The HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II Wireless are comfortable gaming headphones that are compatible with PCs, PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch consoles. Thanks to their wireless dongle, they have very low latency. They also have over 30 hours of continuous playback time, so you don't have to worry about charging them very often. While some users may prefer their slightly bass-heavy sound profile, they don't have an EQ to help customize their sound. Their companion software also is fairly basic and doesn't offer many customization features. That said, they're well-built and have a detachable boom mic that does an impressive job of recording your voice, even in noisy environments.
Our Verdict
The HyperX Cloud 2 Wireless are good for neutral sound. They have a slightly bass-heavy sound profile with a neutral and even mid-range that helps accurately reproduce vocals and lead instruments. However, their treble-range is a bit uneven, resulting in dull vocals and lead instruments as well as sharp sibilants like S and T sounds. They also don't have a comprehensive EQ to help customize their sound, and their passive soundstage can be perceived as small.
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Well-built and comfortable design.
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Sub-par passive soundstage.
The HyperX Cloud 2 Wireless are mediocre for commute and travel. While they're comfortable enough for long flights and have over 30 hours of continuous battery life, they don't block out any bass-range noise like bus or plane engines. They're also fairly bulky and can't fold up to be made more portable. They don't have a carrying case and need their wireless USB dongle in order to transmit audio, which isn't convenient if you want to listen to audio from your phone.
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Well-built and comfortable design.
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Over 30 hours of continuous battery life.
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Middling noise isolation performance.
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Don't support Bluetooth.
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No music or call management controls.
The HyperX Cloud 2 Wireless are alright for sports and fitness. While they're stable enough for gaming, they aren't really designed for use during physical activity and can fall off your head while you're moving. They also don't have an IP rating for water resistance and need their wireless USB dongle to transmit audio. Their lack of an audio cable reduces the chances of something snagging and pulling them off your head, though.
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Well-built and comfortable design.
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Don't support Bluetooth.
The HyperX Cloud 2 Wireless are okay for office use. They're comfortable and their battery life should last through a few shifts at the office before they need a recharge. However, they struggle to cut down ambient chatter around you and only support non-Bluetooth wireless via their USB dongle, so you won't be able to wirelessly stream audio from your smartphone. They also don't support multi-device pairing.
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Well-built and comfortable design.
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Over 30 hours of continuous battery life.
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Middling noise isolation performance.
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Don't support Bluetooth.
The HyperX Cloud 2 Wireless are good for wireless gaming. They're well-built, comfortable enough for long gaming sessions, and have low audio latency via their non-Bluetooth wireless dongle. Their continuous battery life lasts over 30 hours, and their mic can record your voice clearly, even in noisy environments. However, their companion software also only offers limited features and it doesn't have an EQ to help tweak their sound.
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Well-built and comfortable design.
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Over 30 hours of continuous battery life.
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Excellent performing boom mic.
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No channel mixing.
The HyperX Cloud 2 Wireless are wireless gaming headphones and can only be used with non-Bluetooth wireless.
The HyperX Cloud 2 Wireless are fair for phone calls. Their detachable boom mic does a great job of recording your voice, even in very noisy environments. However, the headphones don't really block out bass-range noise like bus engines and only slightly reduces ambient chatter, so you may want to take calls in quieter environments to clearly hear the person on the other end of the line.
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Well-built and comfortable design.
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Excellent performing boom mic.
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Middling noise isolation performance.
- 7.5 Neutral Sound
- 5.7 Commute/Travel
- 6.0 Sports/Fitness
- 6.9 Office
- 7.6 Wireless Gaming
- 5.9 Wired Gaming
- 6.9 Phone Calls
- Updated Oct 10, 2023: We've added a comparison between these headphones and the HyperX Cloud III Wireless in Battery.
- Updated May 06, 2022: We incorrectly reported that the wireless dongle's USB Input was 'No'. This isn't correct as it's a USB-A dongle. We have changed this to 'Yes' in the Base/Dock text and updated our review.
- Updated Jun 29, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
- Updated Jan 15, 2021: Review published.
- Updated Jan 11, 2021: Early access published.
- Updated Dec 22, 2020: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Dec 17, 2020: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated Nov 21, 2020: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The HyperX Cloud 2 Wireless are the wireless variant of the HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II. They come in one color variant, 'Black', and you can see its label here. If you encounter another variant, please let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.
