HyperX has a new offering for podcasters and sound enthusiasts who are looking for a great sounding no-frills microphone at a very affordable price: the new SoloCast!
Recently I reviewed HyperX’s excellent digital microphone the Quadcast S and was impressed and the quality look, style, and features it had to offer. For some people, the LED lights and most notably the $150 price tag may not be ideal for the type of work they were looking to do. But have no fear! HyperX has a great new affordable and compact option that still offers amazing streaming sound.
The SoloCast is an amazing new addition to the podcast microphone field. Coming in at 429.9 grams the Solocast is short and stout. The look and feel scream durability. So much so that I intend to use it as my travel recording mic coupled with my Surface tablet for reviews and interviews on the go. As much as I love the before-mentioned Quadcast, it does not fit into my backpack comfortably and I fear that I would damage my fancy glowing mic, so a plain straightforward basic black microphone is Ideal for my travel purposes. That being said, the SoloCast is still an amazing home studio mic.
Like all of the other HyperX products, the setup was a breeze. The Soloccast uses a USB-C to standard connection and windows 10 identifies it immediately and installs the appropriate drivers. You can install Hyperx’s Ngenuity software but it is not really necessary as the SoloCast does not offer full spectrum LED choices. You do have a red indicator light that lets you know if your mic is currently active. One thing that did transfer over from the Quadcast is the ability to tap the top of the mic to turn off and on its activity. This is great when you feel a cough coming on or your kids run into the room during a meeting.
The sound you get a recording with the SoloCast is excellent with a frequency response of 20Hz-20kHz and sensitivity at -6dBFS (1V/Pa at 1kHz) with the noise clocking in at (RMS) ≤-74dBFS (A-weighted). Unlike the Quadcast, the Solocast offers only one sound pickup pattern, Cardioid, which is not an issue if you are recording podcasts or doing Zoom meetings as you will probably be indoors and talking directly into your mic. You might want to drop a few more dollars and get a windsock or a pop filter for it if you are a real audiophile.
Specifications
General
Power supply 5V/100mA (USB)
Working current 47mA
USB Specification USB 2.0 (full speed)
Sampling rates 48kHz, 44.1kHz, 32kHz, 16kHz,8kHz
Bit-depth 16-bit
Compatibility Windows 7 & above, Mac OS, PS4
Cable length 2m
Weight Microphone: 261g
Microphone stand: 125g
Total with USB cable: 429.9g
Microphone
Element Electret condenser microphone
Directivity pattern Cardioid
Frequency response 20Hz-20kHz
Sensitivity -6dBFS (1V/Pa at 1kHz)
Noise (RMS) ≤-74dBFS (A-weighted)
Final Thoughts and Recommendation
The new HyperX SoloCast mic may be the best affordable introduction to high-end home sound recording on the market. Coming in a $59.99 it offers a great sound that you can have in your home studio or if you are like me and prone to wander it works great on the go. Small, durable, with great fidelity the SoloCast is an amazing package at an affordable price.
A sample of the HyperX Solocast was made available by the manufacturer for use in this review
The views expressed in this review are that of the writer and not the manufacturer or editorial board.
