If you are a gamer or a streamer you should understand the importance of a good microphone setup. A good mic might not help you with better aim or better visual clarity but having a bad microphone might not only hurt you but your teammates as well.
Nobody wants to hear crackling noises while they are trying to clutch up in a tense game, conversely, nobody wants to watch your gameplay if it sounds like you are also operating a wind turbine in your room because of your bad microphone.
Today I will review one of the best gaming and streaming microphones on the market to this day, the HyperX QuadCast – because red is gamer.
The HyperX QuadCast microphone comes in a nice neat box. There is plenty of cushioning for the microphone and the foam overall feels solid.
In the box, you will find the microphone (duh), the metal stand, the USB cable, and some papers nobody will ever care about.
Personally, I use a simple microphone arm for convenience, but I must admit that the metal stand that the mic comes with feels extremely solid and could potentially be used for self-defense if necessary.
The beauty of this microphone is that it is plug-and-play, so all you have to do is connect it to your PC and you have an audio output instantly.
Great overall packaging and unboxing experience for the HyperX QuadCast!
The biggest reason why many people regard the HyperX QuadCast microphone so highly is its top-notch audio capabilities.
The mic has a sample/bit rate of 48kHz/16-bit and can be operated in 4 different polar patterns: stereo, omnidirectional, cardioid, and bidirectional. For most uses, we recommend leaving the HyperX QuadCast in cardioid mode since that makes the microphone sound the best for gaming and streaming.
Another beautiful thing about this microphone is the fact that you can adjust these polar patterns on the go with the knob on the backside of the microphone. No hassle whatsoever!
The frequency response for the HyperX QuadCast is 20Hz–20kHz and the sensitivity is -36dB (1V/Pa at 1kHz).
Overall the microphone is very capable from a technical perspective and there is no wonder why many streamers have picked the QuadCast up for themselves.
Besides the main features of the HyperX QuadCast gaming and streaming microphone, there are a couple of other extra features that need to be mentioned to fully understand the popularity of this particular microphone.
Besides the hardware button for the polar patterns that you can swap on the go, the microphone also comes with an adjustable gain knob which allows you to customize how loud you are in a matter of seconds!
From other resources and my personal experience, I have found that the microphone sounds best when it is set to the first (smallest dot) level and also set to 0 dB in your Windows sound settings.
As a quick side note, to see what dB you are using instead of the regular percentages on the slider, simply rick-click on the percentage value and select the bD reading in the pop-up menu.
The HyperX QuadCast also has a built-in headphone jack that allows you to monitor your microphone for precise adjustments to how you want it to sound. This is an important feature for advanced users and it is nice to see on a product catered towards everyday gamers and streamers.
Besides these features, one of the main selling points of the HyperX QuadCast microphone is the ability to mute the microphone with a single touch. The microphone has a tap-to-mute sensor on the top, which is connected with the LED lights inside of it.
When the microphone is on, it has its red light shining, while when muted, the LED indicator turns off giving you a visual queue that your microphone is indeed not broadcasting your voice.
From my personal experience of gaming and streaming, I have found that both the tap-to-mute feature and the hardware gain knob make using this microphone extremely intuitive no matter what situation you are in.
Especially the visual indicator for the fact that the microphone is muted is an extremely helpful tool when you want to speak privately to someone outside of your call or stream!
The HyperX QuadCast also feels surprisingly sturdy and well-built inspiring confidence in the quality of the microphone.
The microphone weighs 254g alone, while with the shock mount and the stand it totals at 364g. If you also tack on the 3M long cable the entire package weighs around 710g, which is pretty hefty.
The HyperX QuadCast also comes with an anti-vibration shock mount and a mount adapter included in the package. Moreover, the QuadCast has an internal pop filter which saves you a bit of time and money if you do not have one at hand.
Including the metal stand that was mentioned before as a possible tool for self-defense, I would say the build quality of the microphone is excellent with many features baked into this small form factor from the get-go.
One of the beauties of the HyperX QuadCast is the fact that you do not need any software to operate the microphone at its peak performance. All of the features you would usually see in software are implemented directly on the microphone through hardware knobs or buttons: gain, polar patterns, tap-to-mute.
This makes the experience with the microphone extremely simple and enjoyable from the very start. If you are a fan of software though, we would advise you to look at something like an Elgato Wave 3 which touts a LOT of software customizations.
The HyperX QuadCast gaming and streaming microphone is truly an extremely simple but well-thought-out experience. You feel like there is no setting or option that you are missing because the microphone presents it to you through hardware.
Everything is at your fingertips and feels clearly labeled while also offering you robust choices in setting up your voice broadcasting solution.
Overall I would highly recommend the HyperX QuadCast microphone for people that are in need of a good mic but do not want the hassle of setting up a professional XLR microphone.
Well done HyperX!
The HyperX QuadCast offers an extremely solid experience with every option you would need being integrated into the hardware of the microphone! The QuadCast boasts a solid build quality, diverse base features, and even neat extra features like the glowing tap-to-mute option. Overall a great product for anybody in need of a good mic!