INTRODUCTION

   While it's true that most gamers seek a gaming headset which will give them the best possible experience with their favorite titles (and why not even give them the edge in online ones) there are always those who are looking to get their hands on an all-around headset which they will be able to use not only at home or the office but also while on the go. Luckily although some recent models failed to impress us with their performance when connected to smartphones and tablets there are many out there who are just as good regardless of what device you decide to use them with. HyperX has been behind quite a few headsets recently and after reviewing most members of their very successful CLOUD family of headsets today we're taking a look at the latest addition to that family the CLOUD Alpha Pro Gaming Headset.

    HyperX is the gaming division of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the world’s largest independent memory manufacturer, with the goal of providing gamers, PC builders, and power users with high-performance components. For 15 years, the HyperX mission has been to develop gaming products for gamers – high-speed memory, solid state drives, headsets, keyboards, mice, USB flash drives, and mouse pads – to the gaming community and beyond. The award-winning HyperX brand has carved its name atop the leaderboard by consistently delivering products that deliver superior comfort, aesthetics, performance, and reliability. HyperX gear is the choice of pro gamers, tech enthusiasts, and overclockers worldwide because it meets the most stringent product specifications and is built with best-in-class components. HyperX has shipped over 3 million headsets worldwide.

   Although the CLOUD Revolver S is one if the latest headsets released by HyperX the design of the brand new CLOUD Alpha Pro Gaming Headset is actually very similar to the previously released CLOUD and CLOUD II models (aluminum frame). There are more similarities however between the CLOUD Alpha and the previously released CLOUD and CLOUD II models since once again under the "hood" we find two 50mm dynamic stereo drivers which HyperX has paired with yet another noise-cancelling boom microphone (removable). Still thanks to a somewhat unique dual-chamber design these 50mm drivers feature an improved frequency range/response of 13Hz-27KHz (15Hz-25KHz for the CLOUD/II and 12Hz-28KHz of the Revolver S) with 65 Ohm impedance (60 Ohm for the CLOUD/II and 30 Ohm for the Revolver S) and SPL at 98dB (identical to the CLOUD/II - 104dB for the Revolver S). The noise-cancelling boom microphone is also quite improved compared to that found in the CLOUD/II since this time over it has a frequency response of 50Hz-18KHz (100Hz-12KHz for the CLOUD/II and 50Hz-18KHz for the RevolverS) with -43dB sensitivity (-39dB for the CLOUD/II and -40dB for the RevolverS). Looking at the specs alone the RevolverS does seem to have an edge but is that really so?

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Just like the CLOUD/II models we received the CLOUD Alpha inside a black and red box that has a product picture at the front along with the main features in two languages and of course the company logo.

Moving on the left side you can see the various eSports teams HyperX has worked closely with to develop the CLOUD Alpha with.

A second product picture is located at the rear of the box and is used to showcase the various features of the CLOUD Alpha.

Once you remove the cover you will see that the main box is black and has the HyperX logo on it.

HyperX has used one of the sturdiest boxes we've seen to date with a gaming headset so aside the exterior cover and the thick box the headset is also placed inside a plastic clamshell container.

Along with the CLOUD Alpha headset and its detachable boom microphone you'll also be getting a cloth carrying/storage pouch, 3.5mm detachable cable with in-line audio controller, 3.5mm expansion cable, quick start guide and a HyperX product catalog.

THE CLOUD ALPHA

With a total weight of 298g (without the microphone and cables) the CLOUD Alpha is certainly not the lightest headset out there.

Size-wise just like the CLOUD/II models the CLOUD Alpha is also a mid/large sized model.

The HyperX logo is printed on the exterior of both earcups (exactly like its predecessors).

The microphone and cable ports are both placed at the base of the left earcup.

It may not be a retractable microphone but just like with the ones found in the CLOUD/II it's very flexible.

Left and right markings are placed on the interior of the headset right over the earcups.

The PU leather covered large sized earpads feature the same memory foam used in the previous CLOUD models.

5 small exhaust ports are placed right over each earcup as seen above.

The headpad is also covered with PU leather and has the same memory foam as the earpads.

HyperX has engraved their logo on the exterior of the headband and it does look great if i might add.

The aluminum frame expands up to 40mm on both sides (80mm total) via 8 visible increments.

Thanks to a compact in-line audio controller the end user can both adjust the volume levels and mute the microphone.

All of the 5 available 3.5mm plugs are gold plated.

CONCLUSION

   The success of both the original CLOUD and its 7.1 virtual surround version the CLOUD II is well documented not only from all the award winning reviews online (our own included) but also from their sales numbers. The Revolver S also turned out to be a very good gaming headset but due to its suspension system, type of mic used and 7.1 Dolby Surround Sound it’s an entirely different product altogether compared to the CLOUD/II models. A for the CLOUD Alpha it didn’t disappoint since thanks to its impressively crisp and accurate mids and highs it has nothing to be jealous from the Revolver S and of course the CLOUD/II models. Bass levels are actually also very good as expected from its 50mm dual-chamber drivers (although a bit more wouldn’t hurt). The detachable microphone was never an issue with any of the CLOUD models and it’s not an issue now either since players on the other end thought we were sitting in the same LAN event. Now we can’t say with certainty that this is a better mic than the ones used in previous CLOUD models (its specifications sheet certainly points to that) but since it works very well I don’t really think that matters. As for comfort nothing new here since the CLOUD Alpha is pretty much identical to the original CLOUD/II headsets and so it scores high on that are as well (still not as comfortable as the Revolver S).

   Just like with the HyperX CLOUD/II Pro Gaming Headsets the CLOUD Alpha is reasonably priced and so currently it can be found for USD99.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 102Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk). Overall it may lag behind the CLOUD Revolver S just a bit in terms of features (7.1 Dolby Surround Sound) and comfort but if you’re looking for a high quality stereo headset with very good audio clarity and accuracy the CLOUD Alpha has you covered and that’s also why it deserves our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Comfortable (Large Earpads / Memory Foam Padding)
- Very Good Mids & Highs
- Good Bass Levels 
- Detachable Microphone (Easier To Replace)

CONS

- Price (For Some)