Ars Technica
It’s Wednesday, which means it’s time for another Dealmaster. Our latest roundup of the best tech deals from around the web includes a new low on HyperX’s Cloud Alpha Wireless gaming headset, which is currently down to $140 at Amazon with an on-page coupon. While that’s still not quite cheap for a pair of gaming headphones, it is $60 off HyperX’s MSRP and $20 below the previous best price we’ve seen.
I’ve had the Cloud Alpha Wireless on hand for the past several weeks. As with most gaming headsets, they are a bit overpriced compared to standard headphones purely in terms of sound quality, as the “V-shaped” signature here bumps the bass and, to a slightly lesser extent, treble at the expense of some detail and emphasis in the mid-range frequencies. But what’s here is still good, especially next to other gaming headsets, lending bass-heavy songs and in-game explosions a good sense of impact. (It’s possible to customize the Cloud Alpha Wireless’ sound through a companion app, too, though that is only available on Windows PCs.) For competitive games, it’s also fine at locating sounds like footsteps accurately.
Like the wired Cloud Alpha—which we’ve also recommended—this is a highly comfortable headset to wear for hours at a time. There’s plush padding on the earcups and headband, and the whole build doesn’t clamp down too hard on the ears. Just note that it can let in a bit more outside noise than some other closed-back headphones in particularly noisy environments. The included boom mic is perfectly competent for casual gaming chat, too, though a dedicated USB mic will still sound much fuller. It’s also worth noting that these headphones can only connect over an included USB dongle, not Bluetooth or a 3.5 mm cable. This won’t be an issue if you use them with a PC or a PlayStation console (or a Switch’s dock), but for mobile devices or Xbox consoles (which require special wireless tech to work), it’s a no-go.
The main reason to look past any of the Cloud Alpha Wireless’ shortcomings, though, is its frankly ridiculous battery life. HyperX rates it at a whopping 300 hours, and based on our testing and that of other reviews, that claim isn’t far-fetched. I’ve kept a log of my own off-and-on usage of the headset for the past couple of months, and after nearly 150 hours of listening time spread across music, games, and podcasts, I have not had to charge the headset once. HyperX’s app, meanwhile, says there is still roughly 40 percent battery remaining. As always, exactly how much battery you get will depend on how loud you crank the volume, but either way, not having to worry about whether you need to charge your headphones’ battery for weeks, if not months, at a time is a significant perk that few, if any, other headsets can currently provide.
For what it’s worth, iFixit conducted a teardown of the headset and largely attributed this performance to a larger-than-usual battery and highly efficient chips, in addition to the lack of battery-draining extras like RGB lighting or active noise cancellation. In any event, the extreme longevity helps make the Cloud Alpha Wireless a standout pick among wireless gaming headsets.
If you’re more than happy with your current headphones, though, our deals roundup has plenty of other good prices on gadgets and gear we like, including Google’s Chromecast and Pixel 6a phone, the Xbox Series S, the latest MacBook Air, well-reviewed SSDs from SK Hynix, Samsung microSD cards, and more. You can check out our full curated list below.
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Featured deals of the day
- HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless gaming headset for $140 (
$190) at Amazon (clip $20 coupon) - Google Chromecast with Google TV 4K media streamer for $40 (
$45) at Amazon, Target, Best Buy - Google Pixel 6a (128GB) smartphone for $399 (
$445) at Amazon, Target (from $199 w/ activation at Best Buy) - $100 Xbox Gift Card for $90 (
$100) at Newegg (use code: SSBV2423) - Microsoft Xbox Series S game console + one select digital game for $290 (
$350) at Microsoft, Newegg, Target (discount in cart; offer also available for $300 at Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop) - It Takes Two (PC) for $12 (
$25) at Epic (also on Game Pass Ultimate) - Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker HD (Xbox BC) for $5 (
$15) at Xbox - Dune (4K UHD + Blu-ray + Digital) for $14 (
$22) at Amazon, Best Buy - Wingspan board game for $40 (
$47) at Amazon, Walmart - Amazon Fire HD 10 (32GB) 10.1-inch tablet for $100 (
$140) at Amazon, Target, Best Buy
Ron Amadeo
Electronics deals
- Google Pixel 6a (128GB) smartphone for $399 (
$445) at Amazon, Target (from $199 w/ activation at Best Buy) - Motorola Moto G Stylus (2022, 128GB) smartphone for $200 (
$260) at Motorola, Amazon, Best Buy - Google Pixel 6 (128GB) smartphone for $499 (
$580) at Amazon, Target, Best Buy (256GB for $599) - Google Pixel 6 Pro (128GB) smartphone for $649 (
$855) at Amazon, Target, Best Buy - Amazon Fire HD 10 (32GB) 10.1-inch tablet for $100 (
$140) at Amazon, Target, Best Buy - iRobot Roomba i3 Evo robot vacuum for $249 (
$285) at Amazon, Target, Best Buy - iRobot Roomba j7+ robot vacuum w/ self-emptying dock + Amazon Echo Dot (3rd gen) smart speaker for $599 (
$745) at Amazon - Google Nest Hub 7-inch smart display for $55 (
$85) at Target, Best Buy - Google Nest Hub Max 10-inch smart display for $174 (
$220) at Target, Best Buy - Amazon Echo Show 5 5.5-inch smart display for $40 (
$60) at Amazon, Best Buy, Target
Corey Gaskin
Laptop and desktop PC deals
- Lenovo Yoga 6 (Gen 7) 2-in-1 laptop (Ryzen 5 5500U, 13.3-inch 1920×1200, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) for $610 (
$750) at Lenovo (use code: YOGADEAL, Ryzen 7 5700U for $700) - Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 12.4-inch laptop (Core i5-1135G7, 1536×1024, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD) for $600 ($685) at Microsoft, Amazon, Best Buy
- Apple MacBook Air (2022, Starlight) 13.6-inch laptop (M2, 2560×1664, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) for $1,099 (
$1,199) at B&H - Microsoft Surface Pro 8 13-inch tablet PC (Core i5-1135G7, 2880×1920, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) + Surface Pro Keyboard for $1,000 (
$1,200) at Best Buy - SK Hynix Gold P31 (1TB) PCIe 3.0 SSD for $92 (
$106) at Amazon (clip 15% coupon, 2TB for $169) - SK Hynix Platinum P41 (1TB) PCIe 4.0 SSD for $120 (
$150) at Amazon (2TB for $208) - Crucial MX500 (500GB) 2.5-inch SATA SSD for $47 (
$56) at Amazon, B&H (1TB for $76) - Corsair Vengeance DDR5 32GB (2x16GB) 5600MHz RAM for $190 (
$225) at Amazon
Jeff Dunn
TV and home entertainment deals
Video game deals
Jeff Dunn
Gaming deals
Sam Machkovech
