HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II  Headphones Review

The HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II have a simple and polished design. The arching hinges are reminiscent of the Beyerdynamic headphones like the Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO. The mic is also detachable, making them more appealing for casual use. However, they're still a bit bulky, and the bright logos on the ear cups may not be for everyone. On the upside, the simple two-tone black and red color scheme looks good and stands out without being too flashy.

These are comfortable headphones with big, well-padded ear cups and an equally well-padded headband. They're more comfortable than the HyperX Cloud Flight or SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3, but they're a bit tight on the head. Fortunately, the pressure is spread evenly around your ears, so they don't clamp your head like some other gaming headphones we've reviewed. Unfortunately, this still makes them somewhat fatiguing after long gaming sessions.

They have a sub-par control scheme, especially for gaming. They have a dedicated in-line remote cable with a USB connection that gives you control over the volume and mic level, as well as a surround sound button to activate Dolby 7.1. They also have a mute switch on the side of the in-line remote to completely disable the mic. The buttons are decently responsive although a little flat. They also take a bit of time to get familiar with, but they're relatively easy-to-use. Unfortunately, the control scheme isn't as versatile since it doesn't cater to mobile devices, which is a little disappointing since the headphones can also pass for casual everyday headphones. For a more straightforward headset without controls, take a look at the HyperX Cloud Core.

Like the Logitech G Pro Gaming Headset, these headphones will make your ears fairly warm during long listening sessions and would not be suitable for more intense workouts. They have a closed-back over-ear design that fully encapsulates the ears and obstructs airflow. Unfortunately, they don't come with more breathable pads like the Logitech G433. They won't be ideal if you often have long uninterrupted gaming sessions, but they should be okay if you take a couple of breaks from time to time.

Like the Turtle Beach Elite Pro 2 SuperAmp, the HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II aren't very portable headphones. They're a bit more compact than other gaming headphones but they're still on the larger side for most over-ears. That and the lack of foldable hinges makes them less portable and a bit of hassle to carry around on your person without a bag.

There's a simple pouch that comes in the box and will shield the headphones from minor scratches while they're in your bag. Unfortunately, it won't protect them against impacts, drops, or water damage.

The HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II have a great build quality, similar to the HyperX Cloud Alpha. It feels durable yet flexible enough to not snap from overextension. The ear cups also feel dense, well made, and capable of handling a couple of drops without any major damage. However, the shiny backplates with the Hyper X logo could get scratched up over time, and the exposed audio cable linking the ear cups is a potential weak point. For headphones with a similar design but with better and sturdier materials, look at the Logitech G Pro X Gaming Headset.

The HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II are just tight enough to be stable and comfortable headphones, but they won't be ideal for sports. They sway a lot under physical activity and will slip off your ears if you use them while running or working out. The main cable is also not detachable, so if it gets hooked on something it will yank the headphones off your head.

• Hyper X Cloud II headphones
• USB headset adapter
• Airline adapter
• Extra over-ear pads
• Carrying pouch
• Manual

These headphones have a sub-par frequency response consistency. The treble response is decently consistent, with some minor peaks/dips around 4kHz, which shouldn't be terribly noticeably. The bass delivery is also quite consistent, as long as the user is getting a proper fit/seal with them. In our tests on five human subjects, the person who wore glasses experienced a noticeable drop in bass compared to others because the arm of their glasses broke the air-tight seal between the headphones and the head.

The HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II bass is great. The LFE is extended down to 14Hz, which is great. Low-bass and mid-bass are quite flat and within 1.5dB of our target. This results in a bass that is capable of producing the thump and punch common to EDM, hip-hop, and film scores. However, high-bass is slightly more emphasized than mid-bass, making their sound very slightly boomy. Also, their bass delivery varies significantly across users and is sensitive to the quality of fit, seal, and whether you wear glasses. The response here represents the average bass response, and your experience may vary. If you prefer to have a little more control over your audio experience, the HyperX Cloud Alpha S has adjustable bass sliders to give you more or less bass.

The HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II have a remarkable mid-range performance. Low-mid and mid-mid are virtually flat and within 1dB of our target, ensuring a clear mix with well-balanced vocals and lead instruments. The small dip around 1kHz, however, will push the vocals/leads slightly to the back of the mix.

The HyperX Cloud 2 have a sub-par treble response. The big dip will have a negative effect on the detail and articulation of vocals/leads. The peak around 9KHz could make these headphones noticeably sibilant (sharp and piercing on overly bright tracks). For a gaming headset with a better-balanced treble range, see the Razer BlackShark V2.

Update 01/10/2022: These headphones have been updated to test bench 1.5. In this update, we made changes to the way we test imaging. Our phase response mismatch test now represents the difference between the L/R drivers and includes an audibility threshold line. We have updated our review to reflect these results.

The imaging on these headphones is mediocre. The GD graph shows that the entire group delay response is below our audibility threshold, suggesting a tight bass and a transparent treble reproduction. Also, the L/R drivers of our unit are well-matched in terms of amplitude, which helps balance the stereo image. However, there's significant phase mismatch, and you can hear it in real-life content such as vocals and treble-range sounds like cymbals. This mismatch sounds as if the drivers are inverting, and it indicates that there are inaccuracies in the stereo image. There's also some frequency mismatch, which can create holes in the stereo image. However, our results are only valid for our unit, and yours may vary.

The soundstage on this headset is bad. Their PRTF response shows that they don't interact with the pinna (outer ear) much, and don't activate its resonances like a loudspeaker. Therefore, their soundstage will be perceived to be small and located inside the listener's head as opposed to in front. For another closed-back alternative that offer a slightly more spacious listening experience, consider the Corsair VOID RGB Elite.

The HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II isolation performance is sub-par, though they still do a better job of blocking out ambient noise than the HyperX Cloud Revolver + 7.1. Since they are over-ear and don't have ANC (active noise cancelling), the don't isolate in the bass range. This means they will let in all the rumble of airplane and bus engines. In the mid-range, which is important for blocking out speech, the achieved 13dB of isolation, which is above-average. In the treble range, occupied by sharp S and T sounds, they achieve more than 36dB of isolation, which is very good.

TheHyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II have a good leakage performance. The significant portion of their leakage is between 800Hz and 3KHz, which is a narrow range. The overall leakage level isn't very high, making the sound leaking out quiet and thin-sounding.

The boom mic has an excellent recording quality. The LFE (low-frequency extension) is very good. The HFE is also very good, resulting in a speech that above-average presence and detail, making it very clear and easy to understand. However, it does lack some openness and airiness because of the dip above 7kHz.

The boom microphone has impressive noise handling. In our SpNR test, it achieved a speech-to-noise ratio of 49dB, which is outstanding. It indicates that this mic will be to isolate speech from noise even in the noisiest and demanding environments.

These headphones are passive and have no battery life.

These headphones don't have any compatible software for added customization. Their successor, the HyperX Cloud III, do have software with a graphic EQ. If app support is a priority, it's worth checking out the Logitech G635 or the Razer Kraken Tournament Edition.

The HyperX Cloud 2 have a non-detachable TRRS cable that provides volume control and microphone compatibility support for consoles as long as you plug them into the Xbox One or PS4 controllers. They also come with a USB adapter for PCs, giving them more control over the microphone and audio.

These headphones are wired and don't have a Bluetooth connection. If you want a gaming headset that supports Bluetooth, check out the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 or the HyperX Cloud Mix.

Their USB wired connection has negligible latency which is suitable for gaming and home theater.

These headphones don't support non-Bluetooth wireless. However, the HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II Wireless and have outstandingly low latency.

Update 06/03/2020: We had previously reported that these headphones don't have a dock. However, after comparing their USB control box to those of other headphones, we decided to include it in the Base/Dock score. The review has been updated.

The HyperX Cloud II come with a USB control box that gives you access to functions you don't otherwise have when using the headset with their 1/8" TRRS connection. Unfortunately, it doesn't have any input options besides USB. However, it lets you mix your chat and audio channel levels independently, and activate a 7.1 virtual surround sound feature.