HyperX Cloud Alpha - Gaming Headset, Dual Chamber Drivers, Legendary Comfort, Aluminum Frame, Detachable Microphone, Works on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One/ Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and Mobile – Red

Let me just start this off by saying I never leave reviews. I'm not very easily impressed. I usually buy something, receive it, and carry on with my day. However, I've had these for over two years now, and it only just recently dawned on me how much of an anomaly this headset has been compared to others I've had in the past. In the hundreds, if not thousands of hours I've used this headset for, not once has it ever consciously occurred to me that they're being worn while in use. You slap them on out of the box, adjust the earcups to your liking, and then forget they're there. These things are so damn comfortable that I regularly forget I'm wearing them when I leave my apartment to go do other activities. I can't sing its praises enough in terms of comfort, since it feels like wearing nothing at all once properly adjusted.As for the sound quality, it's pretty damn good. I've never really been much of an audio snob, but this is more than sufficient if you're just looking for something with quality sound. I've used them for everything from games to podcasts, and there has never been an instance where I was underwhelmed in any capacity by the sound quality here. Absolutely zero complaints from me in this department. The noise cancellation is pretty good, too. I mean, it's not gonna completely tune out anything and everything, but background noise is definitely reduced. My apartment's AC is only about ten feet from my desk, and it gets to be decently loud at times. Though the noise from it is still noticeable when wearing them, it still becomes maybe 30% quieter; even at that close a range. Get sucked into a game, movie, podcast, or album wearing these, and you'll soon forget about any white noise going on in your immediate vicinity anyway. You can also buy HyperX's 7.1 surround sound USB adapter to beef up the sound a bit should you so choose, but I mainly use it for additional volume control and ease of use instead of the surround sound. Maybe I'm using it wrong, but it's just never worked for me.If you're sometimes rough with your peripherals like me, you probably are looking for something that can take a bit more punishment than most. Rest assured you won't be disappointed here, because this thing's rock solid. Just off the top of my head, my Cloud Alpha has survived:-Being slammed in the heavy wooden door leading to my apartment-Being slammed in a car door-Being accidentally rolled over at least two dozen times by sixty pound steel office chair-Being tossed onto hardwood flooring when I missed my intended target of the couch more times than I can count-Being dropped six feet onto solid concrete-Being stepped on at least two hundred different times-Being vomited on on more than one occasion, though that can probably be attributed to luck more than anything elseSeriously, there are times when throw this guy around and have the headband pretzel in a concerning fashion, only to pick them up again, put them back on, and continue where I left off none the worse for wear. Every time I'd get a little alarmed at the aggressive way that I'd just manhandled my headset, it'd be a completely irrational fear. Barring smashing these things with a hammer or actually trying to bend the headband 180 degrees in the opposite direction, there's no conceivable way to me you could break these in day to day use. I've included a few pictures of the wear and tear they've accumulated over the years, as well as the lengths to which they regularly bend just to give you an idea of the punishment they can take. Believe me when I say the build quality is second to none.Now, at this point you know the headset itself is durable, but you might still be wondering about the cable used to connect said headset to your preferred device. Wonder no more. The included cable is 48 inches of (what might as well be) braided steel, and in my two years of usage, it's accumulated nary a scratch save for a small, nearly nonexistent kink below the volume control. It's detachable too, so you never have to worry about the annoyance and potential stress point that comes from having a cable permanently anchored to your headset. I've coiled this thing up all sorts of ways, tossed it into my pockets and backpack in a ball, and it's none the worse for wear considering. Even if you DO somehow manage to break the cable or render it otherwise unusable, don't worry; it can be replaced with any other 3.5mm audio cable with zero hit to sound quality. Trust me. I've checked.My only real gripe about this product is that my microphone has never worked; even brand new out of the box. I've since bought a replacement mic that also hasn't worked either, so my guess is that it's a manufacturing defect rather than something that broke during use over the years. This is really only something that you should think about if you don't already have a mic and/or will be using this mainly for games. Even if yours also turns out to be broken, I'm sure the folks in customer support would be more than willing to exchange your defective set for a functioning unit.But yeah. This has got to be the best headset I've ever purchased in the ten odd years I've been using them. The price is a bit steep compared your standard headset fare, but the price of admission is well worth it. I've used these things so much that the pleather on the earcups is starting to peel off, and I'll continue to use them until I literally can't anymore, for whatever reason that may be. Can't recommend them enough.

HyperX Cloud Alpha is a great pair of headphones.- Great sound quality great for games and music, but audiophiles looking for exceptional headphones with sound fidelity may want to look elsewhere. Have not utilized surround sound in games using the double-echo chambers yet, but I can tell they are their in normal use and listening. Tones and base are pleasant to listen too.- Detachable mic, generally good at reducing and eliminating sounds that are not the speaker. There's sometimes issues with pickup such as speaking or Rosetta Stone, but some adjustments on the PC help it seem less "quiet" to listeners.- Cable: The primary braided cable disconnects from the main headphones, and has a integrated mute switch and volume dial on the standard 3.5 mm audio jack (works with a USB-C adapter with my phone).- A 2nd longer braided extension 3.5mm cable than can plug into PC audio and mic ports. This length option is great to avoid needing to remove them if you need to get up to reach something nearby.- Sometimes "too" comfortable to wear, but I can see these possibly being warm in summer - will need to find out.- Build quality looks and feels great!- Some may find no Bluetooth a deal breaker.Overall, 5 of 5 stars.

