![]() ![]() And at low volume, all elements were still audible. There was no distortion in the vocals or instrumentals. ![]() The design worked well, even when blasting The Strokes’ “Someday” at max volume. But like the Cloud Alpha, the new Cloud Alpha S has a dual-chamber design - one for bass and another for mids and highs - to fight distortion. ALPHA GAMING BATTLE GROUP REVIEWS DRIVERSDynamic drivers are also known to fall victim to audio distortion at high volumes. They’re dynamic drivers, which tend to have good bass, and HyperX claims to have tuned them differently for better audio. The 50mm size is pretty standard for a gaming headset you’d need a pricey headset to surpass this (the HyperX Cloud Orbit S is one). However, the Alpha S adds two key audio features over the Cloud Alpha: virtual surround sound and game / chat balance. The Cloud Alpha S uses the same 50mm neodynamic drivers as the Cloud Alpha, so if you’ve already owned that headset, you basically know what you’re getting what the Cloud Alpha S - at least when using the 3.5mm connector. But given its size, I’d also like a mute audio button on controller alongside the mute mic button. Since you’ll likely be using this headset at home and not on the go, this feels unnecessary and makes the setup look outdated and a chunky. It’s plastic, a bit chunky, and comes with a clip reminiscent of the beeper era. Unfortunately, the control box (which weighs 0.13 pounds and attaches to the 3.5mm plug via a 2-meter braided cable) isn’t well designed as the rest of the headset. Interestingly, HyperX sells a similar AMP USB sound card for $29.99, but it swaps chat / game balance controls with mic volume buttons. Besides the bass sliders, there are no other controls on the headset itself, making these controls easy to find and reducing the chances of adjusting something like the mic when you mean to change the volume. USB connectivity is necessary for using virtual surround sound (the button lights up in white when activated), chat / game audio balance and mic monitoring. The headset comes with a removable inline control box for when you’re using the headset via USB-A, other than the alternate 3.5mm audio connection. On a more positive note, the aluminum frame of the earcups and the leather headband fight off fingerprints, unlike so many other pieces of technology these days. They exposed cables are braided for extra durability, however. Still, I fear the exposed wires provide extra opportunities to break the headset, if they get snagged in a bag or just while you’re walking around. ALPHA GAMING BATTLE GROUP REVIEWS BLUETOOTHHowever, others may not think that as this is a fairly common design decision, even on premium headphones like Sennheiser’s new $400 Momentum Bluetooth headset (opens in new tab). Like the Cloud Alpha, the earcups connect to the headband with a visible cable, which I personally think makes the headset look like it’s broken or breaking. But you can’t spin them about, so they feel pretty tight when sitting on my neck, especially with my thick hair. Like with the Cloud Alpha and many other gaming headsets, the earcups are held by forks that let you tilt them inward. Headband adjustments have visible (and audible) notches for per-ear adjustments, but I found it hard to manage with the headset on. The headband’s memory foam isn’t the thickest we’ve seen, but, more importantly, it prevented any feeling of pressure points. The memory foam ear pads felt cool around my ears, helpful for those who get heated during intense or long gaming sessions, thanks to its breathable leatherette material. The headset didn’t squish my ears or make them feel trapped or fatigued, even after hours of use. It’s the design here though, which fights off pressure and weight on the skull and ears, that makes it feel light. At 0.71 pounds, the headset isn’t significantly lighter than others, (the Audio-Technica ATH-G1, Corsair HS35 and SteelSeries Arctis 1, for example, are all lighter at 0.6 pounds each). The first thing I noticed when sliding on the Cloud Alpha S was how lightweight it felt. The forks may look thin, but their aluminum build actually feels very strong, sturdy and unyielding to bending. The look-at-me ear forks on the black and blue model perhaps mean you won’t take these on the street, but they also keep things fun (this is a gaming peripheral, after all). I appreciate that HyperX took some liberties with its design without going over the top, while also keeping bulkiness under control. ![]()
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