HyperX has been getting better and better with their headset releases, pushing out respectable products at very competitive price points. The HyperX Cloud Stinger we reviewed back in 2016 went for a laughable 50 bucks and sold like hot cakes at Pax West 2016. The HyperX Cloud Alpha we reviewed after that takes the quality even higher with its dual chamber drivers while still staying under $100. At CES 2018, HyperX showcased their latest products: HyperX Alloy Elite RGB Keyboard, HyperX Predator DDR4 RGB Memory, HyperX Pulsefire Surge Mouse, and the HyperX Cloud Flight Wireless Headset.
We actually got our hands on a Cloud Flight headset and we have been playing around with it for a couple of weeks now. So here, we’re going to focus on the HyperX Cloud Flight Wireless Headset in a good old-fashioned review.
Build and Comfort
HyperX Cloud Flight Specs
| Driver | Dynamic, 50mm with neodymium magnets |
| Frequency response | Wireless: 20Hz–20,000Hz Analog: 15Hz–23,000Hz |
| Impedance | 32 Ω |
| Sound pressure level | 106dBSPL/mW at 1kHz |
| T.H.D. | < 2% |
| Weight | 300g |
| Weight w/ mic and cable | 315g |
| Mic | Electret condenser microphone |
| Mic Frequency response | 100Hz-7,000 Hz |
| Mic Sensitivity | -45dBV (0dB=1V/Pa,1kHz) |
| Battery Life | 30 hours – LED off 18 hours – Breathing LED 13 hours – Solid LED |
| Wireless Range | 2.4 GHz Up to 20 meters |
The HyperX Cloud Flight comes the wireless headset, a USB dongle for wireless use, a meter-long micro USB cable for charging, a removable mic, and a 1.3 meter-long 3.5mm cable for using the headset in optional wired fashion.
The Cloud Flight uses 50mm neodymium magnet drivers with leatherette cushioning for its ear cups and headband. Each ear cup houses an illuminating HyperX logo and can rotate so that the headset folds flat. The right ear cup is where the main volume dial resides. The left ear cup houses a micro USB port for charging, a 3.5mm jack, the slot for the mic, and the power button. Continuing with the left ear cup, you can press the lower half of the side to toggle mic muting. The power button also doubles as a toggle button for the headset’s three LED lighting effects: solid, breathing, and off.
The HyperX Cloud Flight works as a fully wireless headset solution for the PC and PS4. However, the headset can still play ball with any console or device that uses a 3.5mm jack. Simply connect the included 3.5mm cable to use the Cloud Flight with a compatible Xbox One’s controller or with your mobile device on the go. And speaking of on the go, yank out that mic if you just want to run lean and use the headset simply for listening.
The HyperX Cloud Flight has a pretty solid build that keeps it simple in the aesthetics department. The headset maintains a firm hold on your head while being surprisingly comfortable with its simple and straight-forward build. The leatherette cushions have a lot of give to them, feeling very soft and doing well to not pinch glasses frames. Those same cushions also do a great job in the sound isolation department, keeping me quite focused in-game and not on the TV playing right at my side.
It’s fair to mention that the HyperX Cloud Flight shows that a simple build can still be quite attractive, which was partly due to those light-up HyperX LEDs. Now, you can kill the headset’s battery either less than or more than twice as fast by showing off those LEDs. However, a minimum of 13 hours of battery life may just be worth it to show off that HyperX flair. Not the flair-y type? Then just shut off the LED’s all together to bring the Cloud Flight to its maximum lifespan of 30 hours on a full charge.
Performance and Final Thoughts
The headset’s sound presentation focuses on balance, with what felt like a lean towards highs. However, that is not at all a take-away from a quite respectable sound experience with clear sounding gunshots and footsteps. The rumbles from explosions are nice and present, while not drowning out the other sounds. That means you have a pleasant and warm bass that doesn’t overwhelm, it just calmly surrounds you.
That sound presentation is good in both directions, speaking in particular for headset’s noise-canceling mic. Teammates in game and on Discord heard me loud and clear, allowing for easy and stress-less communication. Mic-muting was handy and a low beep played whenever you toggled it on or off. There were no visuals for your mic being muted, however. So in cases where you would mute yourself in game for extended periods of time, you either have to simply remember that you were muted or ask if people could hear you, from time to time. That was just a minor nuance as the toggle beeps were hard to distinguish from each other, depending on how loud your game was at the time.
The HyperX Cloud Flight is quite easy to get accustomed to thanks to its straight-forward build. The dial on the right earcup is easy to reach for and pressing the left ear cup to toggle mic-muting naturally seeps into your muscle memory. Even easier than that is the Cloud Flight’s setup on the PC and PS4. Simply plug in the dongle, turn on your HyperX Cloud Flight, and you’re off to the races.
The HyperX Cloud Flight is a very approachable headset for multi-platform gamers that want a simple wireless solution for both their PC and their console. Sure, the wireless-ness is exclusive to PC and PS4, but I couldn’t knock a headset too much that works wirelessly on both platforms with just a simple USB dongle and practically no set up after that. Not to mention, the headset sounds pretty good and feels even better.
Want a simple wireless listening solution for $160 that doesn’t use a space-taking transmitter and keeps the bells and whistles to a practical minimum? Then check out the $159.99 HyperX Cloud Flight for yourself here.
† HyperX Cloud Flight review unit provided by Kingston/HyperX PR.