There are two key factors when thinking about any set of headphones on the market: comfort and sound quality. For me, comfort trumps sound almost every time. It doesn’t matter if you are getting the world’s greatest sound out of a brand new set if they feel like you are putting needles into your earlobes every single time you wear. Sadly, as a man with what some people would call an abnormally large head, it is hard to find anything that doesn’t fit like it was designed for children. Thankfully Kingston seems to have stepped up and solved this issue for us, the giant headed people with this new HyperX Cloud Stereo Headset.
Learn more about this unit HERE.
The day I received the product for review I unintentionally left it on for almost two hours while not using it. My ears didn’t feel sweaty, they didn’t ache from the pressure on them, and the band of cushioning on the top wasn’t abrasive the way that some of have known to be. The headset itself was just so comfortable I forgot it was on. The microphone is also flexible enough to avoid the problem of either being so close it feels like it inside my mouth or so far away that it might as well be behind my monitor and buried in the wall. Not only was it painless to find the exact place I wanted it to stay, it also has remained there since—even after taking the mic off, a nice little feature of the headset, several times.
The packaging was the stuff that you only get if you either spent entirely too much money on something imported from Europe or, in this case, you bought some of the nicer gaming supplies from Kingston. Upon opening the box you are greeted by a kind note thanking you for buying the product, which is rather pleasant and something I wish more companies would do. Inside, aside from the core item, is a plethora of braided extension cords to make sure that wherever you sit, possibly even in other rooms, you can still be wearing these.
The only serious complaint that I have about the headphones is that they are neither USB or surround sound. Truth be told neither one of those really makes a difference in the long run as the sound coming from them has a kind of warmth you normally only get out of a decent set of speakers and receiver combo. Anyone who can live with those two small oddities should seriously consider this headset the next time they are do for an upgrade as it is not only comfortable, but also sturdy, and produces a pretty good sound for the price bracket it falls in (under $100).
Features:
- Hi-Fi capable 53mm drivers for supreme audio quality
- 15 – 25.000 Hz frequency response
- Detachable microphone (quick and easy to plug/unplug for music-only purposes)
- Solid aluminum construction for durability and stability
- Super-soft padded leather headband with memory foam on cups for maximum comfort
- Closed cup for enhanced bass reproduction and passive noise cancellation
- Compatible with desktops, notebooks, mobile phones, PlayStation 4 and airplane adapters