The HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 are the next generation of the HyperX Cloud Stinger. These affordable gaming headphones have a sleeker design than their bulky predecessor and have a flexible boom mic for better positioning closer to your mouth. They're wired-only, with a 1/8" TRRS cable with audio and mic support for any console with an AUX port. These are a decent option for anyone looking for budget gaming headphones.
Our Verdict
The HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 aren't designed for neutral sound. They have an excited, V-shaped sound profile that's more suitable for gaming due to their boomy bass. While sibilants like cymbals are bright and present in mixes, dialogue and instruments are a bit veiled and lacking detail. Depending on factors like your head shape and if you wear glasses, these over-ears also struggle to deliver consistent audio reproduction each time you use them.
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Flexible boom mic with great recording quality.
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Inconsistent bass and treble delivery that varies between users. Sensitive to glasses.
The HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 aren't intended for commuting and travel. While they're lightweight and comfortable, the boom mic can't be detached, meaning they're bulky to travel with. They also do a poor job blocking out background noise, so your music can be drowned out by chatter on a crowded subway car or the rumble of bus and plane engines. They don't come with a carrying case either, and they could get damaged while moving around in your bag.
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Comfortable and well-built.
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Can fall off your head while you're moving.
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Poor noise isolation.
The HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 aren't designed for sports and fitness. They're gaming headphones with a non-detachable boom mic, and they can easily fall off during a workout, especially if the connection cable gets snagged or stuck on something.
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Comfortable and well-built.
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Can fall off your head while you're moving.
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Poor noise isolation.
The HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 are mediocre for office use. They're gaming headphones, so if you're okay with their design, they're a passable choice. The built-in AUX cable means you won't have to worry about batteries dying during a shift, and they're comfortable enough to wear all day. However, they don't block out much background noise, meaning you'll still hear a good amount of ambient chatter. People may also hear your audio if you crank these headphones to max volume.
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Comfortable and well-built.
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Inconsistent bass and treble delivery that varies between users. Sensitive to glasses.
The HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 are wired headphones, and you can't use them wirelessly.
The HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 are decent for wired gaming. These comfortable over-ears have full audio and mic compatibility with consoles that have an AUX port. They also have an excited sound profile. The extra bass helps emphasize sound effects like footsteps while the bump in treble keeps sibilants like cymbals present. The mic is flexible and poseable, and its recording quality is great, so your voice sounds clear. The mic does a decent job of separating your voice from moderate background noise. However, they lack sound customization features like an EQ.
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Flexible boom mic with great recording quality.
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Comfortable and well-built.
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Inconsistent bass and treble delivery that varies between users. Sensitive to glasses.
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Poor noise isolation.
The HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 are mediocre for phone calls. They're comfortable enough for a long call, and the boom mic's recording quality is great. The mic also does a decent job of separating your voice from background noise when you're speaking, so you sound clear and understandable on the other end of the line. Unfortunately, the headphones do a poor job of isolating you from outside ambient noise, meaning you may struggle to hear the call in a busy environment.
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Flexible boom mic with great recording quality.
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Poor noise isolation.
- 7.4 Neutral Sound
- 4.7 Commute/Travel
- 5.4 Sports/Fitness
- 6.0 Office
- 5.3 Wireless Gaming
- 7.3 Wired Gaming
- 6.9 Phone Calls
- Updated Dec 08, 2022: Review published.
- Updated Nov 28, 2022: Early access published.
- Updated Nov 18, 2022: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Sep 15, 2022: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated Sep 09, 2022: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 are the next generation of the HyperX Cloud Stinger, offering a slimmer build and a more flexible built-in microphone. They only come in one color: 'Black' and you can see our model's label here. There's another related model to these headphones called the HyperX Cloud Stinger S, which come with a USB dongle and support 7.1 surround sound.
If you come across another variant of these headphones, please let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.
