HyperX Cloud Stinger headset: comfort and great connectivity for reasonable money
Hi GT! You are already familiar with HyperX headsets. The blog Kingston already had materials about all the lines: about the tournament Drone, and about the intermediate Cloud (represented by CloudX), and about the flagship Revolver. It is time to get acquainted with the new model, which entered the market just last month.
Designed from scratch, sharpened to use with computers and laptops, licked to the smallest detail and offers uncompromising quality for their money. Meet the HyperX Stinger .
In the HyperX lineup, the Stinger model will take the place of an entry-level gaming headset. It is bigger, more comfortable and sounds better than the Drone, which focuses primarily on eSports disciplines: those who have gotten a mouthwash over the counter, the home of the shkoloty - DotA and Korean chess - StarCraft.
')
At the same time, the Stinger is more convenient and more comfortable to use as a purely computer headset than the universal Cloud line: it can also be used with tablet phones, will not die from traveling in a backpack or neck, but the design and some chips are designed, nevertheless, to stationary use.
The headset looks neat and modest: no flashy lights, bright accents or chrome inserts. It seems that the era of "game design" is successfully coming to an end. Not all manufacturers have caught this trend, but here everything is as I would like to see: modest and tidy. Matte black plastic that does not collect prints, metal inserts in the headband and moving parts, integrated into the left cup the microphone rod from rubberized material, and likewise installed volume control in the right.
In terms of overall design and sharpening for use in the gaming context, the headset has taken successful decisions from the Drone tournament model: both the regulator built into the speaker cup, rather than dangling on the wire, and the microphone auto-off when changing its position, and comfort during prolonged wear. At the same time, the materials and the attitude to the user are different here, after all, the product is not designed for e-sports, but for a comfortable immersion into the game world ...
Take the same headband: the arc is made of highly flexible plastic. It collapses into a spiral and returns to its original position without problems, day under load in a bent state - the headset as new, not even the slightest trace of residual deformation, cracks or visible changes.
A cunning system is used for sliding elements: the half-arms themselves are reinforced with metal plates, the tips of which are included in massive plastic blocks. The frame of the speaker cup is attached to these blocks. The most often broken element, you say. Yes, that is right. Therefore, the element is thoroughly reinforced, and the speakers themselves are attached to it through a swivel hinge and a folding frame.
With this design, the headband is a natural fit for any head shape. It stretches perfectly in width, bends in any direction, the springing effect of metal inserts is adjusted so that the headphones do not tend to squeeze your eyes out of the skull, and at the same time firmly held on it. The cups have two degrees of freedom and a large margin of adjustment for departure. The headset is very light, only 275 grams, and this mass is distributed evenly between the headband and ear cups. User comfort was taken care of at the highest level.
In Stinger, you can sit all day without problems, and the swivel mechanism allows you to wear a headset around your neck without discomfort due to large volumes of cups - they just turn 90 degrees and lie on your chest. After a couple of minutes, you will simply forget that something is hanging around your neck, then you will be looking for another half day where the headset is.
According to the materials, nothing new has been invented since the first Cloud: the insides of the ear cushions and headbands are filled with memory foam, which takes the shape of your head after a few minutes of wearing, and this clever filling is hidden behind high-quality leatherette that breathes and passes moisture. Ears do not disappear, the temperature inside the headphones does not rise much.
True, in one place HyperX didn’t move away from the usual materials: the cable lost a fabric braid and got a polymer jacket. It does not twist, a little stretches, pleasant tactile and easy to clean, unlike textiles.
TL; DR, ergonomics: The headset is created from scratch, absorbed the best practices HyperX. The headband is very flexible, the design is robust, the speaker cups have two degrees of freedom, they did not save on materials.
The microphone (at least, its hardware stuffing) in Stinger migrated directly from the flagship model Revolver. The same supersensitive capacitor element with a narrow radiation pattern and passive noise cancellation is used. Soft lining, like the older brother - no, but the competent setting and design of the "head" of the microphone almost negated the need for this accessory.
Voice recording is amazing. You can speak quietly, do not strain, and you will be well heard, and the background noise is reliably cut off by the design of the sensitive element and its body.
The bar of the microphone is non-removable, flexible, but the position does not remember very readily: the letter "sic" does not bend it. However, its factory form and position almost perfectly fits, and a small dog towards the mouth holds it perfectly. In the absence of the need for voice communication, the microphone can simply be raised vertically upwards. A characteristic click that you feel with both ears and hands will notify you that the hardware switch has been activated and the microphone is inactive.
