Published , by Josh Hawkins
Published , by Josh Hawkins
HyperX has made quite a name for itself by offering quality products at reasonable prices. In fact, the HyperX Cloud line-up has easily become one of the cheapest ways to get your hands-on decent audio without having to pay exorbitant prices. Slowly, but surely, though, the company has been branching out more and more and evolving its headset line-up. Their latest headsets to hit the market, the HyperX Cloud Mix is one of the company’s higher-end options. But is it worth the extra cash you’ll dish out to pick it up? We think so, especially if you’re looking for clear audio wrapped up in a Bluetooth friendly package.
When you think HyperX, you probably think about the more budget-friendly headsets that the company has to offer. While those headsets are definitely worth picking up if you don’t want to drop a lot of cash at once, the HyperX Cloud Mix stands above the rest. Available for $200 or so depending on the marketplace you pick it up at, the HyperX Cloud Mix offers users a wired gaming headset experience that also supports on-the-go Bluetooth connectivity.
I recently had the chance to try out the HyperX Cloud Mix Rose Gold Edition for a few months and to be honest, it’s definitely one of the better Bluetooth headsets I’ve tried out. It doesn’t quite offer the same audio fidelity as the LS41 from Lucid Sound that I reviewed a few months back. But, it’s still really close and honestly, most people probably wouldn’t notice that much difference. The biggest standout feature about the HyperX Cloud Mix, though, is that it can connect to a multitude of Bluetooth devices, whereas headsets like the LS41 only allow you to connect to devices that support its USB dongle.
I had absolutely no issues running the HyperX Cloud Mix through my PC via wire, or even on my phone with Bluetooth connectivity. The ability to almost seamlessly swap between the two made it easy to move between both options, which is always nice if you’re listening to music on something like Spotify and want to take that with you.
Another nice thing about the HyperX Cloud Mix is that the headset contains control options built directly into the headset. This allows you to answer phone calls, end calls, and even play, pause, or skip tracks while on-the-go. This means you can connect the headset to your phone, start your music, and then put your phone in your pocket without having to worry about pulling it out every time you want to do something.
The earcups here aren’t the most comfortable, though—at least not for me. I found them to be a bit small, and that meant that I found myself dealing with a bit of pain after several hours with the headset on. Now, this might not be an issue for those with smaller ears, or just those that prefer headsets that rest on your ears a little bit. For me, though, it’s a bit of a dealbreaker, as I tend to dislike using headsets that rest on top of my ears at all. I’d much rather have the cups close all the way around my ears, which relieves a lot of the pressure that can come from wearing headphones as much as I do.
From a listening standpoint, the HyperX Cloud Mix is a winner. The frequency response here is wide, which means you can expect great audio quality from the headset. The bass is good, but not too overbearing, and the sounds themselves comes off very crisp. The Bluetooth connection offers a solid range, which allowed me to listen to music from my phone which I’d left on the desk, while I walked into the bedroom and even the living room. Granted, my current house isn’t the largest on the market, but it was still a very solid range and should suffice for most people.
The biggest letdown about the headset’s Bluetooth connectivity is that it doesn’t have a way to disconnect from Bluetooth on the headset itself, which means you’ll need to disconnect manually from your device. This isn’t a huge issue, but it definitely would have been nice to have the option to do it from the actual headset.
The built-in mic does leave a bit to be desired, and it peaks really easily, so if you plan on making any calls with it, try not to get too loud or you might end up deafening whoever you’re talking with at the time. Still, it’s nice to at least have the option of taking calls with the headset when connected via Bluetooth, and the 14-20 hours or so of battery life can really come in handy for trips out of the house. You also have a boom mic that you can connect when using the headset with your PC or console, and the microphone here is about what you’d expect from a more expensive gaming headset.
Where the HyperX Cloud Mix excels most, though, at least with the Rose Gold Edition, is looks. This headset is absolutely beautiful. The coloring, the overall design. It’s all a bit flashy but still looks great. Of course, you might have some trouble finding something that matches with it in your wardrobe—if you’re into that kind of thing—but there’s absolutely no denying that the Rose Gold Edition is probably one of the best looking headsets I’ve ever had the pleasure of using.
Overall, the HyperX Cloud Mix is a fantastic little piece of gear. Whether you’re looking for a good headset to run with your PC, or just trying to find something you can use to jam out with while on-the-go. This stylish headset retails for $199.99 and comes in both Black and Rose Gold. The built-in mic isn’t the best you’ll find around, but the detachable boom mic does offer clear voice communication and allows you to talk to your friends without having to worry about feedback or expensive audio monitoring software. It’s really everything you could ask for in a gaming headset, and a bit more.
This review is based on a review unit provided by HyperX. The HyperX Cloud Mix is available now from participating retailers. Head to hyperxgaming.com for more info.