Pros & Cons
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- Fantastic sound for games and music.
- Immersive Waves Nx motion-sensing 3D audio effect.
- Excellent microphone.
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- Expensive.
- No Bluetooth connectivity.
HyperX Cloud Orbit S Specs
| Boom Mic | |
| Removable Cable | |
| Type | Circumaural (over-ear) |
The Audeze Mobius is one of the most advanced gaming headsets we've ever tested, with planar magnetic drivers and motion-sensing Waves Nx 3D audio. At $400, it's also one of the most expensive. With the Cloud Orbit S, HyperX worked with Audeze on the headset's development, using the same planar magnetic drivers and putting them into a wired gaming headset that's very similar in features, but a bit more wallet-friendly at $329.99. If you're looking for an excellent wired gaming headset and are willing to shell out a pretty penny, the Cloud Orbit S is a feature-rich choice that sounds fantastic and easily stands up against its similarly priced rivals, earning our Editors' Choice.
Design
In terms of physical design, the Cloud Orbit S is very similar to the wired (but Bluetooth-equipped) HyperX Cloud Mix, with large, flat, oval earcups covered in matte black plastic with silver HyperX logos on the backs of each panel. This headset is a little more plastic than the Mix, with sturdy plastic black-and-gunmetal struts that connect to a largely black plastic headband rather than solid, bare metal struts and a faux-leather-wrapped headband. This doesn't mean the Orbit S feels cheap or flimsy, though; despite the complete lack of exposed metal, the matte, soft-touch plastic feels about as luxurious and looks as attractive other high-end gaming headsets in this price range.
While the headband isn't completely wrapped in faux leather, the Orbit S is generously padded where it counts. The earpads are made of soft memory foam, with a strip of padding on the underside of the headband to match. These pads are all wrapped in very supple faux leather, which makes the headset comfortable to wear for long periods.
The left earcup holds all connections and controls, starting with a power button, an indicator LED, and a mic mute switch on the back panel. A USB-C port faces down and forward on the bottom edge of the earcup, with a boom mic connector in front of it and a 3.5mm connector behind it. Headphone and mic volume dials sit behind the 3.5mm port, and a 3D audio button sits above the boom mic port. The included boom mic is a foam-covered unidirectional condenser capsule mounted on a thin, flexible black metal arm, and can be removed when not in use.
Besides the boom mic, the Cloud Orbit S comes with a 10-foot USB-A-to-USB-C cable, a 5-foot USB-C-to-USB-C cable, and a 4-foot 3.5mm headset cable. A fabric pouch is also included.
Connection Options
Like the Audeze Mobius and Cloud Mix, the Cloud Orbit S primarily connects to your PC over USB. Unlike the Mobius and Mix, there is no Bluetooth option for your phone or other devices. If you want to use the headset to listen to music or make calls with your phone, or to play on a Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, or Xbox One, you need to use the 3.5mm connection. You can also use the headset as a pair of headphones over a USB cable connected to your Switch or PS4, but the microphone won't work this way.
If you plan to do console gaming, keep in mind you need to keep the headset charged. Its planar magnetic drivers won't work passively, so you'll have to plug it into a USB port every few dozen hours even if you only use the 3.5mm connection.
Drivers, Waves Nx, and Microphone
Like the Audeze Mobius, the Cloud Orbit S uses 100mm planar magnetic drivers. This is a different and generally more expensive technology than the conventional dynamic drivers found on most headphones and headsets, and can typically produce excellent, precise sound.
Besides the drivers, the Cloud Orbit S also uses Waves Nx 3D sound technology to produce simulated 7.1-channel surround sound based on the movement of your head. Motion sensors in the headset track when you turn your head, adjusting the audio between the two drivers to give the sense that individual audio sources are positioned correctly around you. This technology is much more immersive than most simulated surround sound.
A non-Waves Nx version of the Cloud Orbit S, the Cloud Orbit, is available for $299.99. Because the 3D audio effect is so impressive, we recommend spending the extra $30 on the Orbit S. If you wish to listen to any music, movie, or game on the Orbit S without Waves Nx, you can turn it off by pressing the 3D button.
