Everyone is already accustomed to the fact that each new generation of HyperX Cloud gaming headsets becomes a real bestseller not only among gamers and e-sportsmen, but also simply among fans of full-size headphones. The secret of success is quite simple and lies in the optimal combination of excellent sound quality, excellent design, thoughtful ergonomics, high quality materials used and reasonable pricing policy. And just recently, at the exhibition GAMESCOM 2017, Kingston Technology has announced its next model - .

The manufacturer claims that the new product has a dual-chamber speaker design, which allows for a significant improvement in sound quality. And this is the first such solution with a price tag of just over $100. Let's check in practice how this will help Alpha surpass its predecessors and competitors.

Specification

	HyperX Cloud Alpha (HX-HSCA-RD/EE)
Weight (with microphone and cable), g
Wire length, m	1.3 (detachable headset cable) + 2 (extension cable)
Interface	1 x 4-way 3.5mm / 2 x 3.5mm
Peculiarities	Dual chamber speaker design, main cable with remote control, branded memory foam, dual plug extension cable
Headphones
	Monitor, closed
Speaker dome diameter, mm
Magnet type	Neodymium
Impedance, Ohm
Reproducible frequency range, Hz
Maximum power, mW
Nonlinear distortion factor, %
Sound pressure, dB/mW (SPL) at 1 kHz
Microphone
Sensor type	Electret condenser
Focus	Cardioid with noise reduction
Frequency response, Hz
Sensitivity, dB
Products webpage

Delivery and configuration

The headphones are supplied in branded packaging of quite large sizes with a traditional design: black and red colors and several full-size images of the accessory. On its edges, information about all the advantages and benefits of the new product is concentrated in a simple and accessible form.

Under the outer cover there is a box made of thick cardboard, on which the logo of the line is emblazoned.

Inside, the headphones are securely fixed in a form made of transparent plastic.

The HyperX Cloud Alpha package includes a detachable main cable with remote control, microphone, Y-extension cable, fabric case and user documentation. Unfortunately, there are no additional pairs of ear pads (fabric or velor).

Appearance and quality of construction

At first glance at HyperX Cloud Alpha, it becomes clear that the new product is a further development of the ideas laid down in the first models of headsets from the American manufacturer (, and so on), which were built on the basis of QPAD headphones. The continuity of design is clearly visible in them. But due to the more strict shape of the cups and a number of cutouts in their fastening, “Alpha” is perceived as more modern. At the same time, the well-recognized corporate style has been preserved.

We are looking at relatively large closed-type monitor headphones, the design of which uses a combination of aluminum, plastic with a soft-touch coating and artificial leather. There is no gloss in the headphones and that's good. There is also no backlight.

Despite the metal frame, the headband does not feel overly rigid, which allows for a certain degree of horizontal freedom.

On the outside it is embellished with the HyperX logo, and is also complemented by a very smooth and neat seam made of red thread.

The inside of the headband uses polyurethane memory foam.

HyperX Cloud Alpha cups are made of practical, tactilely pleasant plastic that is highly resistant to fingerprints. In the central part there are metal inserts with a slightly rough texture and the brand logo.

The attachment to the frame is traditional fork-shaped, there is a small vertical travel.

The cups are connected to each other by a thin wire in a fabric braid. Its length is sufficient to avoid chafing.

Height adjustment is carried out using the classical method. There are eight fixed divisions.

Closed cups are characterized by rather large sizes.

The removable ear pads are visually flatter, but they are still made of high-quality artificial leather and filled with the company's soft memory foam.

Their interior is completely covered with sound-transparent fabric. It reliably protects the speakers from dust and sweat.

The HyperX Cloud Alpha gaming headset is powered by two 50mm neodymium-firing neodymium-firing drivers.

According to the manufacturer, it uses a dual-chamber design designed to separate the bass from the mids and highs. This reduces distortion and provides crystal clear sound.

Unlike its predecessors, the new product has not only a replaceable microphone, but also a replaceable main cable, which can definitely be added to the list of its advantages. For example, if you damage the cable, you don’t have to take the headphones to a service center or do the soldering yourself, but you can simply buy another one.

The cable itself is quite thick and has a fabric braid, which adds strength to it. The length of 1.3 m is quite enough for use with portable devices and modern consoles (Xbox One, PS4 and Wii U).

