Gaming Headset Showdown: Razer BlackShark V2 Pro VS HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless
For years and years, you had to spend more than $300 to get what I’d consider a “flagship” wireless gaming headset. However, over the last few product cycles, the $150 price established itself as the new competitive market space and filled up with different choices. Now, to stand out from the pack, peripheral companies target a range just above that — offering flagship-style performance at half of what used to be the going rate.
The market won out, driving prices down and features lists up. Razer and HyperX are two of the biggest players in the gaming headset scene. Razer practically invented the modern gaming headset with the original Kraken, a garish and bass-heavy product that was still fun and sold like crazy. HyperX upended the proverbial table with the original Cloud, a blend of in-house design and licensed OEM components that proved gaming headsets could sound great.
Dozens of product iterations later we have today’s two contenders: The stalwart Razer BlackShark V2 Pro, and the new HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless. Both represent what I believe to be the pinnacle of each company’s wireless lineup, and both offer features aimed at enthusiast users. Razer doubled down on years of smart iterations to craft the BlackShark V2, while HyperX put basically all of their chips on battery life.
