The HyperX Cloud Stinger S is a wired-only gaming headset. Unlike the HyperX Cloud Stinger, these headphones come with a USB dongle and a virtual 7.1 surround sound feature available on its NGENUITY companion software. Their flippable boom microphone also makes your voice sound clear and full-bodied and they have a neutral sound profile that packs extra boom and punch in the bass range. However, their audio delivery isn't very consistent. They aren't very versatile or portable, and they have poor noise isolation performance. That said, if you're looking for a more affordable pair of gaming headphones to use at home and don't want a lot of customization features, they're a solid choice.
Our Verdict
The HyperX Cloud Stinger S are decent for neutral sound. Their sound profile is quite neutral and well-balanced but packs an extra punch and boom in the bass range, making them suitable for a wide range of music genres. However, their audio delivery isn't consistent, so their sound can differ depending on their fit, seal, and positioning on your head. They also don't offer any sound customization features like a dedicated EQ.
- Neutral, well-balanced sound profile.
- Deep, extended bass.
- Inconsistent audio delivery.
- No sound customization features.
The HyperX Cloud Stinger S are bad for commute and travel. While they have a comfortable fit, their bulky over-ear design isn't very portable, and they can only be used with a wired connection, which some listeners may find annoying. They have a poor noise isolation performance, so you can hear ambient noise like bus and plane engines and voices.
- Comfortable fit.
- Poor noise isolation performance.
- Not very portable.
The HyperX Cloud Stinger S are inadequate for sports and fitness. While they have a comfortable fit, they aren't intended to be used while working out. Their bulky over-ear design isn't very portable, and they don't even come with a carrying case to keep them safe while you're on the go. They also tend to fall off your head during more intense physical movements, so they aren't stable enough for exercise.
- Comfortable fit.
- Not very portable.
- Not stable enough for exercise.
The HyperX Cloud Stinger S are sub-par for office use. These over-ears can be worn comfortably through a long shift without a lot of fatigue. While they leak a bit of sound, it shouldn't be too noticeable unless you listen to your audio at high volumes. However, they don't isolate a lot of background noises, so you can hear background noises like your coworkers' voices or AC units.
- Comfortable fit.
- Poor noise isolation performance.
- Not very portable.
The HyperX Cloud Stinger S are wired-only headphones, so they can't be used for wireless gaming.
The HyperX Cloud Stinger S are good for wired gaming. These comfortable over-ears are compatible with your PC, PS4, or Xbox One, and there isn't a lot of latency over their wired connection. Their neutral sound profile packs an extra boom in the bass range, so you really feel explosions and other action-packed scenes. Also, their boom microphone can help you communicate clearly with your teammates. However, if you're talking in a noisy environment, they capture a lot of background noise alongside your voice. Their companion software also doesn't offer a lot of customization features, which may be disappointing for some people.
- Decent performing boom mic.
- Comfortable fit.
- Neutral, well-balanced sound profile.
- Deep, extended bass.
- No sound customization features.
The HyperX Cloud Stinger S are mediocre for phone calls. Their boom microphone has an impressive recording quality, so your voice sounds full-bodied and clear. Unfortunately, the mic has a bit of trouble separating your voice from moderate ambient noise around you and while you should be still heard, background noise can be annoying for whoever you're calling. The headphones also don't isolate a lot of noise, so you may hear background noise during your calls.
- Decent performing boom mic.
- Poor noise isolation performance.
Changelog
- Updated Dec 08, 2022: We've added a comparison between HyperX Cloud Stinger S and the HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 in the Comfort box.
- Updated Nov 12, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
- Updated Sep 25, 2020: Review published.
- Updated Sep 15, 2020: Early access published.
