HyperX QuadCast 2 S Review: Your Favorite Streamer’s Next USB Mic

Back successful 2020, the HyperX QuadCast S was the USB microphone each Twitch streamer seemingly had connected their streams. Now, the QuadCast 2 S is present to effort to one-up its predecessor. And what does it bring to the table? A batch much LEDs, for starters.

The archetypal QuadCast lone lit up successful red, portion the QuadCast S brought afloat RGB support, and adjacent supported gradients of colors from apical to bottom. The QuadCast 2 S takes it adjacent further with a twist, literally. The caller mic has implicit 100 individually addressable LEDs laid retired successful an array astir the mic, allowing for much analyzable patterns similar a spiral gradient rainbow. It’s a invited addition, peculiarly for a microphone that’s truthful apt to beryllium seen.

HyperX added a fewer little flashy features that marque for a compelling upgrade too, though galore of these were archetypal introduced connected the QuadCast 2. That includes a multifunction knob that controls the input summation and headphone measurement and acts arsenic a VU (volume unit) metre to support you from peaking, positive a redesigned daze mount.

Light Up Polar Patterns

One of my favourite features connected the archetypal QuadCast S was the knob connected the bottommost for adjusting gain, which was some convenient and subtle. That’s gone connected the caller exemplary successful favour of a much emblematic knob that juts retired of the front. It mightiness not beryllium rather arsenic stylish, but it’s much useful.

The knob is flanked by a semicircle of LEDs that alteration colour depending connected what you’re doing. If you’re turning the knob portion utilizing it arsenic a microphone, it volition airy up purple to bespeak the summation level. When you’re not touching it, it reverts to a VU meter, indicating however adjacent you are to peaking, truthful you tin set accordingly.

You tin besides property and clasp the knob to alteration polar patterns, which is indicated by the LED ringing connected the apical of the mic. It cycles betwixt cardioid, bi-directional, stereo, and omnidirectional patterns, with reddish LEDs lighting up connected the sides of the mic truthful that it volition prime up sound.

This is the astir intuitive mode to alteration polar patterns I’ve seen. For comparison, the Blue Yeti USB microphone each but requires a tutorial to decipher its arcane symbols. Here, you conscionable support holding the fastener until reddish lights are pointing successful the absorption you privation to grounds from. Now I privation this diagnostic connected each microphone I use. (It is disposable connected the cheaper QuadCast 2.)