HyperX are at it again giving us yet another new headset by them, but this time whilst delivering top performance their aim is lightness. I must say this is a feature many headsets seem forget about as I personally have found after a few hours some start to feel heavy or get uncomfortable - though my big ears don't really help this situation!
Specifications
90-degree rotating ear cups - HyperX Cloud Stinger's ear cups rotate in a 90-degree angle to fit better around your neck, so you can play in comfort for hours.
•Lightweight comfort - At just 275 grams, HyperX Cloud Stinger won't weight you down, making it ideal for prolonged gaming sessions.
•50mm directional drivers for audio precision - The 50mm drivers are parallel to the ear, to position sound directly into the ear for gaming grade sound quality.
•HyperX Signature Memory Foam - Play in comfort for hours with HyperX signature memory foam.
•Adjustable steel slider - HyperX Cloud Stinger's high-quality, adjustable solid steel slider is built for long-lasting durability and stability.
•Intuitive volume control on headset ear cup - The volume slider is located on the bottom of the right ear cup, making it easy to access and adjust the audio volume.
•Swivel-to-mute noise-cancellation microphone - Conveniently mute the microphone by flipping it vertically against the head. HyperX Cloud Stinger's built-in passive noise cancellation reduces background noise for clearer voice quality. The headset is certified by TeamSpeak and Discord, and compatible with other leading chat programs, including Skype, RaidCall and Ventrilo.
•Multi-platform compatibility - HyperX Cloud Stinger is compatible with PC, Xbox One, PS4TM, Wii UTM and mobile devices and has a single 3.5mm stereo plug (4 pole) and PC extension cable with dual 3.5mm stereo and mic plugs. Enjoy the same comfort and enhanced audio experience on PC.
In the box
This is where it’s pretty basic from HyperX, not that a headset needs much, We have the headset itself and extension cable, 3.5mm stereo and mic plugs, and a little leaflet saying that we have joined the ‘HyperX Team’. It is well presented but don't be alarmed by the lightness, honestly your box does contain a headset!
Audio
Perfect, it is that simple considering this is a stereo headset and isn’t aiming to be 5.1 or even replicate it. The sound quality is amazing, especially when you factor in the cost of the headset. Gamers will love this and I’d say particularly Counter Strike players as it is great at picking up the footsteps from other players in clear quality which we all know helps.
It delivers explosion sounds very well without creating the tininess found in some headsets, and you can hear the background noises in shooting games such as distance gun shots or just further explosive sounds such as in Battlefield 1.
Now whilst this is aimed at gaming I decided I wanted to see how it handle music as even gamers like a break sometimes, so I fired up some Pvris and Halestorm and it handled it much better than I thought it would. The background treble and lighter bass notes were delivered with no distortion, something my old headset wasn't so great at so it ruined some songs when at a louder volume.
Volume wise even at full volume it did not distort nor did it feel like it just upped the bass, it delivered all the audio with a nice balance to it.
Voice Chat
The mic works exactly as expected, it’s also Discord approved along with Mumble. Discord I would say is currently the best voice chat application out there right now, on my old headset my friends moaned about background noise pick up and static at times but their moans stopped when I had this and they all reported it as crystal clear. They didn't hear any of the game noise coming through which for gamers is a must.
Comfort
HyperX’s main strategy for advertising this headset so far is all about its lightness and comfort and the product itself has nailed it. This is by far the lightest headset I have ever used, so much so that I thought when I was handed it the box was empty as there really is nothing to it. This is why, when in use for long periods of time, it still feels comfy and you’d barely even notice that its on if it wasn't for the wire and well, you know, the sound!
The cups are nice and don't press on your ears, this is in part to HyperX’s nice memory foam design. The headset is adjustable but also the cups move so if you did want it off could hang it around your neck and just move the cups upwards which is a nice feature and I wish more headsets followed suit with making that part adjustable.
Conclusion
HyperX themselves seem to be producing a fair amount of headsets now and as do their various competitors, so it’s becoming a very hard field top make a product really stand out in. This headset however does nail it for the price point, and for £50 you will not get a lighter and more comfortable headset. If you regularly game for several hours in one session this is certainly a good headset to consider as its audio quality is the best around for the money. While it is only stereo, you will feel its delivering much better quality than that and it truly is - you may find a “virtual” 5.1/7.1 headset cheaper but they don’t perform that well in my opinion and if that's something your after you should look to the Cloud II.
If £50 is your budget I’d say this headset is an essential purchase as not only will it serve your needs on PC it can be used on the current consoles, which for me was an added bonus.
