HyperX Cloud Alpha review: One of the best gaming headsets for the money - butcherpuzed1959

At a Glance

Expert's Rating

Pros

• Fully extractable cabling and smarter inline control placement
• Comfortable
• Excellent audio quality, for the price

Cons

• Sir Thomas More expensive than the original Cloud, with fewer accessories
• Upper audio range can embody a bit muddled

Our Finding of fact

HyperX has free a incomplete-dozen headsets since 2014's underived and acclaimed Obscure plan, but the Alpha is the first to equal—and even surpass—its predecessor.

HyperX has been a victim of its own succeeder. The stigmatize burst onto the scene in 2014 with the HyperX Cloud, a sub-$100 headset that was not alone as comfortable as its namesake, but sounded as good operating theatre better than most of its high-priced competition.

The Obnubilate instantly leapt to the top of most people's headset recommendations and there IT's stayed. In the years since, HyperX has released a 6 new headsets—the Haze over Deuce, the Cloud Revolver (and Revolver II), the Cloud Stinger—and while all feature been perfectly fine additions, none have dethroned the HyperX Cloud.

Thus far. With the Cloud Alpha, HyperX mightiness in conclusion have a legitimate successor.

Note: This review is part of our roundupof best play headsets . Go there for details on competing products and how we tested them.

Coronation

One look at the Alpha and you rear tell its intentions. Same the 2014 Cloud, the Exploratory features two unsubdivided earcups attached to red metal forks, its alloy headband done up in faux-leather embossed with the HyperX typelogo and edged with red sewing. The biggest difference is that the Alpha's metal-looking forks are perforated, presumably cutting a miniscule sum of weight while retaining structural integrity.

All that to say: This is, at to the lowest degree in coming into court, a Cloud. A substantial Cloud, reworking 2014's design exclusively of all time-so-slenderly. HyperX might've presented this a unused "Alpha" designation, but IT could've just as easily named this the "HyperX Cloud Triad" or "HyperX Cloud (2017)" without batten an eye. Contrast that with HyperX's Revolver and Stinger designs, some of which deviate markedly from the original Cloud—the former with its jet-propelled plane-engine style earcups, and the latter with its entirely-plastic shape.

The Alpha is your Cloud heir apparent.

IDG / Hayden Dingman

And A the heir apparent, the Alpha inherits much of what I loved about the Cloud—viz., that it's incredibly comfortable. Testing the Exploratory entailed multiple octad-hour stints with the headset on, and I barely noticed. The headband is generously padded, every bit are some earcups, and the Alpha manages to stay reassuringly tight on the head without clamping down on the jaw Oregon transferring pressure to your temples. Even three years on, the Cloud innovation is one of the outflank around.

One complaint, though: The Alpha simulate ships with fewer accessories than the original Cloud. Most aren't very noteworthy—is anyone going to girl the divided airplane adapter? Only the Alpha neglects to include the swappable microfiber earcups of the original. You're stuck with faux-leather.

That's hunky-dory with me personally, as I tend to prefer faux-leather anyway. It plays nicer with my beard. The trade-off is that faux-leather tends to hold hotness a moment better. Drawn-out eight-hour headset sessions welfare a second from microfiber or meshing in that regard.

IDG / Hayden Dingman

There are some former throwaway changes. The Alpha's included carrying case is just a cut cloth bag instead of the more robust padded peerless included with the Cloud/Cloud II. HyperX also ditched the small rubber opus that sealed off the Befog's mike port when the mic was detached—but considering I lost that piece almost immediately finish metre, I tooshie't say I'm imperative complete its petit mal epilepsy.

Perhaps most crucial, HyperX finally changed its approach to cabling. Both the Cloud and Cloud II shipped with three-base a cable hard attached to the headset, with the inline controls or (in the Cloud II's case) USB soundcard and so plugged in at the destination of that segment.

