The importance of a gaming headset should never be underestimated by any parent of a teen gamer. Really, no – their iPod headphones will not ‘do’.
And when you’re the one spending out, you want to be sure you’re getting one of the good ones, obviously – and this is not necessarily down to budget.
Now I’m no gamer myself – for me, a night on the sofa playing Couch Co-op Halo with the husband is as good as it gets. But I do appear to have homegrown three teen gamers (plus a girl-gamer-in-making), all eminently more suited to review than I am. SO I’m passing the review baton on to Boy, who at 14 has been putting the Cloud II through its paces for me.
Here’s Boy;
If you’re a gamer, then undoubtedly at this point you have heard about the Hyper X Cloud II headset. It’s got great reviews all round and is advertised across the gaming scene. It’s USB compatible with PC and MAC, with an advanced USB Sound Card audio control box with built in digital sound processing, and has full 7.1 Virtual surround sound to immerse you in your game. To use with a PS4 or mobile device, the 3.5mm connection is used, and to use with an Xbox One, an adapter is required.
But the question is, is it actually worth it?
Frankly, the simple answer is YES.
This headset is worth every penny you pay for it – and some.
As a person experienced with headsets, (and breakage of said headsets), I can safely say that the Cloud II is probably the best investment you can make in when you’re talking about headsets.
Of course, the most important aspect of any headset is how it sounds, and how much that betters your gameplay experience. The audio quality of the HyperX Cloud II is a level above pretty much everything I’ve tried. It has an impressive frequency response between 15hz-25hz, which fabulous range – really low lows and high highs!
And yes, I know, that’s what most people will say, and I can’t really describe it well enough. But having tried various gaming headsets of a wide range of quality, moving on to the Cloud II made such a difference I couldn’t believe it.
The mic is fantastic, with great quality of sound (so I have been told many times by the receiving end), and the fact that it is able to be taken out and stored somewhere safe (in the accompanying storage pouch is probably a good idea) is vastly comforting. Not that I’ve had to deal with mic mess ups frequently or anything…
I have the red version of the headset – basically black with red accents in the stitching, brushed metal brackets and logos (it also comes in gunmetal, and there’s a pink & white version – whilst I LOVE the fact that Hyper X are acknowledging the girl gamers, I wish they hadn’t made them a pink option. It’s almost worse. Newsflash – girls don’t need it to be pink). The headset has a really solid feel to the build; it’s reassuringly sturdy in the hand, and feels like it’s going to last far longer than many of the cheaper versions I’ve tried.
The headset is incredibly comfy to wear, with a softly padded leatherette-wrapped memory foam headband and ear cups. It also comes with a second type of velvety-soft fabric ear cup (not sure if that actually is the name but let’s roll with it) so if you aren’t fond of the leather one, you can just switch things up to the softer ear cup. My brother tried the headset too – as he wears glasses he has issues with headsets rubbing and making his head sore where the arms of his glasses are. He loved the Cloud II – even using the leatherette cups, they are so soft as to not notice his glasses underneath them.
The headset comes complete with an in-line controller a way down the wire, which controls things such as audio, mic volume and the ability to mute and un-mute yourself. This is extremely convenient, and a well-functioning feature that just adds to the pleasure.
And lastly, let’s not forget the amazing virtual surround sound, which has frankly scared me witless on numerous occasions whilst playing Skyrim.
Easy to use, comfy and great quality, the Hyper X Cloud II headset really has it all. At under £65, it’d be hard to beat – I’ve tried headsets almost double the price which come nowhere near it in terms of gaming experience and clarity of sound.
So there you have it – if you have a teen gamer of your own, do think about this as one of the best gifts you could give them this Christmas. they’ll love you for it. We promise.
The Hyper X Cloud II is currently available on Amazon for £64.99. Which is a total steal. Go. But it. Enjoy.
