HyperX Cloud Alpha S - PC Gaming Headset, 7.1 Surround Sound, Adjustable Bass, Dual Chamber Drivers, Chat Mixer, Breathable Leatherette, Memory Foam, and Noise Cancelling Microphone – Blackout

These have been my go-to headphones for gaming and even for more general uses for over 2 years now. There were no compromises made with the making of these headphones, from the sound quality to the construction of the headphones themselves. These manage to be some of the most comfortable headphones I've ever worn, no modifications necessary. The cord that connects from the headphones to the dongle is a bit shorter than I'd like, but the length of the USB dongle is plenty long enough to make up for it. It's notable that these headphones also have a detachable (albeit custom) cable. If a cable goes bad you can simply get a replacement and these would effectively last forever. The sound by default is very flat for those who are looking for flat headphones. If you're not though, the bass sliders on the ears can be cranked up to boost the bass to the perfect desired amount. I use them maxed out all the time and it gives the perfect amount, even sounds good just for music. The surround sound button on the dongle distorts the sound a little, but that's to be expected. It provides a more immersive experience in gaming, and you can just as easily disable it as you can enable it when you're done. The dongle also allowed for the user to balance and and gamechat audio, so you can hear people in gamechat more clearly if you need. The gamechat audio is also at a lower frequency, sort of like radio quality, to allow for voices to be clearer. This is optional too, so if you want people to sound crisp and standard, you can set the gamechat to play through the standard game audio. No fancy drivers or programs necessary for any of this either, there's an optional HyperX app you can install on Windows, but it just makes it easier to identify the sound levels between the game and gamechat volume slider. If these headphones have any weakness, it would probably be the microphone. It's rather quiet and not the best quality, even with the large pop filter on it. Mic quality is better when the headphones are connected to the computer directly through analog, but the USB connection makes the mic quality a little more muffled. If you don't need the microphone though, you can detach it, which I have done and gets it completely out of the way. These headphones are in summation some of the best I've ever used as a complete package. They're durable, comfortable, sound great, and work great for gaming and even some light amounts of music listening and any other media consumption. For around $80 they do everything you could ask for.

So far this headset is a massive improvement over anything I’ve had thus far. I read a lot of reviews complaining about the quality of the surround sound, however, I don’t understand why, because I think the surround sound brings MASSIVE clarity, quality and scope to music, gameplay, etc. I had it on stereo initially when I first got it and it almost sounded too soft, however, upon simply pressing the surround sound button, the orchestra music I was listening to in a game I was playing was instantly amplified and I could hear parts of the music I didn’t even know was there originally alongside almost feeling like I was listening either in person, or to a studio quality sound track. To put it clearly, I would recommend to ONLY use these headphones with surround sound. The complaints I read about “tin” sounding audio I don’t understand because after testing this on multiple games, different kinds of music (my God does deep bass sound good with surround sound on), and videos, I’ve noticed nothing of the sort, and on all occasions, the surround sound audio sounded better than the stereo audio by miles. There’s a software that goes along with this, Ngenuity, that allows you to set different profiles, but after using the auto optimize function, I could detect no difference between that and the stock surround audio, so I don’t use this, only for firmware updates if anything. I should add that the directionality of sound is enhanced with surround sound on, however I would say it serves best to amplify the gravity of music and sounds in a game more than anything. Comfort is pretty good for these considering I have a huge head, can wear it for hours with only slight discomfort, however, i should add I never had issues with the comfort of my old cheaper pair anyways. Noice cancellation with the leather pads is great, and blocks out pretty much any sound, and I never feel my ears sweating, so breath ability is good despite that. There’s really no reason to use the cloth pads in my opinion. Build quality is also great and nothing feels cheap or breakable. All in all, I love these things and the surround sound that goes along with them. It really amplifies the immersion to games and music. I had a HyperX keyboard already that I love, part of why I was curious about their headphones, and I can safely say that Kingston continues to impress.

I switched from an old HyperX cloud alpha to the alpha S, and with both headsets it took about 2 hours for the bass to sound right. but after those 2 hours, it sounded great! if you plan to use the cloth ear pads, don't expect much noice cancellation, but with the leather ones, the cancellation is very good. A couple things to note, 1: this headset already comes with surround sound without the attachment, the surround sound is just better quality with it. 2: I play on xbox with this headset, so I don't use the attachment except for when I'm on pc. if any xbox users are wondering, you can use this headset with an xbox controller, but only without the attachment. I don't recommend this to console players unless they have a controller with a mute button on it already ( which I do). if you do have a mute button, then its great. if you do play on xbox, I recommend buying a cord from the HyperX cloud Alpha ( not the S) because that has a mute button with it, and it works just as well, and it also has a volume slider. Bass sliders are very useful for games like Fortnite and Call Of Duty, when you need to hear footsteps. Mic quality is good, similar to the Cloud Alpha but a bit improved. Comfort is great, feels just like the original Cloud alpha but the ear pads are a bit bigger, so its a little more comfortable. As I said before, the headset needs about 2 hours for the speakers to "break in". so if you are worried that they sound bad at first, that won't be for long Overall a very good headset from HyperX. for PC players: great. for xbox players: good. for Playstation players: great.

