I was a bit skeptical at first buying one of these headsets due to the poor sound quality of the first build edition Cloud headset.... I do have to admit tho I am very glad I chose to pickup the Cloud II....

Last year's Kingston HyperX Cloud despite being positioned as a gaming headset was well-rounded enough for all kinds of uses. We even recommended it over the more bombastic Asus Strix Pro . Kingston has already launched an upgrade and quite unsurprisingly it is called the Kingston HyperX Cloud II.

Great fit; Decent surround sound; Good value for money

Cable could have been detachable

Kingston was off to a great start on their first venture into the gaming headset segment when they unveiled the first HyperX Cloud . Needless to say, they're trying to ride the momentum with their second gaming headset – the Kingston HyperX Cloud II .

Utilitarian design; Aluminum build; Soft padding; Interchangeable ear pads; Durable braided cables; Useful bundled accessories; Large 53mm drivers; Outstanding audio quality for its price; Affordable for what it has to offer; Improved detachable microphone

Rubber cap on line-out port can easily get lost; 7.1 surround sound is good but still miles away from true 7.1 surround sound quality

Our favourite gaming headset just got better with 7.1 digital surroundbut it's also driven down the price of its predecessor, so choosing between Cloud models is a tough call.

Of all the headsets I've had the privilege of using, the performance of the Kingston HyperX Cloud II Pro Gaming Headset exceeds its price point. The audio quality alone is nothing short of fantastic to experience during any gaming

High quality design and materials; Fantastic audio quality; Very comfortable on the head

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Kingston has been renowned for their prowess in creating some of the most trusted memory products for computing over the years, but recently, they have expanded into different fields such as audio peripherals. Their latest product from that line is the Kingston HyperX Cloud II gaming headset.

Amazing Audio; Lightweight; Can be used with gaming consoles

No companion software for tuning; Virtual 7.1 doesn't provide much depth

Last year, Kingston shocked many gamers by releasing the HyperX Cloud, a surprisingly good gaming headset from folks who are known for selling storage drives. The company's new HyperX Cloud II retains its predecessor's cozy, stylish design while adding virtual 7.1 surround sound for extra immersion.

Best-in-class comfort; Stylish; lightweight design; Includes both pleather and plush ear covers

Lackluster bass; No software for customizing sound

Gaming headsets don't have to be just for gaming. Any good set can also work well as regular stereo headphones , as long as they have a 3.5mm connection and sound good, and the boom mic doesn't get in the way.

Attractive, understated design; Solid build quality; Works with PCs and mobile devices as well as most modern game systems

Virtual 7.1-channel surround isn't effective; Besides the USB sound card, cable isn't detachable

This is a fantastic gaming headset and if you're involved in eSports, or just a keen gamer at home, you'll love what the Cloud II has to offer. You'll struggle to find anything better, or with a comparable feature set for the same kind of money and that makes this one of the best all-round headsets...

Excellent build quality; Very comfortable fit; Detachable microphone; Separate game/chat volume control; Multi-format support; Braided cables; Competitive price

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Last year we took a look at Kingston's original HyperX Cloud Gaming headset and there really was not

– Built with quality materials; – Great sound and 7.1 virtual surround sound; – Removable microphone; – Comes with carrying case; – Can be used in stereo or USB mode; – 2 different sets of earcups included

– No control software for the sound card; – Need an adapter if you want to use it in stereo mode with a PC and be able to use the microphone