With the Alpha, every last the cabling is removable. Not lonesome is this a safer innovation, allowing you to replace a cable if it breaks instead of trashing the integral headset, it's also allowed HyperX to put the inline controls only a foot or so below the headset, so they dangle at shoulder level.

IDG / Hayden Dingman

HyperX's inline controls are still fairly rudimentary, with just a mass wheel and a mic mute. I'll continue to advocate for controls built into the headset instead—I determine them some Sir Thomas More aesthetically pleasing and easier to locate in the heat of a multiplayer match. Still, the new location is a definite betterment connected the Cloud and Corrupt Two's designs, where the operate boxes basically Sat in my lap day in and day out.

Chamber of secrets

Most of the Exploratory's changes are unnoticeable. HyperX's super push this time some is "plural-bedroom" technology. Via HyperX: "The dual William Chambers separate the bass from the mids and highs, allowing optimal tuning for cleaner, smoother sound." Hera's a video recording:

I won't go and then far arsenic to call it a gimmick. I've no doubt HyperX designed the Important around dual device driver Chambers, and that the tech whole kit and caboodle as intended. New manufacturers (Audio-Technica for case) suffer reinforced dual-chamber headphones too, so this isn't upright some "Xtreme Gamer Technical school" snake anele. That said, it's evidently extra. I have headphones that sound as good or better than the Cloud Alphas and do it without double-chamber device driver wizardry.

What matters here regardless is the Cloud Alpha sounds great. HyperX can shabu it risen to dual chambers if IT wants—the stop result is an superior gambling headset, especially for $100.

Like the original Cloud, the Alpha's main sop up is its expansive but natural soundscape. Dupe a well-perfect piece of music and you can tell where all single instrument is in the composition. Transfer that to games, you fundament hear on the dot where that person is sneaking up on you. The Alpha accomplishes this with just an unconvincing stereo front, atomic number 102 7.1 package fakery like many of its peers.

IDG / Hayden Dingman

IT's jolly stunning. I've tested many headsets for PCWorld, and the Cloud was unmatched of the best when it came to reproducing directional sounds. The Cloud Explorative is now unity of the few to surpass it. You lose out on the Cloud II's 7.1 surround support, merely I candidly think the Alpha's stereo mix is better at stochasticity procreation. If you really miss information technology, you behind bargain the Cloud Deuce or Revolver S's 7.1 dongle separately and get the effect back, though that's a bit of a hack. (Expect an Alpha II following year, if I had to guess.)

Audio clarity is bad damn good likewise. There is a noticeable bass boost—Thomas More prominent than the original Cloud's, and probably the result of the same plural William Chambers. Bass is as wel rattling precise, and I didn't notice any distortion/howling whether ruinous test frequencies or dodging explosions on Call of Responsibility: WWII's Omaha Beach.

High registers are a trifle less precise, and this is the Cloud Alpha's only weak point. It sounds great for gaming, simply music—especially treble-heavy music the likes of synthwave or '80s pop—gets a bit imprecise and muddled at times, too many frequencies lap-strake. It's better than the overcompressed high-pitched of the original Sully, but it distillery could use fine-tuning.

Oh, at that place's as wel the mike. The new design is better than the original Cloud when it comes to filtering out background noise, and it's a whole competent mic. We're still in damning-with-faint-praise territory, though, as HyperX's microphones uphold to follow surpassed away most of the competition. IT works superfine, only is notably non on a par with the Befog Alpha's differently price-defying audio.

Bottom line

All that said, the Cloud Explorative is incomparable of the best headsets for the money and a proper replacement to the original Cloud. It's just as easy, even as durable, with ever-so-slenderly-better audio faithfulness and significantly best cabling. My complaints are beautiful much the same American Samoa with any else HyperX headset—unimpressive inline controls, unfortunate mic.

At $99, the Alpha isn't quite as priced-to-move as the original Cloud, but I expect those prices will fall presently enough. When it does…well, we'd better get ahead the crown ready.

Source: https://www.pcworld.com/article/407591/hyperx-cloud-alpha-gaming-headset-review.html

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