Until very recently, the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless was our favourite wireless gaming headset, right up until the magnificent Razer BlackShark V3 ate its lunch. It hasn't taken HyperX long to strike back, however, with the newly-announced HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless 2—complete with a fancy RGB-lit base station with a selection of media controls.
HyperX describes it as an "audio control hub" complete with customisable RGB lighting, a smattering of programmable buttons for all your macro needs, seamless device switching capabilities, and a bloomin' great dial in the middle. As an audio expert, I can tell you this is probably used to adjust the volume. Probably.
The drivers have had a significant upgrade, too, from the 50 mm units found in the OG Cloud Alpha Wireless to 53 mm, multi-layer composite models, which HyperX says are engineered to "reduce distortion to the lowest level." Whether they'll be able to compete with the harmonic distortion-reducing driver plug on the back of the BlackShark's units, though, remains to be seen.
The set also now supports simultaneous 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth connections, so you can keep your phone connected while you game so you don't miss an important notification. Plus, microfibre earcups, a 10 mm microphone capsule... it's a suite of impressive upgrades all-round, with one notable exception—the battery life.
The big, headline grabbing feature of the Cloud Alpha 1 Wireless (as I'm now calling it) was a massive 300-hour battery life, but the Cloud Alpha 2 Wireless drops it down to 250 hours. HyperX says this is still more than 2x longer than "other industry gaming headsets", which I suppose is true on average, but it's still a downgrade over the previous model.
Following closely on the Cloud Alpha 2's heels is the HyperX Cloud Flight 2, presumably a more budget model with lesser specs. Here you get replaceable earcup plates, customisable RGB lighting, 50 mm drivers, and 100-hour battery life over the 2.4 GHz connection with the lighting turned off.
Turn that RGB up, though, and it drops down to 23 hours, which is quite the difference. You're really, really going to want to look good to sacrifice that much battery life for the sake of a headset glow, but perhaps streamers won't find it too much of an issue.
The big question you're probably asking at this point is how much cash you'll have to spend to pick up either of these new headsets, and my answer is, we still don't know. The original Cloud Alpha Wireless retailed for $200, but could be often found for a fair bit lower in the sales.
That base station included with the new model, however, doesn't look particularly cheap to me. I wouldn't be surprised if this particular headset crept towards the $250 mark, but that's pure speculation on my part. Still, the new Alpha feels like a bit of a gamble on HyperX's part, betting on reduced battery life in exchange for an RBG-laden doohickey, upgraded drivers, and potentially a higher price.
We shall see. Our best gaming headset guide is always ready to accept new contenders, but in my opinion, the BlackShark V3 Pro is going to be tough to beat.
1. Best overall:
HyperX Cloud Alpha
2. Best budget:
Corsair HS55 Stereo
3. Best wireless:
HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless
4. Best mid-range wireless:
Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 3
5. Best audiophile:
Beyerdynamic MMX 330 Pro
6. Best wireless audiophile:
Audeze Maxwell
7. Best for streaming:
Audio-Technica ATH-M50xSTS StreamSet
8. Best noise-cancelling:
AceZone A-Spire
9. Best earbuds:
Steelseries Arctis GameBuds
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