In the right speaker cup resistive volume control is located. It is made better than in the younger model, it is much easier to use it by touch, and the adjustment itself is clearer. The slider has subtle "divisions", however, they are conditional - no one bothers to move it literally a drop and get the desired result. The main problem of such a thing is to get used to the fact that it is at hand and not to reach out for an uncomfortable hotkey or in software settings.
Of course, the resistive circuit will wear out over time, but rather, you just want to change the headphones for something new or a higher class than the linear mechanism in Stinger will become unusable. And in the extreme case, a couple of drops of oil for sewing machines will return the switch to life for another year or two.
TL; DR, communication: The microphone was taken from the flagship model, it is turning, the mechanism is combined with a switch. Sensor element capacitor, narrowly targeted, with passive noise cancellation. In the right cup speaker set volume control.
Since this is primarily a gaming headset, and already the second is a headset, the sound should be considered initially in the context of a game application. The speakers have a certain blockage towards low frequencies, which adds to the special effects of depth and volume: explosions, shots, a heavy repetition of steps and the roar of a helicopter rotor, combined with the howling of a tank engine, do not seem to be “empty”. Immersion in the gameplay you provided. Battlefield 1 sounds awesome.
At the same time, the headset has a good mid-range transmission. The voice of the interlocutors in timbre does not distort, although it makes it a bit flat. In principle, this is treated by adjusting the system equalizer, but, most likely, it became generally noticeable only by testing a headset with a sound card, whose capabilities are somewhat wider than the average solutions built into laptops and motherboards.
In terms of music playback headphones are pleased with a balanced sound. Yes, again, a certain excess of low frequencies is present (and is easily corrected by the equalizer), but you will not hear any overload on heavy guitar riffs, or choked and dirty drums. The sound is clear, and if you do not use the preamp in any media player, then no wheezing and work beyond the possibilities of the membrane - everything is smooth and clear.
Classical music, like Eric Sati's piano works, sounds empty, and the sound seems ... well, inexpensive. But some Mozart with a rich overtone orchestra and chorus sounds normal. (For the test, we used the record Requiem d-moll Kv. 626, Herbert von Karajan, Wiener Philarmoniker - III. Sequenz - No. 6 Lacrimosa). Yes, in some episodes of detail is not enough, but we are testing a gaming headset, for which ask for less than $ 100, and not audiophile headphones for half a thousand evergreens. Well, if you go down from heaven to Earth and take something suitable for the test in terms of atmosphere and stage ... Let's say, the Imperial March performed by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra:
Then everything will immediately fall into place. Volumetric low frequencies, well-divided tops and a strong desire to say: “No. I am your father. ”
In general, the headset is 100% designed to dive into the gaming and video atmosphere, and not for audiophiles. With such a price, the sound of mono-instrumental works can be called flat, but this will be frank hypocrisy in relation to both user cases and to what the gadget was sharpened and calculated.
TL; DR, sound: There is a certain excess of low frequencies and "flat" middle ones, it is treated with an equalizer.
Good speakers are chosen for the headset, and a resistance of 30 ohms can be called optimal: a sound card built into a laptop or PC, a smartphone, a tablet or a console can cope with such a headset, the sound will be loud and clear enough. The same 60 ohms in CloudX - a serious test for inexpensive smartphones or laptops, in which the manufacturer saved on the audio path: they simply sound quiet and expressionless.
Speaker: diaphragm diameter - 50 mm, core with neodymium magnets;
Type of cups: covering, closed type;
Frequency response: 18 Hz - 23 000 Hz;
Full impedance: 30 Ω;
Sound pressure level: 102 ± 3 dB SPL / mW at 1 kHz;
Nonlinear distortion factor: <2%;
Input power: nominal 30 mW, maximum 500 mW;
Weight: 275 g
Cable length and type: Headset (1.3 m, one-piece) + Y-extension (1.7 m);
Connection: Headset - 3.5 mm plug (4-pole.) + Extension cord - 3.5 mm stereo plugs for headphones and microphone.
Sensor: Electret condenser microphone;
Pattern: Unidirectional, with noise reduction;
Frequency response: 50 Hz ~ 18000 Hz;
Sensitivity: -40 dBV (0 dB = 1 V / Pa, 1 kHz).
The headset is an inexpensive one, but no one began to pack it into a bespontovy plastic blister, which you will cut yourself about ten times until you open the package and remove the stuffing. The box, of course, is not the flagship, inside - not the Palace of Versailles, but everything is fair. Solid cardboard, foamed base, neat glossy shell, beautiful prints were used. You can be absolutely sure that nothing will happen with your gadget during transportation.
