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- Table of Contents
- Top
- Main Differences
- Design
- Sound
- Isolation
- Microphone
- Active Features
- Connectivity
- Comments
HyperX Cloud Alpha vs Razer Barracuda X Wireless 2021
Side-by-Side Comparison
Products
HyperX Cloud Alpha
Razer Barracuda X Wireless 2021
Tested using Methodology v1.6
Updated Mar 25, 2024 06:56 PM
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.comTested using Methodology v1.6
Updated Mar 01, 2024 10:03 PM
Unavailable
Missing store
TypeOver-ear
EnclosureClosed-Back
WirelessNo
TransducerDynamic
Noise CancellingNo
MicYes
TypeOver-ear
EnclosureClosed-Back
WirelessYes
TransducerDynamic
Noise CancellingNo
MicYes
Variants
- Cloud Alpha (HX-HSCA-RD) (Black/Red)
- Barracuda X 2021 (Black)
- Barracuda X 2021 (Mercury)
- Barracuda X 2021 (Quartz Pink)
Our Verdict
HyperX Cloud Alpha
Razer Barracuda X Wireless 2021
Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer either the HyperX Cloud Alpha or the Razer Barracuda X Wireless 2021. The HyperX are more comfortable and better built, and their microphone has a better performance. Also, they have a somewhat more neutral sound profile, which some users may prefer. That said, the Razer also let you game wirelessly, unlike the wired-only HyperX.
Main Differences forNeutral Sound
Neutral Sound
Threshold
Neutral Sound
7.9
7.4
Bass Accuracy
8.9
7.8
Passive Soundstage
5.7
4.9
Full Comparison
Design
Style
Design Picture 2
Type
Over-ear
Over-ear
Enclosure
Closed-Back
Closed-Back
Wireless
No
Yes
Transducer
Dynamic
Dynamic
Comfort
8.0
7.5
Comfort Picture
Weight
0.7 lbs
0.59 lbs
Clamping Force
0.9 lbs
0.8 lbs
Controls
5.3
7.1
Controls Picture
OS Compatibility
Not OS specific
Not OS specific
Ease Of Use
Decent
Good
Feedback
Okay
Good
Call/Music Control
No
Yes
Volume Control
Yes
Yes
Microphone Control
Mute/Unmute
Mute/Unmute
Channel Mixing
No
No
Noise Cancelling Control
No
No
Talk-Through
No
No
Additional Controls
No
No
Breathability
6.3
Breathability After Picture
Avg.Temp.Difference
6.2 °C
Portability
5.7
5.8
Portability Picture
L
7.3" (18.5 cm)
7.7" (19.7 cm)
W
6.0" (15.2 cm)
8.9" (22.7 cm)
H
3.2" (8.1 cm)
2.0" (5.0 cm)
Volume
142.00 in³ (2,326.95 cm³)
134.50 in³ (2,204.02 cm³)
Transmitter Required
No
Yes
Case
5.5
0.0
Case Picture
Type
Pouch
No case
L
N/A
N/A
W
N/A
N/A
H
N/A
N/A
Volume
N/A
N/A
Build Quality
8.5
7.0
Build Quality Picture
Stability
6.5
7.0
Stability Picture
Headshots 1
Angled Picture
Side Picture
Headshots 2
Front Picture
Rear Picture
Top
Top Picture
In The Box
In The Box Picture
Sound
Sound Profile
Frequency Response
Bass Amount
0.22 dB
0.41 dB
Treble Amount
-2.4 dB
-2.3 dB
Frequency Response Consistency
5.8
5.8
Consistency L
Consistency R
Avg. Std. Deviation
1.03 dB
1.03 dB
Raw Frequency Response
Bass Accuracy
8.9
7.8
Std. Err.
1.61 dB
3.11 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
10 Hz
24.13 Hz
Low-Bass
-0.62 dB
0.66 dB
Mid-Bass
0.39 dB
3.31 dB
High-Bass
2.79 dB
4.21 dB
Mid Accuracy
9.1
8.8
Std. Err.
1.25 dB
1.61 dB
Low-Mid
1.44 dB
1.98 dB
Mid-Mid
-0.93 dB
0.55 dB
High-Mid
0.43 dB
-1 dB
Treble Accuracy
6.5
6.9
Std. Err.
5.1 dB
4.53 dB
Low-Treble
-2.72 dB
-1.33 dB
Mid-Treble
-1.16 dB
-0.35 dB
High-Treble
-7.07 dB
-4.07 dB
Peaks/Dips
7.3
7.3
Peaks/Dips Graph
Peaks
1.65 dB
1.62 dB
Dips
1.8 dB
1.56 dB
Imaging
8.9
8.6
Phase Response Mismatch
Weighted Group Delay
0.18
0.27
Weighted Phase Mismatch
6.69
5.43
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
0.33
0.4
Weighted Frequency Mismatch
1.18
2
Passive Soundstage
5.7
4.9
PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
3.09 dB
3.29 dB
PRTF Size (Avg.)