The cable contains a compact control panel, which has a convenient volume control wheel and a microphone switch. By the way, the 3.5 mm mini-jack has a CTIA pinout. To connect to a PC, a 2-meter Y-shaped extension cable is provided, which also serves as an adapter from one 4-pin to two separate 3.5 mm plugs.

The microphone is placed on a flexible rod that can take any shape and connects to the headset using a 3.5 mm connector. At its end there is a foam nozzle, which additionally filters out unwanted noise.

The HyperX Cloud Alpha looks and feels great. The quality of materials and workmanship is at the highest level. The product is perceived as very durable, capable of surviving more than one fall and more than one year of active use.

Operating experience and sound quality

The headphones are very easy to use – I’m definitely pleased with their size and weight. Despite the rather noticeable downforce, the ear pads significantly soften the pressure and completely cover the ears. But their depth is not enough so that the edges of the ears do not touch their inner part. But the sound insulation is very good. The headphones are conducive to long gaming sessions, but in the first days of use they still cause some discomfort from the tracking force. Over time, they wear out a little and adjust to the size of the head, and the discomfort goes away.

Let's move on to the most interesting part - sound quality. Subjectively, all gaming headsets from the American manufacturer are among the most musical in their category. HyperX Cloud Alpha was no exception, which provides very good and balanced sound, without blockages in one area or another, which allows you to achieve quite expressive and slightly surround sound. When compared with the first original “Cloud”, it is quite difficult to feel the difference in sound from the use of a two-chamber speaker design. Nevertheless, the output we get is excellent detail with clearly defined low, mid and high frequencies. Listening to hard rock, club music or a live concert is very pleasant, but from time to time there was some lack of low frequencies. Most likely, to unlock the full potential of the Alpha, a higher-quality sound source is needed, or the headphones themselves did not have time to “play out” properly during testing. By the way, HyperX Cloud Alpha was tested when connected to a PC with a Realtek ALC1150 audio codec and to a smartphone.

As for the main purpose, that is, games, the headset handles the surrounding world with a bang. Shots, enemy movements across the area, and any rustling noises can be clearly heard. All this allows you not only to completely immerse yourself in the virtual environment, but also to gain an advantage over your opponent. The same is true for videos and films, as long as they have a high-quality audio track.

The HyperX Cloud Alpha features a cardioid electret condenser microphone with digital noise reduction. The quality is quite good: the voice captures clearly, in detail, without any extraneous sounds. The frequency range is represented by mids and highs, there are no lows, but for gaming conversations this is more than enough.

Results

With the release, Kingston Technology continued a proud tradition. The new product incorporates everything that we all love and appreciate HyperX headsets for: high-quality sound, a comfortable and very practical design using high-quality materials, excellent sound insulation and an excellent microphone. Despite its gaming focus, Alpha will be able to satisfy the needs of even demanding music lovers. When it comes to gaming and watching videos or movies, everything is excellent here too: the headphones perfectly convey all the subtleties of the environment and allow you to fully immerse yourself in the atmosphere of what is happening on the screen. At first it seems that they have excessive downforce, but after a few days of active use they adapt well to the user’s head and do not create any discomfort over long gaming sessions. At the same time, the product feels very reliable, which gives hope for a long and trouble-free service life. There were also no complaints about the microphone - it copes well with voice transmission, cutting off all surrounding noise.

It's nice to note that not only the microphone, but also the cable in the headset is now replaceable. This allows for easy replacement if necessary. As in previous models, we have excellent compatibility with mobile devices (smartphones, tablets, MP3 players, etc.) and with all current gaming platforms (PC, Xbox One, PS4 and Wii U), without additional settings or manipulations.

As a result, if you are looking for a gaming headset or full-size headphones that should provide maximum capabilities for quite reasonable money, but at the same time you don’t need all sorts of “goodies” like additional remote controls, adapters for airplanes and USB audio cards, then HyperX Cloud Alpha is definitely a must be on the list of candidates for acquisition. The start of sales of the new product in Ukraine is scheduled for September 27, and the estimated retail price will be $118 (₴2999). For those who pre-order in Ukraine, a gift in the form of a shipping box is provided.

