Continuing their push deeper into the gaming peripherals market, punctuated by the release of the HyperX Alloy FPS keyboard which we loved, HyperX have now expanded their portfolio with the release of the budget-oriented HyperX Cloud Stinger headset. With the 3.5mm jack giving it a wide range of possible devices to connect to, I went ears-on to determine the quality of the HyperX Cloud Stinger, and left impressed.
Personally, I have issues with the smaller on-ear cup sizes that many cheaper headsets tend to use as opposed to full over-ear cups. They force my ears flat against my head, causing pain and discomfort, and quickly become much too uncomfortable to use. This is especially problematic for longer gaming sessions and regularly has me avoid using a headset at all. The HyperX Stinger forgoes those smaller cups, instead opting for full over-ear cups that completely encompass the ears and does away with any issues involving discomfort. The HyperX Cloud Stinger is also incredibly lightweight, easily being the lightest headset of its size that I have used. Combine the full over-ear cups, with the light weight and a generous band of padding at the top of the headset and the HyperX Cloud Stinger is the most comfortable budget headset that I have used. I was able to use it for multiple-hour long play sessions without break and didn’t have the slightest bit of discomfort.
The other benefit to the HyperX Cloud Stinger is the standardised 3.5mm tri-banded jack which allows it to easily connect to a wide range of devices with minimal fuss. The jack utilises the headphone ports in your existing console controllers, handhelds and phones, and meant that I could quickly move it from console to console as I jumped between different games. It also meant that when my Dualshock 4 eventually died I could just swap it over to the next controller and keep going. There is also an added adaptor so that it could be plugged into the headphone and microphone outputs on your PC, however there is no USB adaptor for those that prefer to use a USB port for headsets. The one frustration here is that because it’s designed to work with the headphone ports on your controller, the cable isn’t particularly long and doesn’t come with an extender, leaving you tethered close to your devices.
Audio quality is a pretty important piece of the picture when you’re talking about a headset and this is the one space where the HyperX Cloud Stinger doesn’t excel. I tested it with a wind range of media running on different devices and while the audio quality certainly isn’t bad, it’s also not amazing. Audio quality was always clear, with no muddiness clouding the sounds, but it was devoid of any impact. The main reason for this is due to an almost complete lack of bass, leaving any explosions or heavy beats in music empty and hollow. The microphone is in a similar situation, where there was never an issue being able to understand me, but it wasn’t the clearest audio coming through the headsets and speakers of friends I played online with.
Overall, the HyperX Cloud Stinger is a great entry into the more budget oriented headset market. Comfort seems to have been the main emphasis during development, with the full-sized over-ear pads and lightweight design leading to a headset that remains comfortable no matter how long you have it on. Audio quality itself certainly isn’t bad, but the lack of bass leaves it sounding empty and hollow at times. If you’re after a more budget-oriented headset that you can use over a wide range of devices and for a long period of time, the HyperX Cloud Stinger is for you.