Compared To Other Headphones
The HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 are the next generation of the HyperX Cloud Stinger budget wired gaming headphones. They're lightweight and comfortable enough to wear for long gaming sessions. They also have a great mic that performs better than some other budget-friendly wired models from this manufacturer, like the HyperX Cloud Stinger S. While the Cloud Stinger 2 are less bulky than their predecessor, they suffer from the same cheap build quality, and don't feel as well-built as other headphones in the Hyper X Cloud lineup either, like the HyperX Cloud Alpha and the HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II.
If you're looking for more gaming headphones, check out our recommendations for the best gaming headsets, the best gaming headsets under 100$, and the best HyperX gaming headsets.
The HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 and the HyperX Cloud Stinger are very similarly performing gaming headphones, but the original Cloud Stinger are slightly better. Both headphones have great mics, but the original Cloud Stinger has better overall mic performance. The original Cloud Stinger also have a more balanced sound profile, with more low-bass for rumbly sound effects. However, the Cloud Stinger 2 are less bulky and have more accurate controls.
The HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II are slightly better gaming headphones than the HyperX Cloud Stinger 2. The Cloud 2 are better built, feel more premium, and have an in-line remote cable that lets you independently control the mic and headphone volume. The Cloud Stinger 2 only feature a volume control wheel. The Cloud 2 also have a better mic with better noise handling, so teammates will hear you more clearly.
The HyperX Cloud Alpha are slightly better gaming headphones than the HyperX Cloud Stinger 2. The Cloud Stinger 2's mic has slightly better recording quality, but the Cloud Alpha's mic do a significantly better job isolating your voice from the background. The Cloud Alpha also have a much better build quality, with a premium feel that makes them more comfortable to wear for longer. They also have a more neutral sound profile than the Cloud Stinger 2, which some users may prefer.
The HyperX Cloud Flight are better headphones than the HyperX Cloud Stinger 2. The Cloud Flight are more versatile since they're wireless. The mic also has better noise handling than the Cloud Stinger 2's mic, ensuring more separation between your voice and background noise during a call or match. However, if you're looking for a wired connection, the Cloud Stinger 2 are still a solid choice.
Test Results
They have an understated design with the manufacturer's logo on the ear cups. They're also slightly thinner-looking than the HyperX Cloud Stinger, opting for smaller hinges that make the headphones appear more casual. These headphones only come in one color: 'Black'.
These headphones are comfortable. While lightweight, they're a little small and a bit stiff, meaning they may fit tight on larger heads. The foam and faux-leather earpads are plush but aren't as comfortable as other headphones, like the HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II, but are still suitable for long gaming sessions.
These headphones have sub-par controls. The only physical control is a volume adjustment wheel on the bottom of the right ear cup that stops when you've reached the minimum or maximum volume. To activate the mic is as simple as flipping it downwards, and there's a tone to let you know when it's on.
These headphones aren't very portable. They don't fold from their default position, and only the earcups rotate to lay flat. Gaming headphones typically aren't very portable, but this won't be a problem since they're more likely to stay on your desk near your PC or console. They also lack a carrying case to protect them on the go.
These headphones have a decent build quality. They're mostly made of cheap-feeling plastic and have a thin metal plate in the headband, which is very similar to the HyperX Cloud Stinger and HyperX Cloud Stinger S. However, the headband on the Cloud Stinger 2 is better-padded and wider. These headphones also improve on the original Cloud Stinger's rigid mic design, now featuring a flexible build for better positioning relative to your mouth.
These headphones are reasonably stable. They aren't intended for sports and fitness and will fall off your head during intense movement. Overall, they're better suited for gaming at your desk or on the couch, especially since the non-detachable cable could snag on something or get tangled.
- HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 headphones
- Boom mic filter
- 1/8" TRRS audio cable
- Y-splitter cable
- DTS Headphone:X activation code
- Manuals
The HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 have an excited, V-shaped sound profile. While not as thumpy and rumbly as the original HyperX Cloud Stinger, gamers can still enjoy the warmth and boom of gunshots and explosions, thanks to a bump in the high-bass. The rest of the mix is detailed and clear with bright sibilants like cymbals. These headphones also have inconsistent audio delivery, meaning your experience may vary depending on how they fit your head. They also lack sound customization features like an EQ to help you customize their performance.
