Kingston HyperX Cloud Drone Review: Comfortable lightweight headset with a decent sound

Kingston, a brand well known for its flash memory products recently launched a line-up of gaming headsets. Why does a memory manufacture specialist bother with headsets? This comes as a direct response to their HyperX sponsorship of competitive eSports teams. [caption id=“attachment_298114” align=“aligncenter” width=“638”] OMG, they all look the same![/caption] Kingston’s headset line-up includes HyperX Cloud Core, Cloud, Cloud II and, of course, Cloud Drone which we are reviewing today. This brings me to their naming conventions which not only sound too similar but are downright confusing. When searching for these products online, you’d easily get mixed up as to which product you are looking, especially on online e-commerce stores that often get products mixed up in their listings. Build and Design: 6.5/10 The HyperX Cloud Drone is a stylishly subtle headset. It thankfully stays away from in-your-face styling some headset manufacturers put their headsets through (looking at you Razer). The red padding breaks the black design well while the logo, as well as the black-red duo colour, is unmistakably Kingston branding colour. [caption id=“attachment_298108” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”] Smart and comfortable design[/caption] HyperX Cloud Drone is made of lightweight plastic and is perfect when gaming for a long time. I get an earache with my heavier (though more durable) Audio Technica M50 but not with this. The ear cup design is quite comfortable, it has a memory foam cushion with leatherette ear pad and “around the ear” cup design which is much more comfortable than “on the ear” designs. Though for a lightweight headset you’d expect it to be more portable but it isn’t; the earcups don’t rotate fully (Audio Technica M50 do) and neither is it collapsible to easily carry it around in your backpack. [caption id=“attachment_298109” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”] ‘Click’ goes the mic[/caption] Surprisingly there is no marking of right or left on the ear cups, however, the design demands the mic on the left. The mic can only be turned on by pushing it all the way down which makes an audible “click” sound. The cord is malleable so you can bend the mic towards you. [caption id=“attachment_298110” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”] The right ear cup has volume control inbuilt[/caption] Unexpectedly, the right ear cup has a volume control. This is the only headset in the HyperX Could series to feature this. While the feature is nice to have, it isn’t exactly a suitable one, as one can easily forget or change the volume level while handling the headset. Also, in the future volume knobs invariably tend to have static pop noise after much use, though nothing that good old WD 40 can’t fix. [caption id=“attachment_298111” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”] Tangle-free and tough braided cable[/caption] The braided cable is a nice touch, it is not only tough withstanding a lot of jerks and yanks, but it’s also tangle-free. [caption id=“attachment_298112” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”] 2m long wire plus cable extender[/caption] Kingston has thoughtfully included a cable extension with the HyperX Cloud Drone for the mic as well as headphone connect. Performance: 6/10 In perceptible listening tests, the headphones sound decent overall. They have a nice sound stage, a decent bass but nothing punchy. The high’s are average, you’ll miss the crispness of sound that Sennheiser HD180 (under Rs 1000) can deliver. The headphones do edge a lot more towards the mids as these come out the strongest. The average performance obviously lends to games too. While nothing bad, don’t expect enhanced audio experience, like pinpointedly be able pick up footsteps of enemies creeping behind you. The headset provides the convenience of a mic and headphones in one package together. We played games like Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag (the massive ship cannons firing), Sniper Elite 3 (gun sounds) and Left for Dead (team talk) with the headset. Since the headset edges towards mid sounds, there is no doubt that gun sounds, explosions, voice commands stand out more. The colouration of sound “can” help though you’ll tend to miss out on the wholeness when compared with better headphones. On the music side, it was an enjoyable listening experience through Hyperx Cloud Drone, the headphones are on the warmer side (which I personally prefer). Due to the headphones edging towards mid-range, sounds like voice, drums, etc. will stand out more, punchy even. You’ll tend to miss the deeper bass and crispness of highs. Surprisingly, the HyperX Cloud Drone’s volume level is considerably low. You’ll need to pump up the volume at your end to get a respectable listening volume. Voice Quality: 6 The voice quality of the mic is decent; the person on the opposite end can hear you well without any distortions. The mic isn’t over-sensitive; it could catch what is being said rather than background noise. Since the headset favours mid-range sounds, hearing voice commands shouted clearly is an added benefit in this headset. Verdict and Price in India Overall, HyperX Cloud Drone is a good package. It is by no means an outstanding product, it will not blow the socks off, but it does do its job well without issues. If not abused, the Cloud Drone will last you years. Talking about years, HyperX Cloud Drone comes with two years warranty and a curiously advertised “ Free Technical support ” who can answer one’s queries in English and Hindi. The cost of HyperX Cloud Drone is Rs 3,999 MRP, which is too steep for this package. For a price under Rs 3,000, it would be an ideal fit for this product.