Review: HyperX Cloud Alpha gives gamers more comfort and innovates with dual-layer sound technology

HyperX Headset Review: What You Need to Know

The HyperX Headset Review brings together the essential points to understand the news, its practical usefulness, and the main implications for readers.

Today, we are so connected with smartphones, tablets, laptops ou Desktops, And consoles portable, hybrids (such as Switch), and the classic tabletop consoles, which a differential when purchasing an accessory is that it is multipurpose for as many platforms as possible, especially the ones we use the most.

Another aspect that weighs in the decision is the price. As mentioned before, as there is little left over from the budget for the acquisition of a platform to play for accessories in general, many players prefer to purchase headsets and headphones that have more attractive prices, but without knowing the quality of the product - or even even the brand in question.

A similar situation happens when someone needs to buy a new data cable for the phone, but the original costs three to four times the value of the unknown brand accessory – in addition to being able to compromise the device, the useful life of these cables does not usually last long. The analogy also applies to headphones of dubious origin, which after little use of the cable, a war begins between the user and the cable to try to get “contact” with the amplifiers on the right and left sides of the phone.

That said, in an attempt to help the reader of the showmetech, HyperX gave to the portal the HyperX Cloud Alpha for tests, the brand's new peripheral, which among the novelties, has the Dual Chamber technology as a highlight.

Strengths:

• great sound quality
• Detachable cable with in-line audio control
• Compatibility with multiple platforms
• The aluminum structure, aligned with the foams and removable cable brought greater comfort to hardcore users.

Negative points:

• Partially isolates external sounds
• Does not come with a USB adapter
• No wireless function (bluetooth or wireless)
• Despite being cross-platform, the microphone is not suitable for making calls or recordings on tablets and cell phones.

Design

O HyperX Cloud Alpha is the first model of the next generation of Headsets of brand. It is very attractive and available only in the traditional colors of the products of HyperX (Red and black). The base arch is more supple and the leather feels softer compared to other headsets from the company (last year I tested the Cloud Revolver, for example). The side frame of the headphones is made of aluminum in order to increase durability and accommodate different head sizes, and the Cloud Alpha also features a detachable, braided cable.

The phone has two inputs located on the left ear cup, which refer to the sound cable and the microphone input, the latter does not need to be connected to use the headset. headset. The headset's removable cable is 1,3 m long, but it is possible to increase the total by another 2 m with the extender that comes with the product and plug the headset into the PC's audio inputs, for example, with the traditional green and pink plugs. – referring to the sound and the microphone, respectively. Unfortunately, the headset did not come with a USB adapter to use it if the computer's motherboard does not have the traditional sound inputs, but it is possible to purchase a separate USB converter called (Revolver S USB Dolby 7.1 adapter) to use the Cloud Alpha and still get a sound Virtual Surround with this headset.

Another interesting aspect of this headset is the audio control located on the cable, which allows easy adjustment of the sound volume, and also makes it easy to activate the mute mode by dragging the key down. Speaking of the microphone, it is detachable and comes with a foam to protect the sound input and give more quality to the audio input.

Usability:

Before describing the sound quality, it is important to emphasize the practicality and versatility of this phone. Being powered by 3.5mm plugs (the well-known P2), the Cloud Alpha It works fine and lossless on various gadgets and consoles. I was able to test it on a PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC and Mac, Samsung VR powered by a Galaxy S7, iPad 4th generation and on an iPhone 7 Plus. Among these, the iPhone it was what took a little more work, as you need an adapter on the cell phone's power supply to use the headphone jack, not that this is a problem with the headset, nor that it has compromised the sound quality.

I tested the headset microphone to make a call from both cell phones, in addition to trying to make a sound recording, but I was not successful in any of them. But the headset microphone worked perfectly on the consoles I tested it on, and also on PC and Mac games. Speaking of adapter, I tested it on Xbox One with a controller that already has a P2 input, which made it easier to test the product, but if you are interested in the headset, – and you are an Xbox One player, but you do not have this controller model – you can purchase an adapter for plug that headset (or other headset) into the joystick.

