The gaming brand from Kingston is a renowned company for making great gaming accessories. Recently on Amazon Prime Day, HyperX launched two of their entry-level gaming headsets in India and I got an opportunity to test one of them.
I got the HyperX Cloud Stinger Core + 7.1 gaming headset for the review which is currently on Amazon for Rs. 4,490. For a proper gaming headset that price is damn cheap, until today we couldn’t think of having one that too from HyperX.
The Indian gaming community is increasing day by day and so do their requirements. Obviously, people look for a great gaming headset at a budget, however, every budget headset has it’s one caveat. However, the HyperX Cloud Stinger Core + 7.1 gaming headset has changed my expectations totally.
Specifications
- 40mm drivers and enhanced bass keep you immersed in your game
- Virtual 7.1 surround sound via HyperX NGENUITY
- Lightweight comfort
- Immersive in-game audio
- Durable, adjustable steel sliders
- Convenient onboard audio controls
- Swivel-to-mute noise-cancelling mic
In the Box
1 Cloud Stinger Core 7.1 Gaming Headset, Warranty Card, USB Dongle, Manual
Design & Build
I had good expectations from HyperX and so they did deliver a great gaming headset both in terms of looks and build quality. Yes, it’s made of plastic, but it’s sturdy enough though it has some flex still its lightweight, just 240 grams, considering its dimensions.
The headset has adjustable steel sliders that are quite sturdy and helps to adjust for any shape of the head. The earcups are very comfortable because of the soft breathable cushioning which is of good quality. There’s cushioning on the headband as well for the total comfort.
If you ask me anything about the comfort of wearing the gaming headset, I would say it’s damn comfortable. You easily put it on your head and play for hours without any strain at all, the mic can be bent as well if you do not want to use it.
The USB dongle connects the headset with the PC to improve latency, and as the wire is very long, you won’t have any issues even if you plug it to the back of your PC.
Overall, even if it’s made out of plastic this a very sturdy and comfortable headset to wear.
Audio Quality
The audio on this gaming headset is very promising and kind of satisfying in its budget range. The two huge 40mm drivers in the gaming headsets come with a frequency range of 20-20,000 Hz and they do give an immersive audio experience.
However, I would segregate my audio experience as per the use of this headset:
For Music – This is a great headset for casual music listening as it’s primarily mean for gaming and not hearing to the music. Even though there’s no distortion in sound and the vocals are very clear, you won’t be that much satisfied with the music experience.
It’s obviously not the best for listening to music but with its efficiency, it’s ok to hear music sometimes. However, the inclusion of the 7.1 Surround does help to enrich the music experience however it’s not perfectly tuned for every genre of music, so use accordingly.
For gaming – Yes, when it comes to gaming this is a true gift at it’s the price point, the sound made during games is clear and accurate. It doesn’t go that loud but is adequate for gaming purpose.
I tested out the latency of the headset and it’s just under 1ms which is truly great for a budget gaming headset. Using the Virtual 7.1 Surround sound mode for gaming is great as you can hear the explosions and other things with a surrounding effect in real-time, but this is your personal preference.
Playing eSports titles like Apex Legends, PUBG, Call of Duty: Warzone has been buttery smooth for me without any issue and I could hear the slightest of the footsteps of my enemies without any disturbance.
For watching movies or videos – I also watched a lot of movies and YouTube videos on PC, so using this headset for that purpose is an absolute joy especially if you use the Virtual 7.1 Surround sound, this mode totally takes the experience to some other level.
Microphone
Generally in this segment, many brands do not focus on if it’s a budget gaming headset, but actually, during gaming, the microphone is one of the most important things to keep in mind. As it’s not detachable you would find it irritating sometimes but while playing games you won’t be distracted.
You can either swivel the mic or just adjust it via it’s adjustable arm. Now, coming to the quality of the microphone, I did not have heavy expectations of even though it’s said to feature noise cancellation.
However, to my surprise, the mic is surprisingly good or say beyond what I truly expected. It works well during gaming without any trouble at all and the audio quality is great according to my friends while playing PUBG or Apex Legends.
I tried to record with the mic and it turns out to be surprisingly good, not the best, but at its budget, this is really a good microphone. Also, the noise-canceling feature does have an impact on the audio quality even if you speak in a low to medium noise environment.
Usage and Software
This gaming headset at just ₹ 4,490 has just got the most important things correct and I like that. Using it for prolonged gaming sessions is very satisfying and the performance up to the mark.
As the microphone is good enough, you can easily make calls using this and I enjoyed talking to my friends over Skype or Messenger for long conversations. So, anyone who needs a reliable headset both for gaming and streaming at a budget can use this headset with ease.
Talking about HyperX’s own HyperX’s NGENUITY software, you have to download this via Microsoft app store but it has only the option to toggle the 7.1 Surround Sound and increase or decrease the volume of the headset or the microphone and nothing else.
If you had to do that you could have easily down this through the Arrow and Function keys, what’s the use of opening software for that? Just to totally the 7.1 Surround Sound? This is totally lame.
I know it’s a budget headset but still, there could be some kind of equalizer or something useful to open the software because there’s a dedicated wheel to increase or decrease the volume directly.
Pros & Cons
It was really hard to find any negatives about the gaming headset but here are some positives and negatives about this headset:
Pros:
- Sturdy & light
- Comfortable for long usage
- Crisp and clear sound
- No latency during games
- Virtual 7.1 Surround sound is a great addition
Cons:
- Not for music lovers
- Software experience could have been better
Verdict
If I had to wrap things up, I would say the HyperX Cloud Stinger Core + 7.1 Gaming Headset at ₹ 4,490 is clean and simple, meant for gaming only and even streaming as well. Not a great one to hear pure music but it’s quite good for most people and is also great for watching movies.
I like the fact that HyperX has stressed the main aspects of someone buying the gaming headset. The key genres of it have been given the most attention and I haven’t seen such a quality gaming headset at that pricing in India for a while now.
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Good Article XB1 Thank you for sharing !!
HyperX Cloud Stinger Core 7.1 Gaming Headset is a must-have for gamers who are looking for a high-quality gaming headset that offers great sound quality and is affordable. The Cloud Stinger Core 7.