HyperX FlipCast gaming microphone review

I'm old enough to remember when plug-and-play USB microphones were rubbish. Your alternative, however, was the murky, audio nerd-inhabited world of XLR, which required the use of a separate interface to connect a microphone to your PC.

XLR is still the gold standard for professional recording gear, but the world of studio-style recording can be fraught with fiddly details. HyperX has decided that its latest microphone, the HyperX FlipCast, might as well have both connections at once. On the rear of the mic is both a USB Type-C and an XLR port, so it's suitable for both plug-and-play usage and most recording interfaces. Take your pick.

Not only that, but the XLR connection doesn't require 48 V phantom power, and can work in tandem with the USB version. That means any interface with an XLR socket should work if you so desire, or you can simply plug it in the back of your rig, or both—which makes for a pretty excellent start in the compatibility stakes.

The microphone itself is a large, dynamic unit, with a podcast-style form factor. It's got a sizeable foam filter, and comes attached to a substantial curved stand, suitable for attaching to a boom arm (both ⅜-inch & ⅝-inch threads are supported). What you don't get, however, is an included desktop stand—which is unfortunately pretty standard for this sort of microphone.

In fact, you'll also miss out on an included desktop stand if you opt for our best microphone pick for podcasting, the Shure MV7+. It's pretty much my favourite microphone right now, because it captures professional-grade audio over both XLR and USB interfaces, and comes with some very easy-to-use software.

It's a fair bit more expensive than the FlipCast at the time of writing, though, with the HyperX unit coming in at $261 to the Shure's $300. Still, the HyperX better be impressive if it wants to take the Shure's spot, even if it does manage to beat it on MSRP.

It's quite a good-looking mic in person, despite the product photos on the HyperX website making the large, shiny protrusion on the top look a little cheap.

Here you get a large, capacitive mute button and a sizable LED display that acts as a gain indicator. Towards the rear is a volume control dial, while on the back it's got those XLR and USB Type-C connections, alongside a 3.5 mm jack for on-mic monitoring. The FlipCast also has a streamer-friendly RGB ring, which spins through its colour wheel at quite an astonishing rate.

Yes, it can be adjusted. Anyway, an interesting extra feature is the addition of two small buttons on the rear of the mic, which control a built-in high-pass filter and presence boost function—which gives you an idea of the sound profile HyperX might be aiming for.

Clear and precise is definitely the order of the day. High-pass filters reduce low-frequency noises (which sounds a bit counterintuitive, I know), while the presence switch boosts the upper-midrange and treble audio frequencies. What you should end up with, then, with both enabled, is a decent whack of clarity, sacrificing a little richness for a more focused sound.

HyperX FlipCast - all software settings on, filters on

And lo, it comes to pass. The FlipCast captures a clear, if slightly thin, vocal tone with the filters enabled, although those switches are subtle enough that I can see many first-time users setting up the mic without realising they exist.

It's not a particularly wide-ranging sound at these settings, which will be a boon for focused voice chat cutting through the sound of gunfire, but not so great for vocal recording. Still, turn off the switches (or have a play with the EQ in Hyper X's Ngenuity software), and the FlipCast duly richens up—although it never quite reaches the crispy-yet-deep, radio-like quality of the Shure.

HyperX FlipCast - all software settings on, filters off

Speaking of the software EQ, I'd really like to see HyperX include some presets by default. I know my way around an equaliser, but most gamers would likely enjoy some basic pre-engineered settings to help them find the vocal sound they're after. Still, out of the box, the FlipCast appears to have been tuned well, and its default sound profile is actually pretty good.

The basic nature of the rest of the software, though, is disappointing to see. Noise cancelling, compression, and a limiter setting have been reduced to tickboxes, which means you can only turn them on and off—and when it comes to the noise cancelling, that's a real shame.

You'll want to turn it on, because the FlipCast is a rather sensitive beast. I'm used to setting up a microphone of this type for close vocal capture, which means keeping it a few inches away from my lips. However, the HyperX mic is sensitive enough to capture at a much further distance, which might seem like a good thing at first glance.

HyperX FlipCast - all software settings off, filters off

But with the noise cancelling off and the gain set to a reasonable 60%, it likes to pick up a lot of background noise, along with a little bit of hiss. Enable the noise cancelling, and most of the unwanted noise duly disappears—but it's quite particular about which noises it picks up and which it chooses to remove, leading to the odd audio quirk.

The softly-jingling zipper on my hoodie, for example (I didn't even realise it jingled until I started using this mic), gives it the odd issue. It'll duck the noise out very quickly, then cut back in in a way that suggests a rough audio edit.

Essentially, it's a bit of a blunt instrument, and you can hear it working a little too often for my liking. A simple slider adjustment would likely allow you to tune this sort of behaviour out, but no, on and off are your only options.

Turn on all the goodies, however, and the audio capture becomes a little forced. If I was using this microphone on the regular, I'd keep the noise cancelling and limiter turned on and the compressor left off, along with the filters. At these settings, you get a good balance of dynamic range, richness, and clarity.

HyperX FlipCast - noise cancelling on, limiter on, compression off, filters off

Very nice. This mic's tendency towards sensitivity also extends to the XLR connection, where you'll likely want to enable some VST plugins of your own to reign in its high-output ways. It's a good-sounding microphone nonetheless—just with a lot of lead in its pencil.

I'm not opposed to that in principle, but it's not the easiest thing to work with. And if you choose to go USB only with the HyperX software in tow, your sonic options are somewhat limited, even if what you end up with is a great tone overall.

So, it's not a bad showing for the HyperX FlipCast. But the combination of these caveats and its significant price tag is enough to give me pause. It's far cheaper in the UK right now (£195 at the time of writing), and if that price was translated into dollars, I'd be more inclined towards a heartier recommendation.

For $261, though, I'd rather spend a little extra and buy the Shure MV7+ instead. It's got much more impressive software, which allows for simplified, easy adjustments of its various filters and noise-cancelling options to find the right sound for you. It's also got a capsule that sounds genuinely studio-ready, and while the HyperX puts up a good fight in the audio stakes, it's still outclassed by the Shure offering.

And should you wish to save some cash, it's well worth considering some of the cheaper options in our best gaming microphone guide. They might not have the same feature set or audio-capturing capabilities as the FlipCast, but you can still save a boatload of money by picking up something very good (with better software) for less.

It's a great microphone, but for this sort of moolah, I want all of my whims accounted for. And while the FlipCast makes an admirable attempt, it's not quite the be-all and end-all mic it may appear to be at first glance. Lovely sound, though. I have to give it that.