This HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless review is a good starting point for anyone looking for one of the best gaming headsets for their PC.
It has its pros and cons but to sum things up, this is a comfortable wireless headset with good sound and remarkable battery life, even if the microphone leaves a lot to be desired.
If you’re looking to give your whole rig a refresh, take a look at T3’s guides to the best gaming mouse, the best gaming keyboards and the best gaming monitors as well.
In this HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless review, you can find out everything you need to know about this headset - how it looks, how it feels to wear, how easy it is to set up and of course how it performs when you’re deep in the action.
HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless review: price and availability
The HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless is available to buy now starting from £200 in the US, £173 in the UK and $288 in Australia. Take a look at the widgets on this page to see some of the best deals on it from across the web right now.
You can also buy the HyperX Cloud Alpha in a wired version if you want to save a bit of money. That will only cost you about $100 in the US, £80 in the UK and AU$110 in Australia.
HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless review: design and setup
The HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless is a black gaming headset with red detailing in the stitching across the headband, the logo on the earcups and the band adjuster in the headband. You won’t get any over the top RGB lighting here, it’s stripped back and smart without being boring, although I wouldn't say it's a particularly good looking headpiece because it's quite bulky.
Despite being wireless, I can’t imagine anyone would feel comfortable using it out and about but it would be fine to use for your work video calls when you’re at home.
Made largely from plastic with an aluminium expandable headband, you can easily fit the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless to each side of your head with a series of notches to guide you. The headband itself is covered in soft leatherette and comfortable cushioning. Weighing just over 315g it’s not too heavy either.
The memory foam ear cushions sit gently against your head, but because they’re covered in leatherette they could get a little sweaty on a hot day. Luckily, the UK isn’t very warm right now so I found it was very easy to wear the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless headset for long periods of time without feeling any discomfort at all.
On the left earcup, you’ll find the main controls and ports. The power button and microphone mute button are both located there alongside the USB-C charging port and a 3.5mm audio port. On the right earcup, there’s just a volume control dial which makes it really quick and easy to turn the sound up or down.
Included in the box alongside the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless are a USB wireless adapter, a USB charging cable, a detachable mic, a pop filter and the quick start guide.
Setting up the headset is a breeze, you just need to plug the USB adaptor into your PC and away you go. As it's only made to be used with PCs, there’s no wired connectivity and it’s not dual wireless either so there’s no Bluetooth connectivity. You could use this with a PlayStation but you won’t be able to make use of DTS Headphone:X Spatial Audio if you do.
Once up and running, each charge will give you 300 hours of use depending on how loudly you listen to the headset during that time. It’s one of its biggest selling points because you’ll rarely need to worry about plugging it in.
Each time you power it on you’ll be told what percentage the battery level is at, and you can check in the desktop software as well.
HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless review: audio and performance
Powered by dynamic 50mm drivers with neodymium magnets, the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless boasts impressive sound quality above all else.
During gameplay, the headset successfully simulates 360-degree audio to make you feel like you’re a part of the action. I had a really good idea of where sounds were coming from in relation to me and I could hear even more discreet sounds like footsteps and water flowing. Granted, this headset isn’t as loud as others but the sheer amount of detail still allows for a very immersive experience.
Listening to music was just as good. I used it across a range of genres and I had a great time because of how punchy the low end is, but it doesn’t overbear too much on the higher frequencies. The tuning out of the box is full of energy making this headset better suited to more upbeat tunes than power ballads, although you can tweak the sound in the desktop software.
HyperX NGENUITY gives you just the right amount of control, it doesn’t overcomplicate things. You can check up on the battery life, manually adjust the equaliser settings, choose from a number of preset sound modes and switch on the DTS Headphone:X Spatial Audio to enhance the surround sound. You’ll be able to control all of your other HyperX gaming kit from there as well.
One of the significant downsides to this headset is the bi-directional, noise-cancelling microphone. When I tested it out the people on the other end could barely hear what I was saying because the sound was so muted, and the background noise became a distraction as well. You’ll get by with it but don’t expect to sound crystal clear to other people. It was great to be able to remove it as and when I wanted, though.
HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless review: verdict
If your priority is sound quality, then the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless gaming headset will be a good choice. You truly feel immersed in the action thanks to the 360-degree audio and the DTS Headphone:X Spatial Audio feature. It's also very comfortable despite not being the best looking headset in the world.
So why wouldn’t you want to buy this? Well, the microphone is below average and that could put you off, you also can’t use it with many devices which might be a problem for you. But even despite those downfalls, I think the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless is still worth considering, especially if you already use other HyperX gaming peripherals.
HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless review: also consider
The best gaming headset you can buy is the SteelSeries Arctis 7P Wireless. While it is designed to be used with PlayStation, you can also hook it up to your PC without losing out on any features. It sounds incredible and the microphone is both clear and loud. It’s also a bit cheaper than the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless.
If you’re after a wired headset then the Asus ROG Delta S could be a good choice. It sounds amazing and it works with loads of different devices. While the design won't be for everyone, it does have bright RGB lights to jazz things up.
At T3, we don't just try out gaming headsets, we test all sorts of products from smartphones and speakers to barbecues and binoculars. To find out more you can read about how we test.