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Popular Headphones Comparisons
The HyperX Cloud Stinger S are an entry-level gaming headset released in 2020. While these headphones have a similar design to the HyperX Cloud Stinger, unlike their predecessor, they come with a 7.1 virtual surround sound feature, a USB dongle, and are compatible with companion software. They don't have a lot of sound customization features, and they aren't very versatile. However, their balanced sound profile and decent boom microphone are well-suited for wired gaming. If you're looking for other headphones, check out our recommendations for the best gaming headsets, the best gaming headsets under $100, and the best PS4 headsets.
The HyperX Cloud Stinger S are very similar gaming headphones to the HyperX Cloud Stinger, but they come with more features. The S have a USB dongle and a 7.1 virtual surround sound feature that you can access through its companion software. They also have a more neutral sound profile than the Cloud Stinger. That said, the Cloud Stinger have slightly lower latency, though you shouldn't notice any delay with both.
The HyperX Cloud Alpha and the HyperX Cloud Stinger S are similarly performing wired gaming headphones. The Cloud Alpha are more comfortable, are better built, and leak less audio at high volumes. Conversely, the Cloud Stinger S have a virtual soundstage feature, and their boom microphone delivers better performance. They also have companion software, but it doesn't offer a lot of extra features.
The HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II and the HyperX Cloud Stinger S are very similar headphones, and depending on your preferences, you may prefer one over the other. The Cloud 2 are more comfortable and better built. They also leak less noise. That said, the Stinger S are compatible with companion software, unlike the Cloud 2, which lets you adjust the microphone levels.
The HyperX Cloud Flight and the HyperX Cloud Stinger S are similar gaming headphones. The Flight can be worn wirelessly, unlike the wired-only Stinger S. However, the Stinger S have a bit more neutral sound profile than the more bass-heavy Flight, which some listeners may prefer.
We've upgraded our Headphones Test Bench to 2.0! This update brings several key changes to our tests and usages, making it easier than ever to interpret our sound results based on your personal preferences. You'll also find a brand-new interactive graph tool featuring multiple targets (including our own!) for you to explore and compare.
For a full breakdown, check out our changelog, which includes detailed commentary from our test designer explaining the rationale behind our update.
We'd also love to hear your thoughts: your feedback helps us keep improving, so join us in the comments!
Test Results
The HyperX Cloud Stinger S have a very similar style to the HyperX Cloud Stinger. They have an all-black plastic design, with gray accents instead of red accents like their predecessor. The boom microphone isn't removable, but it can be flipped up.
The HyperX Cloud Stinger S are very comfortable headphones. They're well-padded and lightweight. They also don't put too much pressure on the ears, so they aren't too tight. If you're looking for a similar pair of headphones that put less pressure on your ears, check out the HyperX Cloud Stinger 2.
The HyperX Cloud Stinger S have simple, sub-par controls. Like the HyperX Cloud Stinger, there's a slider on the right ear cup that lets you adjust the volume. Also, if you want to mute the microphone, you can flip it upwards.
The HyperX Cloud Stinger S aren't very portable. Like most gaming headsets, they have a bulky design that may not fit easily into your bag. However, unlike the HyperX Cloud Stinger, the ear cups on these headphones swivel down into a slightly more compact format, which is convenient.
These headphones don't come with a carrying case or pouch.
The HyperX Cloud Stinger S have a decent build quality. They're mostly made of plastic, aside from a metal plate in the headband. The ear cups are fairly plushy and covered by faux-leather. The hinges and the headband are plasticky and feel a bit weak. The cable is also quite thin.
These headphones are fairly stable. They aren't intended to be worn while working out, and they could fall off your head during high-intensity movements. That said, for more casual uses like gaming at home, they should stay on your ears without too much of a problem.
The HyperX Cloud Stinger S have a balanced, yet slightly bright sound profile. The extra boom and punch in the mix is ideal for action-packed scenes in your favorite games. They're suitable for listening to most music genres, too. That said, these headphones have an inconsistent audio delivery, so they may sound a bit different depending on their fit, seal, and positioning. There isn't an EQ or any sound customization features available.
