The new HyperX SoloCast 2 looks like a return to gaming microphone simplicity, whereas its bigger brother is covered in all the bells and whistles you could think of
A good microphone doesn't need to have a million features to make an impact. Wrap a high-quality capsule in a sturdy frame, convert the output to a USB connection, and provide a stand. That's about all you get with our current favourite budget gaming microphone, the Amazon Basics USB condenser mic, and it works brilliantly.
It's also roughly what you got with the original HyperX SoloCast, and its replacement, the HyperX SoloCast 2, looks like much of the same—except with a redesigned chassis and some tilt functionality thrown into the mix. We were big fans of the original, but it's pretty hard to find now, so are we looking at the return of a budget gaming mic classic?
HyperX describes the SoloCast 2 as "an all-in-one mic that doesn't ask for more", and the keep-it-simple-stupid philosophy seems to be hard at work here. It's a cardioid-patterned condenser mic with a USB Type-C to USB Type-A connection, capturing up to 96 kHz 24-bit audio through its weeny little capsule.
The stand, however, tilts. Oh, and you get a foam pop-filter built in, which is pretty much a necessity if you want to get any microphone up close for a "hot-radio", podcast-like sound. It's also got mic arm threads underneath, which should make it a good candidate for attaching to a boom arm and getting up close and personal.
Should you wish for more, however, HyperX has also announced the FlipCast, a chonky affair that's more than a little reminiscent of our best podcast microphone pick, the Shure MV7+, except with a load of bells and whistles piled on top. HyperX says it's capable of "broadcast-quality" audio capture, with up to a 192 Hz, 32-bit sample rate.
It's also got a multifunctional wheel onboard for quick gain adjustments, monitor mixing, and headphone volume, complete with a tap-to-mute button and some rather shiny RGB lighting. There's also an onboard high-pass filter, which should cut out unwanted low-frequency background noises for a cleaner capture.
Both XLR and USB Type-C connections are supported, so this really seems like HyperX taking a swing at the ultra-premium microphone market. There are some big fish swimming in those waters, though, and it does make me question whether potential customers will go for a gaming-branded mic over something more established, like Shure's alternatives. It also looks a bit... fiddly. Unlike the SoloCast 2, simplicity doesn't appear to have been high on the priority list here.
Pricing is key, I guess, and pricing is also... not confirmed, for now. Still, if both of these microphones are bestowed with MSRPs appropriate to their market segment, HyperX could have a couple of winners on their hands—but if they're priced close to some of the bigger players in the market, I reckon they'll have to work pretty hard to stand out.
The Amazon Basics mic is often available for a mere $25, and while the Shure MV7+ is pretty pricey, it's also one of the best close-up mics I've ever heard. Still, it looks like I'll have my hands full with new microphones to test in the coming months—and I'll be keen to see what both of these beasties are capable of when I hook them into my machine.