The HyperX Cloud has been high in our best gaming headsets guide in one form or another for its entire run. As far as this one goes, there's little difference between the wired and wireless versions. In fact, this one—the wired HyperX Cloud Alpha—actually has a wider frequency range than its sister.
So, if you're not bothered by the novelty of wireless technology, this is the obvious choice, and right now the HyperX Cloud Alpha is $62.
I'll admit that having wireless technology in your headset does open you up to a whole new world. Dancing as you make yourself a coffee, or a little victory chair spin when you score a headshot, but that privilege usually sets you back an extra $80.
What's truly great about the Alpha is the pure quality of sound you're getting for the money. There's almost no distortion at super high volumes, and the articulation is fantastic. Not only is it punchy enough that throwing a grenade in your game results in a genuinely traumatic audio response, it's also well-balanced enough that you can hear the glass fragments falling to the floor after it goes off.
In order to get to that level of quality there's no need to mess around with an EQ, or any software for that matter. It delivers high quality straight out of the box and will plug into anything with the included audio splitter—although don't lose it like I have otherwise you could be left without the use of fantastic noise cancelling mic.
Aside from that, this is a majorly comfy headset, and it'll see you right for some years, though after a couple you may need to invest in some new ear pads as, while they're comfy they do tend to flake after a while.
Otherwise, no overstating the superiority of this line of headsets, which have only been surpassed in very recent years by the Blackshark V2 as far as gaming headsets go. And for that price you're 100% getting your money's worth.
