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An undeniable fact is that gaming has become one of the best forms of entertainment in our society. Gaming has become a form of communication, erasing geological distances and connecting people from all generations together.
In recent years, the gaming industry has changed significantly. Companies have continuously pushed user experiences of their gaming devices forward throughout the years, overcrowding the market with outstanding products.
To bring you the best possible experience, we will focus on two affordable yet capable headsets on the market and differentiate them. So what we are saying is, it is a side-by-side comparison between Kingston Hyperx Cloud Drone vs Stinger.
Kingston: At a glance
Kingston is a notable computer peripherals company from the United States. Their hard disc, Flash drives, and other storage solution devices are favorable globally. The HyperX has acquired popularity with its gaming hardware & hardware if you have observed it from a more recent couple of years.
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For your information, HyperX is Kingston’s co-brand. This post will review and compare Cloud Stinger and Cloud drone – two of its models. Both are well-priced gaming headsets targeting various gaming gadgets such as PS4, PC, and smartphones.
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Hyperx Cloud Drone vs Stinger
You can seek out a few reasonably good headsets gaming at just shy of 50 USD. And Kingston boasts such choices in the Drone and Stinger product units. These wired gaming headsets pull off a comfy vibe; above all, they deliver relatively solid sound performance and excellent microphone quality considering their price.
On the one hand, it is possible to own a pretty better-sounding headset if you are willing to spend somewhat more. Yet, on the other hand, you cannot go wrong with the Hyperx product units in case you are on a shoestring budget.
Key specifications
| Key Specs | Kingston HyperX Cloud Drone | Kingston HyperX Cloud Stinger |
| Form Factor | Over ear | Over ear |
| Material | Composite | Composite |
| Ear Cushion Material | Memory Foam + Leatherette | Memory Foam + Leatherette |
| Cord Length | 1 m | 1.3 m |
| Cable Length | 2 m | 1.7 m |
| Connector Type | 3.5 mm Jack | 3.5 mm Jack |
| Control Type | Volume control | Volume control |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz-20kHz | 18Hz-23kHz |
| Sound Pressure | 94dB | 102 ± 3dBSPL/mW at 1kHz |
| Driver Size | 40 mm | 50 mm |
| Weight | 220 gms | 275 gms |
| Warranty | 2 years | 2 years |
| Microphone | Yes, with swivel-to-mute noise-cancellation feature | Yes, with swivel-to-mute noise-cancellation feature |
| Multi-Platform Compatibility | PC, Xbox One1, PS4, Wii U, Mac, & mobile devices | PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, & mobile devices |
| Price | At a slightly lower price | At a slightly higher price but still affordable |
Pros & Cons
| Pros & Cons | Kingston HyperX Cloud Drone | Kingston HyperX Cloud Stinger |
| What you may like | – Comfy- Good quality plastic- Soft on the ear- Good audiophile sound- Good design- Plausible noise cancellation from the mic- Affordable | – Comfy- Good quality plastic- Soft on the ear- Strong audio performance for the cost- Good design- Plausible noise cancellation from the mic- Affordable |
| What you may not like | – Limited portability, not collapsible- Small clamp for being over the head- Not strong in extreme high and low frequencies. | – Limited portability, not collapsible- Not strong in extreme high and low frequencies. |
Features in comparison
1. Design
The Hyperx Cloud Stinger is a genuinely plain headset since it is black from head to toe, aside from being all-plastic. Such a design indeed fits in accordance with its affordable cost.
With that being said, the model does not feel cheap by any means. However, it seems to do little to grab your attention or be incredibly sophisticated or rugged in its design. The HyperX’s red logo painted on each ear cup’s outsides is the mere color on the product.
Hyperx Cloud Drone vs Stinger in this regard? While it is not a high-end headset, it does not feel cheap as well. Best yet, the Cloud Drone has the edge over the Stinger when it comes to design. Like the Stinger, the model uses the plastic material and has a matte dark finish and a red logo on each ear cup.
What is different is the headband’s red padding helps touch up the dark domination impeccably. However, the small clam for being over the head may not be likable to some users.
It is worth mentioning that the plastic material used in both Kingston Hyperx Cloud Stinger and Drone feels lightweight, and you can regard this attribute as incredible for more extended gaming sessions. What is more? Sitting on top of ears, both models’ ear cup is composed of memory foam padding and a synthetic leather cover. That feels entirely comfy yet is not even close as luxurious as the Turtle Beach Elite Pro Professional Surround Sound Gaming Headset and not exactly as thick as the earpads on the Razer Kraken Pro V2 Headband.
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That is not all; you may like the audio cable since it belongs to the braided type viewed as longer-lasting and tangle-free.
Best yet, these headset cables are long enough as well as end in one 3.5 mm plug (four poles), allowing them to work with different present-day gaming handhelds & consoles, alongside practically any mobile device & a couple of laptops. You may also appreciate that HyperX comes with an extension cable, enabling use with computers & notebooks with separate microphone & headphone inputs.
