HyperX Cloud Mix headset is a great idea with an imperfect implementation. The HyperX’s Cloud Mix represent HyperX’s first foray into wireless gaming headsets, and the inclusion of a USB-C dongle shows that the company indeed has innovation on its side. With two wireless modes, good sound quality, and long battery life, the Cloud Mix Buds theoretically have all the makings of an amazing gaming audio scene. We are ready to love the $150 Cloud Mix Buds. The touch controls don’t work properly at all, connectivity is choppy and hard to troubleshoot, and the fit isn’t great, even with three different size options.
But the more one uses it, the more one encounters potential problems with it. The touch controls do not work well at all; the connection is erratic and difficult to resolve; the fit is not good, even with three different size options. While we cannot unreservedly recommend the Cloud Mix Buds, we can say that the heart of the earbuds is definitely in the right place.
They’re by no means the best gaming headset, but if you’re dreaming of wireless gaming headsets that don’t rely on Bluetooth, they’re the only game in town at the moment. The HyperX Cloud Mix Buds offer Bluetooth connectivity for use with your phone, but also support 2.4GHz connectivity for use with a PC, PlayStation 5, or Nintendo Switch. Of course, there are some offsetting benefits. As you might expect, the Cloud Mix Buds don’t have the same battery life as wireless over-ear gaming headsets. They’re also not as comfortable.
Design
The HyperX Cloud Mix Buds will look familiar to anyone who’s seen a pair of wireless earbuds before – there’s nothing particularly unique or noteworthy about their design. The earbuds have a stem and a curved, angled shape that hugs the ear canal well and provides good passive noise cancellation. Each earbud has a small touch sensor on the stem (above the HyperX logo) that can be configured using HyperX’s Ingenuity app/software.
The earphones come in a wireless charging case that has a magnetic snap closure and a protective silicone sleeve, though it’s a bit bulky. There is also a 2.4 GHz USB-C wireless dongle, a USB-C to USB-C adapter, a USB-C to USB-A charging cable, and two other sizes of silicone earbuds.
Comfort
The HyperX Cloud Mix Buds are perhaps a bit larger than other available options, but we found them relatively comfortable. However, we can wear the earbuds for hours on end without experiencing any discomfort, beyond what one would normally expect from in-ear headphones.
The HyperX Cloud Mix Buds, but it is always important to keep in mind that over-ear headphones are more comfortable than in-ear headphones. Also, it is worth trying out the different sizes of earbuds to find the one that best suits your needs. Also, while not necessarily uncomfortable, we noticed that the earbuds loosened a bit in the ears when talking or eating.
Connectivity
The HyperX Cloud Mix Buds Wireless headset features Bluetooth 5.1 with aptX and aptX HD support in addition to the standard Bluetooth SBC codec. The aptX HD codec supports 48 kHz/24-bit (576 kbps) LPCM audio data for higher transfer rates that preserve more data in the original audio.
Wireless performance is not up to par with wired, but with such a connection you won’t notice much. HyperX does not include AAC with the Cloud Buds, which is a bit frustrating, but not a problem. This means that iPhone user will only be able to connect to their phones via SBC, although that is not something to worry about at this price.
Noise Cancelling
HyperX Cloud Mix Buds have two connectivity modes: Bluetooth 5.2, which consumes less battery power, and 2.4GHz, which offers a faster connection and lower latency. They come with a discreet 2.4GHz USB Type-C dongle that fits neatly on the bottom of a mobile device. It can be used directly or paired with an included C-C adapter and C-A cable. This allows users to get a more direct connection with the dongle by bringing it closer and even using it as a controller (since there is a button on the adapter that switches the pairing mode between Bluetooth and 2.4GHz).
The earbuds can be connected via Bluetooth even without the dongle, but we found that using the dongle seemed to provide a stronger connection. The ease of use of the dongle encouraged me to use the 2.4GHz frequency during gaming to minimize latency, then switch to Bluetooth mode when battery life is most important.
Audio Performance
Despite best efforts, HyperX Cloud Mix Buds still fall victim to audio problems common to in-ear earbuds. The lack of bass response is the one that stands out the most: the deep thuds of bullets in Destiny 2 and the devastating final blasts in Elden Ring don’t resonate the way we are used to. The bass is there, but it is implicit, not audible. This is odd since HyperX claims that Cloud Mix headsets have an extended frequency range that goes down to 10Hz. Most headphones only go down to 20Hz. However, this sub-bass region is not represented. Despite the lack of bass, the sound quality is not bad.
There is a little too much presence in the upper midrange, which causes some sound effects in games to be jarring. However, the details are still plentiful. Bullets, footsteps, and subtle sound effects are all well reproduced by the Cloud Mix earbuds, with excellent stereo imaging. One area we could not test is DTS:X surround sound. This is one of the main strengths of the Cloud Mix earbuds, but HyperX did not get it ready in time for this review. we updated this review when the software is available.
Battery Life
HyperX Cloud Mix Buds claims a battery life of up to 33 hours for the Cloud MIX Buds. This number is a bit misleading, as is the case with all companies that quote a battery life for truly wireless earbuds, since it includes the charging case.
The earbuds themselves have a battery life of 6 to 10 hours (6 hours for 2.4 GHz wireless, 10 hours for Bluetooth), while the charging case contributes another 15 (2.4 GHz wireless) or 23 (Bluetooth) hours. It takes about two hours to fully charge the earphones (the case takes about 1.5 hours, while the earphones and case together take about four hours).
Conclusion
The 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 is possible they could still be good. But they’re not as easy to wear, and the touch controls make everyday operations much more difficult than they should.
