When I looked at the HyperX Cloud II Wireless a little back, I praised it for its no-frills utility and honed-in design. With the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless, the headset very much echoes the same design principles and philosophy of function over form, made greater with its standout 300-hour battery.
With its over-the-ear design and perforated red metal accents that attach the band to the earpieces, the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless gaming headset looks nearly indistinguishable from previous Hyper X products. However, actually putting on the headset, users will immediately notice the weight of the extended battery, which by no means feels uncomfortable, rather imparting a premium feeling sense of heftiness to the device.
With a USB-C port for charging, power button, mute and volume wheel, the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless is fairly standard when it comes to its feature set. Designed primarily for PC and console usage, the headset is compatible with HyperX’s NGENUITY software, allowing users to toggle between different sound profiles and modes, which add a bit of flexibility when not gaming. While the default profile is best reserved for games, having the option to change profiles allows the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless to be suitable for consuming all manners of media.
It must be stated, however, during my review, I had to reinstall the Ingenuity application and drivers multiple times before getting the headset to work. Additionally, using the headset on my PlayStation 5, I found the rear USB ports to be more reliable, as the front port would often result in all audio cutting off after prolonged use, likely due to interference, something I did not experience with the HyperX’s Cloud II variant.
“…the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless strikes a balance between premium quality while still feeling relatively sleek and strain-free, even after hours of continuous use.”
Comfort-wise, the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wirelesss strikes a balance between premium quality while still feeling relatively sleek and strain-free, even after hours of continuous use. The detachable mic with large windscreen is a better fit than previous iterations, meaning it is unlikely to fall off with 50 mm dual chambers. Similar to previous headsets, the sound quality on the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless bolsters itself with an emphasis on mid and bass, something well suited for gaming and communication but perhaps not ideal for those who listen to a wide range of music.
Strangely, depending on the platform, the sound quality of the mic audio quality seems to differ vastly, with it sounding the best on Discord, but slightly quieter on the PlayStation 5. This may be attributed to the more granular control available on PC with the HyperX Ingenuity software.
The real meat and potatoes and the reason why the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless warrants its existence is its massive 300 hours of battery life packed into the over-the-ear headphones. Even after a month of regular usage, at the time of this writing this review, the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless, according to the Ingenuity app, is sitting at 74% charge, or about 222 hours of use left, giving them an impressive battery on a single charge any gamer would be happy with.
Now, I’m not a heavy user, but even still, not having to worry about charging the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless or just casually jumping to a game with a friend at short notice without worrying about the battery life makes the Alpha Wireless an easy choice for gamers in need of a wireless headsets.