In addition to the headset, brief instructions and promo leaflets inside, you will find, again, a classic almost two-meter adapter from one four-pin 3.5 mm mini jack to two three-pin ones. Compatibility with mobile gadgets, desktops and laptops is provided.
There are drawbacks in any product, the question is how relevant they are for you. Stingers do not have the best sound insulation, and this is not about the penetration of sounds outside (everything is fine here), but about their leakage into the surrounding world. At maximum volume in the meter from the owner of the headphones it is quite possible to distinguish words, and in half a meter - just listen to someone else's speech, albeit muffled. So adult video at night will still have to watch without sound. :)
Well, the second negative: the cable included in the headset is not detachable. On the one hand, the connector does not become loose; production is cheaper (and in such low-cost products, every cent on assembly and technical processes is saved in order to get a decent price on the counter and recoup the development). On the other hand, without a soldering iron or service center, you can no longer replace a damaged cable. However, no one has canceled the need for careful operation of the device, regardless of its price. Appreciate and take care of the headset, and it will reciprocate you for many, many days: to please with cool audio playback, to transfer your voice without interference and distortion, will be comfortable and pretty.
When a vendor of gaming hardware or peripherals says that the new model is “designed from scratch” somewhere in the depths of the subconscious mind the thought “well, again bicycles or crutches” shrinks. In this case, personally, my anxiety was completely false. HyperX Stinger exclusively available on the network DNS for 4 990 rubles .
They have stunning ergonomics, naturally the best headset of all that sat on my head (up to 15 thousand rubles for sure), balanced sound and made reliably: flexible in those places where it is necessary, in the hinges and the points of interface elements - strong , with additional stiffeners inside. The headset does not creak, does not crack and does not look flimsy.
We were pleased with the integrated volume control: it is more reliable than those mini-consoles that hang on the cables, and, again, facilitates the cable itself. Well, of course, Stinger's skate is voice quality. It is just a head taller than any headset twice or three times more expensive. The microphone works perfectly. We wanted a headset for a long time, but we were waiting for “something like that, so I just understood - mine”? It seems she went out.
And so that no one leaves offended, we give a discount of 12% on all available DDR4 Predator models on the Yulmart network. Arm with a promotional code GEEKPR16 and have time to buy high-speed memory until December 31, 2016.
For more information about Kingston and HyperX products, visit the company's official website . In choosing your kit HyperX help page with visual aids .
Designed from scratch, sharpened to use with computers and laptops, licked to the smallest detail and offers uncompromising quality for their money. Meet the HyperX Stinger .
Positioning
In the HyperX lineup, the Stinger model will take the place of an entry-level gaming headset. It is bigger, more comfortable and sounds better than the Drone, which focuses primarily on eSports disciplines: those who have gotten a mouthwash over the counter, the home of the shkoloty - DotA and Korean chess - StarCraft.
')
At the same time, the Stinger is more convenient and more comfortable to use as a purely computer headset than the universal Cloud line: it can also be used with tablet phones, will not die from traveling in a backpack or neck, but the design and some chips are designed, nevertheless, to stationary use.
Created to be comfortable
The headset looks neat and modest: no flashy lights, bright accents or chrome inserts. It seems that the era of "game design" is successfully coming to an end. Not all manufacturers have caught this trend, but here everything is as I would like to see: modest and tidy. Matte black plastic that does not collect prints, metal inserts in the headband and moving parts, integrated into the left cup the microphone rod from rubberized material, and likewise installed volume control in the right.
In terms of overall design and sharpening for use in the gaming context, the headset has taken successful decisions from the Drone tournament model: both the regulator built into the speaker cup, rather than dangling on the wire, and the microphone auto-off when changing its position, and comfort during prolonged wear. At the same time, the materials and the attitude to the user are different here, after all, the product is not designed for e-sports, but for a comfortable immersion into the game world ...
Take the same headband: the arc is made of highly flexible plastic. It collapses into a spiral and returns to its original position without problems, day under load in a bent state - the headset as new, not even the slightest trace of residual deformation, cracks or visible changes.
A cunning system is used for sliding elements: the half-arms themselves are reinforced with metal plates, the tips of which are included in massive plastic blocks. The frame of the speaker cup is attached to these blocks. The most often broken element, you say. Yes, that is right. Therefore, the element is thoroughly reinforced, and the speakers themselves are attached to it through a swivel hinge and a folding frame.
With this design, the headband is a natural fit for any head shape. It stretches perfectly in width, bends in any direction, the springing effect of metal inserts is adjusted so that the headphones do not tend to squeeze your eyes out of the skull, and at the same time firmly held on it. The cups have two degrees of freedom and a large margin of adjustment for departure. The headset is very light, only 275 grams, and this mass is distributed evenly between the headband and ear cups. User comfort was taken care of at the highest level.
