HyperX SoloCast: A simple, small and stellar USB microphone

Our Verdict

The dinky HyperX SoloCast is a more than capable mic than it looks, with rich sound and an adaptable stand. For $59, it'southward a dandy deal.

For

Very affordable
Expert sound
Adaptable stand
Very portable

Against

Express controls
Cardioid pattern just

Tom's Guide Verdict

The dinky HyperX SoloCast is a more than capable mic than it looks, with rich sound and an adjustable stand up. For $59, it's a corking deal.

Pros

+
Very affordable
+
Expert sound
+
Adaptable stand
+
Very portable

Cons

-
Limited controls
-
Cardioid design just

HyperX SoloCast: Specs

Cost: $59
Connection: USB-C to USB
Ports: USB-C
Condensers: 1
Directional patterns: Cardioid
Size: 6.9 10 3.1 x three.1inches (with stand up)
Weight: 9.2 ounces

USB microphones rarely come smaller than the HyperX SoloCast, and it's even rarer that they deliver such impressive recording clarity for less than $sixty.

Yep, this is a relatively cheap mic, and is basic enough in some regards that ability users may wish to expect elsewhere. But there's a certain entreatment to plug-and-play simplicity, and as you'll come across in our HyperX SoloCast review, becoming one of the all-time microphones doesn't demand fancy extras.

Best microphones
The all-time microphones for gaming, streaming, and podcasting

HyperX SoloCast review: Cost and availability

At $59, the SoloCast is a total $100 cheaper than its HyperX QuadCast S stablemate. There are reasons for that, every bit we'll see, but in any case this 1 of the cheapest USB microphones we've tested.

Yous can buy it directly from HyperX, or from such third-party sellers as Amazon, All-time Buy and Walmart.

HyperX SoloCast review: Design

The SoloCast is finer an answer to the Blueish Snowball Water ice: an easy-to-use USB mic that's both cheap and compact. Accent on the latter: the SoloCast is about the same price as the Snowball Water ice, only the tiny dimensions of both the mic and stand up brand Blue's design seem titanic.

Nonetheless, the SoloCast's stand up is more than adjustable than the Snowball Ice's simple tripod. Both mics tin pivot upwards, but the SoloCast can also rotate to either side.

This is potentially quite useful, in case you ever want to lower its profile plenty to squeeze underneath a monitor, or proceed it placed in front of your keyboard without obstructing your view of the keys.

This microphone also beats the Snowball Ice by having an onboard mute button. In fact, it's non and so much a button as a affect sensor, which doesn't require as much force to activate. As a event, the microphone doesn't pick up any tapping or knocking sounds when you mute or unmute.

That'due south as well the extent of the integrated controls. There are no volume or gain dials, which is unfortunate, nor whatsoever headphones jack for mic monitoring. The SoloCast is clearly a far cry from the QuadCast South and its myriad of hardware features.

Still, it handles the basics amend than the Snowball Ice, and if you want a bigger and amend stand y'all can e'er add your own; the SoloCast fits stands and artillery that employ either three / 8-inch or v / 8-inch threads.

HyperX SoloCast review: Sound quality

Other than being a bit proceeds-heavy — again, a dial would be nice — the SoloCast'due south recording quality is its strongest adjust. For about one-half the cost, its cardioid-blueprint recording comfortably competes with mics similar the Blue Yeti Nano or JLab Talk.

Perhaps more pertinently, it sounds noticeably better than the Snowball Water ice. Playing back recordings, my voice only sounded richer and fuller on the SoloCast, with less of an audible reverb effect. Groundwork noises are quieter, also: the fact that mouse clicks and the clacking of my mechanical keyboard weren't as intrusive on the SoloCast ways it could be much meliorate equally a PC gaming mic, or for utilize in casual streams.

That said, it's worth paying more than for the JLab Talk if y'all want a more serious podcasting mic, and particularly if you'll ever need to record more ane speaker at a time. The SoloCast sounds great for the coin, only its just recording pattern is cardioid, so it can't effectively record phonation unless you're speaking straight into the front of it. The Talk's bidirectional, omnidirectional and stereo patterns therefore give it much greater flexibility.

For gaming and well-nigh forms of streaming, nonetheless, cardioid volition do just fine — as will the SoloCast.

HyperX SoloCast review: Verdict

As long as your needs are simple enough to accommodate the HyperX SoloCast's basic controls and single recording pattern, you'll detect it a groovy piffling microphone. Straight out of the box, it sounded much meliorate than I expected from a $59 desktop mic, and information technology beats the Bluish Snowball Ice on overall pattern every bit well.

Information technology's a worthy choice for those whose budgets won't stretch to the JLab Talk, and will equitably take the Snowball Ice'south place on our best USB microphone rankings.

James is currently Hardware Editor at Rock Paper Shotgun, simply before that was Audio Editor at Tom's Guide, where he covered headphones, speakers, soundbars and anything else that intentionally makes noise. A PC enthusiast, he also wrote calculating and gaming news for TG, commonly relating to how difficult it is to find graphics card stock.