3.79 dB
3.57 dB
PRTF Distance
12.45 dB
4.49 dB
Openness
6.5
5.4
Acoustic Space Excitation
2.6
4.0
Virtual Soundstage
0.0
0.0
Virtual Soundstage
Head Modeling
No
No
Speaker Modeling
No
No
Room Ambience
No
No
Head Tracking
No
No
Virtual Surround
No App
No App
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
8.0
7.6
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
WHD @ 90
0.263
0.314
WHD @ 100
0.094
0.146
Test Settings
Firmware
No Firmware
No Firmware
Power
Passive
On
Connection
Wired
Wireless (Proprietary)
Codec
PCM, 24-bit, 48kHz
PCM, 16-bit, 48kHz
EQ
No EQ
No EQ
ANC
No ANC
No ANC
Tip/Pad
Default
Default
Microphone
Boom
Boom
Isolation
Noise Isolation
3.6
4.4
Noise Isolation
Isolation Audio
Overall Attenuation
-11.06 dB
-12.08 dB
Noise Cancelling
No
No
Bass
0.56 dB
0.32 dB
Mid
-5.15 dB
-9.4 dB
Treble
-28.86 dB
-27.98 dB
Leakage
7.7
6.5
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
35.21 dB
42.48 dB
Microphone
Microphone Style
Integrated
No
No
In-Line
No
No
Boom
Yes
Yes
Detachable Boom
Yes
Yes
Mic
Yes
Yes
Recording Quality
7.6
7.3
Microphone Frequency Response
Recorded Speech
LFE
359.19 Hz
261.43 Hz
FR Std. Dev.
3.04 dB
1.53 dB
HFE
10,540.06 Hz
5,583.4 Hz
Weighted THD
0.459
2.399
Gain
30.13 dB
17.86 dB
Noise Handling
7.7
7.5
SpNR
32.11 dB
23.3 dB
Noise Gate
No
Always On
Speech + Pink Noise Handling
7.5
7.5
Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample
Speech + Subway Noise Handling
8.0
7.5
Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample
Active Features
Battery
0.0
8.9
Battery Type
No Battery
Rechargable
Continuous Battery Life
N/A
24.7 hrs
Additional Charges
N/A
0.0
Total Battery Life
N/A
24.7 hrs
Charge Time
N/A
3.3 hrs
Power-Saving Feature
No
Auto-Off Timer
Audio While Charging
No
Yes
Passive Playback
Passive Headphone
Yes
Charging Port
None
USB-C
App Support
0.0
0.0
App Picture
App Name
No App
No App
iOS
No
No
Android
No
No
macOS
No
No
Windows
No
No
Equalizer
No
No
ANC Control
No
No
Mic Control
No
No
Room Effects
No
No
Playback Control
No
No
Button Mapping
No
No
Surround Support
No
No
Connectivity
Wired Connection
9.9
9.9
Cable Picture
Analog Audio
Yes
Yes
USB Audio
No
No
Detachable
Yes
Yes
Length
4.40 ft (1.34 m)
4.36 ft (1.33 m)
Connector
1/8" TRRS
1/8" TRRS
Latency - Analog
0.2 ms
0.2 ms
Latency - USB
N/A
N/A
Recorded Latency
Recorded Latency Connection
Analog
Analog
Bluetooth Connection
0.0
0.0
Bluetooth Version
No Bluetooth
No Bluetooth
Multi-Device Pairing
No
No
Quick Pair (Android)
No
No
Quick Pair (iOS)
No
No
Line Of Sight Range
N/A
N/A
Latency - SBC
N/A
N/A
Latency - aptX
N/A
N/A
Latency - aptX Adaptive (High Quality)
N/A
N/A
Latency - aptX Adaptive (Low Latency)
N/A
N/A
Latency - LDAC
N/A
N/A
Recorded Latency
N/A
N/A
Recorded Latency Codec
No Bluetooth Audio
No Bluetooth Audio
AAC Support
No
No
Wireless Connection (Dongle)
0.0
8.8
Line Of Sight Range
N/A
142.72 ft (43.50 m)
Latency - Dongle
N/A
22 ms
Recorded Latency
N/A
PC Compatibility
Analog
Audio + Microphone
Audio + Microphone
Wired USB
No
No
Non-BT Wireless
No
Audio + Microphone
PlayStation Compatibility
PS4 Analog
Audio + Microphone
Audio + Microphone
PS4 Wired USB
No
No
PS4 Non-BT Wireless
No
Audio + Microphone
PS5 Analog
Audio + Microphone
Audio + Microphone
PS5 Wired USB
No
No
PS5 Non-BT Wireless
No
Audio + Microphone
Xbox Compatibility
Xbox One Analog
Audio + Microphone
Audio + Microphone
Xbox One Wired USB
No
No
Xbox One Non-BT Wireless
No
No
Xbox Series X|S Analog
Audio + Microphone
Audio + Microphone
Xbox Series X|S Wired USB
No
No
Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless
No
No
Base/Dock
0.0
3.4
Type
No Base/Dock
Wireless USB Dongle
USB Input
No
Yes
Line In
No
No
Line Out
No
No
Optical Input
No
No
RCA Input
No
No
Dock Charging
No
No
Power Supply
No Base/Dock
USB-C
HyperX Cloud Alpha
Razer Barracuda X Wireless 2021
Comments
HyperX Cloud Alpha vs Razer Barracuda X Wireless 2021: Main Discussion
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