HyperX is looking to the past and toward the future with two new offerings this year. The company known for its gaming and esports peripherals updated a classic and added a new product to a burgeoning category.
With the HyperX Cloud III, the company has revamped its flagship headset. It still retains the general silhouette, but designers modernized it with a sleeker look. The stitching is gone and it’s replaced with a more uniform leatherette that covers up the headband. It looks more streamlined and that same momentum carries over to other parts of the headset such as the metal band and earcups.
The Cloud III looks less bulky with the hard edges removed so it just flows while it sits on your head. It’s definitely more stylish, and those looks are backed by the durability. The headset can be tucked into a backpack for mobile play, go through the day and still work when you get home.
When it comes to comfort, it still retains the pillowy memory foam on the earcups. Wrapped around the ears and head, it feels light and plush. Like its predecessors, the Cloud III is made for extended gaming sessions. It’s so good that I wish this design carried over to the company’s higher-end Cloud Alpha wireless headset. It feels much better.
THE SOUND QUALITY
While the form is stellar, the function on the Cloud III is good. The angled 53mm drivers offer clear audio. Players can hear nearly every detail in an environment. If there’s a brook, players will hear the water splash against the rocks. Chimes and beeps come out with a bright clarity. Suffice to say, the Cloud III performs well with the mids and highs.
When it comes to the bass, the Cloud III is serviceable. It lacks a heavy oomph that comes across in other headsets. Instead of a throaty and strong rumble, players will get loud explosions that keep players in the experience but won’t have them stand up and take notice.
The headset handles spatial audio superbly. It feels like it has a close soundstage with distinct separate channels. That means players can hear the direction of gunfire or the firefights in the distance. The DTS Headphone:X Spatial Audio helps when it’s supported.
OTHER IMPROVEMENTS
The boom mic is another big improvement. It has a built-in mesh filter that eschews the foam cover from the previous version. It’s one less thing to lose on a mic that can be removed if it gets in the way of a single-player experience. Another nice touch is the small LED on the tip that lets users know when they’re on mute. Players can usually see it from the corner of an eye.
Otherwise, the mic audio comes through clear and users will be able to communicate without interference of outside noise.
As for extras, the Cloud III has a clever USB adapter that gives the headset’s wire more lengthy and compatibility with more devices. They can use the 3.5mm plug to channel sound through the current gen controllers or they can use the USB-C or USB-A adapter to listen to their audio on PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch or mobile.
At $99.99, it’s a good price for a headset that improves its form while maintaining its function.
SOLID SOUND IN SMALL PACKAGE
On the other end of the spectrum, the HyperX Cirro Buds Pro is the company’s second take on the earbuds that Apple has popularized. The product is overshadowed by the Cupertino company’s device because they both try to fill the same niche.
They’re both earbuds that cater to smartphones, Switch and desktop players. They have some form of active noise cancellation while also supporting that with an Ambient Sound Mode. They boast an IPX4 rating meaning they can handle drips of liquid, so users can wear them outside and not worry bout sweat ruining them.
With so much in common, the Cirro Buds Pro have to be comparable to the AirPods Pro in terms of performance to attract fans. Unfortunately, the device is a step below what Apple is offering. The sound is good, but it’s not as clean or crisp as the white-colored rival or the Cloud III. The bass is throatier and it carries more punch and urgency to the sound. That could be a welcome sound profile for some games.
As far as the ANC goes, it’s again serviceable but doesn’t measure up to others. The Cirro Buds Pro will block out extraneous sound. If it’s a windy day, the feature will keep the audio from being overwhelmed by the thrum of the environment. That being said, louder outside sound does sneak through more than they would on the AirPods Pro. Users will have their own little audio bubble, but it can be pierced by easier by other noises.
The Ambient Sound Mode cranks up those outside noises a little, but it doesn’t do it as well as the AirPods Pro, which seem to know what sounds should be getting through to listeners and which ones to minimize.
LAG PROBLEM
One of the bigger issues I did run across is that there can be a slight lag when using Cirro Buds Pro. When watching videos, users will notice that the audio and moving lips are out of sync. Thankfully, it gets better when the low-latency audio is active and becomes almost imperceptible. The only other problem is actually figuring out how to activate that mode. It’s not as easy as the long press used to activate ANC. Users have to tap the left earbud three times to turn on the low-latency mode, which is a bit cumbersome for such a useful feature.On the positive side, the Cirro Buds do have a longer-lasting battery if you were to include the power from the case. It will give you a total of 35 hours charge time, but if you’re just using the earbuds, they last a little over five hours with ANC mode on. That’s enough juice for most gaming session.
The one advantage that the Cirro Buds has over the Apple product is the price. At $79.99, players will get plenty of features and solid quality for almost a third of the price. That’s not a bad deal for an product line that has plenty of room to grow.
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