HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless Review
A wireless gaming headset with superb battery life
Verdict
The HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless is a marvellous gaming headset for your PC and PS5. As well as offering stellar battery life, it’s also well made with an aluminium outer frame and suave black and red colour scheme. Audio is big and meaty, which is great for gaming, and its 2.4GHz wireless connection offers up little to no latency.
Pros
- Big, meaty sound
- Sturdy construction
- Simple controls
- Incredible battery life
Cons
- Expensive
- Lack of RGB may not please some
- Lacklustre software
Availability
- UKRRP: £189.99
- USARRP: $199.99
Key Features
- 50mm dual channel driversThe Cloud Alpha Wireless features 50mm dual-channel drivers to offer a big, meaty sound
- Additional softwareFor additional software-based customisation, there’s also HyperX’s NGenuity
- 2.4GHz wireless connectivityThe Cloud Alpha Wireless also connects up via a 2.4GHz USB-A receiver and is compatible with PlayStation and PC
Introduction
The HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless has an unusual party piece for a gaming headset: a very long battery life. HyperX states it will last for more than 300 hours, which must be some kind of record.
It also features a sturdy plastic construction, purposeful looks, 50mm drivers, and a convenient 2.4GHz wireless connection. HyperX’s latest headset can be yours for the princely sum of £189.99/$199.99, making it pretty expensive in the world of gaming headsets – but with that incredible battery life, it may just be a price worth paying.
Design and Features
- Sturdy metal construction with a comfortable fit
- 300 hours of battery life is fantastic
- Additional software feels a little empty
In a world where gaming headsets are beginning to look more minimalist and sharp, the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless looks remarkably purposeful and stylish, with its blend of metal and smooth rubber on the earcups.
Its construction feels incredibly hard-wearing with all the metal involved, from the red flecks that connect the earcups to the headband, to the smooth finish of the sides of the earcups themselves. There’s no doubt this feels like a properly premium headset.
Those looking for a headset loaded with lights won’t find any RGB on offer here, which is refreshing. It sets the Cloud Alpha Wireless apart from a lot of other, more pricey, gaming headsets. If you’re a fan of RGB lighting, you may be better off looking elsewhere.
The actual fit of the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless is pretty decent, since there’s plenty of padding around the ear cups and headband, which make the headset comfortable to wear. The level of padding also leads to some amazing passive noise isolation, physically blocking background noise from reaching your ears.
The only slight issue is that the earcups feel a little too spacious, and so can be a little wobbly around the ears if you don’t adjust the headset correctly.
Multimedia controls are within easy reach on both sides of the headset, with a convenient couple of buttons for turning the headset on and muting the microphone, as well as a volume wheel.
When it comes to compatibility, HyperX says the Cloud Alpha Wireless is designed to work with the PS5, PS4 and PC with its bundled USB 2.4GHz receiver. Connecting it up proved as easy as plugging in the receiver, selecting the headset as both an input and output device in the device’s settings menu, and that’s it.
Given the length of the 300-hour battery life, it was ridiculously difficult to test and measure. Using the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless for a day’s work and listening to music, the battery didn’t appear to drain; in the course of writing this review and testing the headset out for the past week or so, I haven’t had to charge the headset once. That’s testament to how long the Cloud Alpha Wireless’ battery can last – and it’s incredible.
Sound and Mic Quality
- Wide soundstage with punchy audio
- Spatial audio works brilliantly in games
- Microphone is a little lacklustre
When it comes to how the Cloud Alpha Wirelesses sounds, I’m pleased to report it’s fabulous.
The headset offers a big, meaty sound profile with lots of volume to boot, which is fantastic for gaming. At the same time, the Cloud Alpha Wireless audio also features plenty of nuance and detail, meaning this headset is definitely an option for listening to music.
In playing some favourite songs for testing purposes, Yes’ Roundabout sounded sharp and rich, but also thumping, while Earth, Wind & Fire’s September was vibrant and huge.
The Cloud Alpha Wireless also supports DTS Headphone:X spatial audio, which I found to work well in games to provide some additional direction for in-game sounds, such as enemy’s footsteps or gunfire in the distance.
There’s some additional software with HyperX’s NGenuity, which features much of what you need on the software’s main tab, be it adjusting volume levels of the headset and its mic, enabling the spatial audio, and adding an EQ. There isn’t much else, and truth be told, I’d have expected a few more functions for the $200 or so outlay.
The only element of the Cloud Alpha Wireless, apart from its software, that is simply okay is its micriphone. It takes the form of a detachable boom, similar to that included with many other gaming headsets out there. Performance is okay for the price; it’s clear, but remains a little thin, making the headset sound a fair bit cheaper than its price would suggest.
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Should you buy it?
You’re looking for incredible battery life
The Cloud Alpha Wireless’ battery life is excellent, and among the most generous offered on a gaming headset – if you’re looking for a headset that will go the distance, this is a great choice.
You want versatile software
The only real weak point of the Cloud Alpha Wireless is its accompanying software. It includes only basic options, so those looking for greater functionality may be better off looking at other premium headsets.
Final Thoughts
The HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless is an incredible headset. Offering an amazing battery life of 300 hours, it redraws the line in terms of what other premium gaming headsets should be aiming for.
In addition, its audio is both wide and meaty, as well as being detailed and nuanced, giving you an agile headset. It’s remarkably well built with convenient connectivity, too. If you want a truly endgame gaming headset, then this it.
How we test
We use every headset we test for at least a week. During that time, we’ll check it for ease of use and put it through its paces by using it in a variety of games, as well as playing music in order to get the full experience.
We also check each headset’s software (if applicable) to see how easy it is to customise and set up.
Use as primary gaming headset for a week.
Tested with a variety of games.
Tested music playback performance.
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FAQs
No, the HyperX Cloud Alpha does not feature Bluetooth, and establishes a wireless connection via the 2.4GHz USB dongle instead.
The cushioned ear cups help to physically block out background noise, but there is no Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) technology here.
Full specification
Jargon buster
ANC
ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) uses an array of microphones in a headphone to detect the frequency of the sound coming at the listener, with the ANC chip creating an inverse wave (i.e. opposing sound) to suppress any unwanted external noises.RGB
RGB stands for Red Green Blue, and essentially means a device is capable of producing colourful lighting, rather than just a white light. It's often found on gaming peripherals such as mice and keyboards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