Short of plugging these into a HyperX Quadcast mic, I doubt you'll find a much better setup for gaming....especially at this price point. The sound quality is amazing for headphones in any context and the earcups are very very comfy. The built-in mic sounds very good for a headset mic, but I digress...I started off with the Cloud I's first and absolutely loved them, but the volume pot started getting scratchy and I worried about damage to the attached cable becoming an issue. So I figured I'd stick with HyperX and give these Cloud Alpha's a try, since the cable does detach. I love the Cloud I's, so I'll just stick to comparing the two of those as they are both phenomenal headsets and would both be a good buy.-Build and Comfort-HyperX is just KILLING it on the comfort front IMO. The earcups are basically like tempurpedic memory foam and are a joy to wear. Where the Alpha differs from the Cloud I's is how they feel out of the box. The Alphas still super comfy, but firmer than the Cloud I's. After some wear-in, they soften up, but I can imagine the Alphas lasting longer because of this. Still comfy, just not quite as squishy. Some people may prefer a firmer feel, YMMV.Both headphones feel very solid and have a good weight to them. Could use some more padding in the headband, but I don't really feel much discomfort after wearing them. This is about the only comfort area I could see them needing improvement on. Not sure if it really amounts to build quality, but the previously mentioned attached cable on the Cloud I's has become an issue for me (the volume pot is really scratchy), but the Alphas have a removable cord and the volume pot feels much more sturdy as well.-Sound Quality-Holy crap, I have literally returned $500 Shure headphones in favor of these. And to all assuming I have unrefined, plebian ears...16 years as a guitarist/bassist, audio engineering work for 6 of those years, running PA boards at a few venues, and a gig as a backing bassist for a solo artist (using in-ears) would put me a cut above the typical dude listening to Spotify on his iPhone. I know a good pair when I hear it.Now the Shures were not flat response for mixing or monitoring, they were listening headphones, but while there is a slight EQ curve and some "signature" enhancements on the Alphas, they are surprisingly flat in a good way...albeit with some extended bass and very smooth highs. The difference is the Cloud I's seemed to have more bass due to an EQ bump in the low-end response along with the seal being tighter on your ears with their squishier earcups. The Alphas are firmer and so the seal isn't quite as tight on my head, making for less perceived bass at first, but if you squish them on your ears you catch a bit more of the low-end.I will also say the low-end on the Alphas is much cleaner than on the Cloud I's, which may not be caught by some listeners. When you hear explosions, rumbling, or are listening to bassy music you won't hear these buzzing or bottoming out like the Cloud I's can. I use an external Sound Blaster card with one of my PCs and my custom EQ curve for music listening is handled beautifully by these Alphas. This by no means is an insult to the Cloud I's, they are easily contenders with most $100-$250 listening headsets out there, but in comparison to the Alphas, these are the differences you'll experience.-Noise Isolation-The Alphas are, again, not as tight a seal as the Cloud I's but that could change in time. FWIW, these cut out a noticeable amount of noise...with only really rumbly or booming sounds getting through. A neighbor firing up a giant truck or thunder outside will catch my attention, but high pitched sounds get drowned out when you are listening to music or playing a game. I'm sure with wear they'll get even better, but for a passive headset they do a fine job.-Mic Quality-The mic is perfectly fine and right in line with most $100+ gaming headset mics. Don't expect something on-par with a dedicated mic like the HyperX Quadcast or a Razer Siren, this is a totally different league of mic, but does a respectable job. Most people use these for Discord or Zoom calls, or want to cut down on background noise as opposed to using an external mic.-Connectors-The core cable has the headphone/mic conductors built into one 3.5mm plug, the same as old iPhone headsets and many other gaming headsets do. There is an extender cable that splits it out to a headphone and mic plug separately. One thing I found weird, is my Cloud I's were the same, but when I plugged the single 3.5mm combo jack into my HyperX Quadcast they flat out would not work. HOWEVER, the Alphas DO work for some reason. Not sure why, seems like basically the same cable. Either way, the cable is long enough for most folks' rigs so no worries on that.-Overall-If you want a gaming headset, or even just a headset for listening to music at your computer comfortably, this is an amazing headset. If you're fine with over-ear headphones for listening on the go, there's no reason not to use these IMO. If you're a streamer and want to save money and still get great performance...BUY THESE!!Some people might scoff at these and not consider them good since they aren't "Pro Level" gear, but honestly for monitoring and even music listening I would put these up against nearly any sub-$600 headset. I don't abuse the hell out of my headphones, but they definitely get put to use for hours on end every day and I've still had no issues. The Cloud I's (non-USB) are great too, but for a bit more the Alphas are just plain amazing. The only thing you need to worry about these is if they discontinue them!