The headset's microphone is excellent. Test recordings sound clean and crisp, with no hint of muddiness, distance, or sibilance. If you want better voice performance, you'll need to get a dedicated USB microphone.
Gaming Performance
As a gaming headset, the Cloud Orbit S offers fantastic, balanced sound, with multiple EQ options through the HyperX Orbit software (nearly identical software to the Audeze Mobius control panel). We tested games with the default EQ setting, but there are also Flat, Music, Racing, RPG, and Warm presets, along with two specifically designed for shooters that highlight footsteps or gunfire. Unfortunately, the EQ presets don't show exactly how they adjust the headset's sound, and there are no manual EQ options.
Forza Horizon 4 sounds exciting on the Cloud Orbit S. The rumble of the road comes through with plenty of power, and the sound of debris flying by gets a wide, immersive sound field thanks to the headset's drivers and 3D audio. In the Lego Champions DLC, the sound of Lego blocks getting knocked over is clean and sharp, genuinely sounding like plastic toys scattering across a floor. Each vehicle's engine sounds distinct, from the whine of a Ferrari to the lower growl of a truck.
Doom shows off the headset's powerful bass response. The thumping industrial soundtrack sounds imposing, and the blasts of various weapons are full and powerful. The planar magnetic drivers give the headset a sound similar to open-backed headphones, which greatly expands the stereo imaging and, combined with the 3D audio, provides an impressive level of immersion with the growls of enemy hordes easy to track with your ears and head.
Final Fantasy XIV also sounds very good on the headset. The game's soundtrack is full and energetic, from the bouncy Gold Saucer theme to the relaxing Limsa Lominsa. Riding a chocobo, the sound of bird feet on dirt roads comes through crisply, and I could easily discern all the environmental noises.
Music Performance
Since it uses the same type of magnetic planar drivers as the Audeze Mobius, it isn't surprising that the Cloud Orbit S is also excellent for music. It can get impressively loud, and deliver nearly head-rattling levels of sub-bass when called for. It handled our bass test track, The Knife's "Silent Shout," with ease, and at maximum (and unsafe) volume, the bass drum hits don't distort.
Yes' "Roundabout" sounds excellent on the Cloud Orbit S. The opening acoustic guitar plucks have plenty of string texture thanks to the headset's finesse with high-mids and highs, and the electric bass gets plenty of presence when it kicks in. The high-hat, guitar strums, and vocals all come through clearly in the dense mix, without any element getting overwhelmed.
Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk" is similarly balanced, with the brisk, heavy drumbeat standing out without obscuring the low, almost whispered vocals. The USC Trojan marching band's crowd sounds and horns can be easily discerned as well, again showing how the headset faithfully reproduces a full frequency range without significant sculpting or any gaps in frequency response.
A Powerful High-End Headset
The HyperX Cloud Orbit S is essentially a more gamer-focused, completely wired version of the Audeze Mobius for $70 less. That's very compelling, provided you're willing to spend at least $300 for an excellent wired gaming headset. The planar magnetic drivers offer some of the best sound you can find in this category, and the Waves Nx 3D audio really adds to the immersiveness of whatever you're playing or watching. That makes the Orbit S one of the best wired headsets you can buy and an Editors' Choice.
If you want a premium wired gaming headset but don't want to spend quite so much, the Turtle Beach Elite Pro 2 + SuperAmp and Astro Gaming A40 TR + MixAmp TR are both available for $200 to $250, and include very useful desktop amp/mixer/DACs. For the best-sounding gaming headset out there with conventional drivers, the $300 Beyerdynamic MMX 300 is one of the few models with audiophile-worthy pedigree and tuning, but none of the surround or 3D audio tricks of its contemporaries. And for a wireless option, the Steelseries Arctis Pro Wireless costs as much as the Cloud Orbit S and offers many useful features like interchangeable batteries and both Bluetooth and receiver-based wireless connections.
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