Credit: Cody D. Campbell / HGG
Cody has been a gamer ever since his family got a Sega Genesis when he was five-years-old. In addition to his love of narrative-focused RPGs and ho... Read more
Reviewed by Benjamin Barr
A good USB microphone can be a massive step up for those who are tired of the poor audio quality produced by most headset mics. Maybe you’re a streamer on Twitch, maybe you’ve got a YouTube channel, or maybe you’re just sick of your teammates asking why it sounds like you’re talking to them through a tin can on Discord.
Well, one option for value-seekers is the HyperX SoloCast. This miniature mic was designed to be an affordable option that doesn’t compromise on sound. HyperX sent us one so that we could write a fair an unbiased review. Here’s what we found.
Zoom In: Specs
- Polar patterns: 1 (cardioid)
- Tap to mute sensor with LED status indicator
- Mic stand with locking vertical and horizontal rotation
- Compatible: PC, Mac, PS4, and PS5
- Price: $59.99
Design
The HyperX SoloCast has a small, pill-shaped design. It’s all black with a black wire mesh covering the receiver. There is a large, conveniently placed push-to-mute button at the very top and a red LED indicator on the front which lets you know when mute is active.
The body of the mic slips into a ring on the included standing mount to hold it in place, but there is also threading on the bottom for those who wish to attach it to a boom arm. The USB Type-C connective port is located on the back.
What Kind of Recording is it Good for?
The SoloCast is a cardioid-only electret condenser microphone. That means that it will only record what’s directly in front of it while filtering out any reverberations or background noise that comes from behind the mic, reducing echo and white noise.
It also means that it’s more attuned to quiet sounds than the loud booms that dynamic mics are better suited for. This kind of mic is ideal for a single person recording a single voice or two people recording side-by side. You wouldn’t want to use it to record a bunch of people around a table.
Is the SoloCast Worth Your Money?
We were very impressed with the sound quality of the HyperX SoloCast during our testing. Its closest competitors are the Razer Seiren Mini and the Snowball iCE from Blue. All three are miniature cardioid-only microphones and all three are within $10 of each other. These are all a great value, but the SoloCast is the only one with a tap-to-mute function, the only one with the faster USB Type-C connection and it comes with the best base stand.
It doesn’t have a built-in headphone jack like the Rode NT USB Mini, but it’s also considerably cheaper. We just might have to make a spot for it on our list of the 10 best microphones for gaming and streaming.
Zoom Out: Verdict
Summary
The HyperX SoloCast is a tremendous value option for anyone seeking one of the best cardioid-only USB microphones on the market. It lacks a built-in headphone jack, but is still among the must feature-rich budget USB mics on the market.
- Quality Sound at an incredible value
- Plug and play
- Compact design
- Cardioid only
- Lacks gain control
- No built-in headphone jack
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