detail until my voice, as many of my Discord friends said my speech sounded . a little flat. But honestly, it’s okay, because these two microphones are created for different purposes. When I’m playing, I worry more about being easily understood than anything else, because in the middle of a raid or a big fire, I don’t care if a microphone captures all the nasal sounds of my speech.
But for me, the most impressive thing about the Cloud II Wireless is the good battery life and wireless connection. HyperX claims that the Cloud II Wireless should last about 30 hours on a charge, and in my experience it’s pretty obvious, as you only had to charge it once every two weeks, although it can obviously vary depending on of the amount of play day.
As for its wireless connection, HyperX claims that the Cloud II wireless range can reach 20 meters. Join my tests, I couldn’t even find a place in my 1,000-square foot apartment where the audio was cut off, so I had to physically leave my house and go down to the elevator floor before the sound started to go down.
My only complaints about the HyperX Cloud II Wireless come down to a few minor doubts. The first is that the included USB-A to USB-C charging cable is only about two feet long, which means it’s not long enough to use if you want to use the headset. loading. The other is that unlike SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless, Which one comes with a USB-C dongle, the Cloud II Wireless uses a USB-A wireless dongle, which it doesn’t really work with the Nintendo Switch in handheld mode, although you can connect the dongle to the Switch dock, which has a USB-A port.
This means that Cloud II Wireless is primarily a headset for PC or PS4 gamers. And while it doesn’t say it on the box, the Cloud II Wireless also worked well when I connected it to a PS5. Unfortunately, because Microsoft uses a proprietary signal for wireless audio, the Cloud II Wireless (like many wireless headphones) does not work with Xbox.
Finally, priced at $ 150, the Cloud II Wireless is also a bit more expensive than some of its cheap wireless competitors. But for me, that’s not really a big deal, because everything the Cloud II Wireless does, it does well. It has a clean and robust design, good audio and crisp sound Detachable microphone, better battery life and a stronger audio connection than you might ask for. If you just want a simple, a well-made wireless gaming headset, the Cloud II Wireless is.
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- The Cloud II Wireless has around 30 hours of battery life and a wireless range of up to 20 meters.
- Because the Cloud II Wireless relies on a USB-A dongle connection, not a great option to combine with a phone.
- The Cloud II Wireless is compatible with computers, the Nintendo Switch (when docked), the PS4 and, while not listed on the box, also the PS5. But not Xbox.
- The included USB-A to USB-C charging cable is only two meters long, which means it’s a bit short if you want to continue using the headphones while charging.