Cloud Stinger Wireless Vs Cloud Flight

HyperX Deject Stinger Wireless Gaming Headset Review

Budget wireless audio excellence

I've been yearning for a quality wireless HyperX headset that I could recommend without any hesitation or caveats for a couple of years at present.

HyperX, it seems, didn't share my desires.

Sure, the gaming peripheral company has already released both the Cloud Flying and the Cloud Mix…but neither of them totally did it for me.

The Flight was the kickoff out of the gate, just it launched for $10 more than the competition at the fourth dimension, with a touchy microphone and a design that took a few steps back from the build of other similarly-priced products, with exposed ear cup cables and a lot of plastic.

I never thought HyperX, a brand known for their high cost-to-operation ratio, would launch a more expensive wireless choice afterward that, but that's exactly what they did with the Deject Mix. It combined the features of the Cloud Alpha with Bluetooth functionality…in a less comfy, smaller frame, and with an inflated $200 toll tag. And unlike the implication in the name, and the half-as-expensive Steelseries Arctis iii Bluetooth, it can't actually mix the ii audio sources together.

Ordinarily, HyperX audio products are an piece of cake recommendation for people who desire performance and value. Their two previous wireless headsets had solid audio functioning, merely all sorts of piffling issues, and prices that were just a bit too loftier.

Fortunately, with the newly launched Cloud Stinger Wireless, I can finally unreservedly recommend a HyperX wireless gaming headset…as long every bit you want to utilise information technology with a PC, PS4, or Switch.

It'south packaged near-identically to the HyperX Cloud Flight.

OVERVIEW

HyperX'due south new Deject Stinger Wireless is $99, and it comes in two variants. Just they're really just different colors. The "For PS4" edition is black with blue trim, and the "For PC" edition is all blackness, but they are otherwise exactly the same headset with exactly the same performance and extras.

Then feel free to choose whichever color yous want. I bought the black one.

Featuring a airtight-dorsum design, a flip-up-to-mute microphone, and a bombardment rating of 17 hours at medium listening volumes, the Cloud Stinger Wireless takes aim at the Corsair HS70, Void Pro Wireless, and Razer Nari Essential, among others.

Impressively, it likewise offers sound improvements over the original wired Cloud Stinger I wasn't expecting, and depending on your feature needs, might be a meliorate overall buy than the $160 Deject Flying.

Audio QUALITY

Later my last two wireless HyperX experiences, and fearing that their new focus is solely on the higher cease of the market place, I cynically expected that this headset would feature identical sound to the original Deject Stinger, but with a wireless module added.

I'chiliad pleasantly surprised to study that I was wrong.

I like the old Cloud Stinger. I still take one in my firm, and I nonetheless utilise it sometimes. Simply it has a v-shaped signature, with a scooped out lower mid range that gives the highs and the lows a prominent focus. This is a pretty safe design for a "fun" gaming headset sound, but it's not as accurate to the original source audio as the functioning of other gaming headsets.

The Cloud Stinger Wireless completely fixes the scooped mid range of the wired model, and adds a little chip more oomph in the lower bass also. The effect is a gently warm, impressive, engaging sound that'due south like to other products in the HyperX lineup.

I love the style these sound.

I'm not sure if they're fixing the old model's issues with changes to the hardware design, or DSP correction in the electronics, but either way information technology does the fox. Bass is powerful and accurate, the mid range has a pleasant tone on both male and female vocals, and there's still but enough treble presence to bring out details and footsteps without causing fatigue.

Soundstage is also still impressive for a airtight-back pair, and imaging on my pair seems authentic also with no noticeable aqueduct imbalance at any volume.

I'd have to be super jaded or invest in expensive measurement equipment to nitpick this sound at this price indicate in a wireless gaming production. They sound better than the original Stinger, and they audio great when stacked up against other Deject products. That's wonderful.

COMFORT

Similar most of HyperX's other headsets, the Cloud Stinger Wireless is uncommonly comfortable, even on my big caput, and even when I'thou wearing glasses. I've worn them for multi-60 minutes sessions numerous times, with no issues other than a little warmth and sweat from the leatherette.

I'm used to extending headsets and headphones virtually all the way out to the limits of their adjustment. It'due south unremarkably the first affair I do when trying a new pair.

Just like its wired cousin, the Cloud Stinger Wireless has 12 clicks of adjustment on each side. And just similar the wired model…I only have to extend them halfway. In that location's so much adjustment room here that I call back these should fit basically any caput.

The ear pad openings are nice and broad, and the angled drivers continue everything inside the cup out of the way of my ears. Nice memory cream is used inside the ear pads, and although the headband pad only uses "standard" foam, it'south big and squishy enough that it'due south not a problem. The headband pad does a skilful job of distributing what little weight in that location is hither beyond the whole caput.

