HyperX Cloud Buds Wireless
Affordable neckband buds with good sound quality and codec support.
Wireless earbuds come in different forms, but the neckband variety aren’t quite as popular as others tend to be. That extra piece that rests around the neck still serves a functional purpose, and if you’re in that camp, there are cheaper options available.
The HyperX Cloud Buds Wireless don’t come with a heavy price tag, but are tastefully designed and built to work for longer stretches. It’s a brand better known for making gaming headphones and peripherals, yet these headphones aren’t really aiming for that audience. They’re for anyone and everyone, but should that include you as well?
While they are neckband earbuds, the Cloud Buds Wireless don’t use a thick neckband that adds extra weight. The cable resting on the neck is indeed thicker and more rigid than the cable running to the earbuds themselves, but its considerable flexibility makes the whole package feel nimble.
The red also stands out in a crowd, and for whatever reason, we initially labeled these as workout earbuds because of it. But there is no definitive IP rating to indicate just how rugged they can be, so you’re taking a bit of risk going out for a run or workout with these on. We used them while bike-riding and had no problem, but in the event any sweat landed on them, we also wiped them clean to ensure no salty residue stuck around afterward.
The inline remote on the right cable has a primary function button with volume controls. Double-press that function button to skip a track, and three times to repeat one. You also use it to answer or end phone calls. The remote also houses the microphone, which does a pretty good job picking your voice, but we’ll get to those nuances later. The on/off button is actually on one of the modules along the neckband, which we think is a good move because it ensures you don’t accidentally turn the earbuds off from the inline remote.
Off the bat, the Cloud Buds Wireless aren’t bass-heavy, pushing more of the mids and highs out for a skewed spectrum. This is all partly a consequence of the fit because without a tighter seal in your ear, the bass is the first to leak out. It would be easier to stop that from happening if the ear tips were the typical ones most earbuds now use, but these don’t leave as much wiggle room for positioning.
That doesn’t mean there’s no room at all, just that you will have to experiment with the different sizes here to see what works best. In our case, we did better with either the medium or large size tips. They fit snugly and securely, and just as importantly, retained some of the bass we wanted.
If you like music that doesn’t rely as much on bass, want something that supports the aptX codecs, and don’t care to have things like noisecancellation, you will be fine here. If not, well, it’s not like you’re hurting for other options... Ted Kritsonis