Having seen new headsets come out at a fairly brisk pace over the years, it'd be fair to wonder what the fuss is about from iteration to iteration when looking at a new option like the HyperX Cloud III. It's usually a handful of minor improvements between each model, and sometimes that's enough for companies to justify a refresh of tried-and-true products (as was the case when I reviewed the Logitech G Pro X 2 wireless gaming headset recently). Although it's been about eight years since its predecessor came out, that's sort of where the HyperX Cloud III lands, the just-released follow-up to the long-revered Cloud II. It's a testament to how well-designed the older headset was, but the refinements make this revision a worthy successor and effectively one of the best wired headsets available.

Changes such as the slightly plushier cushions, angular earcups, and better balanced audio are welcome. However, I found the most notable upgrade to be in the impressive microphone quality, which is top-notch, especially for a headset. And the combination of flexibility, durability, and minimal clamp force remain key features to make the Cloud III impressively designed from a comfort and ergonomic standpoint. It's not flashy, and it's not going to blow you away with an array of features or customizability, but at a standard retail price of $100 USD, you get a superb headset--nothing more, nothing less.

Packaging and Features

The HyperX Cloud III comes with the headset (of course), the detachable microphone, a 3.5mm auxiliary input to USB-C cable, and a USB-C to USB type-A adapter. The headset itself has the 3.5mm audio cable attached to it and measures about 4 feet, which isn't that long. If you're using this in a PC gaming situation, though, the aux-to-USB cable also acts as an extension cord. The Cloud III still uses 53mm drivers but are now set at an angle which is said to give a more accurate audio experience, and as we'll get into later, they're enough to pack a punch.