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Looking ahead, let's say that the headset surprised us during detailed testing!

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Iron shop

In 2014 Kingston accomplished the seemingly impossible in the gaming headset market - it released headphones with good balanced sound and a surprisingly reasonable price tag. Naturally, we are talking about HyperX Cloud.

For more than three years, the company has only strengthened its position. The original Cloud now has several configuration options, with models settling in the lower segment Stinger And Drone, and two modifications went to the top Revolver. And at the end of 2017, the direct successors of the first model appeared on sale - HyperX Cloud Alpha. And, looking ahead, let’s say that they surprised us.

Let's meet

The headphones are not supplied as richly as the first Clouds at one time, but you still can’t find fault with the package: there is a meter-long cord with a mobile combo jack and a two-meter adapter for a standard pair of 3.5 mm connectors. Plus, the box comes with a nice carrying case.

The typeface itself structurally follows its ancestor. The same headband with leatherette pad and red stitching, soft memory foam ear pads and retractable forks with suspended speakers. The differences are in the design and color of the pendants, in the shape of the cups and slightly elongated forks.

The latter have become larger and are designed in a rare two-chamber design for the sound industry. In theory it looks like this. Engineers divided the cups into two semi-independent volumes. One - a small one - was directly related to the outer diameter of the speaker, from which, in theory, the bulk of the low frequencies are emitted. The second volume - larger - works with the central and middle diameters, which are responsible for high and medium frequencies. Thus, engineers tried to separate the vibrations into different compartments and reduce the impact of bass on low and mid frequencies.

In reality it all looks like this. The main part of the body is indeed directly connected to the central part of the membrane and is no different from the body of classic headphones. But a plastic basket is screwed to the outer diameter, forming something like a small subwoofer box for the bass.

To ensure that the waves in it do not stagnate and there are no unnecessary vibrations, part of the box is directly connected to the outside world, which is why the new Clouds cannot be called completely closed. There are also slots in the box that transmit internal vibrations directly to the ear, which is a bit like the bass reflex effect of any subwoofer.

Sound

HyperX used the old scheme. High-quality emitters with a high resistance of 65 Ohms and, although not a record, a decent pressure of 98 dB. As a result, there is an excellent output sound, which in quality is clearly between the sound of the first Cloud and the top-end Revolver. That is, those who already have expensive HyperX don’t have to worry, but those who were waiting for Alpha without buying regular Clouds can be sure that their wait was not in vain.

It's funny, by the way, that despite all the acoustic changes, Cloud's character remained the same. These are perfectly balanced speakers that don’t drag into the bass, mids or highs. Only ardent fans of drum and bass or heavy rap, overloaded with ultra-low frequencies, may not like this. Everyone else will be happy. In music, headphones cope with any genre, from classical to hard rock. They don’t give up even on such insidious moments as the aftersound of the bass string of a guitar or playing low power chords from groups like Disturbed.

Naturally, there are no problems with movies and games. The headset tries to play all the audio tracks - voice, music, special effects, background noise - exactly as the sound engineers intended. And that's very cool. The games do not irritate with the whooshing explosions of grenades or the drone of machine guns, the sounds of footsteps do not drown in the general mass, and music, if it should play some role in the scene, is always clearly brought to the foreground.

At the same time, the speakers have no problems with positioning and sensitivity. And if the sound card supports virtual 7.1, for example from Dolby, then the speakers spread the rear channels in space without any problems. In general, those who are accustomed to determining the location of respawn in CS:GO or the direction of the shot in PUBG, will be pleased.

In business

Well, now let's talk about the general points. We have no complaints about the landing. If your head is not huge, then the headphones fit perfectly and, as practice has shown, they do not even squeeze the temples of the glasses (thanks to the soft ear pads). Due to the semi-closed design, it is a bit hot in the headset, and periodically your ears will have to rest, but here, as usual, we will provide decent sound insulation as a counterbalance.

The microphone is also good and is turned off using a slider on a small control panel hanging about 40 cm from the left ear. Note that all wires are protected by a fabric braid, and are connected to the headset itself with a regular 3.5 mm jack. That is, if the cable is lost, a replacement can be found in any electronics store - at most you will have to grind off the braid a little with a utility knife.

