HyperX Cloud Mix true wireless earbuds
MSRP $150.00
“The HyperX Cloud Mix earbuds are great for gamers with a ton of devices, but they seem to be a bit dearer than they ought to be.”
Pros
- Excellent battery life
- Comfortable
- Solid sound quality in games
- Work with virtually any device
- Great microphone quality
Cons
- Frustrating touch controls
- Expensive
- No ANC
Do you wish a dedicated set of true wireless earbuds for gaming? HyperX, which is behind a few of the very best gaming headsets you possibly can buy, thinks so. The Cloud Mix earbuds join a small list of true wireless earbuds focused solely on gaming, which begs the query of whether gaming-specific true wireless earbuds must exist in any respect. Although they’re great earbuds, I’m still struggling to see what gaming earbuds try this the countless options from Sony, Bose, and Apple don’t.
Excellent connectivity and battery life push the HyperX Cloud Mix earbuds above previous attempts from Razer and Turtle Beach, bringing them closer to competing with the very best true wireless earbuds. HyperX hasn’t completely hit the mark yet, though. The Cloud Mix earbuds are expensive at $150, they usually’re lacking some features like smart assistant support and lively noise canceling (ANC).
Design
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
The Cloud Mix earbuds are basic, which is par for the course with HyperX. They don’t have battery-sucking RGB just like the Razer Hammerhead earbuds, they usually don’t include ANC just like the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds. The Mix earbuds are a few black sticks, and I prefer them that way.
They appear like earbuds with the wires snipped off, just like Apple’s AirPods, with prolonged sticks that nestle into your ears to supply extra support. Unlike the AirPods, though, HyperX goes for a wider case that lays the earbuds flat inside. It makes the case much thinner than the cases you normally see.
Within the box, you get the earbuds, a charging case that extends battery life, a silicon shell for the case, and a low-profile USB-C adapter. This adapter is a giant deal, allowing you to make use of the low latency connection across PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, and even your phone. HyperX includes an adapteor stand, too, so that you don’t must take up a USB-C port in your PC.
Pairing and switching between Bluetooth and a pair of.4GHz is dead easy.
These platforms all work with the two.4GHz connection, but additionally they work with Bluetooth 5.2, which is built into the Cloud Mix earbuds. You’ll be able to maintain a Bluetooth and a pair of.4GHz connection at the identical time, but you possibly can’t use them concurrently. I’d have liked to have each available — for game audio from a console and Discord from a phone, for instance — but pairing and switching between the connections is dead easy.
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
Switching is achieved via a button on the USB-C dongle, but the remaining of the functions are done with touch controls on the side of the earbuds. One press is for play/pause, two is to skip a track, and three is to return a track. You’ll be able to long press to interact the microphone, and HyperX says you possibly can remap touch controls using its Ngenuity software (which I haven’t have been capable of test yet).
The touch controls aren’t great, though. There’s no volume control, which is critical, and I still struggle to seek out the precise spot that picks up touch inputs. It seems to leap around every time I exploit the earbuds, sometimes triggering on the highest while other times only activating after I press in the middle. I continually activated the controls inadvertently while adjusting the earbuds and popping them out, too, which was frustrating.
Although I’m not a fan of the touch controls, the wide platform support is what stands out for the Cloud Mix earbuds. I never needed to worry about using the earbuds on a specific platform, and I liberally swapped between devices due to how easy it’s.
Sound quality
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
Despite the very best efforts, the Cloud Mix earbuds still fall victim to the sound issues which can be common amongst in-ear buds. The dearth of bass response is what stands out most, with deep bullet hits in Destiny 2 and devastating final blows in Elden Ring not ringing out like I’m used to. The bass is there, nevertheless it’s implied, not felt.
That’s strange considering HyperX says the Cloud Mix earbuds have an prolonged frequency range going all the way down to 10Hz. Most headsets only go all the way down to 20Hz. This sub-bass region isn’t represented, though. Even with bombastic 808s in Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers and scorching kick drum lines in Periphery’s Blood Eagle, I never felt the punchy low-end that earbuds just like the Apple AirPods Pro offer.
