In 2016, HyperX presented us with its, basic, but no-nonsense Cloud Stinger headset. In 2019 the brand introduced a wireless version of this cheap and cheerful offering – the Stinger Wireless. In his review, our very own Chris Wray was quite fond of this HyperX’s outing, praising its design, comfort, battery life, sound quality, and pricing.
It took HyperX until 2022 to release an enhanced version of the wired Stinger headset – the Cloud Stinger 2- offering a wider soundstage and DTS spatial audio. Several months later, the now HP-owned brand released a wireless version of the Stinger 2; you might’ve already guessed its name, the Cloud Stinger 2 Wireless.
We had some hands-on time with HyperX’s most recent wireless offering and wanted to share some of our impressions.
After the Cloud Stinger Core Wireless, the Cloud II Wireless, and the Cloud Alpha Wireless, HyperX now also gave its budget Cloud Stinger 2 the wireless treatment. Take the bang-for-buck Cloud Stinger 2, add wireless connectivity at $99.99 and you’ve got a value-for-money wireless headset. Like most of the brand’s headsets, this wireless offering doesn’t come with many bells or whistles. The headset connects wirelessly to PC or PlayStation via a USB dongle, and charging is done through a USB-C cable. HyperX boasts “long-lasting battery life”, but lasts for only 20+ hours, rival offerings in this price range have the edge over the Cloud Stinger 2 Wireless. The button placement is logical, and the large volume wheel on the right earcup is easy to find. This wireless model packs a swivel-to-mute noise-canceling microphone, which is an excellent addition, but the audio quality of the mic is a major letdown.
There’s plenty of competition in this price segment too, and although HyperX has delivered a comfortable, good-sounding wireless headpiece, there are viable alternatives available, including Razer’s Barracuda X and the SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless. Both of these headsets sell for roughly the same price but offer more features, longer battery life, better microphones, and perhaps most importantly, more versatility when it comes to connecting to different platforms (PC, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, smart devices). Also, this headset does come across as a little bit redundant as HyperX is currently offering both the Cloud II Wireless and Cloud Flight (S) for only $19.99 more, both of which outperform the Cloud Stinger 2 Wireless but are somewhat older.
Don’t get me wrong, you won’t go wrong with HyperX’s outing as it offers a solid sound experience, and great comfort partly due to being pretty lightweight, but this one wouldn’t be my first pick if I have $100 to spend.
*Test sample provided by the manufacturer