In general, the main points are in complete order. But what you need to keep in mind is that Cloud Alpha needs a good sound card or at least a small amplifier. You won’t be able to get everything from 64-Ohm speakers with a simple Realtek or output from a phone (tablet). In games this is not particularly critical, but in music there will be a lack of volume.

Alpha- exactly those headphones that were missing in the segment from 7 to 9 thousand. In fact, they have no disadvantages, except for a rather serious price range. Officially, they are offered to buy for 9,000 rubles, which puts Alpha on the same level as the cheaper and better-sounding Revolver. However, Alpha can already be bought for 7000-7500 rubles, and this is an excellent price for such a headset.

In general, a clear “Editor's Choice”.

HyperX™ Cloud Alpha's revolutionary dual-chamber speaker design delivers crisper, clearer audio with less distortion. Dual-chamber speakers separate the bass from the mids and highs for clearer, smoother sound. The Cloud Alpha headset delivers the award-winning comfort of the HyperX brand. It uses premium quality red memory foam as a seal. In addition, it has an extended headband, and its finishing uses softer and more flexible leatherette. The Cloud Alpha has a durable aluminum frame and can be equipped with a durable, detachable braided cable upon request. The detachable noise-canceling microphone is Discord and TeamSpeak certified, allowing team members to communicate comfortably while gaming. With cross-platform compatibility with built-in audio controls, all PCs, PS4 and Xbox One™ consoles and other 3.5mm-equipped platforms can enjoy the amazing sound of Cloud Alpha.

Advantages

• HyperX dual-chamber speakers enhance clarity and reduce distortion
• Already acclaimed HyperX signature comfort
• Durable aluminum frame with extended headband
• Detachable braided cable with convenient on-board audio controls
• Detachable microphone with noise canceling function
• Discord and TeamSpeak™ Certification
• Cross-platform compatible((Footnote.N37269))

The HyperX Cloud Alpha gaming headset comes in a large, stylish box. Inside, a plastic case contains headphones and a detachable microphone. The kit includes a 1.3 m cable with a remote control, a two-meter extension cable, a soft fabric case for transporting or storing the headset, and connection instructions.

HyperX Cloud Alpha in stylish packaging

Design and equipment

The design of the Cloud Alpha should appeal to avid gamers: the headset comes in aggressive red and black colors. The basis of the design is an aluminum frame. Metal guarantees the strength of the headset and its resistance to external influences. Despite its impressive size, Alpha is quite lightweight - together with microphone and cable, it weighs only 336 grams.

Any gamer will love the HyperX Cloud Alpha gaming headset

The headset frame is adjustable and can be adjusted to fit almost any size. The earcups sit comfortably, gently resting on your head. The ear pads use proprietary memory foam to allow your ears to adjust to you over time, ensuring complete comfort while gaming or listening to music.

In the left earcup there are two connectors: for a cable and a microphone. The main wire has a volume control wheel and a microphone mute button. Both cables showed good flexibility thanks to the soft fabric braid. The headset has a universal plug – 3.5 mm, which means Cloud Alpha is suitable for PC, PS4, Xbox One and other devices.

You can change the volume and turn on the microphone using the remote control

Dual chamber speaker design

Even just listening to music, we noticed that the HyperX Cloud Alpha sounded different from regular headphones. This is achieved due to the structure of the device: “Alpha” is the first gaming headset with a dual-chamber speaker design. This technology will give you a number of advantages: to figure out which ones, you need to remember the structure of classic speakers.

Almost all gaming headsets use a traditional driver design, in which the highs, mids, and lows are combined into a single chamber in the earcup and transmitted to the listener. In these speakers, the ultra-low bass will drown out the mids and highs.

The speakers of the Cloud Alpha gaming headset have two chambers for high and low frequencies

The Cloud Alpha gaming headset's 50mm drivers use two chambers: one for bass and the other for mids and highs. As a result of the separation of sounds of different frequencies, they become brighter. This way, during the game, you can clearly hear where your opponents are, and also comfortably communicate with your team even in the presence of loud explosions near your hero.

Microphone

The microphone of the gaming headset is mounted on a flexible leg: you can install it exactly as it is convenient for you, and if necessary, bend it to the side or disconnect it altogether. In addition, the microphone has a soft windproof cap, and the device itself has a noise reduction function.

