HyperX Cloud Earbuds Review
Typically when you hear or see “gaming” as a prefix to a peripheral, you expect it to boast a price tag higher than usual. Larger and very flashy looking products with the RGB flavor has sort of become the standard for gaming peripherals. So, looking at Hyper X’s gaming earbuds may seem a little bit surprising at first. This is not to say that others have not attempted to get rid of the wires and reduce the size of the gaming headsets. However, the results have almost always been met with a bit of criticism.
PRODUCT INFO Cloud Earbuds Manufacture Hyper X Available at View at Amazon
Hyper X is the name synonymous with things mostly related to gaming. Their headsets continue to remain the choice of many professionals. So, how well have they managed to execute the challenge of gaming earbuds with the Hyper X Cloud?
These single driver earbuds are not going to have an overly emphasized sound space. But with the price tag they carry, Hyper X Cloud may actually be a good choice for mobile and portable gaming. Hyper X advertised and marketed the Cloud earbuds for the Nintendo Switch. There are a few reasons why these earbuds may not be very suitable for PC gaming and we’ll be getting into that in just a short bit. For now, let’s see what the Hyper X Cloud is all about.
Unboxing
The Hyper X Cloud earbuds come in a nice little box that contains a small carrying case along with a few extra earbuds sleeves of slightly different sizes. You can switch them up if you feel like they are not properly fitted in your ears. In the box, the contents that you get are:
- Hyper X Cloud Earbuds
- 2 pairs of extra earbud sleeves
- Carrying pouch
Design and Build
Following Hyper X’s much loved and favored red and black color scheme, the Hyper X Cloud also comes with that. The cable is flattened out and it prevents the cable from being all tangled up around itself. We all are quite familiar with how frustrating that can be. Hyper X Cloud Earbud’s cable is a 4-foot long one with a 90-degree 3.5mm audio jack connector. The right-angled connector is quite good and favored by many because the cable is not curved to an extreme level when connecting to your device.
It wouldn’t be a Hyper X product if the build quality wasn’t top-notch and exceptional. The Cloud earbuds are a testament to that and it is visible that despite not being a weighty product, the build quality is still solid and durable. The wire seems to be a combination of silicone and rubber material and the flat design keeps it easy to make sure that the wire does not get entangled in itself. There is only one media button on the Hyper X Cloud which can pause and play songs along with answering calls. The microphone is also built into that and is not hard to access.
The Hyper X Cloud earbuds have a wingtip and pointy design instead of the normal rounded design. This pointed side is supposed to be lodged in your ear so that the earbuds don’t fall out when you’re using them. This coupled with the small, medium and large-sized sleeves are there to make sure that the Cloud earbuds stay fixed. You can also find a little plastic clip along the cable which is there to let you readjust the length of the cable. The maximum length, of course, is 4-foot.
Comfort and Ease of Use
As stated earlier, these earbuds come packed in a small zip pouch in which you can also store the additional earbud sleeves. The wing-tipped design of the Hyper X Cloud is going to work to a great extent to make sure that you don’t end up with your new earbuds falling out of your ears. It is to be noted that not all ear shapes and sizes are the same. Therefore, some people may end up encountering these issues despite Hyper X’s efforts. The very pointy end that is there to make sure this doesn’t happen may end up contradicting its purpose.
I rarely encountered any case where the Cloud earbuds jiggled around in my ear. Seeing as these earbuds are most going to benefit you if you’re gaming on either a mobile gaming platform, this is quite perfect. Plus, the angled 3.5mm audio jack connector really does help in making sure that the cable sees no bends. It is hard to recommend these earbuds to someone who games on a PC. The 4-foot cable might seem long enough if you’re connecting these earbuds on a mobile or on your PS4 controller, but it’s not enough for your PC.
Performance, Sound Quality & Microphone
You can see that the Hyper X Cloud’s microphone is not in a place where it’s too far from your mouth. Often is with the case with earbuds that you have to hold the microphone close to your mouth so that the other person can hear what you’re saying. Otherwise, the sound just doesn’t reach the microphone. It sure is a relief to see that that’s not a case with the microphone in the Hyper X Cloud earbuds. Be it in the middle of a PUBG Mobile match or in the middle of a call on your phone, the microphone remains clear and your audio can easily pass through without you having to hold it close.
The Hyper X Cloud earbuds only have a single 14mm neodymium driver, meaning that the sound quality is not going to be quite ideal for listening to music. To audiophiles, it may seem a little flat and lacking the punch that they require. However, that is not what the primary purpose of the Hyper X Cloud earbuds is. These are gaming earbuds and are more suited for that. The sound quality is crisp, clear and you can easily make out the sound of enemy footsteps in the middle of heated gunfights. However, the lack of poor sound isolation and blockage can be an issue. The passive noise cancellation is not that good with the Cloud earbuds and outside noise may end up interrupting your experience.
Hyper X advertises the Cloud earbuds as earbuds suited to be used with Nintendo Switch. I found the audio quality to be quite impressive and easily something that I can get behind. With the Hyper X Cloud earbuds, the idea of gaming earbuds cannot be just immediately dismissed as Hyper X makes clear attempts to not oversell these earbuds and market them for what they are.
Mic Test
The Gaming Use
As Hyper X says, the Cloud earbuds are going to be of most use to you if you use them with the Nintendo Switch. In games like Fortnite, PUBG, and Warzone, you require the punchy bass and the clarity that gaming headsets offer because they let you differentiate between the different sounds. However, it’s not fair to compare budget gaming earbuds to full-sized headphones with more than one drivers. In addition to that, the mic quality must also be clear and precise so that your teammate can make out what you’re saying. These things are on the front seat when you’re evaluating the value of gaming earbuds or headphones.
Seeing as how the Hyper X Cloud’s price tag is not too heavy on the pocket, it is safe to say that these earbuds perform quite well on that front. The 65 Ohm impedance is pretty generic and is a safe choice for a gaming earbud. The sound quality is clear and crisp and you can easily enjoy your games without missing out on anything. On top of that, the omnidirectional microphone is quite decent as well. My teammates were always able to make out what I was saying and had no complaints. The only major problem that the Hyper X Cloud earbuds suffer from in terms of sound is the poor sound isolation. Despite their attempts, the passive noise cancellation is mediocre at best.
Conclusion
The design, build quality, and the red and black color scheme of the Hyper X Cloud earbuds is quite easy to get behind. Its prowess lies in the well balanced and easy on the pocket price tag that it boasts. There is very little that goes wrong here with these earbuds. For use with Nintendo Switch, PS4 or Xbox controllers or even PC if you can manage it, you’ll find that the Hyper X earbuds as a great choice. The overall audio may not be the best in the market, but it is still quite good for gaming and the Cloud earbuds manage to hold their own in this competitive market.
Hyper X Cloud Earbuds
For Gamers On The Go
Pros
- Red and black colour design is easy to like
- Sound quality is clear and well balanced
- Microphone doesn't need to be held up close to your mouth for the voice to be audible to others
- Wing-tipped design helps keep the Cloud earbuds in place
- Comes with 3 different sized sleeves
Cons
- Sound isolation and noise blocking capabilities are quite poor
- No defining feature that's a highlight
Colour: Red and black | Driver: 14mm Neodymium | Microphone: Yes | Cable Length: 4-foot
VERDICT:Hyper X Cloud earbuds are a step in the right direction. Where gaming earbuds are not considered to be of sound value, Hyper X delivers one that provides a balanced and well-rounded performance without costing too much.
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