As a headset user, I confess that I did not suffer from the adaptation to the model Cloud Alpha. On the contrary, because on the first day I tested it, I played straight for almost ten hours, and I could feel the difference in weight between it and the Cloud Revolver (o Cloud Alpha weighs 298g without microphone or 336g with microphone, while the Cloud Revolver weighs approximately 375g). In addition to the weight issue, the ergonomics of the headset made me feel less uncomfortable, because when I play for hours on end with the headset, I feel a strange feeling of needing to “put my ears to breathe a little”. Not that this sensation was zero, but it has drastically diminished.

Cloud Alpha, as is usual with other headsets, does not have wireless functions, be it bluetooth or wireless.

We are:

Certainly one of the most interesting aspects of the HyperX Cloud Alpha is the sound quality. Unprecedented driver technology Dual Chambers which, unlike other headsets in the category, has two sound chambers in each ear cup instead of one. Being a specific chamber for bass sounds and another for medium and high sounds, and in this way the headset provides greater distinction between the types of sounds, in addition to minimizing distortion and allowing great tuning for a more defined, clean and smooth sound.

The technology is really interesting and I've tested it with different genres of music and of course different styles of games. Above I talked about the ergonomics issue having helped me to endure hours in a row of gameplay without getting your head or ears tired, but this greater distinction of sounds provided by Dual Chambers drivers makes a difference for those who spend hours of their days sitting in front of a console, or a computer, and can't live without music.

I didn't have the opportunity to test the other two models from competing brands, which are the Logitech G433 and SteelSeries Arctis 5, but the main differences between the three is that the HyperX features dual-channel sound technology with 50mm drivers, while the other two models have a single-channel 40mm driver, in addition to design differences, since the model from HyperX has aluminum arches and the one of these models from Logitech and the SteelSeries they are plastic. Audio control can be done on the cable in both models from Logitech, of course Cloud Alpha, while in the SteelSeries Arctis 5 the volume is adjusted directly on the headset.

Price and final considerations

O HyperX Cloud Alpha arrives on the Brazilian market in September 18 at the suggested price of R$549,90. The price may seem a little steep at first, because as said at the beginning of the text, normally a gamer invests little of his budget in obtaining quality sound. Compared to the latest prices and models of competing brands, the value of Cloud Alpha is close to what you find on major online shopping platforms.

The headset is aimed at the gamer audience, but the 98dB emitted with the help of the new dual-channel technology, gave a lot of life and sound quality not only to games, but also to music and movies. It may not be the ideal model for someone looking for a headset to commute to daily commutes such as work, school or college - not only because it attracts a lot of attention from others, but also because the detachable cable is 1.3m long, while the a cell phone is, on average, 90 cm long.

Remembering that the phone cable is removable, but the phone does not have the wireless function, be it bluetooth ou wireless. In any case, the HyperX Cloud Alpha comes with a bag so you can carry your phone without having to worry about possible risks of keys, coins and other objects, if you took it inside a backpack with other items inside, for example.

O Cloud Alpha is not the most expensive phone, nor the cheapest available on the market, but if you are a hardcore gamer looking for something with bold design, great durability, precision in terms of sound quality, comfort and a long-term investment, this headset It's the best choice so far.

Technical specifications:

• Name: HyperX Cloud Alpha
• Headphone Driver: Dual channel, custom, dynamic, 50mm with neodymium magnets
• Type: Circumaural, closed
• Frequency response: 13Hz – 27.000Hz
• Impedance: 65 ohms
• Sound pressure level: 98dBSPL / mW at 1kHz
• THD: <1%
• Weight: 298 g Weight with microphone and cable: 336 g
• Wire type and length: Detachable headset cable (1,3m) + PC extension cable (2m)
• Connection: Detachable headset cable – 3,5mm plug (4 pole) + PC extension cable – 3,5mm stereo and mic plugs.
• Microphone: Electret condenser
• Polar pattern: Noise canceling
• Frequency response: 50Hz-18.000Hz
• Sensitivity: -43dBV (0dB = 1V / Pa, 1kHz)