A small overemphasis in the high mid will bring out a touch more intensity to your mixes, but it shouldn’t be too overwhelming.
Kingston HyperX Cloud Stinger Review
Kingston has one such option in the HyperX Cloud Stinger, a $49.99 wired gaming headset that feels comfortable and offers solid audio performance and very good microphone quality. The Cloud Stinger ($24.99 at Amazon UK) is a very plain headset, with an all-black, all-plastic design that fits in line with its budget price.
The mic rests on a flexible rubber boom arm that flips down 90 degrees in only one direction, so you can’t swap sides by turning the headset around. The headset cable is four feet long and ends in a single four-pole 3.5mm plug that will work with all modern game consoles and handhelds, along with most mobile devices and some laptops.
HyperX includes a five-foot extension cable that splits into two three-pole 3.5mm plugs, for use with computers and notebooks with separate headphone and microphone inputs. It doesn’t reach too deep into the sub-bass realm, however; both the kick drum and bass synth hits lack the powerful head-shaking thump that headphones with strong low-end reproduce them with. Yes’ “Roundabout” further reflects the Cloud Stinger’s emphasis on mids (and low-mids and high-mids) over any real extreme frequency response. The acoustic guitar plucks in the opening sound clean, but they lack much of the texture of the strings that you get from headphones with greater and more subtle high-frequency response.
Speech comes through clearly, and while it doesn’t offer the sensitive, powerful performance of dedicated microphones, the headset can work well for both voice chat in games and calling into podcasts.
HyperX Cloud Stinger Review: Now in Pink
The Cloud Stinger can’t quite compete with the best gaming headsets on the market, but what it lacks in flash, it makes up for with affordability. Driver Type 50mm neodymium magnet Impedance 30 Ohms Frequency Response 18 – 23,000 Hz Microphone Type Electret condenser microphone, unidirectional, noise-canceling Connectivity Options 3.5mm Weight 0.6 pounds (275g) Cables 4.3 feet (1.3m) 3.5mm cable 5.6 feet (1.7m) extension Y-cable Lighting None Software None
The HyperX Cloud Stinger has a chunkier look to them, and although they lack RGB lighting, the new baby pink color adds some pizazz.
The Cloud Stinger is somewhat easy to store away, thanks to earcups that can rotate 90 degrees, allowing the headset to lay flat.
The memory foam padding is quite comfortable, however, they’re not as soft or plush as those on some higher-end gaming headphones, such as the Asus ROG Delta S and the Epos H3. Overall, the Cloud Stinger shows decent build quality; however, the plastic frame feels a little cheap, despite the headband being reinforced with a strip of metal. While playing Borderlands 2, the unit’s bass performance was solid enough and gave the sounds of varying guns a nice amount of pop. I wouldn’t call the audio immersive, but it does come through clearly enough that you’ll have the awareness to avoid getting blown up. I also did some jamming out on the Cloud Stinger, turning to a bass-heavy mix of Busta Rhymes, starting with “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See.”
I had left off right when the heroes were about to enter their final battle, accompanied by triumphant horns blaring for extra effect.
The headset’s loud volume and ability to pick up the different layers of sound going on during intense action scenes with a lot going on made for a solid experience. The HyperX Cloud Stinger features an electret condenser microphone that’s unidirectional and has noise cancellation.
During some test recordings, the microphone still picked up some background sounds, like my girlfriend reorganizing our cast iron pans while listening to Sade. More importantly, although they look a little bulky, the HyperX Cloud Stinger is lightweight and comfortable to wear for long periods of time. And if you’re okay spending a bit more money and still want a headset with a 3.5mm jack, consider the HyperX Cloud Alpha, which features a removable mic and cable.
However, if you want a solid, entry-level and affordable gaming headset, the HyperX Cloud Stinger is a good buy, whether in black or pink.
Amazon.com: HyperX Cloud Stinger – Gaming Headset, Lightweight, Comfortable Memory Foam, Swivel to Mute Noise-Cancellation Microphone, Works on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
When it’s adjusted to be larger it fits my boyfriend as well so this is a great headset for either female or male. Now that I have messed around with it a bit more I don’t find the need to go back into the audio settings on Xbox to adjust them, I have left them at a certain level that seems to be working great. Last thing is I’m messing around with trying Windows Sonic and Dolby Atmos for headphones since I read you can use these features with headphones that don’t have surround sound or do have it and as some say it makes a world of a difference… I’m still testing this out on Xbox One to see if they do make a difference with sound. The first day I got these, I connected to a party chat and instantly he stated it was making a humming or some sort of low pitched noise. He isn’t into tech issues or troubleshooting so this was very hard for me to fix or understand since only he heard this noise. Update: it looks like this issue may have went away and was either related to being new, my boyfriends headset, and/or me being in the Xbox insider alpha program.
