Two consumer electronics seem to have had a huge uptake during covid-19 lockdowns: cameras and headsets. This time I have a look at a more affordable (but not necessarily cheap) gaming headset that by all means is also a good choice for online meetings: the HyperX Cloud Stinger Core Wireless Gaming Headset.
Out of the box, installation is super simple. Being wireless but not Bluetooth-enabled it requires a USB 2.4 GHz wireless adapter plugged into your computer (or PS4/PS5 gaming console) - these headsets are truly wireless and don't have a 3.5" port.
For my testing I used it with a Windows 10 PC. Installation couldn't be easier: plug the USB adapter and Windows 10 automatically installs the drivers for a new sound device. If you have multiple sound devices on your computer you can easily select the HyperX Cloud Stinger Core as your default device by clicking the sound icon in the system tray.
And this is pretty much the setup work done.
Controls on the HyperX Cloud Stinger Core itself are pretty easy too. A single button is the on/off switch and a thumbwheel controls the volume. Each step on the thumbwheel will increase the volume two units - from 0 to 100. On Windows 10 you can see a visual feedback for this on the screen. You will also hear a three-chirp tone when reaching mute and similar three-chirp (but different) tone when reaching the maximum volume.
The HyperX Cloud Stinger Core recharges through a USB-C port and a USB-A to USB-C cable is supplied. The battery life is estimated at 17 hours, which would be a very good long gaming session - considering there's no active noise cancellation going on it explains it.
The built-in microphone has a swivel to mute functionality so it stays out of the way if you are not using the chat features. If you turn the microphone on, it will enable a noise reduction feature, making your voice clearer during online chats.
The headband has adjustable steel sliders and despite that, the whole set is extremely light at around 250 g. It is also very comfortable, thanks to its soft, breathable ear cushions. This means those long sessions (remember the battery life), aren't a problem and you won't feel your ears hot.
You will find two dynamic 40mm drivers with neodymium magnets with a frequency response between 20Hz–20,000Hz. This gives you good sound coverage and it does sound good. And if you are using Windows 10 you can take advantage of the virtual surround sound offered through two different Windows app: Windows Sonic for Headphones and Dolby Atmos for Headphones.
With Windows Sonic for Headphones, I couldn't notice much difference but when I changed the setup to use Dolby Atmos for Headphones the sound just came out much stronger, bold and with a different perspective. Windows Sonic for Headphones is built into Windows 10 while Dolby Atmos for Headphones is a paid app available from the Microsoft Store.
In any case you will be happy with the HyperX Cloud Stinger Core Wireless even without those add-ons. The HyperX Cloud Stinger Core is a good quality basic functionality pair of headsets. It performed really well for gaming with clear sound and background sound, as well as a chat headset for virtual meetings. And it surprised me as a good music headset too.
The HyperX Cloud Stinger Core Wireless is available in New Zealand now.
