HyperX Cloud Stinger S Review: Mid-range gaming headphones that get the job done just right

Gaming has been on the rise lately, with more and more people gaming as the COVID-19 pandemic has forced people to stay indoors more than usual. Not just to pass the time, many people have also taken up gaming as their profession over the past year. This has led to a huge surge in the demand for gaming gear. Fortunately, we already have brands that make gaming gear, such as the Kingston sub-brand HyperX. HyperX has come up with its latest set of gaming headphones, the HyperX Cloud Stinger S. The HyperX Cloud Stinger S, priced at Rs 5,990, comes with 7.1 surround sound and is compatible with PCs, Xbox, Playstation 4, and smart phones. For our review, we tested the new gaming headphones with smartphone, PC and Play station 4. Let’s see if these are worth your Rs 5,990.

In terms of design, the HyperX Cloud Stinger S looks like your conventional gaming headphones. They have a matte black finish and are made of plastic, with leatherette padding on ear cups and headband. There’s a mic on the left earcup that comes with turn-to-mute functionality – the mic turns on when you take it down to speak. On the right earcup, there is a volume control on the bottom of the earcup. The design is nice overall, and the HyperX Cloud Stinger S looks like some gaming-focused headphones. The finish and quality of the material is beautiful and can take a beating. However, the overall size of the headphones is a bit too big and even at its narrowest was a bit loose on my head – in fact if you move your head quickly while playing games the headphones will be misplaced. Even if you rest them on your neck, it becomes too bulky considering the sheer size.

The headphones also have a nice long cord, but it’s a bit too thin and could break easily if it got into the wheels of your chair or something. The padding on both the earcups and headband is nice and soft and wearing the headphones is quite comfortable, even during longer gaming sessions. Also in terms of weight, the HyperX Cloud Stinger S is light and doesn’t feel heavy at all, even after hours of use.

Now the audio quality on the HyperX Cloud Stinger S is decent, but not consistent in terms of the device you’re using it for. For example, the headphones were much louder when used with a PC and a smartphone. However, on a PlayStation 4, the maximum audio from the headphones isn’t quite as loud. Make no mistake, it’s not the quality of the audio, but how loud it can get, and on a PlayStation 4 it’s not as loud as on a smartphone or a PC.

The HyperX Cloud Stinger S comes with 7.1 surround sound and comes with Synaptics AudiSmart. The headphones also come with Teamspeak certification. Team talk is a VoIP communication system for Online Gaming. The headset has 50mm drivers with neodymium magnets and offers a frequency range of 18Hz-23kHz. The audio performance on the headphones is good. The highs and lows are absolutely clear and the audio is not bass heavy. In games, the sound is clear and can identify well from which side the sound is coming, in the case of games like Call of Duty, PUBG and the like. The volume control also gives users the ability to adjust the volume without having to mess with the device they are connected to. However, the slider feels a bit loose. Gamers like a bit of feedback, so a slightly tighter slider would have looked good on gamers. This is not a big deal though, as this is easy to get used to.

The headphones don’t offer any kind of noise cancellation, but the padding keeps outside noises at bay well. However, because the headphones are too big, the earcups don’t always block outside noise. However, the sound from the headphones is well isolated in all cases. Placing them on the neck gives users an idea of ​​how loud the HyperX Cloud Stinger S can get (on PCs and smartphones, according to our testing).

The microphone on the HyperX Cloud Stinger S comes with noise cancellation. The microphone picks up noise as low as -40dBV and is good at removing interference that carries your voice during online gaming sessions. However, in some cases I experienced a bit of interference during voice chats while gaming. Overall, it’s a good microphone and offers a degree of clarity. There are certain instances where it picks up noise, but in general it is good at isolating sound.

The HyperX Cloud Stinger S is a set of conventional mid-range gaming headphones that offer nothing quirky like active noise cancellation or smart features like 3D sound. But here’s the thing – they’re not made for that sort of thing. They are made for gaming and such quirky features are usually seen as useless to gamers. What gamers demand is a snug, comfortable fit, a nice microphone, a long wire and good audio that allows them to pick up the tiniest details while playing games. The HyperX Cloud Stinger S does that pretty well. Not the best in the market in the range, right up there with some of the best options. Are the headphones worth Rs 5,990? Yes, but given the bulky design and lack of fancy features, many would rather look elsewhere. Our suggestion is the TUF H3 Gun Metal gaming headset from Asus which costs at Amazon Rs 3,850 and offers more features like quick-cooling ear pads, built-in software for easy EQ adjustment and more. These are also made from higher quality materials such as 100% protein leather ear cups with memory foam and stainless steel headband. Another option to look at in the same category is the Logitech G431 which offers similar features to the HyperX Cloud Stinger S and costs Rs 4,995.