HyperX Cloud II (red)

HyperX Cloud II (red)

By HyperX · Gaming Headsets · Audio & Electronics

  • Red colorway

Lowest price seen
$79.99
from $79.99 at HyperX · Checked Sep 29, 2026

Prices are snapshots. Check the current price with the store.

Problems, parts and running costs

Summary

A closed-back wired gaming headset with 53 mm drivers, a detachable noise-cancelling boom mic, an aluminum frame and a USB control box that creates virtual 7.1 from a stereo signal — for buyers who want long-session comfort and plug-and-play simplicity over software features. Check which revision you are buying: the reputation was built on the Kingston-built original, and current HP-era production differs.

Strengths

  • Long-session comfort is the most consistent finding in professional testing and owner reports alike, thanks to memory foam and a light-for-size fit.
  • The aluminum frame and yokes earn repeated praise, and one owner documented a seven-year-old Kingston pair still working on replacement pads alone.
  • RTINGS measured negligible wired latency, which matters for competitive play.
  • The microphone tested good with strong noise handling, and it detaches when you don’t need it.
  • No battery and no companion app: you plug it in and it works.

Weaknesses

  • The main cable is captive, so a cable failure becomes a soldering job instead of a plug swap.
  • Plastic hinge caps crack: multiple owners report breakage, including on replacement pairs.
  • Current HP-era production differs from the Kingston-built original the reviews measured, and owners who bought replacements report different tuning and build.
  • Passive isolation is poor and the closed cups run warm in long sessions.
  • Treble can turn sharp, and bass delivery changes with fit and glasses.
  • Pads and mic foam peel with age, and official spare parts are hard to get — in a 2025 Reddit response the official HyperX account said direct spare-part sales were paused after the HP acquisition.

Verified specifications

Drivers53 mm dynamic neodymium, closed circumaural design.
Impedance and sensitivity60 ohm, 98 dBSPL/mW (the Kingston-era manual says 98 ±3 dB), under 2% THD, 150 mW power handling.
Frequency response15 Hz–25 kHz per the original Kingston manual; the current HyperX page says 10 Hz–23 kHz. The two revisions are documented differently.
Passive attenuationroughly 20 dBA; headband pressure 5 N (Kingston-era specs).
Microphonedetachable electret condenser, noise-cancelling, unidirectional boom; original published response 50 Hz–18 kHz, -39 ±3 dB.
Connection4-pole 3.5 mm analog; the USB 2.0 control box adds volume controls and virtual 7.1, which HyperX itself describes as a 2-channel stereo signal. No Bluetooth.
PlatformsPC, PS5/PS4, Xbox Series/One, Switch and mobile; feature availability varies by connection, and plain 3.5 mm use bypasses the USB box entirely.
Weight320 g, about 350 g with mic and cable; 1 m headset cable plus roughly 2 m of lead to the control box.
Materialsaluminum frame and yokes, padded headband, memory-foam ear cushions, closed-back earcups.
Powerno battery; the control box is bus-powered.
Warranty2-year limited warranty on HyperX headsets (except Cloud Orbit) for the original end user; physical damage excluded.
In the box (Kingston era)headset, detachable mic, USB control box, leatherette pads plus alternate velour pads, airplane adapter, mesh carry bag. Current packages can vary by region.
Full research notes and sources

Which revision are you buying?

HP acquired HyperX in 2021, and the Cloud II changed with it. The Amazon listing began as the red Kingston KHX-HSCP-RD, but Kingston’s manual documents 15 Hz–25 kHz where the current HyperX page says 10 Hz–23 kHz — evidence that the product or at least its documentation has changed. RTINGS now explicitly limits its test findings to the pre-HP Kingston sample, and owners who bought replacement units describe audible and build differences from their old pairs. Nobody has published a controlled Kingston-versus-HP measurement, so treat old review scores as describing the old hardware. If the lineage matters to you, check the part number on the box when it arrives.

Sound and microphone

RTINGS’ Kingston-sample testing found well-balanced sound with good bass and mids, treble that is inconsistent and occasionally sharp, and bass output that shifts with seal and glasses. Tom’s Guide praised the comfort over extended sessions and called the gaming audio impressive though not fully balanced. The microphone tested good with strong noise handling. The “7.1 surround” in the spec sheet is processing, not seven physical speakers: HyperX describes the output as a 2-channel stereo signal, and the effect only exists through the USB box.

Durability and repairs

Seven-year-old working examples exist, and the wear items are friendly: pads and mic foam swap easily, and the mic detaches. The two hard limits are the hinge caps and the cable. Owners report the plastic hinge caps cracking and share third-party or 3D-printed replacements; the captive main cable means a channel cutting out when the cable moves points to an internal wire break, as one 2026 owner’s solder repair shows. The 2-year warranty covers defects for the original buyer but not physical damage, and direct spare-part sales were paused after the HP acquisition, so post-warranty repairs are on you.

Is it worth it?

Buy it at a discount, and buy it knowing which revision you’re getting. Walmart listed the red-black Cloud II around $49.99 in September 2026; below about $45 it is strong value, $45 to $55 is fair to good, and above $65 newer models make more sense unless you specifically want this fit and tuning. For a comfort-first, no-software buyer the design still holds up, and RTINGS currently judges it better than the newer Cloud III in some fundamentals, while the Cloud III adds software EQ, mic monitoring and newer support. Razer’s BlackShark V2 X can be cheaper; RTINGS favors the Cloud II for comfort, build and mic noise handling, while noting the Razer’s microphone records better. If those tradeoffs don’t clearly favor the Cloud II for you, the newer models deserve the look. Check the store panel above for current prices.

Which model this is

This page covers the red HyperX Cloud II, Amazon ASIN B00SAYCXWG, historically catalog number KHX-HSCP-RD from the Kingston era. HP acquired HyperX in 2021 and later production differs in specification, so the same listing can contain different revisions, and box contents can vary by region. Don’t confuse it with the newer Cloud III, which is a separate product with its own software features.

Sources

Manufacturer:

Independent reviews:

Retailers:

Owner reports:

Buying guides for this category

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