HyperX Cloud Pro Gaming Headset - Silver - with in-Line Audio Control for PS4, Xbox One, and PC (HX-HSCL-SR/NA)

I have been a hard-core multi-player gamer for at least 20 years. In that time I have used at least a dozen different headsets ranging in price from $30 up to $150, and at least as many different brands. My current headset had broken a while back and as I was taking a break from gaming due to a new demanding job and girlfriend, I didn't bother to replace it. Recently I got back into gaming and decided I needed to find one.My first choice was the Razor Kraken PRO USB, which I bought from Amazon for $80. The non-PRO version costs around $50, and I think the only difference is in the 7.1 Dolby surround sound. I chose this model because I have used Razor keyboards and mice for years, and they have always been the absolute best gaming peripherals in those areas. I figured their reputation would carry over to gaming headsets. Upon receiving the Razor Kraken PRO and putting it on, my first impression was that it was extremely heavy and very uncomfortable. It sounded great, but there was absolutely no way I could wear it for any longer than 20 minutes without my head feeling like it would explode. I decided to I would return this item to Amazon, but I wanted to order a new headset first and compare it to the Razor before making the final decision to send it back.So I began my search for a new headset when I stumbled upon the Kingston HyperX Cloud Gaming Headset. While it's not USB (3.5mm jack) and it's not 7.1 dolby surround either, for the same $80 price it is a far superior headset not only to the Razor Kraken, but to any headset I've ever owned at THIS price range ($75-100). I've known for decades that Kingston makes very good quality memory, and more recently, great SSD drives. I had never thought of them as a company to make a headset, or any gaming peripherals for that matter. Upon further review I came to find out that this headset is based off a Qpad design, for which I believe Kingston has licensed the technology. Qpad is a well known gaming company that makes award winning headsets. So it's really just a "Kingston" branded version of one of their designs, and actually has some improvements over the Qpad model to boot.Upon receiving the HyperX Cloud in just a couple days thanks to Amazon Prime, I began my comparison. The first thing I noticed was the boxing was impressive, and the kit contained a ton of fantastic and useful components that could be used for all types of setups and applications. The HyperX will work not only with PC, but also with iPhone/iPad, all Android phones/tablets, Playstation and XBox. If you fly on airplanes sometimes, as I do for business, the handy traveling bag that comes with it and the ability to use with your phone/tablet will be most welcome. The noise cancellation on these is just enough that it would block out jet engine and background chatter, but not to the extent that you can't hear yourself speak or hear typing on keys. That is a good thing. Perfect balance on these in my opinion. Also it comes with an extension cord that of 5 ft that you can attach to the 3 ft cord, allowing you to easily get them plugged into a 3.5mm jack on the back of your desktop computer and reach all the way to your head. I have way more than enough cord in-fact for this use. The best part is if you take these on an airplane for use on your smartphone or tablet, the base cord is just 3ft so you don't have this monster long cord all over the place. Smart move Kingston!The next thing I noticed was that these felt lighter than the Razor Kraken headset, even though the built quality on these seemed much better. You would think with more robust materials and build quality that it would be heavier. Alas, I took at look at the specs on both to see if maybe my sense of weight was off, but sure enough the Kingston HyperX Cloud is indeed about an ounce less than the Razor model. Razor is 10.35 ounces, and HyperX about 9.5 ounces. Doesn't seem like much but it is noticeable in the hand, and on the head. Regardless the backbone of the HyperX is a very solid aluminum build and it felt like it had a lot less chance of breaking or cracking than the Razor model.Now let's talk about comfort. For most gamer's you are going to be spending periods of time with these things on your head for hours. So I'd say comfort is equally if not more important than sound quality or mic quality. The HyperX Cloud's are extremely comfortable. If you have an extremely large head they may not fit you, as they length they expand is a little bit more limited than on some other headsets. If you have an average size head, they are terrific. The band at the top has just enough soft cushion that they won't dig into the top of your head, but not so much that it gets in the way. The band itself is very flexible and the ear cups swivel for different angles and head shapes. For that reason they do not press hard against your head causing ear pain, jaw pain or headaches like other headsets can. They press just enough to block out loud background noises. The ear cups are oval shaped and large enough to cover even the biggest elephant ears inside the cups. They are around ear not over-ear. Also in the kit you get an optional pair of super soft velour covered earpads in addition to the leather covered ones. Both use a super soft memory foam that feels great against the head. After wearing them for a while you will forget you have them on. For comfort these things are a 10/10 rating when taking into consideration the quality build.Now let's talk about sound quality. Being that these are 3.5mm instead of USB, you are already going to get better sound quality as an internal sound card (even the built-in motherboard ones) will sound better than the on headset version found in USB headsets. This headset has a 53mm transducer, which is quite large compared to most other headsets at this price range, and even twice as much price. Also the frequency response is 15Hz to 25,000Hz. This is a wider spectrum of bass/treble than you will see on many headsets at this price point. Needless to say they sound great. They aren't overly bassy like other headsets I have used. Sound quality is fantastic overall for an $80 headset. They work well for voice communication in gaming, but they also work excellent for music and movies.I have seen numerous reviews of the mic on these being poor quality. I don't understand this. First of all this is a "gamer" headset. It's meant to be used to communicate with other players in games. It doesn't market itself as a headset for doing studio quality voice-over work. In the past few days I have talked with numerous friends on TeamSpeak, Ventrilo, Mumble and other in-game voice applications. All of my friends tell me that I sound clear as day. In fact I had compliments from friends I've gamed with for years that I sound better with these than with the last few headsets I have owned. So unless a few people got bad mics, I would say the mic on this headset is more than okay for it's purpose of gaming.Overall I am really happy with this purchase. They are well worth $80. If I had paid twice as much for these I would be happy with the purchase. You cannot go wrong with the Kingston HyperX Cloud gaming headset - unless of course you have a neanderthal sized cranium.