Despite the lacking bass, sound quality isn’t bad. There’s a bit an excessive amount of presence within the upper midrange, making some sound effects in games come off as harsh. There’s still a variety of detail, though. Bullets, footsteps, and subtle sound effects all play well on the Cloud Mix earbuds, with excellent stereo imaging.
I particularly like using the Cloud Mix earbuds with the Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch.
An area I wasn’t capable of test was DTS:X surround sound. That is a significant selling point for the Cloud Mix earbuds, but HyperX didn’t have it ready in time for this review. I’ll update this review once the software is obtainable.
Although I’d reach for a premium gaming headset just like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro for an immersive gaming experience, the Cloud Mix earbuds delay well. I particularly liked using them with the Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch, where I could pop one earbud out with out a chunky gaming headset hanging off my head.
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
An area where the Cloud Mix earbuds really shine is the microphone. There isn’t much noise cancellation, however the mics are still remarkably clear and detailed. You would easily communicate together with your team using this mic, which is greater than could be said for even some over-ear headsets.
Battery life
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
The Mix earbuds have excellent battery life, at the very least so far as true wireless earbuds go. HyperX claims 10 hours on the earbuds alone, which you possibly can extend as much as 33 hours over Bluetooth with the charging case. That’s somewhat high from my experience, though. I spent an extended afternoon playing on my Steam Deck over Bluetooth and the earbuds needed a charge after about eight hours.
That’s higher than the direct competition. The Razer Hammerhead is the following highest at si-and-a-half hours on the earbuds alone, while the Turtle Beach Scout Air earbuds need a charge after only five hours. Eight hours is identical battery life because the Jabra Elite 7 Pro, which is our top pick for true wireless earbuds for the time being. The Mix earbuds don’t have ANC, granted, however the battery life remains to be great.
Comfort
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
I are inclined to not go for earbuds typically because, frankly, they hurt my ears. I even returned the top-rated Sony WF-1000XM4 because they irritated my ears. Not the Mix earbuds, though. From sitting at my PC to laying on the couch testing the Steam Deck, I used the Mix earbuds for hours on end without even a minor annoyance.
They’re not too large, but the majority at the highest might irritate smaller ears. That’s true of most true wireless earbuds, nevertheless. The HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless still goes an extended option to improve comfort with three different tip sizes and a light-weight construct that’s not too top-heavy.
Software
HyperX’s Ngenuity software wasn’t ready for me to check with the Mix earbuds, so I’ll update this review once the app is obtainable on iOS, Android, and Windows. You’ll be able to read my HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless review for an outline of this straightforward utility.
You’ll find a way to regulate a 10-band EQ, remap the touch controls, and switch on DTS:X within the app once it’s available. There isn’t an excessive amount of here to influence my final rating outside of DTS:X, which is a critical aspect of the Mix earbuds that’s missing for the time being.
Our take
HyperX is getting into an enormous market with its first true wireless earbuds. Although direct gaming competitors are few and much between, firms like Apple, Sony, and Bose have been chipping away at this marketplace for years. HyperX takes notes with excellent battery life, great comfort, and serviceable sound quality, but some issues with software and touch controls hold it back from enticing gamers to make the jump to true wireless earbuds.
Are there any alternatives?
Probably the most direct competitors to the HyperX Cloud Mix earbuds are the Razer Hammerhead and Turtle Beach Scout Air Earbuds, each of that are cheaper. Outside of gaming, the Jabra Elite 7 Pros are around $50 dearer, but they arrive with ANC, wireless charging, and dirt/water protection.
How long will it last?
You would use the HyperX Cloud Mix earbuds for years. There’s nothing holding them back from working with modern devices, so so long as Bluetooth and USB-C are supported, you possibly can proceed to make use of these earbuds.
Do you have to buy it?
Yes. A give attention to battery life, comfort, and connectivity make the HyperX Cloud Mix earbuds more practical than competitors just like the Razer Hammerheads, even when HyperX’s take is dearer. Still, the earbuds are lacking ANC and support for smart assistants, making the $150 price tag a bit tough to swallow.
Editors’ Recommendations