HyperX Cloud Stinger Gaming Headset Review
One step up is the HyperX Cloud series, which supplies additional features such as an aluminum frame, bigger drivers, and a detachable microphone. At $50, the Cloud Stinger (See it on Amazon UK) is HyperX’s least expensive headset at $49.99, putting it firmly in the budget category alongside the likes of the Astro A10, Plantronics Rig 400, Roccat Cross, and Turtle Beach Recon 50. HyperX does not offer any other color options for the Cloud Stinger.At 275 grams, the Stinger is notably heavier than competitors like the Plantronics Rig 400, Roccat Cross, and Turtle Beach Recon 50, but still significantly lighter than the clunky Astro A10.
The headband padding is very cushy for a budget headset, and the memory foam inside the earcups allows for a comfortable fit during long gaming sessions. The earcups also rotate, which helps create a comfortable fit against your head and also makes the headphones less of a nuisance when you take them off and wear them around your neck. HyperX also includes a 3.5-foot extension cable that has two 3.5mm plugs to use with PCs that have separate headphone and microphone jacks.There are no inline controls to be found.
The Cloud Stinger handles low frequencies better, offer a big bass response that shows up in games where things are exploding all around you. The Cloud Stinger was merely average; my voice sounded a bit muddy with the high frequencies lacking.Thehas an MSRP of $49.99 and that’s the price it nearly always holds to online.
HyperX Cloud Stinger Review – Is It Still Worth $50?
The HyperX Cloud Stinger is a cheap wired gaming headset in a jet-black color, with a simple design, and all the basic features. If you’re looking for a solid budget headset for gaming, HyperX Cloud Stinger is still one of the best options, though competition is catching up.
In short, it costs under $50 and offers solid comfort even for long gaming sessions, enjoyable sound with a robust microphone, but it’s weak on durability. There is enough memory foam in the padding, so your ears don’t make contact with the drivers.
The only annoying thing is that the earpads become sweaty after a couple of hours of hardcore gaming. A lot of gaming headsets come with big, bulky ear cups, but the Stinger’s a somewhat thinner.
After 2 years of daily use, the headset looks worn but the faulty mic mechanism is hidden inside. It comes with essential functions like mic mute and volume control, which is fine for a budget gaming headset. Apart from a mutable microphone and volume control, you don’t really need anything else for a comfortable gaming experience.
With the volume slider on an earcup you control the sound, it works fine but isn’t fancy. The built-in electret condenser microphone has a quality sound, which is great for a budget headset. You can comfortably chat with friends on Discord or talk with co-players in multiplayer games.
The Cloud Stinger comes with bass emphasized signature that works well for explosions and more immersive gameplay. Though they can’t compare to high-end models, sound quality is fine for casual gamers.
Bass response is clearly boosted to create deeper bomb blasts and gunfire noise.
If you’re on the lookout for a cheap gaming headset that works well and comes from a reputable brand, then the Cloud Stinger should be your top option.
You get everything you need for a fun gaming experience: a good mic for clear communication without white noise and interruptions, comfortable fit that you forget about, decent audio quality, and the mute and volume controls. Now, 50 bucks won’t get you the same quality as the best gaming headsets but is more than good enough for infrequent users. A great dirt-cheap option – Onikuma K6 (check the review): This one is much cheaper from an unknown brand but delivers a similar gaming experience for a casual gamer, plus it’s even more comfortable with thick earpads. Logitech G432 around : With it you get the same 50mm drivers plasticy but comfortable design but also the addition of virtual surround sound DTS Headphone:X 2.0.
HyperX Cloud Stinger: should I buy this gaming headset?
So, will just 50 bucks or quid – a relative pittance in the grand scheme of your Black Friday and Cyber Monday expenses – be enough to upgrade your PC gaming audio to the next level? Inside, you’ll find memory foam cushions beneath leatherette ear cup pads, which wrap around 50mm audio drivers. On the left ear cup rests a microphone on a swivel that, when moved upward, automatically mutes itself – that’s a super convenient feature that not even some high-end headsets include. We’d say that the HyperX Cloud Stinger is certainly the more feature-rich – and PC-friendly – of the two, but not quite as widely applicable to your various gaming devices as Corsair’s.
Customer Reviews: HyperX Cloud Stinger Wired Stereo Gaming Headset for PC, PS4, Xbox One, Mobile Devices and Nintendo Switch Red/Black HX-HSCS-BK/NA
I hate to give his a average rating, but I really dislike inline-type wires. My inline ports could be at fault, but when I got this headset, I had trouble connecting it, having it work and be detected. She has had zero issues since day one, and continues to use them when playing multiplayer games.
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