The Basics:
The below left image shows an overview of the CloudX headset, which is styled to my liking in a fairly monochrome black on black color scheme. Other than the aluminum of the exposed frame connecting the earcups to the headband, everything else is pretty much black, and they look sharp. The headband is shown in the below right image, and taking a look this close shows that there is something else that isn't black - the stitching. The HyperX logo is embroidered in to the top, and the padding is very soft and comfortable. There is a frame inside of that padding, but I didn't feel it on my head, and it is flexible enough to accommodate my huge noggin, as well as my six year old son's much smaller head.
The next images show the headset prior to putting on the boom microphone. The earcups are well designed to fit a variety of heads/ears, and were very comfortable to wear. I wore them for hours on end without the fatigue or discomfort I have had previously. Just this past weekend I probably had them on during 6+ hours of yard work and my head/ears were about the only part of my body that was not tired. The below right image shows the left side earcup, where the audio cable enters. From there, another smaller cable goes up and over the headband to deliver sound to your right ear.
If you look closely at the below left image you will see that I have removed a plastic plug that protects the microphone jack. As with the original Cloud headset, I wish this cover was connected somehow, because as predicted in that review a year+ ago, that piece is now missing from the Clouds. The below right image shows the microphone attached, which is a simple matter of plugging it in where it stays rather snuggly all on its own. The boom is flexible and can be bent around to accommodate just about any user, or you can bend it away from you when you don't really need it so close to your mouth.
I wish the cable between ears was a little better managed, as sometimes it looks a bit messy and I am concerned I will get it snagged on something as I move about. The images below provide more details on the earcups, but also how that cable is just kind of out in free space at all times.
The last set of images on this page shows the inline volume control and microphone mute device. This items is located on the cable, close to the earcups and provides a practical place to adjust your audio volume and to completely kill the microphone. With the original Cloud headset, I thought I wanted such controls on the cable like this, but now I am less enthused about having it and wish it was not there. While it is convenient, and I hope this is an isolated defect, the volume dial on the review sample crackles when used, and limits the fine tuning of the volume control. While rolling the dial it makes loud static in both ears, and when I stop rolling the dial occasionally one ear is left with lower volume than the other ear. A quick flick of the dial in either direction usually fixes it, but now I'm not at the volume I wanted. Even more fidgeting with the dial just repeats the problem, so I usually settle for the volume being a bit lower than intended.
