HyperX Cloud Stinger Gaming Headset Review

HyperX is the maker of some great gaming peripherals. Like gaming headsets. In this particular review, we’ll look at the HyperX Cloud Stinger. If you are an up-and-coming gamer with a tight budget but do not want to sacrifice ergonomics, then perhaps this is the headset for you!

Box Contents and Feature Highlights

You have the box in your hands, but what is included inside? The HyperX Cloud Stinger is housed in a nice molded package with the cable neatly tucked in behind. As with a lot of peripherals these days, there is not a lot included so you get the headset itself and the quick start guides and that’s about it.

As far as the features go…

• Lightweight headset with 90-degree rotating ear cups
• 50 mm directional drivers
• HyperX signature memory foam
• Adjustable steel slider
• Intuitive volume control on headset ear cup
• Swivel-to-mute with Noise-cancellation microphone
• Multi-platform compatible

A Closer Look at the HyperX Cloud Stinger

Once you pry the HyperX Cloud Stinger from its packaging, right away you will notice two things. First is its weight. It’s a fairly light headset but feels well constructed. Second is the swivel of the ear cups. As you can see in the above image that they rotate 90 degrees and will lay flat on your chest if you don’t want to wear the headset (but also don’t want to put it down).

The left ear cup has the microphone. To mute it, you simply swivel the microphone up parallel with the headset. The flexible microphone boom can be bent closer to you if needed as well. A nice bonus for an entry-level gaming headset is the noise-canceling that is included with the microphone. This is great for not just gaming but also chatting through audio applications such as Discord or Skype.

The right ear cup has the volume control. I like how the volume control is a part of the headset and not a separate module that is dangling on the cable and getting in the way like other gaming headsets I have used.

The cable at 1.3M long is not as long as other gaming headsets I have used but it is a single 3.5mm stereo jack. It does come with a PC extension cable that is 1.7M long that of course extends the length of the cable but also splits the lines into separate microphone and headphone plugs. That should be plenty of length for PC users or console gamers alike.

The ear cups themselves with the HyperX memory foam are super comfortable and cover the entire ear. I can wear them for hours without my ears being uncomfortable or even sweaty. The 50 mm drivers are great for letting you hear opponents sneaking up behind you too.

The headband is fairly simple and can be adjusted with a the built-in steel slider. A single stripe of foam keeps the headband comfortable for those prolonged periods of gaming.

Performance of the HyperX Cloud Stinger

To test out the HyperX Cloud Stinger, I primarily used it during gaming with some usage listening to music, YouTube videos and some streaming movies. At the price of about $50 USD, I was not expecting the same experience one can get from a pair of Sennheiser HD650s at $500.

One of the main features that HyperX states is including the 50mm drivers. They produce a decent sounding bass for gaming but that is about it. The in-game dialogue is clear and crisp and while playing Assassin’s Creed Origins, I was able to hear things that I didn’t hear on my previous headset. Sounds like a cat meowing or the frogs chirping in the surrounding area. You could also pick up the snide remarks NPCs would say in passing.

Listening to music strictly with the HyperX Cloud Stinger was not mind blowing, but it was not a horrible experience either. Making use of a DAC (Digital to Analog Converter) would create a better experience, but then again, not many entry-level or budget-conscious gaming headsets are all about just listening to music, right?

The comfort of the Cloud Stinger headset surprised me. I was not expecting to be able to use the headset for hours on end without having to give my head and ears a break. The HyperX memory foam ear cups make them very comfortable for prolonged periods. Even laying in bed watching two to three-hour-long movies was not an issue.

The microphone is good too, considering the price tag for the headset. I made use of it through the regular Windows audio panel as well as passed through Voicemeeter between tests. The microphone was clear, the volume good, and the built-in background noise cancellation was nice as well.

Final Thoughts

After using the HyperX Cloud Stinger for the past couple weeks, I have found that for the price they perform quite well. HyperX has done a beautiful job in offering a budget-conscious solution for the gaming market. This by no means is a $500 headset by say Sennheiser, but on the flip side, it does not seem like a cheap headset either.

I have a couple of favourite features of the HyperX Cloud Stinger. The first is how you can mute the microphone by swiveling the mic boom up in parallel to the headset. It’s easy to use without having to fumble around with a switch of some sort. The volume control on the right ear is also a great little feature that I like. Having these two features removes the need for a separate module on a dangling cable.

The comfort of the HyperX memory foam ear cups is fantastic and it is nice to know that this is available on all the other HyperX gaming headsets. The passive noise-canceling because of the design is good for noisier environments as well.

Game audio is pretty good for the price. In-game dialogue is clear and environment sounds are reproduced well. I was surprised by the audio experience in game, especially for the price of this headset.

Listening to music or movies is a little lackluster, but I am sure adding a DAC could help give you a better music experience, though I would assume most people who would use this headset are going to use it primarily for gaming. I have used it to listen to movies through a Roku though. It was okay and it was better than the TV’s actual audio, which is nice.

If you are looking for a great gaming headset that leaves you with money leftover to spend on something else, all without sacrificing comfort or gaming audio performance, then the $50 HyperX Cloud Stinger is definitely worth a look.