Compared To Other Headphones
The HyperX Cloud 2 Wireless are wireless gaming headphones that can only be used on PC, PS4, and Nintendo Switch consoles. Unlike the wired HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II, these headphones use a wireless USB dongle that delivers low audio latency suitable for gaming. However, because of this, they're not compatible with the Xbox One. Still, they have a bass-heavy sound that some users may especially enjoy, and their 30-hour-plus continuous battery life is impressive.
Check out our recommendations for the best wireless gaming headsets, the best PS4 gaming headsets, and the best gaming headsets.
The HyperX Cloud III Wireless have a superior battery life performance to the HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II Wireless. Clocking in at over 120 hours, they're a better fit for marathon weekend gaming sessions. Both headphones share a similar sound profile, but the Cloud II Wireless have an overemphasized bass response that adds realism to cinematic sounds like explosions. The Cloud III Wireless have slightly better imaging and soundstage performance, though, which can help you locate in-game audio cues, like footsteps. However, the boom mic on the Cloud II Wireless has better recording quality, making your voice sound more full and natural. Both headphones are great for wireless gaming, but the Cloud II might be a better pick for streamers needing the best mic quality.
The HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless and the HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II Wireless have different strengths. While both headphones are comfortable, well-built, and have similar overall mic performances, the Cloud Alpha have a more neutral default sound profile that you can customize to your liking using their companion app's graphic EQ or presets, although users have reported that using the app's features introduces very high latency. Their passive soundstage feels wider, and they have a significantly longer continuous battery life. However, the Cloud 2's mic has a better recording quality, and their wired design avoids the issue of latency altogether.
The Logitech G PRO X WIRELESS LIGHTSPEED Gaming Headset are better wireless gaming headphones than the HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II Wireless. The Logitech reproduce audio more consistently, and their boom mic offers a better noise-handling performance. They're also compatible with Logitech G HUB software, which has a graphic EQ and presets to help adjust their sound to your liking. However, the HyperX have a longer-lasting continuous battery life.
The HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II Wireless are better for wireless gaming than the Razer Barracuda X Wireless 2021. The HyperX are better built, more comfortable, and more customizable thanks to their companion software, including a graphic EQ. That said, the Razer are more stable, and you can also use them with a wired connection.
The Logitech G Pro X Gaming Headset and the HyperX Cloud2/Cloud II Wireless have different strengths, and you may prefer either depending on your needs. The HyperX are wireless gaming headphones that can't be used with a wired connection, but they have a boom mic with better recording quality. On the other hand, the Logitech are wired gaming headphones. Their in-line controls are better since they include music and volume control, and they work with an app that gives you access to a graphic EQ and presets so you can customize their sound profile.
The HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II Wireless are slightly better wireless gaming headphones than the Logitech G733 LIGHTSPEED Wireless. The HyperX are more comfortable, are better built, and have a better overall boom performance. They also have a longer continuous battery life. However, the Logitech's sound profile can be customized using their companion software's graphic EQ and presets.
The Astro A50 Gen 4 Wireless 2019 are better gaming headphones than the HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II Wireless. While both headphones are very comfortable and well-built, the Astro deliver audio more consistently and have a more neutral sound profile, which some users may prefer. They also have a more open and immersive soundstage, and their overall mic performance is better. However, the HyperX's continuous battery life is longer.
The HyperX Cloud Alpha are better for wired gaming, while the HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II Wireless are more suitable for wireless gaming. While both headphones are comfortable, the Alpha are better built, leak less audio, and are compatible with most consoles using their 1/8" TRRS connector. However, the Cloud 2 Wireless have a better overall mic performance and are compatible with HyperX NGENUITY software, although it doesn't offer many additional features. They also have low non-Bluetooth wireless latency.
The SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless are better gaming headphones than the HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II Wireless. The SteelSeries have a more stable fit and have a better-balanced sound profile. Their battery performance is better, too, and you can customize their sound profile via SteelSeries Engine software's graphic EQ and presets. They even support Bluetooth and can be used with a wired connection. However, the HyperX Cloud II Wireless are more comfortable and better built.
Depending on your preferences, you may like the Razer BlackShark V2 or the HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II Wireless. The HyperX are better for wireless gaming. They're more comfortable and better built, and their boom mic delivers significantly better overall performance. They also have low non-Bluetooth wireless latency. However, the Razer are wired gaming headphones. Their companion software offers a graphic EQ and presets to help you adjust their sound to your liking, and they deliver audio more consistently.
The HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II Wireless are better headphones for wireless gaming than the Corsair HS80 RGB WIRELESS. The HyperX have lower latency via non-Bluetooth wireless, a much more comfortable fit, and a longer continuous battery life. They also have a more neutral default sound profile, which some may prefer, but on the other hand they don't come with any sound customization features. The Corsair's software offers an EQ and presets. Their boom mic also has a better overall performance.
The HyperX Cloud Flight S and the HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II Wireless are similarly performing wireless gaming headphones and depending on your preferences, you may favor one over the other. The Wireless are more comfortable and feel better built. They have a better-balanced sound profile that delivers more bass too. However, the Flight S have a slightly longer battery life.
The HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II are the wired variant of the HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II Wireless. They share a similar style, build quality, and comfort level. The wireless variant offers over 30 hours of continuous playback time and low audio latency via their non-Bluetooth wireless dongle. They're also compatible with PC, PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch devices. However, the wired variant comes with a carrying pouch, its mic has a better recording quality, and you can use it on the Xbox One in addition to most other consoles with an AUX port.
The HyperX Cloud Flight and the HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II Wireless have different strengths, and you may prefer one over the other. The Cloud 2 Wireless are more comfortable and better built. They have a virtual soundstage feature, their mic offers a slightly better recording quality, and they have a lower non-Bluetooth wireless latency. However, you can use the Flight passively if you prefer a wired connection, although you can only receive audio and can't use their mic using this connection. Their boom mic also has a better noise-handling performance.
The HyperX Cloud Alpha S are better than the HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II Wireless for gaming. The Alpha S are wired-only headphones that come with a USB dongle that offers more features, including channel mixing. They also have a much better build quality and work with Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S as well as PCs, PS4, and PS5, while the Cloud 2 are incompatible with Xbox consoles. On the other hand, the Cloud 2 are wireless, which some may prefer.
The SteelSeries Arctis 7 2019 Edition Wireless are better gaming headphones than the HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II Wireless. The SteelSeries have more robust controls like channel mixing, they can be used passively with their 1/8" TRRS cable, which gives you full mic and audio compatibility, and you can use them wired on the Xbox One. They're also compatible with the SteelSeries Engine software, which has a graphic EQ and presets so that you can customize their sound to your liking. However, the HyperX are more comfortable and have a better overall performing boom mic. They also have lower non-Bluetooth latency.
The Razer BlackShark V2 Pro Wireless 2020 and the HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II Wireless have different strengths, and you may prefer one over the other. The Razer can be used wirelessly with low non-Bluetooth wireless latency or passively with their 1/8" TRRS cable, giving your full audio and mic compatibility. They're also compatible with Razer Synapse software, which offers a graphic EQ and presets to help you adjust their sound to your liking. However, the HyperX are more comfortable and better built. Their boom mic also offers better overall performance.
The HyperX Cloud2/Cloud II Wireless are better headphones for wireless gaming than the Corsair H270 Wireless. The HyperX's boom mic has a much better overall performance. They're more comfortable and have longer continuous battery life. The Corsair work with an app that has a graphic EQ and presets, so you can customize their sound profile.
The Corsair VIRTUOSO RGB Wireless XT and the HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II Wireless have different strengths. The Corsair has a better overall mic performance, and you can customize their sound profile using their companion app's graphic EQ and presets. They also support Bluetooth, so you can listen to audio from your phone while gaming. However, the HyperX are more comfortable and have a more neutral sound profile out of the box, which some users may prefer. They also have a longer-lasting continuous battery life. Their non-Bluetooth wireless latency is also significantly lower, although the Corsair still falls within good limits.
The HyperX Cloud2/Cloud II Wireless are better for wireless gaming than the Corsair Virtuoso RGB Wireless SE. The HyperX have a much more comfortable fit and a longer continuous battery life. They have a slightly bass-heavy but more neutral sound profile, which some users may prefer. On the other hand, the Corsair's companion software gives you access to a graphic EQ and presets, so you can customize their sound profile. You can use them wirelessly or with a wired connection with their included 1/8" TRRS cable.
The SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless 2017 are better gaming headphones than the HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II Wireless. While both headphones are well-built, the SteelSeries are more customizable, thanks to their companion app, and can be used wired. However, the HyperX are more comfortable, and their boom mic offers a slightly better overall performance.
The SteelSeries Arctis 7P+ Wireless are better wireless gaming headphones than the HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II Wireless. While both headphones are well-built and have low non-Bluetooth wireless latency, the SteelSeries have a longer continuous battery life and more customization features like a graphic EQ and presets in their companion software, and support an analog connection. However, the HyperX are more comfortable, and their boom mic offers a better recording quality.
The HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II Wireless and the EPOS Sennheiser GSP 600 are gaming headphones designed for different uses. The HyperX are wireless headphones with a more comfortable fit. However, the EPOS are wired-only. They're more stable, with better noise isolation and leakage performances.
The HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II Wireless and the Astro A30 Wireless are similarly performing gaming headphones, but the Astro are slightly better. The Astro have more bass in their default sound profile and have a companion app that offers features like an EQ and presets to help you customize their sound. The Astro also have more comprehensive controls, a longer-lasting battery, and Bluetooth for listening to music on your phone. Depending on the variant and if you're using them wired or wirelessly, the Astro can connect to more consoles, having full audio/mic compatibility with Xbox, PlayStation, PC, and Nintendo Switch. While the Hyperx have a better mic, they can only connect to PC and PlayStation consoles.
The Beats Solo Pro Wireless and the HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II Wireless are for different uses. The HyperX are better suited for gaming. They're more comfortable and have a virtual soundstage feature, and their boom mic does a significantly better job of recording your voice, even in noisy environments. They also have a longer-lasting continuous battery life and low non-Bluetooth latency. However, the Beats are better for casual use. They have a more neutral sound profile, which some users may prefer, their ANC system can block out a great amount of background noise, and their H1 chip allows you to pair them to your Apple devices.
Test Results
The HyperX Cloud 2 Wireless look identical to the HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II. They have a black frame with red accents on the hinges, headband stitching, and brand logo on each earcup. They also have a detachable boom mic, which can help them look more casual.
The HyperX Cloud 2 Wireless are comfortable headphones. They have good padding on the headband and around the earcups. They don't clamp too tightly, which is nice. However, they could get warm during long gaming sessions.
The HyperX Cloud 2 Wireless have sub-par controls. They're gaming headphones and lack basic call or music-related controls such as a dedicated play/pause button. That said, unlike the wired HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II, they have controls on both ear cups. On the left ear cup, there's a power button, as well as a mic mute button which has an LED light that turns red when you're muted. You can also press and hold the mic button to turn 7.1 surround sound on and off. On the right earcup is an infinite volume wheel. It has a different audio chime to let you know when you've reached the minimum or maximum volume. The headphones also beep to indicate their auto-off timer. Unfortunately, they lack channel mixing.
These headphones aren't very portable. They can't fold into a more compact form, and the cups can't swivel to lay flat. They also don't come with a carrying case to help protect them.
These headphones don't come with a carrying case.
The HyperX Cloud II Wireless have a great build quality. Like the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless, their hinges and yokes are made of aluminum, which makes them feel durable. The ear cups also feel dense and should survive a couple of accidental drops without taking too much damage. They have leather padding on the headband and ear cups, too. However, the audio cable linking the ear cups to the headband is a potential weak point.
These headphones have a fairly stable fit. They're stable enough for playing video games, but they're not ideal for sports. They can fall or slip off your head during moderate exercise. On the upside, they have a wireless design, so you don't need to worry about an audio cable hooked on something, which may pull them off your head.
- Hyper X Cloud 2 Wireless headphones
- USB wireless dongle
- USB-C to USB-A charging cable
- Detachable boom microphone
- Manual
The HyperX Cloud II Wireless have a slightly bass-heavy sound profile that's well-suited for emphasizing sound effects in video games. The mids are also balanced, so dialogue in cutscenes is accurately reproduced. Unfortunately, they lack companion software to help you customize their sound profile.
These headphones have a sub-par frequency response consistency. Bass and treble delivery can vary due to fit, positioning, and seal. You may experience a drop in bass if you wear glasses or have thick hair, as this can break the headphones' seal.
The HyperX Cloud 2 Wireless have good bass accuracy. It's slightly overemphasized across the range, adding extra thump, punch, and rumble to your mixes. However, some users may find it sounds very boomy.
These headphones have fantastic mic accuracy. The range is mostly flat and neutral, resulting in clear and present vocals and lead instruments.
The HyperX Cloud 2 Wireless have fair treble accuracy. The low-treble is uneven, so some vocals and lead instruments sound slightly harsh or veiled. The mid-treble is overemphasized, which makes sibilants like cymbals sound a bit piercing.