I recently got the HyperX Cloud Alpha S, and it’s pretty impressive for the cost. Here’s a quick rundown: Sound Quality: The sound is decent, especially for the price. The 7.1 surround sound makes games more immersive, and you can adjust the bass with sliders on the ear cups, which is a nice touch. Comfort: The ear cushions are super comfy, even for long gaming sessions. The headset is sturdy and well-made, with a durable aluminum frame. Mic Quality: The mic is clear but sounds a bit low quality. However, for the price, it's not bad. Don’t expect studio-level quality, but it gets the job done for gaming and chatting. Ease of Use: The controls are straightforward. You can easily adjust game and chat audio, mute the mic, and change the volume without any hassle. Overall, the HyperX Cloud Alpha S offers great value for its price. It’s comfortable, has good sound quality, and the mic, while not the best, is adequate for most gaming needs. If you’re looking for a solid gaming headset without breaking the bank, this one’s a great choice.

I retired my Logic, G E A R, and Razer headsets for good. I have never had headphones like these that actually have a BASS sound that adds heart to whatever music it is that you love. They epitomize the meaning of "Gaming Headsets." The 7.1 Surround Sound and BASS sliders on each headset actually work and they work well with the dual chamber drivers. I use full bass for Rock and Blues, middle bass for easy listening and smooth jazz. The high, mids and lower tones are not impeded by the bass. I shut the bass sliders down for gaming. The 7.1 is great for maximum listening while using the Stereo Setting with War Tapes in Battlefield V! Whatever your favorite settings are, use them and use them while in 7.1 and you will see what I mean. They are well made with lightweight construction and do not have you sweating or uncomfortable during long gaming sessions. They are a wired headset and well worth the purchase price. Until wireless gets a lot better, I will remain I wired gamer. They come with a handy carry pouch and an extra set of cotton ear inserts if you have a problem with the leatherette ear pieces. PC Gamer just named this headset as "...still the best in 2020."

I used this for the Xbox one and I love it! The bass slider is great. It's not a heavy trembling bass it's more punchy just how I like it. Sound really is balanced. Sucky thing about it if you're playing on console for me on Xbox is that there is not volume wheel where you can mute your mic and adjust the volume. Luckily I already had an external piece that I can mute and adjust the volume. Not really a deal breaker. Also, they give you extra set of ear cups that you can swap out but they are terribly hard to put on. Directional footsteps are great! I play Apex and Overwatch. This sounds great for music as well. Durability wise they are great! There's no tight clamping force they feel Cozy and light. I wear glasses when I play and they feel Cozy no pressure on your head. One problem for me I'm noticing is that my friends on the party chat tells me that my mic is low. Sometimes the mic doesn't pick up my voice. I don't know if this is a issue for everyone or if I got a defective pair. I hope this is not an issue overtime with me. Overall this is a great headphones!

Ok so, first right up front....I'm NOT an audiophile. Back when I was a young man my hearing was dog like (top 3% in the country actually), but now days after a life of ...well...life, it isn't nearly as good. Having said that, the sound quality on these IS very good, it's night and day better than what I had before which, wasn't bad either. I haven't used the mic, so I didn't rate noise cancellation and cannot speak to the sound quality there. We use the HyperX stand alone mike and it's also very good. Sure there are some studio monitors you can drop a grand or higher on....but these are a great bang for the buck! Things I like: My last headset (Steel Series I think), rode on my ears a bit, just enough to rub them raw. These don't do that, they're close but don't touch my ears. The pads are super comfy! Not super tight but firm enough to keep them in place even on my large head. The mic boom is removable, yaaay Sound quality is great! Don't be detracted by the audiophile snobs, these are great with good range. You want a rock solid gaming headset that's wired? I'd say give these a try! Best bang for the buck I've found in a while.

Recently bought this to have a headset while I send in my Cloud 2 headset for repairs/replacement (3 year warranty with Kingston HyperX headsets). Not too shabby! Great build quality. I have a rather big head and haven't had any issues with fitting them over my ears. My ears aren't pressed against the drivers, the headphone pads seem to do the trick rather nicely. I feel the surround sound is better then my cloud 2 headset! With my Cloud 2 headset I would always get easily jumped in online games (Apex Legends mostly) because I couldn't tell exactly where the foot steps were when enemies were above/below/behind me (they would all sound the same within a certain distance) making it hard to differentiate in close quarters. With the Alpha S I can actually tell where the sounds are coming from. One thing I will say is the sound seems to be equalized to be very flat. The bass isn't nearly like what the Cloud 2 has, though, its not a deal breaker for me. If you're familiar with "audiophile" headphones, they're more like those. It isn't for everybody, personally I would like a /bit/ more bass feel, however I'm fine with the sound it produces. The "Bass adjusters" (to me) don't seem to do a whole lot in the way of making sounds more or less bass-y. I can't really notice the difference. Microphone quality is on par- if not better- than the Cloud 2. Overall great headset!