In Stinger, you can sit all day without problems, and the swivel mechanism allows you to wear a headset around your neck without discomfort due to large volumes of cups - they just turn 90 degrees and lie on your chest. After a couple of minutes, you will simply forget that something is hanging around your neck, then you will be looking for another half day where the headset is.
According to the materials, nothing new has been invented since the first Cloud: the insides of the ear cushions and headbands are filled with memory foam, which takes the shape of your head after a few minutes of wearing, and this clever filling is hidden behind high-quality leatherette that breathes and passes moisture. Ears do not disappear, the temperature inside the headphones does not rise much.
True, in one place HyperX didn’t move away from the usual materials: the cable lost a fabric braid and got a polymer jacket. It does not twist, a little stretches, pleasant tactile and easy to clean, unlike textiles.
TL; DR, ergonomics: The headset is created from scratch, absorbed the best practices HyperX. The headband is very flexible, the design is robust, the speaker cups have two degrees of freedom, they did not save on materials.
Comfortable communication as one of the priorities
The microphone (at least, its hardware stuffing) in Stinger migrated directly from the flagship model Revolver. The same supersensitive capacitor element with a narrow radiation pattern and passive noise cancellation is used. Soft lining, like the older brother - no, but the competent setting and design of the "head" of the microphone almost negated the need for this accessory.
Voice recording is amazing. You can speak quietly, do not strain, and you will be well heard, and the background noise is reliably cut off by the design of the sensitive element and its body.
The bar of the microphone is non-removable, flexible, but the position does not remember very readily: the letter "sic" does not bend it. However, its factory form and position almost perfectly fits, and a small dog towards the mouth holds it perfectly. In the absence of the need for voice communication, the microphone can simply be raised vertically upwards. A characteristic click that you feel with both ears and hands will notify you that the hardware switch has been activated and the microphone is inactive.
In the right speaker cup resistive volume control is located. It is made better than in the younger model, it is much easier to use it by touch, and the adjustment itself is clearer. The slider has subtle "divisions", however, they are conditional - no one bothers to move it literally a drop and get the desired result. The main problem of such a thing is to get used to the fact that it is at hand and not to reach out for an uncomfortable hotkey or in software settings.
Of course, the resistive circuit will wear out over time, but rather, you just want to change the headphones for something new or a higher class than the linear mechanism in Stinger will become unusable. And in the extreme case, a couple of drops of oil for sewing machines will return the switch to life for another year or two.
TL; DR, communication: The microphone was taken from the flagship model, it is turning, the mechanism is combined with a switch. Sensor element capacitor, narrowly targeted, with passive noise cancellation. In the right cup speaker set volume control.
Pleasant sound in every sense
Since this is primarily a gaming headset, and already the second is a headset, the sound should be considered initially in the context of a game application. The speakers have a certain blockage towards low frequencies, which adds to the special effects of depth and volume: explosions, shots, a heavy repetition of steps and the roar of a helicopter rotor, combined with the howling of a tank engine, do not seem to be “empty”. Immersion in the gameplay you provided. Battlefield 1 sounds awesome.
At the same time, the headset has a good mid-range transmission. The voice of the interlocutors in timbre does not distort, although it makes it a bit flat. In principle, this is treated by adjusting the system equalizer, but, most likely, it became generally noticeable only by testing a headset with a sound card, whose capabilities are somewhat wider than the average solutions built into laptops and motherboards.
In terms of music playback headphones are pleased with a balanced sound. Yes, again, a certain excess of low frequencies is present (and is easily corrected by the equalizer), but you will not hear any overload on heavy guitar riffs, or choked and dirty drums. The sound is clear, and if you do not use the preamp in any media player, then no wheezing and work beyond the possibilities of the membrane - everything is smooth and clear.
Classical music, like Eric Sati's piano works, sounds empty, and the sound seems ... well, inexpensive. But some Mozart with a rich overtone orchestra and chorus sounds normal. (For the test, we used the record Requiem d-moll Kv. 626, Herbert von Karajan, Wiener Philarmoniker - III. Sequenz - No. 6 Lacrimosa). Yes, in some episodes of detail is not enough, but we are testing a gaming headset, for which ask for less than $ 100, and not audiophile headphones for half a thousand evergreens. Well, if you go down from heaven to Earth and take something suitable for the test in terms of atmosphere and stage ... Let's say, the Imperial March performed by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra:
Then everything will immediately fall into place. Volumetric low frequencies, well-divided tops and a strong desire to say: “No. I am your father. ”
In general, the headset is 100% designed to dive into the gaming and video atmosphere, and not for audiophiles. With such a price, the sound of mono-instrumental works can be called flat, but this will be frank hypocrisy in relation to both user cases and to what the gadget was sharpened and calculated.
