Gaming Headsets · owner-verdict comparison

HyperX Cloud Alpha vs Arctis Nova 5: what real owners say

Real owners rate these about evenly: 68% of 47 HyperX Cloud Alpha owners recommend it, vs 63% of 71 for the Arctis Nova 5.

Verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube owner comments — affiliate reviews excluded. Sample sizes differ; judge accordingly. How we score

HyperX Cloud Alpha

68%of 47 owners recommend
68% recommend · 23% neutral · 9% don't
Owners praise
  • Great sound for gaming and music
  • Tough, well-built and lasts for years
  • Comfortable for long sessions
Owners complain about
  • Sound can feel muddy and benefits from EQ
  • Mic is only decent, not standout
  • Weak directional and surround imaging
Full owner report →

Arctis Nova 5

63%of 71 owners recommend
63% recommend · 19% neutral · 18% don't
Full owner report →

What HyperX Cloud Alpha owners say

“I loved this headset,you can play music while gaming,you can hear them very clearly”
— @supershyfan on YouTube
“the otherwise decent-sounding Cloud Alpha”
— LifelongCaboose on Reddit
“my current HyperX Cloud Alpha which i don't often use now gets spanked by my much cheaper Chifi IEMs”
— ShadowRomeo on Reddit

What Arctis Nova 5 owners say

“I doubt there is anything better for the price. I mean, they don’t sound like my $300 Audeze Maxwell’s but wouldn’t expect that for the cost difference. I like them enough”
— genxdud3 on Reddit
“been using this for awhile, sound are pretty details.”
— Kiryoxe on Reddit
“Yup, same issue Made a post about it yesterday and there’s been plenty of complaints on this sub. Wish SteelSeries would address it as there’s clearly an issue with the Nova 5.”
— WorthyJoker on Reddit