The Cloud Alpha headset's microphone can be easily connected or disconnected

During testing, we tested the headset in Skype. During a conversation, there was no problem with a “hissing” microphone - all background noise and breathing sounds are filtered, and as a result, the interlocutor hears only your voice.

However, it is important to understand that the quality of sound transmission largely depends on the sound card and PC settings. If you have a good discrete audio card installed, you will be able to fully evaluate the performance of the microphone and enjoy the sound transmission. Otherwise, it will be difficult to feel all the benefits of this gaming headset.

HyperX Cloud Alpha – headset for games

It's not uncommon for professional gamers to play for six hours or more. That is why a gaming headset should be comfortable for long-term use: the “ears” should not press or press on the head. When I first tried it on, I had the feeling that the headphones were tight, but after an hour they were imperceptible and sat quite comfortably.

In addition to comfort, technical qualities are also important. During testing, we appreciated the sound insulation of the headset. The user is not disturbed by sounds from the outside, and at the same time, others around him do not hear what is in his headphones, even if he turns the volume wheel to maximum.

The Cloud Alpha was first unveiled at Gamescom 2017, where there was a PUBG competition where everyone played with the headset. To fully test the device's capabilities, we also tested it in games.

HyperX Cloud Alpha's soft ears make the headset especially comfortable for long gaming sessions

In shooters, it is especially important to correctly determine the direction of sound. With the Cloud Alpha gaming headset, this has become noticeably easier, which means it’s easier to understand where the shots are coming from. This can give professional gamers a tangible advantage in tournaments, and amateurs the opportunity to improve their skills in a particular game.

Additionally, you can clearly hear enemy movements while playing - which is a big plus, but you can also hear your allies stomping loudly if one of them is nearby. It's scary to imagine what you can hear in games of the Horror genre, where intense music and a terrifying atmosphere make you listen to every rustle.

Perhaps it is on the battlefield that the advantages of the dual-chamber speaker design of the Cloud Alpha gaming headset become clear. Voice chat does not block the sound of the game: you communicate with the team, but at the same time you can clearly hear everything that is happening around your hero. As a result, you can completely immerse yourself in the gameplay without losing touch with your allies.

Not just for games

With the HyperX Cloud Alpha headset, you can enjoy listening to music or watching movies: the speakers deliver clear sound and deep bass, and also completely protect you from ambient noise thanks to good sound insulation. In addition, the headset is convenient to use for communication: you will hear the interlocutor well, and at the same time you will not have to be distracted by extraneous sounds.

And yet, all the advantages of the Cloud Alpha are fully revealed only during the game: it is during the gameplay that you can appreciate all the capabilities of this gaming headset.

Specifications

Headphones
Speaker	Original dynamic (50 mm) with neodymium magnets
Type	Female, closed type
Frequency response	13 Hz –27,000 Hz
Sound pressure level	98 dB SPL/mW at 1 kHz
Harmonic distortion factor	< 1%
Weight of headphones / with microphone and cable	298 g / 336 g
Cable length and type	Detachable headset cable (1.3m) + PC extension cable (2m)
Compound	Detachable headset cable – 3.5mm male (4-pin) + PC extension cable – 3.5mm stereo and microphone plugs
Microphone
Element	Electret condenser microphone
Directional pattern	Noise suppression
Frequency response	50 Hz – 18,000 Hz
Sensitivity	-43 dBV (0 dB = 1 V/Pa, 1 kHz)
Headset price	9000 rubles

HyperX Cloud Alpha Headset Review | Introduction

The name HyperX Cloud Alpha suits it perfectly: it's arguably the best gaming headset in HyperX's extensive lineup. For $99 (in Russia - from 8,990 rubles) you get all the advantages of the Cloud II plus a durable and attractive aluminum construction, very comfortable ear pads filled with memory foam material, and a number of additional features that make the headset especially convenient for travel. Despite minor shortcomings, the Cloud Alpha can easily be called the best headset currently available that costs less than $100.