Great all-around headset! There are several things to like about this headset. Here are the things that impressed me the most:- Comfortable!! I read several reviews here and on gaming hardware review sites and the one consistent message they gave was that this is possibly the most comfortable headset you'll ever wear. I haven't reviewed or tried as many headsets as they have, but I can tell you I've never worn anything this comfortable. The over-the-ear cups are large enough to encompass my large ears so that almost nothing touches the ear. It comes with leather and foam (velour) pads so you can choose which you prefer. I've worn the headset for several days with the leather pad on one ear and the velour pad on the other so I could choose which was more comfortable and I honestly can't make up my mind - they are both super soft and comfortable. I've worn these at work as headphones for several hours at a time at work with no headaches afterwards. If comfort is high on your list for a headset, look no further - this headset definitely lives up to it's "Cloud" moniker!Great sound. These headphones come with 53mm drivers, which are a bit larger than most headsets, and you can tell it in the bass end. You won't get the boomy bass like you do with Logitech or other gaming headsets that are designed to make explosions sound good - you'll get a nice, full bass that fills your ear without overwhelming your senses. The highs are crisp without being tinny and there just seems to be a good balance in the bass and treble regsiters. The mids are a little understated, but that is probably by design for a headset as opposed to audio headphones. But, it is only noticeable when listening to music with exposed vocals and you're really listening for it; if you use an equalizer to boost them a bit, you're fine.Built for Real Gamers. These headphones are obviously made by people who have had gaming headsets and they addressed many things that are frustrating about most of them.- Cords are either too long or too short. Kingston solved this by giving you a base headset with relatively short cords (4ft) that are good for sitting close to your PC or for use with your phone as well as a very long extension for when you're far away or using them with your console. The cord is a strong braided cord as well,- Volume & Mic Mute. Like the cord length, they give you a choice. The in-line volume and mic mute are a separate item that you can plug into the end of the cord or not, depending on whether you want them.- Aluminum Construction. The headpiece and swivel arms are made of aluminum, not plastic. Even many expensive headphones I've purchased had plastic swivel arms that broke easily when I dropped them (Bose). These are very sturdy aluminum but still light in weight.- Removable Mic. Finally - a headset built by someone who understands that if you make the audio quality on a headset good enough, we will use them as headphones as well. I remove the mic until I actually need it. When I'm using them at work or playing single-player games, it's nice not to have to deal with a mic hanging near my face.The one thing you need to be aware of is the impedence. Most gaming headsets have an impedence of 32 ohms - this is essentially the amount of power needed to drive the speakers properly. This headset has an impedence of 60 ohms, which is closer to that of stereo headphones. I assume this is partially due to the larger speaker drivers. What this means is that you will need a little more power to make them sound their best. It is not prohibiting at all - I listen to them all day plugged into my laptop or smartphone with great sound (I previously tried a Sennheiser PC-350 headset that ran at 150 ohms and it was almost impossible to get loud enough). But, for the best sound, you'll need a headphone amplifier or sound card that has one built-in. Most motherboards use a Realtek (or equivalent) chipset for audio that won't do any amplification. I purchased a Creative Labs Audigy FX sound card for $24 that has a 600 ohm amplifier built-in and the sound quality is noticeable when there's plenty of power to push those big drivers. It doesn't necessarily mean it's louder, the quality just shoots up significantly - it's worth the investment in a separate sound card or motherboard with a high-quality sound chipset.Not insignificantly, the price is incredible for these headphones. For $100 or less, I don't believe you can even come close to these. In fact you might have trouble finding a better sounding headset for less than $300. As for comfort, I think these are probably about the best you can find.