TL; DR, sound: There is a certain excess of low frequencies and "flat" middle ones, it is treated with an equalizer.
Specifications
Good speakers are chosen for the headset, and a resistance of 30 ohms can be called optimal: a sound card built into a laptop or PC, a smartphone, a tablet or a console can cope with such a headset, the sound will be loud and clear enough. The same 60 ohms in CloudX - a serious test for inexpensive smartphones or laptops, in which the manufacturer saved on the audio path: they simply sound quiet and expressionless.
Headphones
Speaker: diaphragm diameter - 50 mm, core with neodymium magnets;
Type of cups: covering, closed type;
Frequency response: 18 Hz - 23 000 Hz;
Full impedance: 30 Ω;
Sound pressure level: 102 ± 3 dB SPL / mW at 1 kHz;
Nonlinear distortion factor: <2%;
Input power: nominal 30 mW, maximum 500 mW;
Weight: 275 g
Cable length and type: Headset (1.3 m, one-piece) + Y-extension (1.7 m);
Connection: Headset - 3.5 mm plug (4-pole.) + Extension cord - 3.5 mm stereo plugs for headphones and microphone.
Microphone
Sensor: Electret condenser microphone;
Pattern: Unidirectional, with noise reduction;
Frequency response: 50 Hz ~ 18000 Hz;
Sensitivity: -40 dBV (0 dB = 1 V / Pa, 1 kHz).
Package and pleasant things
The headset is an inexpensive one, but no one began to pack it into a bespontovy plastic blister, which you will cut yourself about ten times until you open the package and remove the stuffing. The box, of course, is not the flagship, inside - not the Palace of Versailles, but everything is fair. Solid cardboard, foamed base, neat glossy shell, beautiful prints were used. You can be absolutely sure that nothing will happen with your gadget during transportation.
In addition to the headset, brief instructions and promo leaflets inside, you will find, again, a classic almost two-meter adapter from one four-pin 3.5 mm mini jack to two three-pin ones. Compatibility with mobile gadgets, desktops and laptops is provided.
A spoon of tar
There are drawbacks in any product, the question is how relevant they are for you. Stingers do not have the best sound insulation, and this is not about the penetration of sounds outside (everything is fine here), but about their leakage into the surrounding world. At maximum volume in the meter from the owner of the headphones it is quite possible to distinguish words, and in half a meter - just listen to someone else's speech, albeit muffled. So adult video at night will still have to watch without sound. :)
Well, the second negative: the cable included in the headset is not detachable. On the one hand, the connector does not become loose; production is cheaper (and in such low-cost products, every cent on assembly and technical processes is saved in order to get a decent price on the counter and recoup the development). On the other hand, without a soldering iron or service center, you can no longer replace a damaged cable. However, no one has canceled the need for careful operation of the device, regardless of its price. Appreciate and take care of the headset, and it will reciprocate you for many, many days: to please with cool audio playback, to transfer your voice without interference and distortion, will be comfortable and pretty.
Overall impressions and value for money
When a vendor of gaming hardware or peripherals says that the new model is “designed from scratch” somewhere in the depths of the subconscious mind the thought “well, again bicycles or crutches” shrinks. In this case, personally, my anxiety was completely false. HyperX Stinger exclusively available on the network DNS for 4 990 rubles .
They have stunning ergonomics, naturally the best headset of all that sat on my head (up to 15 thousand rubles for sure), balanced sound and made reliably: flexible in those places where it is necessary, in the hinges and the points of interface elements - strong , with additional stiffeners inside. The headset does not creak, does not crack and does not look flimsy.
We were pleased with the integrated volume control: it is more reliable than those mini-consoles that hang on the cables, and, again, facilitates the cable itself. Well, of course, Stinger's skate is voice quality. It is just a head taller than any headset twice or three times more expensive. The microphone works perfectly. We wanted a headset for a long time, but we were waiting for “something like that, so I just understood - mine”? It seems she went out.
And so that no one leaves offended, we give a discount of 12% on all available DDR4 Predator models on the Yulmart network. Arm with a promotional code GEEKPR16 and have time to buy high-speed memory until December 31, 2016.
For more information about Kingston and HyperX products, visit the company's official website . In choosing your kit HyperX help page with visual aids .
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/399161/
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