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If you want a wired gaming headset built around PC surround sound, adjustable bass and a boom mic, choose HyperX Cloud Alpha S; if you need open-ear wireless earbuds for watching TV without blocking your ears, choose Avantree Medley Air. These two products barely compete for the same buyer — one is a gaming tool, the other is a TV-listening accessory. The real question is which job you're actually shopping for.
• HyperX Cloud Alpha S — biggest strength: Dual chamber drivers, custom-tuned 7.1 surround sound and on-earcup bass sliders give you real control over game audio, plus a detachable noise-cancelling mic and Discord/TeamSpeak certification for voice chat.
• HyperX Cloud Alpha S — biggest trade-off: It's wired only (3.5 mm), so you're tethered to your PC or console, and its 65 ohm impedance and over-ear build suit desk gaming far better than TV lounging.
• Avantree Medley Air — biggest strength: Open-ear earbuds plus a Bluetooth transmitter/charging dock that plugs into your TV's optical or AUX port — clear dialogue, no app, no Wi-Fi, and your ears stay aware of the room.
• Avantree Medley Air — biggest trade-off: Works only with TVs that have Optical (TOSLINK) or AUX output, optical passthrough is the only passthrough supported (no HDMI ARC), and the non-adjustable band may not fit larger heads.
• Who each pick is for: HyperX Cloud Alpha S → PC/console gamers who want surround sound, bass control and a mic. Avantree Medley Air → TV watchers who want private, comfortable listening while others use the soundbar.
The Cloud Alpha S is, first and last, a gaming headset. Its headline feature is custom-tuned HyperX 7.1 surround sound, and HyperX's NGENUITY software auto-detects supported games and applies an optimized surround profile. For anyone who plays shooters, that positional audio — hearing footsteps and direction — is the whole point of buying a headset like this rather than a pair of general-purpose headphones.
Then there's the tuning flexibility. Dual chamber drivers separate bass frequencies so they can be adjusted independently, which HyperX says reduces distortion and adds distinction between sounds. On top of that, physical bass sliders on the ear cups give you three levels — fully open for maximum bass, closed to dial it back. I like this because it's hardware, not a menu dive. The same goes for the game/chat balance control and the inline USB audio control mixer: mute the mic, adjust volume, balance game versus chat, all without leaving the game.
Buy it if you game on PC or console and want surround sound, adjustable bass, a proper boom mic and wired reliability. Skip it if you mainly want to watch TV untethered, hate cables, or need something you can wear while walking around the house — this is a desk-bound headset, and its wired 3.5 mm connection is the trade-off you accept for that stability.
Avantree Medley Air: Who It's For
The Medley Air solves a completely different problem: watching TV at your own volume without disturbing anyone, or without cranking the TV so loud the neighbors hear it. It's an open-ear wireless earbud system paired with a Bluetooth transmitter and charging dock in one unit. You connect the dock to your TV's Optical (TOSLINK) or AUX (3.5 mm) output, and audio streams to the earbuds with minimal delay — no Wi-Fi, no app, no fuss.
The design is the story here. Open-ear earbuds sit just outside the ears using air conduction, so you hear the TV clearly while staying aware of your surroundings — someone talking to you, a doorbell, the room in general. If you wear glasses, that open fit is far kinder than a clamping over-ear headphone. Avantree also tunes the sound to enhance speech clarity, which matters for news, dialogue-heavy shows and conversations that get buried in a normal TV mix. And because optical passthrough is supported, everyone else can keep listening through the soundbar or speakers while you listen privately.
Battery life is up to 8 hours at normal volume, with a 1.5-hour charge time, and the earbuds weigh just 42 g — Avantree notes they're significantly lighter than many TV-listening devices. Bluetooth range is listed at up to 100 meters, and the box includes optical and AUX cables plus a 3.5 mm-to-RCA adapter, so most TV setups are covered out of the box. There's a 12-month warranty, extendable to 24 months with registration.
Two honest caveats. First, check your TV first: if it has no free optical or AUX port, this system won't work, and HDMI ARC passthrough isn't supported. Second, the ear and neck bands aren't adjustable or replaceable, so Avantree warns the fit may be too small for heads over roughly 24.8 inches / 63 cm circumference (XXL hats and up), and the headband protrudes at the back, which can be uncomfortable when reclining. If you connect optically, set your TV's output to PCM/Stereo for the best result.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for PC gaming and voice chat → HyperX Cloud Alpha S. 7.1 surround, dual chamber drivers and a detachable noise-cancelling mic are built for it.
• Best for private TV listening → Avantree Medley Air. The transmitter dock and open-ear earbuds exist for exactly this.
• Best for adjustable bass and audio control → HyperX Cloud Alpha S. Hardware bass sliders plus a game/chat mixer beat menu-diving.
• Best for staying aware of your surroundings → Avantree Medley Air. Open-ear air conduction keeps you in the room; over-ear closed cushions do the opposite.
• Best for long sessions comfort → HyperX Cloud Alpha S for desk gaming (memory foam, swappable fabric cushions, aluminum frame), Avantree Medley Air for glasses wearers and recliner-free TV watching.
• Best for cable-free freedom → Avantree Medley Air. The Cloud Alpha S is wired 3.5 mm only.
• Best for a shared living room → Avantree Medley Air. Optical passthrough lets others keep using the soundbar while you listen in private.
• Best for durability and warranty coverage → HyperX Cloud Alpha S on paper, with its aluminum frame and 2-year warranty versus the Medley Air's 12-month (24 with registration).
In my opinion, these aren't rivals so much as two different tools, so my pick depends entirely on your main job. If you're a gamer, I'd buy the HyperX Cloud Alpha S — the surround sound, bass sliders, game/chat balance and detachable mic make it the more capable, more durable product for that use, and the aluminum frame plus 2-year warranty back it up. If your goal is watching TV without blasting the room, I'd buy the Avantree Medley Air instead; nothing about the Cloud Alpha S is designed for that, and the Medley Air's open-ear fit and dialogue tuning are purpose-built for it. Buy for the job you actually have.
The HyperX Cloud Alpha S, clearly. It's a wired gaming headset with 7.1 surround sound, dual chamber drivers, adjustable bass and a detachable mic. The Medley Air is a TV-listening device with no boom mic and no gaming audio features.
No. It needs a TV with a free Optical (TOSLINK) or AUX (3.5 mm) audio output. HDMI ARC passthrough isn't supported, so if your only spare connection is HDMI ARC, this system isn't the right fit.
The Avantree Medley Air, without question. Open-ear earbuds let you hear the TV privately while staying aware of your surroundings, and optical passthrough means others can keep using the soundbar. The Cloud Alpha S is a wired gaming headset, not a TV audio solution.
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