Notice: Your browser is not supported or outdated so some features of the site might not be available.
Notice: We're proud to introduce Test Bench 2.0, which overhauls our audio measurements, with new tests and usages. There's even a brand new multi-target graphing tool! You can read all about this in our changelog, featuring commentary from our Test Designer, Pierre.
- Table of Contents
- Top
- Main Differences
- Design
- Sound
- Isolation
- Microphone
- Active Features
- Connectivity
- Comments
SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless 2017 vs HyperX Cloud Alpha
Side-by-Side Comparison
Products
SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless 2017
HyperX Cloud Alpha
Tested using Methodology v1.3.1
Updated Mar 01, 2024 09:54 PM
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comTested using Methodology v1.6
Updated Mar 25, 2024 06:56 PM
SEE PRICE
Samsung.com
TypeOver-ear
EnclosureClosed-Back
WirelessYes
TransducerDynamic
Noise CancellingNo
MicYes
TypeOver-ear
EnclosureClosed-Back
WirelessNo
TransducerDynamic
Noise CancellingNo
MicYes
Variants
- Arctis 7 (Black)
- Arctis 7 (White)
- Cloud Alpha (HX-HSCA-RD) (Black/Red)
Our Verdict
SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless 2017
HyperX Cloud Alpha
The SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless 2017 are better gaming headphones than the HyperX Cloud Alpha. The Arctis 7 are wireless headphones that offer more customization options thanks to the SteelSeries Engine software. Their microphone also has better recording quality and noise handling performance for online gaming. On the other hand, the wired HyperX Cloud Alpha have a better-balanced sound profile and feel more comfortable and durable. You can also detach the microphone and use them as your day-to-day headphones, which have a more casual look.
Check Price
Black
Arctis 7
Searching
Finding storeBlack/Red
Cloud Alpha (HX-HSCA-RD)
Searching
Finding storeWhite
Arctis 7
Searching
Finding storeBlack/Red
Cloud Alpha (HX-HSCA-RD)
Searching
Finding storeBlack/Red
Cloud Alpha (HX-HSCA-RD)
Searching
Finding storeBlack/Red
Cloud Alpha (HX-HSCA-RD)
Searching
Finding storeBlack/Red
Cloud Alpha (HX-HSCA-RD)
Searching
Finding storeMain Differences forMixed Usage
Mixed Usage
Threshold
Mixed Usage
6.9
Full Comparison
Design
Style
Design Picture 2
Type
Over-ear
Over-ear
Enclosure
Closed-Back
Closed-Back
Wireless
Yes
No
Transducer
Dynamic
Dynamic
Comfort
7.5
8.0
Comfort Picture
Weight
0.9 lbs
0.7 lbs
Clamping Force
1.3 lbs
0.9 lbs
Controls
7.1
5.3
Controls Picture
OS Compatibility
Not OS specific
Not OS specific
Ease Of Use
Decent
Decent
Feedback
Great
Okay
Call/Music Control
No
No
Volume Control
Yes
Yes
Microphone Control
Adjustable
Mute/Unmute
Channel Mixing
Adjustable
No
Noise Cancelling Control
N/A
No
Talk-Through
N/A
No
Additional Controls
No
No
Breathability
6.6
6.3
Breathability After Picture
Avg.Temp.Difference
5.3 °C
6.2 °C
Portability
5.9
5.7
Portability Picture
L
7.6"
7.3" (18.5 cm)
W
7"
6.0" (15.2 cm)
H
2.9"
3.2" (8.1 cm)
Volume
154 in³
142.00 in³ (2,326.95 cm³)
Transmitter Required
No
No
Case
0.0
5.5
Case Picture
Type
No case
Pouch
L
N/A
N/A
W
N/A
N/A
H
N/A
N/A
Volume
N/A
N/A
Build Quality
8.0
8.5
Build Quality Picture
Stability
7.5
6.5
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
Frequency Response
Bass Amount
-1.14 dB
0.22 dB
Treble Amount
-1.99 dB
-2.4 dB
Frequency Response Consistency
5.4
5.8
Consistency L
Consistency R
Avg. Std. Deviation
1.27 dB
1.03 dB
Raw Frequency Response
Raw FR L
Raw FR L
Raw FR R
Raw FR R
Bass Accuracy
8.3
8.9
Std. Err.
2.42 dB
1.61 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
10 Hz
10 Hz
Low-Bass
-1.9 dB
-0.62 dB
Mid-Bass
1.69 dB
0.39 dB
High-Bass
3.6 dB
2.79 dB
Mid Accuracy
8.5
9.1
Std. Err.
2.03 dB
1.25 dB
Low-Mid
2.44 dB
1.44 dB
Mid-Mid
-0.91 dB
-0.93 dB
High-Mid
-0.75 dB
0.43 dB
Treble Accuracy
9.0
6.5
Treble
Treble
Std. Err.
2.23 dB
5.1 dB
Low-Treble
-0.57 dB
-2.72 dB
Mid-Treble
-1.01 dB
-1.16 dB
High-Treble
-1.41 dB
-7.07 dB
Peaks/Dips
7.7
7.3
Peaks/Dips Graph
Peaks/Dips Graph
Peaks
1.41 dB
1.65 dB
Dips
1.16 dB
1.8 dB
Imaging
8.5
8.9
Phase Response
Phase Response Mismatch
Weighted Group Delay
0.32
0.18
Weighted Phase Mismatch
4.29
6.69
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
1.02
0.33
Weighted Frequency Mismatch
1.31
1.18
Passive Soundstage
6.2
5.7
PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
4.26 dB
3.09 dB
PRTF Size (Avg.)