These headphones have mediocre frequency response consistency. Depending on the shape of your head, if you wear glasses, and how the headphones are positioned on your head, you may have difficulty achieving a proper fit and seal each time you use them, resulting in inconsistent audio delivery.
These headphones have good bass accuracy. The low-bass is underemphasized, meaning your gameplay lacks a bit of thump and rumble. However, there's an overemphasis across the mid and high-bass, so while the mix sounds warm and full-bodied, it's also boomy, which can help accentuate sound effects like footsteps.
The mid-accuracy on these headphones is impressive. The mid range is somewhat flat, but there's a slight underemphasis in the mid-mid that pushes vocals and instruments to the back of the mix. That said, in songs like 10% by Kaytranada, the vocals and lead instruments still sound present and clear.
These headphones have good treble accuracy. The low-treble is slightly underemphasized, resulting in a loss of detail and presence in vocals and lead instruments. There's a slight overemphasis in the mid-treble, but sibilants like cymbals sound bright and present rather than piercing.
These headphones have an adequate peaks and dips performance. There's a peak in the high-bass and a dip in the low-mid. It makes the mix boomy and thins out lead instruments and vocals. A dip in the low-treble veils the details of vocals and instruments, which is more audible in the left driver due to a slight mismatch. There's also a big peak in the mid-treble, which makes sibilants painful and piercing.
These headphones have fair imaging. Generally, HyperX's headphones have decent quality control and ergonomics. Unfortunately, our unit's L/R drivers are mismatched in both amplitude and frequency response, resulting in an unbalanced sound and causing holes in the stereo image. Voices and sound effects, like footsteps, aren't placed accurately in the stereo image. The L/R drivers are well-matched in group delay, which results in tight bass and transparent treble reproduction.
These headphones have a sub-par passive soundstage. While they can create a wide-feeling soundstage, they don't feel as open, spacious, or immersive as open-back headphones or other HyperX models like the HyperX Cloud Flight or the HyperX Cloud Stinger S.
Our model comes with an activation code for two years of DTS Headphone:X. It's a spatial audio app that you can use to generate a 3D soundscape for a more immersive gaming experience. This software only works with Windows 10 and Xbox.
These headphones have a good weighted harmonic distortion performance. There's a wide peak between the mid-mid and mid-treble, but it isn't audible with real-life content. Overall, all frequencies fall within good limits, resulting in a clean and pure audio reproduction.
We tested the HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 using these settings. Our results are only valid with these settings.
These headphones have poor noise isolation. They don't reduce noise in the bass range, meaning you'll hear passing traffic from an open window. They aren't great for blocking out ambient chatter either, but they do a solid job of cutting down the hum of a PC fan.
These headphones have an adequate leakage performance. Escaping audio is mostly concentrated in the mid-to-treble range. If you like to crank your audio up during a match, people around will likely hear the vocals and lead instruments.
The HyperX Cloud Stinger 2's boom mic has great recording quality. Your voice sounds full, detailed, and understandable to teammates. However, due to the mic's flexible design, keep in mind that its performance will depend on how you adjust and position it relative to your mouth.
The boom mic has decent noise handling. Moderate background noise at home won't drown your voice out, but louder environments like a gaming tournament can make it trickier for teammates to hear you clearly.
These headphones have an attached 1/8" TRRS cable and a Y-splitter cable for PC gaming.
These headphones have full mic and audio compatibility on PCs via their 1/8" TRRS cable.
You can plug in the headphones' 1/8" TRRS cable into your PS4 or PS5 controller's AUX port for full audio and mic compatibility.
You can plug in the headphones' 1/8" TRRS cable into your Xbox's controller for full audio and mic compatibility.