HyperX Cloud Stinger 2
MSRP $50.00
“The HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 is just a fantastic gaming headset. The proven fact that it’s only $50 is the cherry on top.”
Pros
- Supremely comfortable
- Solid microphone quality
- Great audio quality and positioning
- Inexpensive
Cons
- The wire locks out some devices
All too often on the earth of the very best gaming headsets, it’s all about features at the fee of price. Sure, headsets just like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro provide lively noise cancellation (ANC) and a foot rub. But $350? For a headset? You would spend more on them than on a console (or perhaps a graphics card in some cases).
HyperX’s latest Cloud Stinger 2 headset breaks that trend by getting back to basics. It’s only $50, and given the smash success of the unique version, I wasn’t surprised to search out that it within the areas that really matter, it competes with even the very best (and costliest) headsets around.
HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 specs
| HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 | |
| Drivers | 50mm neodymium magnet |
| Form factor | Over ear, closed back |
| Frequency response | 10Hz – 28kHz |
| Frame material | Plastic |
| Ear cushion material | Memory foam with leatherette cover |
| Microphone | Bi-directional, noise-cancelling condenser microphone / Flip to mute |
| Weight | 0.6 kilos |
| Wireless | No |
| Connections | 3.5mm (splitter included) |
| Surround sound | Virtual (DTS Headphone:X) |
| Platform support | PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One |
| Suggested price | $50 |
Not too little, not an excessive amount of
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
Let’s take stock of the present market of gaming headsets. If you happen to’re in search of a wired headset below $100, there are a couple of options you’ll land on: The Astro A10, SteelSeries Arctis 1, Logitech G335, and HyperX’s own CloudX. The Logitech headset is $70, the CloudX and Astro A10 are each $60, and the Arctis 1 is $50.
Normally, there’s quite a divide between a $50 headset and one within the $70 to $80 range. $20 is all that separates the SteelSeries Arctis 1 and Arctis 3, for instance, but it surely’s hard to overstate just much nicer the construct quality is on the Arctis 3. An additional $20 or $30 has traditionally made all of the difference.
The Cloud Stinger 2 stands out since it brings a bunch of those higher tier features all the way down to the $50 mark. DTS Headphone:X is what stands out most. This spatial audio software normally runs $20 by itself (you get a code with the Cloud Stinger 2), and also you won’t find it on the Arctis 1 or the Astro A10. It’s not true 7.1 surround sound, but DTS Headphone:X helps so much for spatial audio in competitive games like Call of Duty: Warzone and Rainbow Six Siege.
In fairness to the remaining of the market, the Cloud Stinger 2 isn’t the primary headset under $50 with DTS Headphone:X. The unique Cloud Stinger had it, and the Logitech G432 supports the software, too. Most don’t, nevertheless, and the Cloud Stinger 2 has plenty going for it otherwise to make it stand out from the group.
True comfort
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
Even a pair days after launch, certainly one of the important thing complaints with the HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 is that it feels low-cost. It doesn’t. It feels comfortable. It’s true that the Cloud Stinger 2 has an all-plastic construction, but which means it’s extremely light. At only 0.6 kilos, it’s not a stretch to say that the Cloud Stinger 2 makes it feel such as you’re barely wearing a headset in any respect.
This revision is more flexible than the unique, as well. It looks more just like the HyperX Cloud headset now, with floppy adjustment points that help you position the headset perfectly inside seconds. The unique version has the identical points of adjustment, however the thick plastic shell made them a bit harder to regulate.
It’s a slight improvement, but the true improvements come compared to the remaining of the market. This became clear after I used the Cloud Stinger 2 next to the Alienware Tri-Mode Wireless Headset. Alienware’s headset is over $200, however the tiny drivers irritate the inside my ears and the ear cushion is simply too thin. Similarly, the SteelSeries Arctis 7, also over $200, has too tight of a clamping force and rigid headband adjustments. Irrespective of what headset I used, I defaulted back to the Cloud Stinger 2 for comfort.
On paper, there’s little doubt that the SteelSeries Arctis 7 and Alienware Tri-Mode Wireless beat the Cloud Stinger 2. They each are wireless, for one, and so they include a slew of additional features. But when it comes time to spend a couple of hours raiding in Destiny 2 or ending my Ultra Nightmare run in Doom Everlasting, comfort is king. The Cloud Stinger 2 beats headsets that cost 4 and even five times as much in comfort, and the sound can go toe-to-toe.
Premium sound
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
The Cloud Stinger 2 doesn’t sound nearly as good as a headset that costs $200 or $300, but it surely’s close. The more money doesn’t buy you more premium drivers in lots of cases, as a substitute going toward wireless and features like RGB lighting and ANC. By stripping away those features, the HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 is capable of offer highly competitive sound quality at a fraction of the value.
My go-to headset has been the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless, which only sounds barely higher than the Cloud Stinger 2 despite costing $200. You’re getting a less sensitive driver overall, not as dynamic, but Cloud Stinger 2 still has the identical profile tuned for minute sounds in games that you simply’re getting with the Cloud Alpha Wireless, in addition to similar frequency response attributable to the scale.
In the warmth of taking down War Priest in Destiny 2, it’s tough to say that costlier headphones earn their keep in sound quality. With DTS Headphone:X on the helm, the Cloud Stinger 2 sounds rattling close and still provides loads of clarity across the frequency spectrum. I’ve been using them for just over per week for my day-to-day gaming, and I plan to proceed using them.
Do you have to buy the HyperX Cloud Stinger 2?
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
If you happen to’re out there for a cheap headset that does mainly every thing right, the Cloud Stinger 2 is for you. It manages features which might be normally reserved for costlier headsets, comfort that even the highest gaming headsets can’t match, and sound quality that goes toe-to-toe with the very best headsets around.
Unless you really want wireless, the Cloud Stinger 2 is a testament you could get a fantastic headset without spending a whole lot of money. It’s the sweet spot, and proof that $50 is all you’ll want to spend for a top-notch gaming experience.
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