Offering a similar design and sound to the Cloud II, the Cloud III is a welcome update to HyperX’s mid-range headset, giving it a much needed upgrade in comfort and durability. Overall, it’s a positive improvement over the Cloud II, but it doesn’t do enough to oust surrounding competition from the likes of Corsair, Logitech, and Astro.
With HyperX Cloud III review I want to make one thing abundantly clear: I like the Cloud II. It’s a fantastic headset for its price, and easily one of the best options on the market for any headset including top-end models. In 2019, a wired gaming headset is almost a given when looking for the best PC gaming headset, but it’s actually a HyperX Cloud II alternative I’d recommend to most people. So, handling the Cloud III at a recent HyperX event in London, I was fully expecting it to impress.
Thankfully, it does. For $99, the Cloud III is a very reasonable headset indeed. It neither excels nor disappoints, but it’s a well-balanced unit that’s sure to benefit those upgrading from a cheaper model, or picking up their first headset.
Here are my impressions of the HyperX Cloud III:
Firstly, let’s address the elephant in the room… Yes, the HyperX Cloud III looks very similar to the Cloud II. In fact, everything from the buttons, mic, and braiding is absolutely identical. Only the earcup covers differentiate it from the II, and it’s just not enough.
In its defence, however, it’s still a good-looking headphone. The Cloud III’s tan design is both understated and easy on the eyes, and the accented buttons match the stitching and braiding on the headband and cups. They lend the Cloud III a bit of personality without appearing garish or gaudy.
In terms of comfort, the Cloud II was always a bit iffy. Sure, its earcups were plush and weighty, but its headband was really quite hard. The Cloud III is an unqualified improvement in this regard, featuring a slightly more angled cup and far plushier headband. Experience tells me this’ll help extend the lifespan of the headset, since prolonged, excessive pressure on your cranium just isn’t good for the ol’ hardware.
The Cloud II was, unfortunately, plagued with earcup squeaks, with many potential buyers unable to even enjoy the audio experience owing to infuriatingly irritating earcup clicks. The Cloud III, thankfully, seems to address this (I haven’t noticed a single squeak in the short time I’ve been using it), but it does so in a way that might annoy other people. Its memory foam earpads are wonderfully soft, but I’ve now gone and created earcup creases where I rest my ears. Hopefully, these’ll level out with wear, but it’s something to be aware of.
Otherwise, there’s not much to report on comfort and ergonomics. The headset is perfectly light, with just enough heft to avoid feeling cheap. Its 50mm/45mm driver size means it’s better supplied in the bass department than a lot of 40mm-mounted headsets at this price range. This manifests, of course, in mighty satisfying thumps in games like Apex Legends and CS:GO, but it’s a subtle and agile sound all around, one that never feels distorted even at high volumes.
As with all costs that come attached to a headset like this, the Cloud III’s microphone is pretty convenient, but still something I’d rather do without. The ‘flex-aware’ arm means it can bend more freely for even more precise placement, but it’s still cumbersome and unnatural. I’d still much rather a flexible, behind-the-neck can, but that rope might be too short for anyone planning to put their headphones close to their monitor.
As with all costs that come attached to a headset like this, the Cloud III’s microphone is pretty convenient, but still something I’d rather do without.