HyperX Cloud 3 Wi-fi
Like
-
Very comfy
-
Good battery life
Don’t love
-
Few options and controls
-
No wired operation
HyperX’s Cloud line of gaming headsets has lengthy been probably the most comfy round, and the $170 Cloud 3 Wi-fi — in addition to its less expensive wired sibling, which I’ve additionally examined, the $100 Cloud 3 — stay on my brief checklist of headsets that sit calmly on my head. Although a bit naked bones for the cash, a criticism I additionally levied on the Cloud 2 Wi-fi, which was cheaper than the three at launch (although which may be inflation), it is a bit cheaper than stable rivals just like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7.
The corporate has tweaked the options and design within the two years for the reason that final model shipped. It is nonetheless dongle-friendly for any {hardware} with a USB-C port or a USB-A port through the adapter, notably the PS5 and Nintendo Swap along with the PC (the software program solely runs on Home windows).
The brand new mic is larger and has a built-in pop filter fairly than foam cowl.
It additionally has a for much longer battery life. HyperX charges it for 120 hours at 50% quantity; 50% is definitely sort of excessive as a result of these can get actually loud, so 120 hours could also be a conservative estimate. And it drained fairly slowly throughout testing.
You will get the battery stage by tapping the facility button. That used to toggle encompass sound, and although it nonetheless helps DTX Headphone:X, you’ll be able to solely toggle it through the Ngenuity software program. You not can faucet the mute button to toggle mic monitoring. Now that is additionally accessible solely in software program. Although the mute-tap methodology was vulnerable to unintended mute-tation, I miss {hardware} management over monitoring.
The removable mic is larger, and fairly than a foam cowl, it has an inner pop filter that does a so-so job — I will take it over a so-so foam cowl, although. Its sound high quality is nice for chat, however there aren’t any equalizer controls to tweak it for barely extra formal use. Equally, you’ll be able to’t set the quantity for mic monitoring, however the default ought to work for most individuals. There’s some built-in noise cancellation, however you’ll be able to’t management the diploma, and it would not appear to be aggressive sufficient.
It has solely fundamental controls: energy, mic mute and quantity.
The 53mm drivers appear to be the identical ones as earlier than, however now they’re angled, in principle to ship the sound extra exactly towards your ear. The software program supplies a fundamental 10-point graphic equalizer with a handful of presets and the flexibility to create customized ones. The DTS encompass is often fairly good however did not appear fairly as 360-degree right here, principally within the rear channels, and you’ll’t regulate them in any respect. The headset does embody a lifetime activation for the DTS Sound Unbound app.
They are not exceptionally sound isolating, nearly as a lot as you anticipate from leatherette and reminiscence foam — muffled however not silent. By partitions the sign reached about 30 ft earlier than beginning to get spotty. Although they cost through USB-C, they do not function through USB and there is no 3.5mm analog jack, which turns out to be useful whenever you’re taking part in a enjoyable recreation of “is it a dongle or headset fail?”
HyperX stays considered one of my favourite gaming headset manufacturers, and the Cloud 3 Wi-fi does a fantastic job of sustaining the status of its Cloud kin — it is comfy, with stable audio and battery life. And in the event you discover it on sale, it is a whole lot as properly.
