Kingston HyperX Cloud Gaming Headset Review

Subjective Listening: Music, Movies, and Games

Not everyone hears the same as each other. People’s ears are different and preferences dictate our style. The subjective listening tests in our reviews not only compare the product with other gaming headsets, but also audiophile-grade headphones. Those who don’t regularly listen with higher-end equipment may not notice the sound quality deficiencies we are able to notice.

Music

The HyperX Cloud is a superb set of music headphones for how much it costs. Even before I found out that Takstar was the original designer, I was impressed at the liveliness of the musical character with the punchy moderate bass and bright trebles. Aggressive instrument separation was an indication of clarity. Any music genre sounds good on the HyperX Cloud though rock was a favorite.

Switching from the leather ear cushions to the velour ear cushions changed the sound character drastically. The HyperX Cloud took on open characteristics with less pronounced bass and even brighter trebles. This is an important consideration if one intends to switch between the included earpads.

Movies

The HyperX Cloud is quite capable of delivering a satisfactory movie audio experience. Subjects were clear while a good amount of subtle background audio was distinct. The bass is moderate with a sharp attack with enough punch to give explosive sounds an impact, but not enough to recreate deep rumbles. Simulated and virtualized surround sound wasn’t too impressive as the HyperX Cloud doesn’t focus on positional audio as a feature.

Games

The HyperX Cloud’s greater emphasis on musical immersion lends well to impactful game audio, but poor positional audio. Not much simulated distance can be heard and it was sometimes difficult to place the source of sound in a 3D environment. For those who could care less about that or prefer a more immersive audio experience, the HyperX Cloud produces lively and explosive sound that’s suitable for story driven games, platformers, and isometric view games.

Microphone

The main difference between the $75 Takstar Pro 80 and the $90 HyperX Cloud is the detachable microphone. Fortunately, the microphone performed up to the expectations the $15 price difference suggested. The microphone is capable of receiving speech with quality that rendered it recognizable to listeners. There was some distortion that slightly lowered pitch, but there was no impact that made voice sound tinny.