I don’t know a damn thing about fidelity. I’m not a Steely Dan fan, it’s not something that I worry about. That’s not to say I’m not picky about sound quality. Occasionally, you may have heard my dulcet tones in a Daily Dot video review. And when I’m not clacking on a keyboard for Daily Dot, I make stuff for fun on YouTube. I thought I had cracked the “good enough” quality level and had little desire to ever improve. That is, until the HyperX Quadcast S came into my life.
HyperX Quadcast S Primer and Specs
The HyperX Quadcast S is part of the Quadcast duo of USB condenser gaming microphones. Like many HyperX products, it’s built for gamers, but is versatile enough to be used in a myriad of workstation configurations.
It’s propped on an anti-vibration shock mount to minimize the sounds of rumbles and shakes. Tapping the top of the mic provides instant muting to prevent hot mic situations. There are other features, but I’ll dive into those later. Here are a few of the microphone’s technical specifications.
- Power consumption: 5V 220mA
- Sample/bit rate: 48kHz/16-bit
- Element: Electret condenser microphone
- Condenser type: Three 14mm condensers
- Polar patterns: Stereo, Omnidirectional, Cardioid, Bidirectional
- Frequency response: 20Hz–20kHz
- Sensitivity: -36dB (1V/Pa at 1kHz)
- Cable length: 3m
- Weight Microphone: 254g
- Shock mount and stand: 360g
- Total with USB cable: 710g
- Lighting: RGB (16,777,216 colors)
- Light effects: 2 zones
- Connection type: USB-C to USB-A
HyperX Quadcast S Review: Is it worth it?
My history with USB microphones has been dicey at best. At this point in history pretty much everyone from budding podcasters to vloggers probably has a Blue Snowball microphone in their closets. I know I do! I’ve since used other, lesser known brands, including ones that snap into your smartphone that boast “ASMR quality” sound. Suffice to say, I wasn’t expecting too many miracles from the HyperX Quadcast S.
I’ve been using it for a week now and can report I’m incredibly happy with this gaming microphone. Here are a few things about it I really dig about it.
1) Gorgeous, and surprisingly low profile
If your workstation looks anything like mine, there’s at least two screens, a keyboard, a mouse, a USB hub for accessories, a gamepad or two, an external hard drive that’s NOT filled with old Simpsons episodes, a small cereal bowl that used to house Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, a charger for an iPhone you no longer own, a manga about Japanese history…the list could go on. It’s a mess, and something like a microphone only adds to the clutter.
The Quadcast S is not only a low-profile accessory that takes up little space, it’s a sleek little number that you’ll never want to put away because it’s so gosh dang eye-catching. Using HyperX NGENUITY software, you can even customize colors and effects to your mic. Me? I like it to glow purple and blue. But you’ve got almost 17 million dynamic colors to choose from to personalize your mic.
2) User/Dummy friendly
I’m not a technical guy. I’m a nerd, but not one of the smart ones who have practical knowledge about computers and programming outside of “You can use your Nintendo Switch in docked or portable mode” and “Did you know you can watch TV shows and movies on Hulu.com?” My mind is a sieve, I apologize.
Luckily, the HyperX Quadcast S is smart enough to do most of the heavy lifting all on its own. It records in four polar patterns, like any mic worth its salt. It’s certified by Discord and TeamSpeak, and compatible with all the popular streaming platforms like Streamlabs OBS and Xsplit. Tapping the top of the mic mutes it instantly, an amazing feature I never knew I wanted.
3) Excellent recording quality
Recording my voice is always a struggle since my place is just off a main road that gets a fair amount of traffic. Plus, I have a few neighbors on all sides that like to operate heavy machinery. Go figure.
I recorded in various rooms in the house to test just how good the recording quality is. A quiet office. A bedroom with cats meowing up a storm. And then finally, a room with a noisy ice machine and dishwasher going. All takes rendered clear voice recordings. In the worst cases, only minimal editing was required. In two of the cases, the raw recording was good enough to use without any editing. Amazing.
More Jaime Says: “Buy It!” Reviews
- GPD Win Max portable gaming laptop
- Breville Barista Touch Espresso Maker
- Zojirushi Home Bakery Supreme
- O-Cedar EasyWring Mop
- Emeril Lagasse Pasta and More
- Canon Content Creator Kit
Final Verdict
If, like me, content creation is a constant in your professional and extra-curricular life, sooner or later you’re going to have to edit audio. More importantly, you’re going to have to speak into a device that captures your voice. And you better hope that the audio you recorded comes out clear. After all, very few of us have Rick Rubin’s producing chops.
The HyperX Quadcast S is not just for gamers and streamers, even though it’s made with them in mind. It’s got form and function, and a welcome tool worthy of a spot on your workstation. Plus, at only $159.99, it’s an affordable splurge.
A few notes
- The HyperX Quadcast has a few less frills, but is still a great mic, and $30 bucks cheaper than the S model, no less.
- If you need more tools for your climb to internet stardom, Canon Content Creator kit will cover everything else you need to become a vlog star.
If you have an interesting product you’d like to be featured in an upcoming review, reach out to jcarrillo@thedailydot.com and it just may be!
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