8.97 dB
3.79 dB
PRTF Distance
16.64 dB
12.45 dB
Openness
4.9
6.5
Acoustic Space Excitation
3.7
2.6
Virtual Soundstage
0.0
Virtual Soundstage
Head Modeling
No
Speaker Modeling
No
Room Ambience
No
Head Tracking
No
Virtual Surround
No App
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
8.0
8.0
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
WHD @ 90
0.251
0.263
WHD @ 100
0.102
0.094
Test Settings
Firmware
No Firmware
Power
Passive
Connection
Wired
Codec
PCM, 24-bit, 48kHz
EQ
No EQ
ANC
No ANC
Tip/Pad
Default
Microphone
Boom
Isolation
Noise Isolation
4.9
3.6
Noise Isolation
Isolation Audio
Overall Attenuation
-13.3 dB
-11.06 dB
Noise Cancelling
No
No
Bass
0.61 dB
0.56 dB
Mid
-7.37 dB
-5.15 dB
Treble
-33.64 dB
-28.86 dB
Leakage
7.1
7.7
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
39.21 dB
35.21 dB
Microphone
Microphone Style
Integrated
No
No
In-Line
No
No
Boom
Yes
Yes
Detachable Boom
N/A
Yes
Mic
Yes
Yes
Recording Quality
7.9
7.6
Microphone Frequency Response
Recorded Speech
LFE
84.76 Hz
359.19 Hz
FR Std. Dev.
3.89 dB
3.04 dB
HFE
6,736.4 Hz
10,540.06 Hz
Weighted THD
0.52
0.459
Gain
23.6 dB
30.13 dB
Noise Handling
8.8
7.7
SpNR
40.56 dB
32.11 dB
Noise Gate
No
Speech + Pink Noise Handling
7.5
Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample
Speech + Subway Noise Handling
8.0
Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample
Active Features
Battery
8.9
0.0
Battery Type
Rechargable
No Battery
Continuous Battery Life
24 hrs
N/A
Additional Charges
0
N/A
Total Battery Life
24 hrs
N/A
Charge Time
3.5 hrs
N/A
Power-Saving Feature
Yes
No
Audio While Charging
Yes
No
Passive Playback
Yes
Passive Headphone
Charging Port
micro-USB
None
App Support
8.0
0.0
App Picture
App Name
SteelSeries Engine
No App
iOS
N/A
No
Android
N/A
No
macOS
Yes
No
Windows
Yes
No
Equalizer
Graphic + Presets
No
ANC Control
N/A
No
Mic Control
Level
No
Room Effects
N/A
No
Playback Control
No
No
Button Mapping
No
No
Surround Sound
DTS 7.1
Surround Support
No
Connectivity
Wired Connection
9.5
9.9
Cable Picture
Analog Audio
Yes
Yes
USB Audio
No
No
Detachable
Yes
Yes
Length
4.2 ft
4.40 ft (1.34 m)
Connector
1/8" TRS
1/8" TRRS
Latency - Analog
0.2 ms
Latency - USB
N/A
Recorded Latency
Recorded Latency Connection
Analog
Wired Latency
0 ms
Bluetooth Connection
0.0
0.0
Bluetooth Version
N/A
No Bluetooth
Multi-Device Pairing
N/A
No
NFC Pairing
N/A
Quick Pair (Android)
No
Quick Pair (iOS)
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
Latency - aptX Adaptive (Low Latency)
N/A
Latency - LDAC
N/A
Recorded Latency
N/A
Recorded Latency Codec
No Bluetooth Audio
AAC Support
No
aptX(LL) Latency
N/A
Wireless Connection (Dongle)
8.7
0.0
Line Of Sight Range
125 ft
N/A
Latency - Dongle
28 ms
N/A
Recorded Latency
N/A
PC Compatibility
Analog
Audio + Microphone
Wired USB
No
Non-BT Wireless
No
PlayStation Compatibility
PS4 Analog
Audio + Microphone
Audio + Microphone
PS4 Wired USB
No
No
PS4 Non-BT Wireless
Audio + Microphone
No
PS5 Analog
Audio + Microphone
PS5 Wired USB
No
PS5 Non-BT Wireless
No
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
Xbox Series X|S Wired USB
No
Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless
No
Base/Dock
7.0
0.0
Type
Wireless USB Dongle
No Base/Dock
USB Input
Yes
No
Line In
Yes
No
Line Out
Yes
No
Optical Input
No
No
RCA Input
No
No
Dock Charging
No
No
Power Supply
USB
No Base/Dock
PC / PS4 Compatibility
PC / PS4 Analog
Audio + Microphone
Audio + Microphone
PC / PS4 Wired USB
No
No
PC / PS4 Non-BT Wireless
Audio + Microphone
No
Check Price
Black
Arctis 7
Searching
Finding storeBlack/Red
Cloud Alpha (HX-HSCA-RD)
Searching
Finding storeWhite
Arctis 7
Searching
Finding storeBlack/Red
Cloud Alpha (HX-HSCA-RD)
Searching
Finding storeBlack/Red
Cloud Alpha (HX-HSCA-RD)
Searching
Finding storeBlack/Red
Cloud Alpha (HX-HSCA-RD)
Searching
Finding storeBlack/Red
Cloud Alpha (HX-HSCA-RD)
Searching
Finding store
SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless 2017
HyperX Cloud Alpha
Comments
SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless 2017 vs HyperX Cloud Alpha: Main Discussion
What do you think of these products? Let us know below.
Looking for a personalized buying advice from the RTINGS.com experts? Insiders have direct access to buying advice on our insider forum.