Despite both models’ ear cups’ limited rotation, the Hyperx Cloud Stinger is a touch better as its ear cups do a good job of rotating at a 90° angle to fit more amazingly around your neck. Ultimately, it will let you play comfortably for quite a long time.
Speaking of volume control, how is Hyperx Cloud Drone vs Stinger? The Cloud Stinger comes with a slider on the right ear cup’s underside that facilitates mechanical control over the volume.
As for the Cloud Drone headset, you can control its volume in a breeze thanks to the dial on the right ear cup’s outside. It is an uncommon & rare design element in this product category, to be honest.
In both models, what is cool is that once you flip the mic up, it will mute automatically.
Further to the design, in terms of portability, as far as we know, these product units are not flexible as a lightweight gaming headset seems to be required to be. It is not foldable. On a side note, feel free to extend their headphones on both sides.
2. Voice quality & Game performance
Talking about the HyperX Cloud Drone, it works incredibly with the mid-tones, yet not that fantastic as far as treble & bass go. Still, that is acceptable given that gaming headphones are generally not intended for high-intensity treble & bass but the mid-level tones. As you may know, their crispness is not noteworthy, aside from the by-default significantly low volume levels.
It is interesting to share that we played the first-person shooting video game Call of Duty: Black Ops II with numerous different sounds – say, team talk, walking sound, & gunshot to test all of the gaming sounds. Guess what? While the mids were excellent, this product unit missed crisp tones & deep bass.
Regarding this factor, how do Hyperx Cloud Drone vs Stinger compare? For gaming, the Cloud Stinger’s sound quality is admirable. We gamed the Call of Duty and were pleasantly surprised that the solid above-sub-bass lows provide the various guns with a lot of punch.
What is also fascinating is, while explosion & gunshots will not be a skull rattling experience via their vibrations, you will surely remain mindful of them. Because of solid high-mid presence, even at times of intense battle, barked orders & voice cues are surprisingly clear. On top of that, the sound at max volume is powerful, improving your missions’ immersion, even without producing again super high or super low frequencies.
3. Music performance
You may also love that though these product units are essentially headsets for gaming, they play music quite well. Both managed to take care of Silent Shout (The Knife) – the bass track we use to test them, without a trace of distortion even at the highest volumes.
On the one hand, the models do not reach overly deep into the sub-bass domain. But, on the other hand, unlike headphones with a robust low-end realm, there is not enough excellent head-shaking thump in these headsets’ bass synth hits & kick drum.
Again, the models focus on mids (as well as high-mids & low-mids) over any legit extreme frequency response. As clean as the opening sound’s acoustic guitar plucks sound, they need a large part of the strings’ texture achieved from headphones whose high-frequency response is better & more subtle.
Also, on the one hand, you may appreciate the fair share of the low-mid thump the electric slap bass receives. Regardless, on the other hand, nothing reaches truly in-depth into the low frequencies. In this sense, we would instead recommend the G231 Prodigy Gaming Headset from Logitech. Its response in all cases is more excellent, and it has a marginally stronger reach into the higher & lower frequencies.
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4. Microphone quality
Hyperx Cloud Drone vs Stinger in microphone quality? They are comparable.
According to our test result, the mic’s voice quality is decent; indeed, cracks or distortions at the listener’s end were unnoticeable.
The noise cancellation is also noteworthy. You can hear the word spoken on the mic unmistakably, and it does not blend in with the background. Though the models have not been yet on par with dedicated microphones that perform powerfully and sensitively, they can function admirably for calling into podcasts and gaming voice chat.
The bottom line
Hyperx Cloud Drone vs Stinger? Both are reasonably-priced gaming headsets with fulfilling performance given their cost. It is safe to say that they are standouts amongst other headsets at below 50 USD in the market these days – not to mention the comfort they deliver on the head.
Where they are practically indistinguishable, the Cloud Drone product unit has a bit less boring colored design. As for the Stinger, to some people, it is a touch better. That is because its ear cups turn at a 90° angle for a better fit around your neck.
Further, the Kingston Hyperx Cloud Stinger’s voice quality is somewhat more fantastic. However, when it comes to the two models’ music performance, both are not on the same level as headphones that boast better & more subtle high-frequency responses.
As we are on the subject, we suggest buying the G231 Prodigy Gaming Headset for the remarkable sound in case you can spend some more money. Yet if you cannot pay more than 50 USD, your best bet should be either the Cloud Drone or the Cloud Stinger.
What if you are the type not concerned about the price of things? Then, you may be better off picking the Turtle Beach Elite Pro Professional Surround Sound Gaming Headset. Admittedly, it is much more expensive than the Stinger model; regardless, the product unit is one of the most excellent performing, most fantastic feeling wired gaming headsets – to the best of our knowledge.
