Experts recommend Elgato Wave 3 more than HyperX QuadCast S
As of 3 Jan 2025, experts prefer Elgato Wave 3 over HyperX QuadCast S, but both Microphones have solid expert endorsements.
As per this month's meta ranking, Elgato Wave 3 received 3 recommendations: from IGN (2 Jan 2025), SoundGuys (22 Feb 2024) and CNN Underscored (1 Jan 2025). By contrast, HyperX QuadCast S received only 2 recommendations from IGN (2 Jan 2025) and PC Gamer (13 Dec 2024).
| Rank | Change | Price | Microphone | IGN  | PCMag  | MusicTech  | Music Radar  | PianoDreamers  | PC Gamer  | SoundGuys  | CNN Underscored  | Tom's Guide  | Wirecutter  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | - | $120 |  Elgato Wave 3 The Elgato Wave 3 is a versatile and reliable USB microphone designed for content creators, podcasters, and live streamers, featuring a cardioid polar pattern, two connectivity options, advanced features, and compatibility with both PC and Mac. | 8 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 3 | - | - |
| 14 | - | $119 |  HyperX QuadCast S The HyperX QuadCast S is a versatile and reliable USB microphone suitable for podcasting, streaming, gaming, and vocal recording, with four polar patterns, built-in pop filter and noise reduction technology, and two connectivity options. | 6 | - | - | - | - | 5 | - | - | - | - |
Curious to see this month's entire Microphones ranking? It's here
Endorsement summary:
- On 2 Jan 2025 IGN ranked HyperX QuadCast S as #6 and Elgato Wave 3 as #8
Rank Microphone Comment ... ... ... #6 out of 10 HyperX QuadCast S Best Microphone for Gaming... ... ... #8 out of 10 Elgato Wave 3 Best Plug-In-Play Microphone for Streaming... ... ... Source: www.ign.com - On 22 Feb 2024 SoundGuys ranked Elgato Wave 3 as #1
Rank Microphone Comment #1 out of 5 Elgato Wave 3 The Best... ... ... Source: www.soundguys.com - On 1 Jan 2025 CNN Underscored ranked Elgato Wave 3 as #3
Rank Microphone Comment ... ... ... #3 out of 3 Elgato Wave 3 Best microphone for streamingSource: edition.cnn.com - On 13 Dec 2024 PC Gamer ranked HyperX QuadCast S as #5
Rank Microphone Comment ... ... ... #5 out of 8 HyperX QuadCast S The best microphone with RGB lighting... ... ... Source: www.pcgamer.com
After counting and adding up the 92 expert endorsements of the January rankings, Elgato Wave 3 outranks HyperX QuadCast S. This is not to say that HyperX QuadCast S is a bad option. Like Elgato Wave 3, it is recommended by experts, but less.
As can be seen below, Elgato Wave 3 outranks HyperX QuadCast S by 11 positions. This indicates that, as of 3 Jan 2025, Elgato Wave 3 is more critically acclaimed than HyperX QuadCast S.
| Rank | Change | Price | Microphone | IGN | PCMag | MusicTech | Music Radar | PianoDreamers | PC Gamer | SoundGuys | CNN Underscored | Tom's Guide | Wirecutter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | - | $100 |  Blue Yeti The Blue Yeti microphone is a versatile and durable device with four directional patterns, a built-in headphone jack, and compatibility with a wide range of devices and software, making it a popular choice among content creators, podcasters, and gamers. | - | - | 11 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | - |
| 2 | - | $99 |  Shure SM57 The Shure SM57 microphone is highly regarded for its exceptional sound quality, durability, versatility, and compatibility, making it a popular choice among musicians, producers, and recording engineers for capturing instruments and vocals in various live and studio settings. | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 3 | - | $120 | Elgato Wave 3 The Elgato Wave 3 is a versatile and reliable USB microphone designed for content creators, podcasters, and live streamers, featuring a cardioid polar pattern, two connectivity options, advanced features, and compatibility with both PC and Mac. | 8 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 3 | - | - |
| 4 | +12 | $279 |  Shure MV7 Plus | 5 | 7 | - | - | - | 6 | - | - | 3 | - |
| Show all rows | |||||||||||||
Expert reviews [24]
Total expert reviews: 24
- with a score: 12
- without a score: 12
| Highest score by thesixthaxis.com | 90 |
| Average score based on 24 reviews | 84 |
| Lowest score by ZD Net | 80 |
Score distribution:
| 80-100 | |
| 60-80 | |
| 40-60 | |
| 20-40 | |
| 0-20 |
From Seller:
- Cardioid Condenser Capsule: capture speech with clarity and detail.
- Wave Link App: control Wave:3 and up to eight other audio sources, plus create two independent mixes.
- 24-bit/96kHz Analog-to-Digital Converter: professional broadcast audio quality.
- Read more
From Seller:
- Radiant RGB lighting with dynamic effects: Personalize stunning RGB lighting and dynamic effects for an eye-catching shot of customizable style.
- Built-in anti-vibration shock mount: Isolate the mic and suppress the sound of unintentional rumbles and bumps with the elastic rope suspension.
- Read more
Elgato Wave 3 USB Mic Review / Test (Compared to Snowball, Yeti, Quadcast, Seiren X, & more)
Review by Podcastage
Very popular! 193K views!
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Elgato Wave 3 Streaming Microphone Review: More Than a Mic
Review by BadSeed Tech
Popular! 59K views!
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HyperX QuadCast S Review: Add some more color to your content creation
Review by 9to5Toys
Very popular! 238K views!
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HyperX Quadcast S Review: Brilliance in Sight and Sound
Review by KeenGamer - More Than Just a Game Site
Popular! 52K views!
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HyperX Quadcast S review, unboxing, setup (including problems, fun and mic samples)
Review by The Provoked Prawn
Popular! 58K views!
Play video review