HyperX earned an extraordinarily uncommon 10/10 from us with its Cloud Alpha Wireless headphones. A good set of gaming headphones has a battery lifetime of 30 to 40 hours; the Cloud Alpha blew us away with 300 hours. Now, the corporate is again with the Cloud III Wireless. While it does not get the identical miraculous battery lifetime of its predecessor, it nonetheless will get an amazing 120 hours and provides a pair tweaks that ought to broaden the bottom of buyer enchantment.

On its floor, the Cloud III Wireless is not a lot totally different from the Alpha. It has the identical comfy ear cups, sturdy however versatile aluminum body, and pink accents. (There is now an all-black possibility.) The variations are refined however necessary. Besides the decreased however nonetheless unimaginable battery life, the wi-fi dongle makes the swap to USB-C and comes with a USB-A adapter. Internally, the Alpha makes use of twin chamber drivers, whereas the III makes use of extra typical angled 53-mm drivers. Oh, and the III is about $30 cheaper.

The modifications really feel like two steps again, then two steps ahead, in a distinct however nonetheless constructive path.

New Connection Options

We had been so baffled at how HyperX managed to tug off over 300 hours of battery life that it impressed our buddies at iFixit to do an investigative breakdown. Their knowledgeable guess is that HyperX achieved this unreal mark with a mixture of actually environment friendly chips and by chopping power-hungry options like lively noise cancellation and generic Bluetooth connectivity.

While this makes the Cloud Alpha splendid for the slim use case they’re designed for—wi-fi audio for PC or PlayStation gaming—it comes on the expense of different makes use of, like connecting them to your Switch, telephone, pill, or most different gadgets. The Cloud III Wireless expands that entry, although possibly not fairly the best way you may want.

In the field, HyperX has included a USB-C dongle that has an optionally available USB-A attachment. It’s a minor distinction however a big one. If you utilize each items to attach these to a PC, it really works simply how the unique Cloud Alpha did. However, with the USB-C dongle, now you can join the headphones wirelessly to a telephone, pill, or transportable handheld gaming console just like the Switch.

Unfortunately, plugging the USB-C dongle into the Switch blocks simultaneous enjoying and charging. It’s not essentially the most handy approach to pair headphones, but it surely’s nonetheless a welcome addition. The Cloud Alpha acquired such good battery life that I used to be extra typically irritated that I could not use it with different gadgets, and would’ve fortunately accepted half the battery life for extra choices. HyperX learn my thoughts and delivered that commerce.

Adequate Audio

The most necessary facet of a pair of headphones is their sound high quality. On that entrance, the Cloud III Wireless is a bit disappointing in comparison with its siblings—which should not be construed as disappointing total. The audio on the Cloud Alpha was disproportionately wonderful for its worth. The Cloud III prices lower than the Cloud Alpha, however as a consequence of its totally different drivers, it additionally sounds rather less wealthy.

The bass is not fairly as deep as I might’ve preferred, but it surely’s nonetheless fairly clear. I used it for gaming for a pair dozen hours, and as soon as I acquired used to it, I hardly seen the distinction. I think I may not have even clocked the distinction in any respect if I hadn’t gotten so used to the higher sound on the Cloud Alpha.

The wi-fi vary was as spectacular as different HyperX headphones I’ve examined. I used to be capable of stand up from my gaming PC, stroll to the kitchen to seize a drink, and make it again with out a single break in my connection.