HyperX Cloud Alpha Headset Review | Design

The HyperX Cloud Alpha looks like the most premium gaming headset on the market today. The basis of its design is borrowed from, but the new product has bright red perforated aluminum forks that hold the cups, as well as a polished metal finish on the cups themselves. It may be a hundred dollar headset, but it definitely looks more expensive.

You can remove the microphone while listening to music or playing single-player games. In addition, during transportation you can remove the cable with the 3.5 mm connector. I also wish the earcups folded into a flatter design, like the SteelSeries Arctis 5 or Turtle Beach XO Three, to make the headset easier to stow in luggage. Luckily, the HyperX Cloud Alpha comes with a soft protective case, and after using it for a few weeks, we didn't notice any signs of wear and tear.

HyperX Cloud Alpha Headset Review | Comfort

We expected world-class comfort from the HyperX Cloud Alpha, and we were not disappointed. Feather-light, proprietary memory foam ear pads are surprisingly soft and comfortable, and the frame, weighing just 298g, is virtually weightless. During all the time we used it during work and games, we almost never had the desire to remove this headset.

However, we also have a few minor comments. Despite the lightness of the headband and the ease of manual adjustments, the suspension of the cups, which automatically adapt to the shape of the skull in combination with super-soft ear pads, sometimes makes you feel increased pressure. The cups fit so tightly on the head that sometimes my ears sweat.

HyperX Cloud Alpha Headset Review | Sound in games

HyperX Cloud Alpha's new dual-chamber driver technology is designed to separate bass drivers from mids and highs, resulting in more transparent sound with less distortion. The result is overall superb gaming audio, making it easy to locate virtual enemies while enjoying large, low-frequency explosions and crisp background effects.

HyperX Cloud Alpha excels at reproducing the soundscape of Injustice 2, emphasizing the low-frequency sounds of impacts and explosions and the high-frequency sounds of gunfire and piercing sword strikes. The slightest background noise is perfectly discernible, for example, the subtle rustling of tree branches in the windswept expanses of Arkham Asylum.

The HyperX Cloud Alpha headset is also perfect for shooters, in which almost everything depends on the accuracy of determining the location of the enemy. Alpha is great for hearing enemies in Overwatch, and in Destiny 2 it has a wonderfully balanced mix of gunshots, explosions and a background orchestral soundtrack.

Switching to more atmospheric gameplay in Resident Evil Revelations, we had no trouble identifying where each spine-chilling roar came from. And having launched the Forza Horizon 3 races, we were not only able to evaluate the sound of the engines, but also the slightest changes in tire noise when the road surface changed, driving on mud and sand.

HyperX Cloud Alpha Headset Review | Microphone and cables

The nearly 1.3-meter 3.5mm cable provides plenty of comfort for any game controller or Nintendo Switch, while it has a convenient in-line remote for volume control and instant mute. Additionally, unlike previous HyperX headsets, this cable is removable, making it easy to transport.

The package also includes a two-meter extension cable for connecting to a PC with separate connectors for a microphone and headphones, which allows you to comfortably use HyperX Cloud Alpha with almost any desktop gaming systems.

The HyperX Cloud Alpha microphone provides fairly clear sound when recording and streaming voices, but for a device that claims noise reduction, it transmits quite a lot of ambient noise. Its capabilities are sufficient for communicating with friends or quickly broadcasting a stream, but it is not suitable for high-quality podcasts.

HyperX Cloud Alpha Headset Review | conclusions

The HyperX Cloud Alpha feels incredibly premium for a $99 headset, delivering great sound and an exceptionally comfortable fit along with an attractive and durable design. And although the microphone quality could be higher, overall, the HyperX Cloud Alpha can be called one of the best headsets on the market under $100.

However, it also has serious competitors. A tempting alternative is the SteelSeries Arctis 5: for the same $99 you get RGB lighting, a supportive headband, and a rugged design ideal for on-the-go use. If you can get by without RGB lighting, check out the Arctis 3, which has almost the same features for $79. However, the HyperX Cloud Alpha delivers bigger, more expansive sound than SteelSeries headsets, making it a great choice for those who want the most immersive audio experience in an attractive, comfortable design.

Advantages:

• Chic premium design
• Soft and light cups
• Impressive sound quality
• Universal cable set

Flaws:

• Some people will feel too much pressure from the cups
• The microphone picks up extraneous noise