Hyper X Cloud Stinger (Hardware) Review

Hyper X’ latest headset has its phones set on being as usable (for everything) as possible. And aside from being wired, there aren’t too many downsides.

Hyper-good headphones

I’ve been reviewing and using headphones/sets for a while now. For the most part, everything I’ve looked at has been great and I’m generally happy with whatever I tend to get a look at. That’s not to say that everything is perfect though. While solid headsets abound from almost every manufacturer that we’ve worked with, that’s kind of the operative word – “solid”.

There’s nothing wrong with being that of course, since there’s more than enough room in the market for headsets of all ranges and price points. But I find that most of the headphones and headsets that we get a chance to review here at BG are nothing too special overall. And by that, I mean that they usually have one or two gimmicks that set them apart from the crowd. But overall, the quality is what I’d pretty much just call “good”.

Then there’s this little ‘set, dubbed the Cloud Stinger. Why are these different? Well, simply because they don’t have a gimmick. Instead they just kind of sound… great.

Construction

Maybe I shouldn’t say that the Cloud Stingers don’t have a gimmick. Technically they do, in that the Cloud Stinger line is aimed at being lightweight and comfortable. Still, that’s not all that gimmicky to me, more like something that you would want regardless.

The build of the Stinger headset is mainly plastic, and so is very lightweight. Within the headband however, the Stingers hide a steel band that reveals itself when you extend the ear cups. With the all-black outer look, aside from the steel band, the Stingers have a great look and a really cool feel.

On top of that, the controls are perfectly integrated. The volume slider is built right into the headset itself, so it’s not dangling on the cord, which I personally find annoying. There’s nothing too complex about it, nothing over the top.

Likewise, the ear cups are not anything over the top either, but they’re excellent nonetheless. The cups are made of a memory foam material, which forms well to the sides of your head, and creates a nice environment for sound. This will not block out outside sound however. These aren’t cancelling headphones.

Since these are not just headphones, the Cloud Stingers also have a mic built in. The mic is smallish, and stays well out of the way while your using it. As an added neat little extra, you can also swivel the mic up and completely out of the way, which also serves to mute it. Cool stuff.

Also very nice indeed is that the Stinger work with everything. Basically anything with a stereo jack will work, from a PC to a Switch. I really dig that a ton, even though it means that the Stingers are wired.

Sound quality

Probably the very best part of the Cloud Stinger’s is the sound quality. These are fantastic, especially since the price is only about $50 USD. But let’s be honest, you probably won’t get the level of sound depth out of them that you would out of a headset that’s much pricier. At the same time though the Stingers have a shocking level of quality and I’m pretty happy with them.

Sound is crisp, clean, and has a nice bass with the headset’s 50mm drivers. I’ve listened to music as well as YouTube videos, and played games with them on a bunch of different platforms. The result of all that is that I have yet to be disappointed.

I own a number of headsets, and these are right up there with the better ones I have. I do wish the bass was a little bass-ier, but you can play your tunes loud with these, and drown out the surrounding world pretty well. Again though, there’s no sound cancelling here, so you’ll rarely not be able to hear what’s happening around you.

All of this comes together to form a terrific little headset. The sound is honestly pretty freaking great, the construction is nice and the set has a few cool bonuses like swiveling the mic to mute. I don’t have all that much trouble recommending the Cloud Stinger. Though if you’re looking to get a headset that’s tops in the field, you’ll want to look at the higher priced units in the line.

Copy Provided By Publisher For Review

Cloud Stinger (Headset)
Release date: Available now
Manufacturer: Hyper X