A gaming headset with a sturdy boom microphone is great for those who want to stream or record commentary. However, you should give a USB microphone significant consideration if you plan to use your voice online. Even the best headset boom mic cannot match the clarity and richness that a decent USB microphone can provide, so pay attention to this if you plan to create content. For gamers who may be putting themselves out there on YouTube or Twitch, the HyperX QuadCast S is a USB microphone with a gaming-focused focus.
The HyperX QuadCast S microphone is a great choice for streamers and journalists. It has a variety of helpful features, great sound, and flexibility. ..
Design
The HyperX Quadcast S is a sleek and sturdy cylindrical microphone designed for use with any desk. The all-metal body is slim and fits well on any desk, while the included anti-vibration shock mount connects to the weighted metal stand for stability. The microphone also comes with an adapter that works with most stands and boom arms, making it compatible with both 3/8-inch and 5/8-inch thread sizes. ..
The polar pattern control knob on the front of the mixer allows you to choose between a standard or high-pitched sound. The USB-C connector is located farther down, and below it is a 3.5mm headphone socket for listening to your audio. The opulent spherical rubber-coated gain knob, which has a smooth gliding motion when turned in either direction, is located at the very bottom. The condenser microphone’s internal components are covered by a metal grid that is lighted by warm RGB lighting at the top of the microphone. A rubber-coated, touch-sensitive tap-to-mute sensor is located at the very top.
The Razer Seiren Emote (3.9 x 7.6 x 3.9 inches) weighs 1.6 pounds when it is attached to its base. The Blue Yeti (4.7 x 4.9 x 11.6 inches), which weighs 2.2 pounds when attached to its base, rounds out the group
HyperX QuadCast S Microphone review: Sound Quality
The QuadCast S is an updated version of an existing mic, and as such, the sonic qualities are unaltered. They also didn’t need to alter the original QuadCast’s four polar patterns and three distinct mic membranes in order to serve as something of a party trick. Even though the Blue Yeti X can check the same polar pattern boxes, there was a difference in the two speakers’ sound quality. The QuadCast S that we are reviewing is no different. ..
The QuadCast S has a tonne of polar patterns, which makes it painfully close to being a good low-cost studio microphone, but because it can only record at 48 KHz/16 Bit, it can’t quite expand its wings and get there. Naturally, 48KHz/16-bit is sufficient for the purposes of a streamer mic since the audio will either be severely compressed at the source or by the platform. However, you might be persuaded to use a stereo, omnidirectional, cardioid, or bidirectional microphone for some in-home recording and music production if you have access to one. In those circumstances, having a higher sample rate and bitrate to work with is nice—not necessary, but nice.
The QuadCast S fulfils the description of today’s high-end streamer mics, which all fall into a fairly small range with ready-to-go audio. There is undoubtedly an EQ with a slight scoop that increases low mids, mutes mids, and emphasizes high-end frequencies for speech clarity, similar to Razer, Elgato, and more affordable Blue models. This indicates that the microphone is performing some EQ and compression for you, making your recordings sound professional rather than natural. Compared to the QuadCast S and other high-end mics, Blue’s Yeti X continues to provide the most pleasing compromise between natural and broadcast-ready to our ears.
HyperX QuadCast S Microphone review: Software
The HyperX Quadcast S is an instant-on microphone that you can use to start recording as soon as you plug it into a USB port on your computer. With the HyperX NGENUITY programme, which is available for download on the Corsair website, you can personalise your experience to get more precise control over the microphone, monitoring, headphone, and RGB lighting. ..
The Razer Seiren Emote is a gaming emoticon that uses LEDs and software to control its lighting and expressive emoji. Although it lacks Elgato’s Wave Link software’s unique features, the software is simple and simple to use.
HyperX Cloud II is a gaming headset that comes with a built-in lighting system that lets you stack multiple effects and adjust their opacity to create different tones. You can also change the tone of each effect by adjusting its opacity. HyperX Cloud II has a pickup pattern that is displayed in the Audio tab, but changes can only be made at the microphone. This is useful because you can verify your settings from the desktop without disturbing the microphone. ..
HyperX QuadCast S Microphone review: Performance
The QuadCast S is a 16-bit audio recorder that captures audio at 48 kHz. It has a sensitive microphone and a frequency response of 20 Hz to 20 kHz. Although it is outstanding, it is not the best in its class; for instance, the Elgato Wave:3 achieves 96 kHz at 24 bits. But do you really need that degree of fidelity? Many items in the audio industry chase specifications, but once you exceed a certain threshold, they become mostly irrelevant for the majority of applications. ..
The QuadCast S has a noise floor so low that we practically couldn’t detect it, and it covers the whole range of human hearing. The QuadCast was never a limiting factor when recording our weekly podcast with our co-host and his janky-by-comparison microphone. When recording alone, the mic was remarkably quiet at any gain setting we would reasonably use in the real world. All four pickup patterns produced outstanding results, with stereo mode’s stereo imaging showing distinct differences and cardioid mode’s great room-wide sound rejection. ..
We found that the audio quality of the Blue Yeti was warm and deep, with excellent midtones. There’s no denying that we can obtain just as excellent or better audio with this model than with the Blue Yeti, which serves as our standard workhorse. The lighting also adds to the enjoyment. The top-mounted mute button is actually blocked by our external pop filter, making it easier to access. Plosives seemed to be stopped just as well by the QuadCast S and its built-in pop filter as by any complicated external filter we’ve used. ..
Price and availability
The HyperX QuadCast S is a new microphone that costs more than the Blue Yeti. The QuadCast S includes a built-in shock mount and pop filter, which makes it better than the Blue Yeti. Most Blue Yeti users would probably buy both to maximize their sound quality.
The HyperX QuadCast costs $130 and has the same hardware and specifications as the QuadCast S if you’re not sold on spending the extra $30. The QuadCast S, on the other hand, swaps out the red honeycomb aesthetics of its predecessor for programmable RGB lighting, so if personalization is important to you and money is no object, look no further.
Conclusion
The HyperX QuadCast S is a great microphone for streamers and content producers who don’t want to spend more money on options on the market. The outstanding sound quality, dependable construction, and programmable RGB lights make it an excellent addition to any setup. ..
The HyperX QuadCast is a less expensive alternative to the QuadCast S if you’re not big on aesthetics and customizable lighting. However, this mic is well worth the extra $30 if you’re serious about creating the ultimate RGB gaming setup. ..