The HyperX Cloud Stinger S have a middling frequency response consistency. Their audio delivery is inconsistent in the bass and treble ranges. Depending on their fit, seal, and positioning on your head, they may sound different each time you use them. Consider the Logitech G335 if you're looking for gaming headphones with a more consistent audio delivery.
These headphones have great bass accuracy. The range is fairly flat and neutral, and the overemphasis in the mid and high-bass adds a boom and punch to the mix. However, the bass delivery varies depending on their seal, so your experience may vary.
These headphones have good mid accuracy. The low-mids are underemphasized, which thins out some vocals and lead instruments. The rest of the range is fairly even and well-balanced, for good clarity and presence.
These headphones have great treble accuracy. Instruments are present and detailed, and sibilants like cymbals are bright. However, because the treble delivery is inconsistent, your experience may vary.
The HyperX Cloud Stinger S have fair peaks and dips performance. The peak in the mid and high-bass adds a boom and punch to the mix. The dip in the low-mids thins out vocals and lead instruments, while the peak in the high-mids makes those same instruments a bit harsh. The peak in the mid-treble can also make sibilants piercing and painful.
The HyperX Cloud Stinger S have a great imaging performance. Weighted group delay falls below the audibility threshold, resulting in a tight bass and a transparent treble. The L/R drivers are well-matched in amplitude, frequency, and phase, so objects are localized and accurate within the stereo image. That said, these results are only valid for our unit, and yours may perform differently.
The HyperX Cloud Stinger S have a mediocre passive soundstage performance. The soundstage is perceived as large. However, due to their closed-back design, it doesn't sound very natural, open, or spacious, especially when compared to open-back headphones.
These headphones have a 7.1 Surround Sound feature available with the USB dongle. This feature can only be turned on with the companion software, and we don't test for it.
These headphones have a great weighted harmonic distortion performance. It falls within good limits at normal and max listening volumes, resulting in clear and pure audio reproduction.
We tested these headphones using these test settings. Our results are only valid with these settings.
The HyperX Cloud Stinger S have a poor noise isolation performance. They don't reduce any noise in the bass range, so you hear bass-heavy sounds like bus and plane engines. They do a slightly better job with higher frequency sounds like speech or AC units, but they can't fully block these noises. Consider the Cooler Master MH751 if you're looking for gaming headphones that can block out a little more ambient noise, especially in the mid and treble ranges.
The HyperX Cloud Stinger S have a decent leakage performance. They leak a bit of noise in the mid-range, but it falls below the noise floor of an average office and shouldn't be too noticeable unless you listen to your music at louder volumes.
The HyperX Cloud Stinger S have a flippable boom microphone.
The microphone has an impressive recording quality. Your voice sounds deep, full, and understandable to your teammates on the other end.
Update 11/15/2021: These headphones have been updated to test bench 1.5. In this update, we made changes to the way we test noise handling. We now use a subjective evaluation of our audio clips. This new method has resulted in different results than what we had reported in our previous test bench. As a result, the scoring of this box has changed, and we have updated our results.
The microphone has a passable noise handling performance. Your voice is understandable in noisy environments, but background sounds like car traffic from an open window are also present, which can be annoying for whoever you're talking to.
These wired headphones don't have a battery.
HyperX's NGENUITY software is sub-par. You can use the app to adjust the volume and the microphone level and to turn the 7.1 Surround Sound on and off. It can also be used to update the headphones. However, there isn't an EQ available, so you can't customize the sound profile.
These wired headphones aren't Bluetooth-compatible.
These headphones are wired-only, so they don't support a non-Bluetooth wireless connection.
The HyperX Cloud Stinger S come with a 1/8" TRRS audio cable that's compatible with your PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
These headphones are compatible with the Xbox One. You can receive audio and use the microphone when you use the 1/8" TRRS audio cable to plug them into the console controller. Note that the USB dongle isn't compatible with the Xbox One.