HyperX Cloud Mix Buds are a great idea with an imperfect implementation. Cloud Mix Buds mark HyperX’s first foray into wireless gaming headsets, and the inclusion of a USB-C dongle shows the company has innovation on its side. With two wireless modes, good sound quality, and a long battery life, Cloud Mix Buds theoretically have everything to make the gaming audio scene amazing.
When I started the review process, I was ready to love the $150 Cloud Mix Buds. But the longer you use it, the more potential deal-breaking issues you will encounter. The touch controls don’t work properly at all; The connection is mercurial and difficult to troubleshoot; The fit is not good, even with three separate size options.
While I can’t recommend Cloud Mix Buds without reservation, I can say that the heart of the earbuds is definitely in the right place. They are no one Best gaming headphones By any means, but if you’ve been dreaming of wireless gaming earbuds that don’t rely on bluetooth, they’re the only game in town — for now. Read on for our full HyperX Cloud Mix Buds review.
HyperX Cloud Mix Buds review: Specifications
Compatibility: PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Mobile
Drivers: 12 mm
Frequency response: 10 Hz – 20 kHz
Wireless: yes
Weight: 0.4 oz (Airpod) / 1.3 oz (Case)
HyperX Cloud Mix Buds review: Design
Like most wireless earbud sets, the HyperX Cloud Mix Buds include two earbuds and a charging case. The earbuds themselves are small black numbers, about an inch wide, with removable silicone tips and the HyperX logo on the side. If you wear it outside, it is less likely to draw much attention.
The case was similarly reduced. It’s a black cylinder, about three inches wide, which means it should slip easily into most pockets. The case houses a USB-C charging port on the bottom and a multifunction button on the back. When you are not using the earphones, they stay in the case and recharge.
There is nothing fancy about the Cloud Mix Buds design, there is only one small flaw. Since the charging port is at the bottom, you will have to place the case on the back to charge it. This means that opening the case during the charging process (2-4 hours) can be a bit painful. But it’s more of an annoyance than a deal-breaker.
HyperX Cloud Mix Buds review: Convenience
I started having issues with HyperX Cloud Mix Buds as soon as I actually started wearing them. When I first put the Cloud Mix Buds in my ears, I found that they fit my ears loosely. One or the other always feels as if they are about to fall. Since the device includes three separate sets of silicone tips, I thought I might be better off with a smaller or larger size. But the small limbs felt more flexible, while the large ones were narrow enough to be painful. In the end, I settled on the medium tips, although I don’t think they’ll keep the earbuds firmly in place in any situation, apart from sitting perfectly at a desk or on the couch.
It’s worth noting that most earbuds don’t fit me properly, so those who wear them may have better luck. In fact, three separate tip sizes on the wires HyperX Cloud Earbuds It yielded similar results when I tested it a few years ago. However, the fact that Cloud Mix Buds simply won’t suit some people can’t be circumvented, and that’s a big warning in a $150 supplement.
HyperX Cloud Mix Buds review: Performance
One area where the HyperX Cloud Mix Buds are flawless is the sound quality. While earbuds will always be at a disadvantage compared to full-size headphones, Cloud Mix Buds justify themselves well. I tested the device with a variety of games and music, and liked what I heard across the board.
On the PC side, I tried the earphones Age of Empires IVAnd the Eternal tormentAnd the Cyberpunk 2077 movie And the Final Fantasy XIV. The results were good across the board. Gunshots and footsteps resounded in Doom, while orchestral music seemed close and instant in Age of Empires. The results were similar when I moved the USB-C receiver to the PS5 for testing Nioh Remastered And the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. The earphones faithfully conveyed everything from sword clashing strikes to plunges from high towers.
I was also pleased with the way Cloud Mix Buds handled the music. I’ve listened to clips from Flogging Molly, The Old Crow Medicine Show, The Rolling Stones, and GF Handel. While the Cloud Mix Buds aren’t earbuds for audiophiles by any means, all the music came through clearly, without any distortion or distortion, even at higher volumes. There was also a pleasant balance between bass and treble frequencies, as well as between vocals and instruments.
HyperX Cloud Mix Buds review: Features
If you can fit the HyperX Cloud Mix Buds into your ears, the next pain point is actually plugging them into a device. Cloud Mix Buds can be connected via USB-C or Bluetooth, which in and of itself is rather cool. As far as I know, no set of gaming earbuds has offered a USB-C option before, and this greatly expands the functionality of the device. In addition to PC, mobile and handheld adapter, you can connect the earbuds to your PS4, PS5 Or my key. (The device includes a USB-A adapter.)
The two connection modes certainly won’t do you much good if the earbuds aren’t already turned on. Several times during the review process, one earbud or the other simply refused to turn on, no matter how many times I restarted my system or left the earbuds charging in their case. A HyperX representative suggested that resetting the earbuds might solve the problem, and it did – for a while, anyway. (It’s worth noting that the Cloud Mix Buds instructions don’t detail how to reset the device; I had to learn how directly from the rep.) He also said a new firmware update should improve connectivity, but we haven’t had a chance to test this yet.
Even if the connection was perfect, it wouldn’t do much to mitigate the jerky and infuriating touch controls. Each earbud has a touch sensitive panel. While listening to music, you can tap once, twice, or three times to play/pause, skip a track, or go back to a track, respectively. In theory, this is useful; In practice, it’s just a mess.
Touchpads are either too sensitive or not sensitive enough, and there’s no way of knowing what you’ll get. Sometimes I would tap with my index finger, in vain trying to skip a track while my music was constantly on and off. Sometimes, nothing happens at all. Even worse, is when the touch controls respond to completely irrelevant gestures. Once my music stopped dying because I scratched my nose; Again, I started playing tunes in a completely different app because I chewed on a piece of food. I wish there was a way to completely disable the touch controls, but that doesn’t seem to be an option.
Speaking of options, HyperX Cloud Mix Buds will run on HyperX Ngenuity as they appear. This will allow you to adjust equalizer options, microphone volume, etc. However, this software was not available for testing during the review period. All we can say is that in the past, Ngenuity was functional, although at times buggy and unintuitive.
Cloud Mix Buds also have a microphone that works well enough for everyday calls and online multiplayer. The microphone certainly isn’t particularly close to your mouth, so it can fall prey to the same problems as any other wireless earbuds when it comes to background noise or quiet speech. You can also mute the microphone by a long press on the touchpads on the earbuds, which may not work, or by pressing the USB-C pairing button, which may be off.
Battery life is decent too. The earbuds themselves will last between six to 10 hours on a charge, and the case can provide an additional 15 to 23 hours, depending on your volume level, and whether you’re using USB-C or Bluetooth. This should work for everyone except for vigorous marathon sessions.
HyperX Cloud Mix Buds review: Verdict
HyperX Cloud Mix Buds had the potential to be a great pair of wireless gaming headphones. With some upcoming firmware updates and software connectivity, it’s probably still fine. But putting it on isn’t that easy, and the touch controls make everyday operations more difficult than they should be.
True, if you want true wireless gaming headphones, there isn’t much competition in the market. Most competitors, including Hammerhead Scanner (Opens in a new tab)Bluetooth support only. If you can live with the drawbacks of Cloud Mix Buds and trust HyperX to improve the firmware, you may find the earbuds fill a valuable niche. Otherwise, if you are not married to the design of the earphone, you can get the concession HyperX Cloud Flight S About the same price.
[ad_2]
