HyperX’s Cloud Mix Buds deliver the goods but not the comfort

theverge.com:

HyperX has distilled some of its gaming headset know-how into a much more portable form factor: a set of wireless earbuds called the Cloud Mix Buds. These $149.99 earbuds largely replicate the standard features of over-ear gaming headphones, at least in terms of connectivity. They include a 2.4GHz USB-C transmitter that lets them pair to a PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, or an Android phone. They can also be paired to your phone or another device via Bluetooth.

I’ve spent a couple of weeks testing out the Cloud Mix Buds, both as my primary gaming headset and earbuds. Sound quality and battery life are two things that HyperX nailed with these. But even with those wins, there are key areas where the company fumbled, like comfort, fit (both of which HyperX usually gets right), and glitchy touch controls. In this case, the convenience of having one set of earbuds that works with everything doesn’t outweigh the cons.

In terms of features, HyperX leaned more on the side of competing directly against other earbuds, not against headsets. As such, the Cloud Mix Buds offer a limited set of functions compared to the company’s gaming headsets. Each bud supports touch controls. One tap plays or pauses music, while double or triple tapping skips or reverses the track, respectively. Tapping and holding will put the buds on mute. Each bud can be used independently, which is nice if you want to keep an ear open to hear outside noises. And within the companion app, which I’ve tried on iOS (it’s coming to Android within a few days after launch, HyperX says), you can set one of its customizable commands to trigger a voice assistant.

Each earbud has a 12mm dynamic driver, which sounds great with games, Zoom calls, music, and more.