HyperX Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless Review: Good Comfort, Not-So-Good Sound

The HyperX Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless is a rather easy headset to like, at least until you start paying closer attention to how it sounds. It’s lightweight, incredibly comfortable, works across multiple devices, and at AED 376, is priced quite sensibly. Sure, it looks and feels a little cheap, but it’s also reasonably well made, and I have no major complaints about its construction.

HyperX has kept things relatively simple with the Stinger 3 Wireless. You get large 50mm drivers, 2.4GHz wireless connectivity alongside Bluetooth, a flip-to-mute microphone, and up to 80 hours of battery life. There isn’t much in the way of fancy features, well, except virtual surround sound, but for a headset in this price range, there’s enough here to satisfy most gaming needs.

For the most part, I have enjoyed using the Stinger 3 Wireless. It fits well, doesn’t weigh down on my head, and the wireless connectivity makes it convenient to jump between my PC and other devices. Unfortunately, I haven’t been quite as fond of its sound quality, which is a bit of a shame because the rest of the headset does a pretty decent job for the price.

Is the Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless comfortable and well built?

Design-wise, the Stinger 3 Wireless isn’t going to get second looks. It’s a fairly standard gaming headset with a matte-black finish, oval-shaped earcups, and subtle HyperX branding on the sides. There are no RGB lights or anything particularly fancy about its appearance, and that’s perfectly fine.

The entire headset is constructed from plastic, except for the steel sliders that reinforce the adjustable headband. At around 287g, it’s remarkably lightweight, but that also contributes to how cheap it feels in the hands. Even the leatherette ear cushions feel a little plasticky and of lower quality than what you find on more expensive headsets.

However, despite its somewhat cheap appearance, I have no real issues with its build quality. The headset feels sturdy and well put together, and twisting or flexing the frame doesn’t produce any creaking or groaning from the plastic. Whether it will hold up after a year or two of regular use remains to be seen, but so far, I haven’t found anything particularly concerning about its construction. Some might expect a bit more spit and polish for AED 376, but I think it’s reasonable for what you are paying.

Where the Stinger 3 Wireless really impresses is in its comfort. The headband sits comfortably on my noggin, the clamp force is just about perfect, and the memory foam cushions are soft enough to create a snug fit without putting unnecessary pressure around my ears. My right ear, which has a habit of finding something to complain about with almost every headset I try, had absolutely no issues with the Stinger 3. I could wear these for long gaming sessions without feeling the need to constantly adjust them or take them off to give my ears some rest.

Of course, the leatherette material isn’t particularly breathable, and combined with the snug fit, the earcups can get quite warm after prolonged use. That’s pretty much expected with faux leather cushions, however, and is a trade-off you’ll have to make for the comfortable fit and seal they provide. The earcups can also swivel flat, which is convenient if you want to rest the headset around your neck or keep it on your desk.

Coming to the controls, HyperX has kept things simple here as well. The left earcup houses the power button and USB-C charging port, while the right earcup features a multi-function button, volume wheel, and a physical switch to toggle between 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth. The buttons feel reasonably tactile and clicky, and there’s nothing complicated about using them.

However, I am not a fan of the volume wheel being placed on the right earcup. Why? Because that’s where your mouse hand is, and having to take it off the mouse to adjust the volume isn’t always ideal, especially when you’re in the middle of a game and don’t want to lose your aim or positioning. There’s ample vacant space on the left earcup where HyperX could have placed the wheel instead, so I am not quite sure why they chose this arrangement.

The microphone is permanently attached to the left earcup and features a flexible boom arm that can be bent to position it closer to your mouth. It also has a flip-to-mute function, so simply raising the microphone upwards automatically mutes it. The mechanism works fine, and I have no complaints about its implementation.

For connectivity, the Stinger 3 Wireless offers both low-latency 2.4GHz wireless via an included USB-C dongle and Bluetooth for connectivity to smartphones, tablets and other compatible devices. A USB-C to USB-A adapter is also included, allowing you to use the dongle with systems that don’t have a USB-C port. The headset is compatible with PC, Mac, PS5, and Nintendo Switch in docked mode, among other supported devices.

Now, you cannot use 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth simultaneously, which means you cannot listen to audio from your PC and smartphone at the same time. Some more expensive gaming headsets offer this functionality, but I don’t particularly mind its omission here considering the price.

In fact, I like that HyperX includes a dedicated physical switch to switch between the two wireless modes. There’s no need to remember button combinations, press and hold something for a few seconds, or fiddle around to figure out which mode the headset is currently using. Just flick the switch to your preferred connection and you are good to go.

One thing to note, however, is that the Stinger 3 is entirely wireless (hence the name?). It has no 3.5mm headphone jack or wired audio support, so you will need to use one of the two wireless connections to get audio, and make sure there is always some juice left in the tank.

Is the NGENUITY software worth installing?

The Stinger 3 Wireless uses HyperX NGENUITY software on Windows, which offers a fair amount of customisation for both audio and the microphone. The interface is fairly straightforward, with a large render of the headset, a battery percentage indicator, and separate tabs for audio, spatial sound and device settings.

