Expanding on their current lineup, the HyperX CloudX Stinger Core Wireless takes a familiar design and cuts the cord with Xbox wireless for a simple headset. Featuring a lightweight design, flip to mute microphone, and easy-to-find controls, the HyperX CloudX Stinger Core Wireless is a mouthful to say, but keeps things simple and sounds great. How does it stand out at the $100 price point? Be sure to hit the video below to see all of the details.
CloudX Stinger Core wireless: design
HyperX has kept things pretty simple with the CloudX Stinger Core Wireless. The earcups will pivot a few degrees to better fitment, but unlike some other headsets in the Cloud Stinger line, they don’t rotate 90 degrees to lay flat.
On the left earcup is the microphone that will mute when flipped up and out of the way. Along the bottom are a USB-C port, volume dial, power button, and a small LED status light. The volume dial has a nice stepped design that is easy to find and operate.
Over on the right earcup, the headset has a chat mixer dial and Xbox sync button.
Comfort
HyperX also keeps it simple in the comfort category. Most notably, the headset weighs in at just 275g, making it very light. The earcups feature a standard leatherette wrap over soft cushions with a pad across the headband as well.
The clamping force is pretty reasonable, but for me, the earcups are a bit shallow, leaving my ears to press up against the driver covers. This gets more fatiguing than other headsets that I’ve tried, much like the Corsair Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT.
HyperX CloudX Stinger Core Wireless: video
I’m still able to wear this headset for multiple hours at a time while gaming without wanting to rip them off my head, but it’s not as comfortable as the Arctis 7X/9X or even the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2.
Razer’s Kaira has a bit more clamping force but also has a bit more room in the earcup, which is more comfortable for my ears.
Microphone
Another big emphasis for HyperX is making sure that communication is crisp and clear. The microphone mutes when flipped up and out of the way, and the boom arm is highly adjustable for optimum placement. While gaming with a friend I was typing out an article and the keyboard noise didn’t come through the mic. He noted that the mic sounded nice and clear.
Sound
Using 40mm drivers, the HyperX CloudX Stinger Core Wireless has a full, fun sound signature. Unlike the Razer Kaira and Kaira Pro, though, there is no way to tweak the EQ. Luckily it sounds good with punchy bass and crisp clear highs.
Playing Destiny 2, the audio was immersive and a blast. Picking up directional cues was easy and the broad frequency response with full lows made for fun gameplay. Explosions carry plenty of weight while you can still hear the sound of footsteps and gunshots clearly. It’s not heads and shoulders above the competition, but the headset does sound good and makes gameplay fun.
CloudX Stinger Core wireless: battery life
You can expect about 17 hours of battery life from the CloudX Stinger Core wireless, which isn’t anything crazy but keeps right up with much of the competition.
9to5Toys’ Take
While the HyperX CloudX Stinger Core Wireless is lightweight and sounds good for the price point, it’s put right up against the Razer Kaira, which features adjustable EQ through the Razer Headset for Xbox app, and for me, the Kaira is a little more comfortable. If you’re going to be living with a headset for a while, I personally appreciate the ability to tweak or at least use a couple of different EQ profiles for different gaming scenarios.
Overall, the CloudX Stinger Core Wireless is light and sounds great with its simple design. If HyperX would have kept the price down, it would be a great hit, but I fear that there isn’t enough to set it apart from the competition like the Kaira or Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2.
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