REVIEW – If you have kids and you haven’t been hiding under a rock, your child has probably been playing one of those “battle royale” type games, such as Fortnite or PUBG. My now 12-year-old son is no different. Since dad here is a bit of a microphone dork, I wanted to check out this wired/wireless headset with the detachable mic, the HyperX Cloud MIX Wired Gaming Headset with Bluetooth.
What is it?
The HyperX Cloud MIX is a gaming headset that can be used with a standard wired connection or with Bluetooth with a 20-hour battery runtime. The microphone boom is detachable.
Hardware specs
Headphone
Driver: Custom dynamic, 40mm with neodymium magnets
Type: Circumaural, Closed back
Frequency response: 10Hz–40,000Hz
Impedance: 40 Ω
Sound pressure level: 100dBSPL/mW at 1kHz
T.H.D.: < 2%
Weight: 260g
Weight with mic: 275g
Cable length: Detachable Headset Cable: 1.3m
PC extension cable: 2m
USB charging cable: 0.5m
Connection Type: Detachable Headset Cable: 3.5mm plug (4 pole)
PC extension cable: 3.5mm stereo and mic plugs
Boom Microphone
Element: Electret condenser microphone
Polar pattern: Noise-cancelling
Frequency response: 50Hz-18,000 Hz
Sensitivity: -42dBV (0dB=1V/Pa,1kHz)
Built-in Microphone
Element: Electret condenser microphone
Polar pattern: Omni-directional
Frequency response: 50Hz-8,000 Hz
Sensitivity: -33dBV (0dB=1V/Pa,1kHz)
Bluetooth: 20 hours
Bluetooth Version: 4.2
Wireless Range: Up to 10 meters
What’s in the box?
The headset includes the flexible, detachable boom mic, a 3.5mm audio cable with inline remote, PC audio breakout cable, microUSB charging cable, and a cloth storage bag. The cables are braided and feel fancy.
Detaching the boom microphone makes for easier traveling.
Design and features
The headband is padded in this leather-like material. It’s very soft.
The earpads are also covered in this material. I found that wearing glasses posed no discomfort. The ear cup is just under 2-1/2 inches high on the inside.
On one ear cup is the volume control, LED indicator, power button, and microUSB charging port.
The other side has the oval boom microphone connector, wired audio connector (3.5mm), and hidden on the side is a multifunction Bluetooth button, which can be used to play/pause, take phone calls, or skip tracks.
Here’s the boom microphone plugged in, and the supplied 3.5mm cord connected as well. The “headphone” cable tag is still attached. It can be removed if you like.
A close-up view of the wired inline remote. There’s a microphone mute slider and a very hard to photograph volume dial on the side.
Setup
The LED indicator glows red when charging via microUSB.
To via Bluetooth, press and hold the power button (when off) until the LED flashes red/blue. Follow your wireless device’s pairing instructions (computer, smartphone) for the rest.
Performance
I found the headphones sounded just fine, which they should at this price. The closed-back design probably helps with that part. I was more concerned about how the microphone performed. Was it any better than say, using the microphone built into your laptop?
To test this, I recorded myself reading a recipe with and without the headset- while my son nagged “DAD!” in the background. Realistic test, right? I recorded this in our dining room with no special acoustical treatment whatsoever.
The first sample: No headset. Just the laptop microphone.
Next, the HyperX headset with the built-in microphone. No boom mic.
Finally, the HyperX headset with the flexible boom mic.
The boom microphone makes a huge difference in ignoring outside noise.
What I like
Very comfortable, nice sounding audio. Flexible boom microphone really helps pick up your voice while minimizing noise. Subdued appearance.
What needs to be improved
My son discovered that you can at least pair a second device (his phone) but the instructions aren’t clear about it.
Final thoughts
If you like flashy, portable headphones, this may not be for you.
Price: $199.99
Where to buy: Best Buy
Source: The sample of this product was provided by company HyperX.
Filed in categories: Reviews
Tagged: Bluetooth headset, Gaming Gear
HyperX Cloud MIX wired gaming headset with Bluetooth review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 25, 2018 at 9:51 am.
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