Comfort and quality at a low cost.

The Kingston HyperX Cloud gaming headsets are very impressive on looks alone. The sleek black and red color scheme and stitching on the padded leather headband give them a stylish vibe that’s not as gaudy as the HyperX Steel Series. Everything about the design and performance of these headsets works for gaming and much more.

The default earpads that come with the HyperX Cloud headsets are smooth in texture and very comfortable so the fact that there’s a second option provided is an added bonus. The second set of earpads are more similar to current popular brands of gaming headphones, such as the Astro A40s and A50s, except that they incorporate memory foam into their design. This sets them apart because the memory foam does not leave a lingering feeling of pressure on your head after long hours of use of the headset because it contours perfectly to your ear and the area around it.

One of the key features of the HyperX Cloud headsets is the detachable microphone. I tested it out primarily playing The Elder Scrolls Online after its launch and had no issues chatting with my fellow guild members using Skype and didn't experience dropouts at all. ~~The only gripe I have is that there is no clear mute option available on the rudimentary inline remote extension which seems to only be good at raising and lowering the volume.~~ [Edit: There's apparently a slide mute button on the control box.] The microphone attaches securely via a 3.5mm jack built into the left ear cup and is very secur; once it’s plugged in, there’s no chance it’s coming off unless you want it to.

There is also a 3.5mm stereo audio headphone Y splitter cable that allows the microphone and audio cable to be consolidated into one standard stereo jack enabling it to be used with the PS4, via the controller, and numerous tablet and smartphone devices with a standard 3.5mm stereo output jacks. It also comes with an audio extension cable, and an airplane adapter cable if you take them on the road. Kingston also provides you with a durable bag with a secondary Velcro pouch to make traveling with the HyperX headsets much easier.

At $99.99 Kingston is delivering a powerful product at a sensible price. They may not have 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound but the 53mm drivers, comfort, and closed cup design give it an edge that allows for an enjoyable gaming and entertainment experience. If you’re a gamer on a budget and game primarily on PC and PS4 [Edit: And Xbox One via an adaptor cable], these headsets are perfect for you. The HyperX Cloud headsets will be available for purchase on April 28th, 2014 on newegg.com and various other online retailers.