Believe it or non, the Cloud Stinger Wireless is a tiny chip lighter than its wired forebear, at 270g vs 275. Commonly wireless headsets are a little heavier since they need to hold a battery, but HyperX trimmed some material off the microphone and etched the HyperX logo into the cups, saving precious mass alongside the excised cable.

I don't know if I've ever seen this happen before, where a wireless model lost weight compared to its wired counterpart.

One of my frustrations with the Cloud Mix was the way its slightly smaller size impacted the comfort. That size reduction helped go along its weight downwardly, but fabricated it a scrap less comfy than the Alpha it was based on.

The Cloud Stinger Wireless has no comfort issues for me whatsoever.

The "2" buried in the model name hither makes me wonder if they considered calling this the Cloud Stinger 2 originally.

BUILD/Blueprint

The Stinger Wireless uses the aforementioned frame and materials equally the original Cloud Stinger, save for the slight weight trimming I mentioned above.

Only that's okay. And I recall the changes to the design have appeal across their weight reductions. The thinner microphone, while however permanently fastened, is more visually appealing, and looks a little less giddy if you decide to wear these out and nearly. It'due south besides more flexible and adaptable than the original model.

And the removal of the obvious HyperX logo colour is a first for the company. The etched-in not-colored logos give these a sleek, professional look that none of their other headsets really have, peculiarly if you opt for the black version.

Materials-wise, it uses a plastic frame with steel reinforcement in the headband, and steel adjustment sliders. And if you lot're someone that doesn't like exposed screws, prepare for disappointment as there are little screws all over the identify.

Still, information technology'south a Deject Stinger simply made more subtle, and information technology feels nice plenty in the hands and on the head for the price.

FEATURES/EXTRAS

HyperX employed the same USB wireless dongle that the Deject Flight uses hither on the Stinger Wireless, and that'southward a skilful decision.

It'll work out of the box with a PC, PS4, or docked Nintendo Switch. The volume knob on the back of the right ear cup spins endlessly and controls the digital volume level, and it does seem to relieve this volume between sessions and devices.

The 17 hr battery life claim is accurate in my testing. The ability light uses an LED that progresses from green-orange-red to show you descending power percentage levels, and the headset has no audio prompts other than unproblematic beeps when you turn it on and off, or hit the farthermost ends of its volume range.

I got most 40 feet of wireless range in my apartment earlier it started to cutting out. The wireless dongle is the only way to connect this headset to annihilation, at that place'due south no wired connectedness selection bachelor. Recharging uses micro USB, which is keen for compatibility just bad for the USB-C fans out there. The power calorie-free changes colors during charging to give you lot an thought of how far along you are, just like it does when in employ, which is a nice touch.

The ear pads are removable in case you feel similar doing that, or demand to purchase replacements from HyperX, and information technology comes with their standard ii year warranty.

MICROPHONE

My only complaint about this mic is that the thinner pattern of the adjustment arm, combined with a stiffer/higher quality rotation hinge, means that it's not as easy to flip up to mute every bit on the original Cloud Stinger.

Only that's a teeny tiny complaint.

The mic has a good, natural, reasonably clear tone to information technology, with but a hint of the muffled digital compression that often plagues wireless headset microphones. It's on the aforementioned level equally the wired Cloud Stinger, and doesn't sound as good or make clean as the Cloud Flight's microphone. The noise gate on the microphone isn't super aggressive, thankfully, meaning you can talk at a normal book and be picked up.

Background dissonance cancellation is exceptional, and there's probably both audio-visual and digital trickery in play here.

There'due south no mic monitoring/sidetone feature, which is not a huge issue for me in a lower-priced headset only might irritate some of you. I don't blast my games loud enough that they block out my vocalization, just if you lot're a loud listener, the isolation of the leatherette here might have you wishing this had sidetone.

If y'all're wondering whether these volition become loud enough for you, the answer is a resounding yes. I listened to Spotify comfortably at about 25 percent volume, and cranked it up to 48 or so in loftier dynamic range games like Assassin's Creed Origins. And that was plenty of volume. And so the amplifier can bring it.

You can hear some quick mic tests I recorded right here.

Last THOUGHTS

The Cloud Stinger Wireless has better, more balanced sound than its wired predecessor, an enhanced subtle blueprint, and the same great comfort. It doesn't have some of the frills of more expensive wireless headsets, but acquits itself very well at its $99 price bespeak.

Of HyperX's wireless lineup, the Stinger is the only one that really embodies their old ethos of value for the money. It'south got the perfect combination of features at this price and a solid battery, and it's a great and more comfortable alternative to the Corsair HS70.

It doesn't take the ruby-red lights, longer battery life, wired mode, or detachable mic of the Cloud Flight…but if you lot don't need those features, I'd get for this one every unmarried time. It'southward a better deal compared to its price analogues than the Cloud Flight is at $159.

I've had a slap-up time listening to this over the final few days, and I plan to go on on using information technology.