These headphones have decent peaks and dips performance. There's a small peak in the high-bass which adds boom. It's followed by a slight dip in the low to mid-mid range, nudging back vocals and lead instruments to the back of the mix. There's a peak and dip in the low-treble range, so the upper harmonics of vocals and lead instruments are bright but become very veiled as the frequency increases. The mid-treble has a couple of peaks as well, resulting in piercing sibilants.
Update 06/04/2021: We fixed the imaging issue with these headphones, which resulted in the score changing from '5.3' to '8.7'. The biggest change was that the 'Weighted Frequency Mismatch' went from 186.94 to 1.73. There's also a bump in the 'Phase Response Mismatch' at 300Hz, but it's not really audible with regular content. However, the sound feels a little off-centered and shifted to the left. This could be specific to the sweep in our software, but we don't currently know for sure. As a result, the scoring of this box has changed.
These headphones have an excellent imaging performance. Although there are a few peaks in the group delay's bass range, it's incredibly minor. The group delay falls within good levels, resulting in tight bass and transparent treble reproduction. The L/R drivers are also well-matched in phase, amplitude, and frequency response, which is important for the accurate placement and localization of objects and instruments in the stereo image. While there's a small bump at 300Hz in the phase response, this warping sound can be very hard to hear with real-life content. Note that these results are only valid for our unit and yours may perform differently.
The HyperX Cloud 2 Wireless have a disappointing passive soundstage. The soundstage is perceived as natural, but small and located mostly inside your head rather than out in front of you. Due to their closed-back design, they won't sound as open or spacious as open-back headphones like the Drop + Sennheiser/EPOS PC38X.
The HyperX Cloud 2 Wireless have a Dolby 7.1 virtual surround feature that can be turned on and off by pressing and holding down the mic mute button. However, we don't currently test this feature.
The weighted harmonic distortion performance of these headphones is satisfactory. At a normal listening volume, there's a small peak in the low-treble. However, it can be hard to hear with real-life content. That said, the range falls within good limits, resulting in mostly clean and pure audio reproduction.
These are the settings we used to test the HyperX Cloud 2 Wireless. Our results are only valid when using these settings.
The HyperX Cloud 2 Wireless have a poor noise isolation performance. They don't block out any bass-range noise like bus or plane engines and struggle to cut down mid-range noise such as office chatter. They do a better job of reducing higher-pitched noise like the hum of an AC unit, though.
The HyperX Cloud 2 Wireless have a fair leakage performance. Most of the leakage is concentrated between the mid to treble range, which sounds thin. If you're listening to audio at a high volume at the office, others around you shouldn't be able to hear what you're listening to.
The HyperX Cloud 2 Wireless have a detachable, flexible boom mic.
The HyperX Cloud 2 Wireless' boom mic has a great recording quality. Your voice sounds clear, full, and easy to understand.
The boom mic has excellent noise handling. It can separate your voice from ambient noise around you, even in loud environments.
The battery performance of these headphones is great. They have over 30 hours of continuous battery life and should easily last through long gaming marathons. You can still use them to receive audio while charging, but you can't use them passively since they don't support a wired connection. If you need gaming headphones with an even longer battery life, it's worth checking out the HyperX Cloud III Wireless. They have 120 hours of continuous battery life, which can get you through multiple extended gaming sessions without needing to charge.
The NGENUITY software is just mediocre. This app allows you to view your battery level, as well as just volume and mic levels. You can also turn the 7.1 surround sound feature on and off. There's a 'preset' feature available, too, which creates shortcuts for opening certain programs or software. If you're looking for wireless gaming headphones that you can adjust to your liking using their companion software's graphic EQ and presets, try the SteelSeries Arctis 7P+ Wireless.
Note: A user has reported that there is an 'Auto-Optimizer' feature available when using the 7.1 surround sound feature when using the HyperX Cloud Alpha S. This feature is advertised to apply a customized audio preset to select games. However, we didn't test this feature and it isn't listed on the NGENUITY (BETA) website.
The HyperX Cloud 2 Wireless aren't Bluetooth-compatible.
The HyperX Cloud II Wireless have fantastic non-Bluetooth wireless compatibility. They have very low latency, which makes them suitable for gaming or watching videos. That said, some apps compensate for latency differently, so your real-life experience may vary.
These wireless headphones only come with a USB-A to USB-C cable for charging. They aren't compatible with any wired connections. If you're looking for headphones that you can use wirelessly or wired, the Corsair HS80 RGB WIRELESS are compatible with PCs via USB-A to USB-C cable.