HyperX Cloud Alpha Review: An Excellent Sub-$100 Gaming Headset

Our Verdict

The HyperX Deject Alpha offers cozy ear cups, a premium-looking design and impressive sound quality in an affordable $99 package.

For

Sleek, premium design
Soft and cushy ear cups
Impressive audio quality
Versatile cables

Confronting

Ear cups can feel snug
Microphone picks up some noise

Tom'south Guide Verdict

The HyperX Cloud Alpha offers cozy ear cups, a premium-looking pattern and impressive audio quality in an affordable $99 package.

Pros

+
Sleek, premium design
+
Soft and cushy ear cups
+
Impressive audio quality
+
Versatile cables

Cons

-
Ear cups tin feel snug
-
Microphone picks up some noise

The HyperX Cloud Alpha is fittingly named, every bit information technology's quite peradventure the best gaming headset in HyperX'southward already extensive lineup. This $99 set of cans takes everything that was great about the Cloud Two and makes it better, sporting a sturdy and attractive aluminum pattern, a supremely cozy set of memory-foam ear cups, and a handful of subtle touches that make the headset more than suitable for travel. While it has some small quirks, the Cloud Alpha is easily one of the best sub-$100 headsets you can buy correct now.

Blueprint

The Deject Alpha is HyperX's most premium-looking headset yet, taking the core design of the Cloud II and adding lots of attractive flourishes to it. I was immediately struck past the red, perforated aluminum forks that go on each ear loving cup in place, likewise every bit past the brushed-metal material on the outer ear cups. This might exist a sub-$100 headset, but information technology sure doesn't look similar 1.

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You can remove the Blastoff's microphone when you're rocking out to music or playing single-player games, equally well as pull out the 3.5mm cable for when you're packing abroad the headset for travel. I simply wish that the ear cups could be laid flat for easier storage as they can on the SteelSeries Arctis five and the Turtle Embankment XO Three. Fortunately, the Alpha comes with a soft protective pouch, and after weeks of traveling with information technology, I haven't noticed any wear and tear.

Comfort

I've come to expect world-grade condolement from HyperX headsets, and I was not disappointed by the Blastoff. The company's signature faux-leather, retentiveness-cream ear pads feel extremely soft and cushy, and the headset's 10.5-ounce frame is pleasantly lightweight. For well over a week, I've been working and playing with the Alpha on, and I rarely get the urge to take information technology off.

I practice have some minor complaints, however. Although the Alpha'south headband is cozy and easy to adjust manually, I've grown spoiled by break headbands that automatically adjust to my dome, such as those on the SteelSeries Arctis and HyperX's own Deject Revolver. And while the Alpha's ear cups are incredibly soft, they likewise feel merely a chip snugger than those on previous models, and this tighter fit occasionally made my ears warm.

Gaming Performance

The Cloud Alpha uses HyperX's new Dual Chamber Driver engineering, which is built to dissever the bass from the mids and highs, and deliver clearer, less-distorted sound. The effect is bully overall game sound that allowed me to hands spot enemies while as well enjoying big, bassy explosions and crisp background sounds.

HyperX's headset made an excellent companion for the visceral sounds of Injustice 2, highlighting the lows of every guttural punch and explosion besides equally the highs of every crackling gunshot and piercing sword piece. I could even option out tiny background noises, such as the subtle rustling of tree branches outside a windy Arkham Asylum.

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The headset was equally apt for shooters, in which directionality ways everything. The Alpha fabricated it easy to hear enemies coming in Overwatch, and did an excellent job of balancing Destiny two's satisfyingly punchy gun sounds with the game'south rumbling explosions and sweeping orchestral soundtrack.

When I switched over to the more atmospheric activeness of Resident Evil Revelations, I had no trouble pointing out where each creepy, undead growl was coming from. In one case I switched gears to the open-world racing of Forza Horizon 3, I found the hum of my car's engine crisp and satisfying, and I could make out the subtle changes in tire noises when switching between roads, dirt and sand.

Microphone and Cables

The Cloud Blastoff'south roughly 4-human foot iii.5mm cable provides plenty of slack for your panel controller or Nintendo Switch, and features a handy inline remote for adjusting book and muting your mic on the fly. And different on previous HyperX headsets, it'due south removable, making the headset better for travel.

In that location's also an included PC extension cable that adds nearly 3 feet of slack and gives you defended headphone and microphone jacks, making it ideal for only about any gaming desktop setup.

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The Cloud Alpha'south microphone sounded decently clear in vox recordings and Twitch streams, though for a mic billed equally racket-cancelling, information technology picked upwards a fair amount of background fuzz. It'll yet get the job done for chatting with your buddies or hosting a quick stream, but don't wait to do whatsoever high-quality podcasts on this thing.

Bottom Line

The HyperX Deject Alpha feels remarkably premium for a $99 headset, offering great sound and supremely comfy ear cups within an bonny, sturdy design. While its microphone could be better, the Alpha'due south overall bang-up performance makes it ane of the best sub-$100 headsets out there — though it has some serious competition.

The SteelSeries Arctis 5 (also $99) is an enticing culling, offer RGB lighting, a comfy interruption headband, and a more than subtle design that'due south platonic for wearing on the road. If you tin can alive without the RGB lighting, consider the Arctis iii, which includes most of the same features for simply $79. But the Deject Blastoff offers bigger, more engrossing audio than SteelSeries' headsets, making it an first-class pick for folks seeking maximum immersion within a slick and cozy blueprint.

Credit: HyperX

Mike Andronico is Senior Author at CNNUnderscored and was formerly Managing Editor at Tom'south Guide. When not at piece of work, you can usually catch him playing Street Fighter, devouring Twitch streams and trying to convince people that Hawkeye is the best Avenger.