The main audio page gives you access to headset and microphone volume, mic monitoring, and an audio equaliser that lets you create custom sound profiles. It also offers microphone presets and additional effects, including AI Noise Reduction, Compressor, and Limiter, though these are optional and can be enabled or disabled individually.

The standout feature is Spatial Audio, which converts standard stereo output into a virtual 7.1.2 surround sound setup. Unlike most gaming headsets that simply provide an on/off toggle for spatial audio, NGENUITY lets you adjust the effect in a few different ways.

For starters, the Experience slider ranges from Performance to Immersion, letting you adjust spatial processing depending on whether you want a more focused presentation or a wider, more expansive sound. There’s also a Distance slider, which goes from Near to Far, to control how far away the virtual speakers are perceived to be.

If you want to tinker further, the Advanced Settings menu lets you adjust the volume of each virtual audio channel individually, including the centre, front, side, rear, and subwoofer channels. You can also enable Audio Heights, swap the side and rear channels, and adjust the spatial positioning of chat audio. The software even lists a 12-channel option, though it shows a warning indicator beside it.

It’s quite a lot of settings to play around with, especially for a headset at this price point. However, we’ll explore how useful the spatial audio processing actually is in the sound quality section.

How does the Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless sound?

I am not particularly impressed with the Stinger 3 Wireless’s sound quality. In fact, I find it quite disappointing, which is surprising because HyperX headsets are generally known to sound pretty good.

The headset features 50mm dynamic drivers with a frequency response of 10Hz to 50kHz, but unfortunately, all of that doesn’t translate into a particularly good listening experience. The sound is muddy and muffled, lacking the clarity and punch I would expect from a gaming headset, even one that costs AED 376.

The biggest problem seems to be the midrange, which sounds like it’s buried three feet under everything else. And strangely enough, it’s not because the bass is overpowering it. The bass is actually quite decent, reasonably tight and controlled, though nothing particularly impressive. The mids are so recessed that most of the game sounds and musical details struggle to come through.

The treble isn’t doing the headset any favours either. It’s far too smooth and blunted, lacking the bite, sharpness, and energy that would otherwise bring the sound to life. The result is a rather bland sound profile with little dynamics or excitement to speak of.

I tested the headset with Marvel Rivals and Valor Mortis, and neither game sounded particularly good. In Rivals, for example, Scarlet Witch’s energy attacks have a distinct humming sound when they connect with enemies, while the sound effect that plays when you eliminate an opponent is sharp and punchy. These small audio cues make combat satisfying, but on the Stinger 3 Wireless, they sounded flat and lifeless. The humming was barely audible, and the kill sound lacked the punch and sharpness that make it so distinct.

It was a similar experience in Valor Mortis, where the melee combat felt weak because most of the sound effects were so buried in the mix. Gunshots lacked impact, and the general environmental sounds felt like they were simply there, with no real depth or range to make the world sound convincing. It’s a shame, because both games have pretty good sound design, but the Stinger 3 Wireless doesn’t do much to bring it out.

The recessed mids also affect the headset’s positional audio capabilities. In Rivals, I struggled to get a proper sense of directionality from the sounds around me, although Valor Mortis fared slightly better, with reasonable left and right separation. Still, its positioning isn’t impressive, and I certainly wouldn’t rely on it for competitive gaming, where accurately tracking enemy movements can be crucial.

Music doesn’t fare much better, either. I tried listening to Yoshi Horikawa’s Timbres, a track that makes extensive use of spatial recordings and is great for testing how well headphones can reproduce the placement and movement of sounds. On the Stinger 3 Wireless, it sounded remarkably flat. There was some left-to-right movement, sure, but most of the spatial presentation was missing, and the recording had very little depth or dynamics. Everything sounded one-note, with no punch or energy.

Unfortunately, HyperX’s Spatial Audio doesn’t help matters. Turning it on does expand the soundstage, but it also makes everything sound incredibly hollow, almost as if you were listening to audio in a large, empty theatre. Except, because the mids are already so recessed, it sounds more like you are listening in a large, empty theatre underwater.

NGENUITY does offer an equaliser that could help address some of these shortcomings, but I stuck to the default sound profile for my testing. So, some EQ tinkering could bring the mids forward and add much-needed energy to the overall sound.

Finally, the microphone is average at best. It captures vocals clearly enough for game chats and voice communication, but the recording lacks depth and richness. The voice sounds noticeably compressed and grainy, with that unmistakable low-quality headset microphone sound. It’s serviceable for chatting with teammates, but nothing particularly special.

Should You Buy the HyperX Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless?

The HyperX Cloud Stinger 3 is a perfectly decent wireless gaming headset, and I really wanted to like it, especially given how comfortable it is. But sound quality is arguably the most important part of a gaming headset, and the Stinger 3 Wireless simply doesn’t do enough to impress there. It’s not terrible, but at AED 376, I would expect better.

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