Tuesday, March 19, 2024

HyperX Cloud Mix review

Share

We get a ton of Bluetooth earbuds and headphones that come through the office. Many are from smaller companies looking to make a name in the space, something that’s hard to do with so many (cheap) options out there.

We recently got to take a look at the HyperX Cloud Mix, a premier Bluetooth and gaming headset for gamers on the go. This headset is an evolution of the popular HyperX Cloud that has come to be loved by gamers around the world since its introduction years ago.

Design

If you’ve ever seen a HyperX headset before, this going to feel very familiar. There are overstuffed earcups connected by a healthy headband and a smooth aluminum band that clicks into place for head size adjustment.

READ: These dirt cheap rate plans are $20 or less

Those earcups and headband lead to a really classic look and a really comfortable fit. I wore the headset for about 4.5 hours, long enough to kill the battery from 40% in Bluetooth mode and never felt the weight of the headset or pinching on the sides of my head. While the cups could be bigger, they are comfortable and deep enough not to rub on my ears.

The headband reaches all the way across the top of the headset and provides cushion without adding too much weight. This is one of those things that you really appreciate it once it’s not there and HyperX absolutely nails.

The aluminum frame of the headset is also pretty great. It’s strong enough to provide a ton of flex without any creakiness. It’s light and once you’ve set your fit, the clicking mechanism that holds the headset in place is pretty strong, too. I’ve never had an issue with the headset slipping out of place in the few months I’ve been testing it.

The right earcup holds a huge HyperX logo so be prepared to be a walking (sitting?) billboard for the company. It also houses the 3.5mm headphone jack port, a microphone port for plugging in the boom mic, and a multi-function button.

The left earcup has another huge logo, microUSB charging port, power, and volume buttons. They’re all pretty standard with the buttons proving plenty of clickiness and sticking out enough to find without looking.

Sound and features

The HyperX Cloud Mix sound pretty good but they’re not going to rival premium Bluetooth headphones like the Bose QC 35 II or Sony WH-1000XM3 for audio quality or noise isolation. There’s no active noise cancellation here, but due to the large earcups sealing your ears, the outside world does drift away. That’s great for long gaming sessions, but if you’re a gaming dad, you know the dangers of this, too.

Bass booms, highs sound pleasing, and voices all sound wonderful here. I really enjoy using these both for PC gaming and for listening to music while on the go, particularly because the HyperX sound profile tends to be one of my favorites. My only real complaint is that the sound stage is a bit confined and spatial awareness could be a bit better.

As for that mic, it’s pretty good. My friends said I sounded just fine on Discord and on phone calls. I was louder than when I used my Blue Yetti microphone but the sound quality wasn’t quite as good. I think this might be from the boom mic noise cancellation trying to filter out some of the frequencies I normally talk at.

I love that the microphone is detachable so it’s only around when I need it; however, I do wish that I could leave it attached and move it around a little more. It’s stuck in one position with no pivot at all, but the neck is extremely flexible and does help to mitigate the issue. Unfortunately, the boom mic does not work in Bluetooth mode and the regular microphone is nothing special.

One feature we love to see included is AptX codec support. AptX is a hi-res audio codec that allows Bluetooth devices to receive higher quality audio than would normally be available.

In the next iteration of this headset, I’d love to see audio pass-through. I can’t hear myself in my own headset when I’m talking and this is something I’ve become used to throughout my many years of gaming. It’s a bit off-putting but you can get used to it.

Conclusion

The HyperX Cloud Mix is a headset with a foot in two different worlds. On one hand, it’s a pretty decent gaming headset that provides decent audio and a very nice boom microphone. On the other hand, it’s a decent Bluetooth headset that is enjoyable to listen to and provides Hi-Res audio support.

The problem is that while trying to exist in both worlds, it’s too expensive for either. At the time of writing, the standard retail price of the HyperX Cloud Mix is $199, but you can often find it on sale for $150 – $175. The $200 price is just too much. You can find Bluetooth headsets that are far better than the Mix for $200. Similarly, you can find as good or better gaming headsets for less than $200.

If you want everything, you’re going to have to pay the extra price, but I don’t think the extra features are worth it. You can game just fine with a Bluetooth headset that sounds better than the Cloud Mix. You can listen to music perfectly well with a good gaming headset. Do you really need to have one thing that does both? That’s up to you.

I do appreciate the flexibility of the device. When you want to go mobile, it has great battery life (up to 20 hours), a mobile assistant button, and Bluetooth 4.2. Unfortunately, it doesn’t fold up at all so storing it in your bag or around your neck is a little more cumbersome than it should be.

Given these things, this is a really great option if you plan to take your gaming laptop to a friend’s house or a cafe to get a few hours of League in or if you’re trying to killing it in Clash of Clans while riding the bus to work.

It’s easy to recommend the HyperX Cloud Mix for its flexibility, great boom mic, Bluetooth connectivity, and light design. While others have most of the features of the Cloud Mix for a smaller price tag, the Cloud Mix is one of the only ones out there to do it all in one attractive package.

Availability

You can learn more about the HyperX Cloud Mix at the company’s website where the headphones can also be purchased. They’re also offered at Amazon and Best Buy, where they currently list for just $130.

Read more

More News