In the quest to inject RGB into everything on the planet, HyperX's signature microphone, the Quadcast, has been colorfully reimagined as the HyperX Quadcast S. If everything else on your desk lights up rhythmically in unison while streaming, why not your microphone as well?

Spec-wise, the S is nearly identical to last year's Quadcast, offering the same 20Hz-20kHz frequency response, 16-bit bit rate, three 14mm condensers, and a choice of four polar patterns. It still has the look and feel of a sports-talk radio broadcast microphone, and while it is not for everyone, it does have a certain appeal.

The biggest draw of the Quadcast S is its built-in features that would end up being expensive add-ons on other streaming mics. The built-in shock mount prevents the microphone from picking up accidental shocks that occur during Warzone matches or Discord chats. The built-in pop filter is a nice touch, considering I always struggle to find the best position and distance for my $7 pop shield.

When checking out hardware targeted at streamers and content creators, one thing we always look for is ease of use. For me, the less I have to think about microphones (or audio in general) while streaming, the better.

The tap-to-mute button at the top of the microphone can be pressed with just a slight touch, so viewers won't hear a click when you need to mute a sneeze, cough, or loud dog bark. The microphone's RGB flashes as a smart indicator when it is muted. The gain can also be controlled with a soft-touch dial on the bottom of the microphone, so you can easily and seamlessly adjust levels on the fly.

As usual, I ran a test script of out-of-context game quotes, and as you can see below, my voice was loud and clear even at low gain. My repellent tended to blow out a bit more than I would have liked, but the quality of my voice sounded good. On conference calls, many colleagues commented that my voice was louder than everyone else's, but this could easily be remedied by turning down the gain.

On the software side, the HyperX Quadcast S uses its own Ngenuity software to handle all things RGB, but that's it. That is, it can adjust microphone levels, etc., and get a description of each polarity pattern. But compared to Elgato Wave, there are quite a few other options: the Elgato Wave:3 with its digital audio mixer, or the Blue Yeti X's Blu!Voice software with audio filtering.

The RGB is impressive and fun, but the microphones are the same as last year except for the light show, so existing Quadcast owners will not benefit from the upgrade. However, if the choice is between Quadcast and Quadcast S, the dynamic RGB is so clean and flashy that those looking for something more subdued may always hesitate. If so, Quadcast would be more your style (and save you about $20).

That said, the Quadcast S is still one of the better streaming mics you can buy, if not the biggest change.