HyperX Cloud Mix Buds 2 Evaluate

Design and Comfort

These buds are mild. I weighed every one at 4.2g, no less than 20% lower than most rivals, they usually really feel just about weightless in your ears. The case, too, is lighter than most at 34g, and it is compact: it slipped into my denims pocket with out leaving a lump.

Most bud instances creak whenever you attempt to push the closed lid sideways however this one barely squeaks, and feels significantly sturdy, as do the buds themselves.

The USB dongle is not fairly as sturdy, however it will not wiggle from side-to-side something like as a lot because the dongle on the Sony InZone Buds I lately reviewed. It sits flat in opposition to no matter it is plugged into with out protruding, so that you’re unlikely to knock it or injury it.

The dongle does not match contained in the case however you possibly can slot it into the USB-C port on the underside. The entire factor – case, buds, dongle – weighs simply 45g, and I’d really feel comfy flinging it into my bag or sliding it into my pocket. Considering the burden, construct high quality and versatile connectivity, which I’ll talk about extra later, they may be the perfect journey gaming earbuds round.

HyperX additionally features a bigger extension adapter with a peel-away strip that connects to your PC and sticks to your desk. You can plug the dongle into that moderately than your PC, when you favor. The peel-away strip was uneven on the mannequin I examined, however nonetheless, it is an possibility that not many different gaming earbuds provide.

I discovered the buds fairly comfy, partly due to how mild they’re, and I may play for a number of hours at a time with no need a break. I additionally tried jogging they usually stayed in my ears with out irritating me, though they jiggled a bit greater than my common buds.

But after sporting them for the higher a part of a day the within of my ears felt a bit sore – that hasn’t occurred with different buds I’ve tried lately, and switching to smaller eartips did not clear up it. I’m unsure why precisely, however it may very well be as a result of the ear ideas are oval moderately than spherical. That design determination is smart – your ear canal is not round, in any case – however it’s totally different to what my ears are used to

And whereas I’m often a fan of minimalist design, I’d’ve maybe appreciated HyperX to take an even bigger swing on aesthetics. They’re modest to the purpose of being generic.

Sound Quality and Noise Cancelling

Thanks to the low-latency dongle, the Mix Buds 2 pump out sport audio with zero perceptible delay. If you have solely ever used Bluetooth earbuds for gaming, both in your PC or handheld console, then these can be a revelation – and since the dongle is so slim and inconspicuous, it is by no means a problem to plug it in.

They sound first rate too. I examined them in a number of video games, watching YouTube and movies, and listening to music and podcasts. They are clear, loud, and easy and I used to be in a position to distinguish between the layers of sounds I used to be listening to. Arc Raiders is my go-to sport in the mean time, and I may simply inform aside totally different gunshots, or totally different units of footsteps. I may additionally inform which course noises have been coming from, and the way far-off they have been.

They do really feel much less exact, crisp and atmospheric than different buds I’ve examined lately, such because the high-end Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 Earbuds and Sony’s InZone Buds, which I discussed earlier. Compared to these two buds, every thing sounded smudged, significantly vocals and bass. I loved audiobooks, however in Kendrick Lamar’s m.A.A.d metropolis, the bass lacked punch and his voice sounded a bit tinny.

It’s value saying, in fact, that the Mix Buds 2 are cheaper than each of these different buds, and since they help Bluetooth 5.3 LE Audio they are a step up from the unique Mix Buds, which solely supported the SBC codec. For the value they’re fantastic, and for video games the place listening to clearly is extra vital than ambiance – say, Arc Raiders – they’re going to serve you nicely. But for a sport like Tears of the Kingdom, the place the music creates a temper, I’d moderately attain for a unique pair of buds.

The microphone is loud, clear, and blocks out distractions. I used to be enjoying with pals whereas any person was clattering round within the subsequent room and having a dialog, and all they may hear was my voice.

The buds have lively noise cancelling (ANC) and a transparency mode – each have been absent from the unique Mix Buds, they usually make the Mix Buds 2 extra viable as every day earbuds for commuting. Both work okay, however they are a step behind rivals. When I took them to the health club they blocked out most of the music coming from the general public audio system, however I may nonetheless hear greater than with different buds I’ve examined. Transparency mode has a noticeable background hiss, and solely boosted exterior noise barely, not sufficient to listen to any person speaking in the identical room as me whereas I used to be enjoying a sport.

Battery life, Connectivity and Software

Speaking of battery, HyperX says they’re going to last as long as seven hours earlier than they should recharge within the case, and that they will final 26 hours earlier than you want to plug the case in. In actuality I acquired nearer to 6 hours, most likely due to ANC, transparency, and switching connections between units.

It’s disappointing that they fade a lot extra shortly than the unique Mix Buds, which lasted as much as 10 hours. They fall barely wanting our favourite buds on single-session cost (the SteelSeries Arctis SportBuds final 10 hours, the InZone Buds 12 hours), however 26 hours is strong for whole cost time, and most of the people will not play greater than six hours in a single session with no need a break.

I by no means had an issue linking them to any system, whether or not by Bluetooth or the dongle. That’s a giant benefit over the InZone Buds, which do not help common Bluetooth and due to this fact want a dongle to hook up with your Switch, Steam Deck, and a few telephones. Bluetooth audio could have extra latency than the dongle, however it’s extra handy and for video games the place immediacy is not an issue – say, Balatro on my Steam Deck – it is fantastic.

While they linked immediately, that connection wasn’t at all times secure. I counted 4 cases of momentary stuttering on Bluetooth, and three whereas linked to the dongle – the audio solely dropped for a cut up second every time, however it was noticeable. A handful of connection slips on the dongle in tens of hours of testing is not an enormous concern, however it’s hardly supreme.

I additionally had a number of points switching from the dongle on my PC to Bluetooth on my telephone. A few instances solely the suitable bud labored and I needed to put them each again into the case earlier than the left one awoke.

The Ngenuity app was fantastic on my telephone however it commonly failed to acknowledge the buds on PC, forcing me to restart the app and reconnect the buds. It’s additionally laughably barebones on PC: you possibly can change the mic quantity, toggle between ANC and transparency mode, and choose between 5 audio EQs. That’s it! There’s no balanced EQ possibility, no technique to customise your personal EQ, and no different methods to personalize the sound.

Samuel is a contract reporter and editor specializing in longform journalism and {hardware} critiques. You can learn his work at his website.