The HyperX new Cloud II Wireless headset is made for people who want simple controls, barely-there comfort, and solid sound quality. This model is just a wire-free version of the company’s $100 flagship Cloud II gaming headset. It uses a 2.4GHz wireless receiver that works with PCs, the PS4 — and likely the PS5, when that is released in November — and the Nintendo Switch (via its dock). I’ve also successfully connected it to a 2019 MacBook Pro through a USB-C to USB-A adapter. The $149.99 headset is available for order through HyperX starting on November 10th.

If you’re shopping around for a headset, sound quality and comfort are among the biggest reasons to spring for the Cloud II. In addition, this model features a USB-C charging port, making it easier to no-look connect it to power than wireless headsets from, say, SteelSeries and Razer, which still use USB-A ports. HyperX promises 30 hours of battery life per charge, and I’ve yet to run out of juice during the review period. 

Back to sound quality: the Cloud II delivers a balanced, punchy sound with its 53mm drivers. As someone who primarily listens through Sony WH-1000XM3 noise-canceling headphones, I do enjoy it. It’s not the kind of presentation that is likely to tire the listener, as its bass isn’t overbearing and the mids and highs have a warm, treble-lite quality to them. However, the Cloud II definitely doesn’t stack up when it comes to noise isolation. It’s closed-back, but there are little slits near the top to vent air, and it lets in a bit of sound with it. So, not the kind of isolation you might be looking for if every audio cue counts. 

The controls are easy to use. Not counting the volume dial on the right ear cup, there are just two buttons on the left ear cup: power and microphone mute. For ease of use, one is concave and the other is convex in shape. Double-pressing the power button triggers the virtual 7.1 surround sound mode. The Cloud II gets a few bonus points for clever details like having a LED near the microphone to indicate when it’s muted, and being able to turn on mic monitoring to hear yourself when you talk by holding the mute button — a trick that isn’t even in the manual. 

The headset has a 3.5mm port where its microphone plugs in, but it doesn’t result in good sound when wired up via a 3.5mm cable to my PC, and it simply didn’t play any sound when it was plugged into my phone. However, the microphone quality is good enough to rely on in meetings or game sessions, with “p” and “s” sounds coming through cleanly.

There are a few things that didn’t make the transition from the wired Cloud II, like buttons for adjusting the mix for chat and game audio (the wireless HyperX Cloud Flight S managed to include them right on the ear cup), or a set of replaceable ear cups. I also wish this one used the type of USB-C wireless receiver that ships with the new SteelSeries Arctis 7X and 7P instead of a standard thumb drive-sized wireless dongle.

Also, while the Cloud II is among the most comfortable headsets I’ve worn yet, it shares that title with Logitech’s colorful G733, a less expensive model I’ve recently used that, at  $129.99, costs $20 less. The G733 also charges via USB-C, has a lightweight, cozy design that’s easy to leave on for hours, and I rank its sound performance close to, though not quite on par with, the Cloud II. The G733 is certainly the more stylish option; it’s available in a few color options and shines with LEDs and an eye-catching look.

Good sound quality is a rather low bar that many headsets don’t meet, but my ideal wireless gaming headset is one that charges via USB-C and can pump out solid audio while also being supremely comfortable. The Cloud II wireless comes close. A colorful headset like the G733 will strike more of a key with some people, but if you want a simpler option with similar features and slightly better sound, and don’t mind paying an extra $20 for it, check out the Cloud II Wireless.

Photography by Cameron Faulkner