HyperX Cloud III Wireless

The {HyperX Cloud Alpha} is not the world's best gaming headset. That's most likely built by Audeze or Epos, but it's the headset I've chosen to put on my head, which I suppose says something about its top-quality.

The {Cloud Alpha} offers most of what I want in my headset. Large speakers (53 millimetres), which means airy and big sound, super soft memory foam, a comfortable headband and reasonable weight, insanely good battery life and a decent microphone. I never enable {Virtual Surround} when I play (privately) because it's just ultra-processed crap that mostly degrades the sound profile, regardless of the headset model, and I want to be able to have the microphone on the side of my face rather than directly in front of my mouth and still be perceived as "loud and clear" by my fellow players.

Black on black or HyperX's iconic red on black. You choose...

The little brother {Cloud III} has now been released in wireless form and they pretty much do the same job as my {Alpha}. The speakers are the same and the fit is just as superb with soft cushions and a comfortable headband and the battery life is as phenomenal as HyperX has become known for. However, it is not as good as in the {Alpha}. HyperX claims that the {Cloud Alpha} lasts for 300 hours (!) per charge, which I have never managed. About 130-150 hours, on the other hand, is clearly possible, while the {Cloud III Wireless} stops working after about 90 hours. Incredibly good, of course, and their brilliantly minimalist battery indicator is still a favourite of mine.

The sound is of course very similar too. The {Cloud III Wireless} sounds warm and pleasant without a sharp treble or metallic midrange, which I believe is usually a recurring problem in many gaming headphones. However, the bass is not super tight, and sometimes gets a little slippery, which, together with a certain gap in the midrange, means that these headphones don't really sound quite as good in, for example, {Counter-Strike 2} as they perhaps should. They sound good, though, but for example the {Epos H6 Pro} or the {Logitech Pro X2} sound better, right throughout. The {Cloud III Wireless} also never sounds quite as good as the {Cloud Alpha}, and that's something of a disappointment, for sure.

The fit is brilliant but the sound is only mediocre.

The microphone is improved over the {Alpha}, however. Gone is the foam cover that falls off every time I put my headphones down on the living room table, and HyperX has replaced it with a metal puff cover. It functions well, it looks better and it will last longer. The microphone sound when I use the in-game chat in {Fortnite} or {Call of Duty: Warzone} is really good with a clear bottom and good range in terms of my voice, both when I sing along to {Hootie and the Blowfish} hits in the lobby for my good friends or nasally yelling about the awful lot of cheaters occupying the {Resurgence} map of Vondel.

The Logitech Pro X2 and Epos H6 are both better headphones in the same price range.

The {Cloud III Wireless} supports the {DTX Headphone X Virtual Surround} standard but it doesn't sound good, in any game. I've tested probably 15 different titles and in all of them this made-up surround effect mostly resembles a sloshy sound that is twisted in the audio process and messes up an otherwise tidy stereo sound profile. I just can't understand how anyone would want to play with {Virtual Surround} enabled, but of course it's a matter of taste. HyperX tends to end up being a bit sharper than this. The {Cloud III Wireless} are certainly not bad, but not very good either, and for £170 / €180 we are all allowed to expect more. Especially from a hardware giant like HP.