REVIEW: HyperX Quadcast USB Condensor Microphone
HyperX has always offered some fantastic products for gamers but now they’ve started to enter the streaming space as well. With the HyperX Quadcast USB Condensor Microphone. And let’s just say that this microphone is everything a streamer and content creator could ask for. So let’s get into the review with the tech specs of the mic.
Technical Specifications
| Microphone | |
|---|---|
| Power consumption: | 5V 125mA |
| 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: 364g Total with USB cable: 710g |
| Headphone Output | |
| Impedance: | 32 Ω |
| Frequency response: | 20Hz – 20kHz |
| Maximum power output: | 7mW |
| THD: | ≤ 0.05% (1kHz/0dBFS) |
| SNR: | ≥ 90dB (1kHZ, RL=∞) |
One of the unique features of the Quadcast mic and the reason it has the word “Quad” in its name is because it features 4 Polar Patterns. If you’re not certain what this is, it refers to how the microphone capsule picks up sound. The ones that most streamers use and most microphones use the Cardioid pattern which picks up sound from the front of the mic and a bit towards the side, akin to the shape of a cartoon heart.
The Bidirectional pattern is great for interviews and will give you clean audio in such situations. It picks up the audio on the front and the back so it’s great for one on one podcasts and such. Omnidirectional picks up audio from all directions. And Stereo is great for those into ASMR as well as those who would like to record with a good sense of Left and Right from their audio.
Performance and Looks
Now that we’ve discussed what it’s polar patterns are, let’s talk about how it sounds. And in one word, it’s clean. It’s clean, it’s crisp and it is beautiful for a USB microphone. it also comes with two I/O ports. One is a USB mini port which I wish was a Type-C (This has been addressed in the Quadcast S) and the other port is a 3.5mm headphone jack. And to further fine-tune your mic, there’s a gain knob at the back of the mic that’s very cleanly placed. It allows for a lot of granularity so that you can find your sweet spot.
The top of the mic also comes with a handy capacitive mute button. Lightly tap it to mute the mic. Wondering how to figure out when it’s muted? Well, that’s where the eye-catching bright red LED inside the mic comes in handy. When the mic is on, it emits a red light that makes the mic look absolutely breathtaking. When the mic is muted, the light turns off, simple as that. So not only is it aesthetically pleasing, but it’s also functional. Because of how good the mic looks, I’ve started showing it off on my stream.
The mic comes with a table stand which can be removed so that you can attach it to a scissor arms boom stand, which is how I’m using it. It also has an anti-vibration shock mount attached to it to help get rid of some that table vibrations and for when you move it around a bit. It also comes with a mesh filter that helps the light pour through it. This mesh filter acts as a pop filter to get rid of all those plosive noises. And honestly, it does quite a good job but if you’re someone who has very sharp or loud plosives, you might need an additional pop filter, or just add some distance between the mic and yourself to help clean that up.
Verdict
If you’re a content creator, especially a livestreamer, this mic is a fantastic option. It is on the pricier side, sitting at INR 14,900 but it offers a no-frills plug and play experience with a lot of flexibility. It also looks fantastic so that’s an added bonus of using this mic, as it could spruce up your livestream a bit with its design and flair. So if you’re not willing to invest in an XLR mic with an amp and such and want a top of the line USB microphone experience, you can’t go wrong with the HyperX Quadcast.
