Gaming headsets with sturdy boom microphones work well for gamers who want to stream or record commentary. However, you should give a USB microphone significant consideration if you’re serious about using 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 microphone has a tone of helpful features, including programmable RGB lighting, on-mic headphone monitoring, a shock mount, four recording patterns, and on-mic headphone monitoring. It has great flexibility and great sound, making it a great microphone for streamers and deserving of our Editors’ Choice. you can read our article on HyperX QuadCast S Microphone review.
Design
The HyperX S Quadcast cylindrical design in satin black is slim but sturdy. The tubular, all-metal body beckons you to pick it up and begin recording. The HyperX Quadcast S fits well on any desk because it is housed in the included anti-vibration shock mount, which is connected to the weighted metal stand. The microphone also comes with an adapter that works with most stands and boom arms and can accommodate both 3/8-inch and 5/8-inch thread sizes. You may quickly choose the pattern you think is appropriate for what you’re working on using the polar pattern control knob, which is located on the front. A 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 Quadcast S (8.5 x 2 inches), as we have already indicated, weighs a total of 1.58 pounds when it is linked to its base and shockmount. Despite being the smaller microphone, 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. Shockmounts are not included with the Blue Yeti or Razer Seiren Emote. also you will learn our article on HyperX QuadCast S Microphone review.
HyperX QuadCast S Microphone review: Sound Quality
Since the QuadCast S is an updated version of an existing mic, you know what to expect: As far as these ears can tell, the sonic qualities are unaltered. They also didn’t need to alter. The original QuadCast’s four polar patterns and three distinct mic membranes served as something of a party trick, which is why the product name is obviously derived from it. 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. However, there are a few restrictions. 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, but these are small differences between models.
HyperX QuadCast S Microphone review: Software
The HyperX Quadcast S is an instant-on microphone. As soon as you plug it into a USB port on your computer, you may begin recording. With the HyperX NGENUITY programme, which is available for download on the Corsair website, you may personalise your experience. It offers more precise control over the microphone, monitoring, headphone, and RGB lighting, allowing the user to alter the colour of the light pattern and the rate of transition. The Razer Seiren Emote uses LEDs and its software controls the Emote’s lighting as well as a variety of expressive emojis that notify the user of likes and new subscribers if you’re looking for a more interactive lighting scenario. Although it lacks Elgato’s Wave Link software’s unique features, which give users access to a soundboard-like control and the ability to control multiple audio sources, the software is simple and simple to use. You can stack lighting effects in layers and let them bleed through by altering their opacity, and each effect has a tone of tweaking options, so if you’ve used Ngenuity with other HyperX products, you’ll feel right at home here. One lighting effect can be saved on the microphone so that if you take the mic on the road, it will still use those settings. The pickup pattern you’ve chosen is displayed in the Audio tab, but changes can only be made at the microphone. However, 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 uses the same internal components as the QuadCast and captures audio at a bitrate of 16 bits and a frequency of 48 kHz. The microphone is sensitive down to -36dB and has a frequency response of 20Hz to 20kHz. Although outstanding, that is not the best in its class; for instance, the Elgato Wave:3 achieves 96kHz at 24 bits. But do you really require 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. When used correctly, such as when recording close-up, we discovered that the audio was warm and deep, with excellent midtones in our voice recordings. 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, and the lighting also adds to the enjoyment. The Blue Yeti’s mute button is actually blocked by our external pop filter, making the top-mounted mute button easier to access. Plosives seemed to be stopped just as well by the QuadCast S and its built-in pop as by any complicated external filter we’ve used.
Price and availability
The HyperX QuadCast S costs $159 at retail, which is over $30 more than its main rival, the Blue Yeti. The entire cost of the two mics, however, nearly balances out when you consider that the QuadCast S includes a built-in shock mount and pop filter. Most Blue Yeti users would probably buy both to maximize their sound quality. also you can check our article on HyperX QuadCast S Microphone review. 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
For streamers and content producers who aren’t ready to upgrade to more expensive options on the market, the HyperX QuadCast S is a superb microphone. The outstanding sound quality, dependable construction, and programmable RGB lights of this microphone make it an excellent addition to any setup. The internal pop filter and built-in shock mount of the QuadCast S enable it to rival the renowned Blue Yeti in terms of sound quality without requiring you to purchase any additional accessories. The HyperX QuadCast is a less expensive alternative to the QuadCast S if you’re not big on aesthetics and customizable lighting because it has the same hardware. However, this mic is well worth the extra $30 if you’re serious about creating the ultimate RGB gaming setup.
