Buy the SoloCast 2. It costs the same $59.99, records at the same 24-bit/96 kHz, and adds a built-in shock mount and stand. Keep your original if it works. I used the original daily for 3 years; the SoloCast 2 side is from HyperX's specs and named reviews.
Buy the SoloCast 2. It costs the same $59.99 the original launched at, it records at the same 24-bit and 96 kHz, and it adds an internal shock mount, a built-in pop filter and a stand that’s part of the mic. If you already own an original that works, keep it. The sound specs didn’t move enough to justify a second $60.
The SoloCast 2 is wrong for one group: Mac users who want HyperX’s filters. Its software runs on Windows only. And neither mic fixes the real problem most people have, which is distance.
How I know
I bought the original SoloCast myself in early 2023 and used it almost every workday for more than three years, on client calls and cold calls. It ran through a USB hub and straight into the Mac. It scored a 7. I have not used the SoloCast 2.
For the SoloCast 2 side, I used HyperX’s own SoloCast 2 product page, checked October 31, 2026, plus four reviews by name: Tom’s Hardware (December 2025), PC Gamer (October 2025), CGMagazine (November 2025) and Stream Tech Reviews, which owned both. The original’s launch specs come from HyperX’s spec sheet as reproduced by PC Perspective. For how a product earns a score here, see how I test.
The two side by side
| SoloCast (original) | SoloCast 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $59.99 list at launch | $59.99 at HyperX (Oct 31, 2026) |
| Still sold by HyperX | No, its product page returns a 404 (Oct 31, 2026) | Yes |
| Capsule | 14 mm electret condenser, cardioid | 14 mm electret condenser, cardioid |
| Recording | 16-bit, 48 kHz at launch; 24-bit, 96 kHz since a 2022 software update | 24-bit, 96 kHz |
| Mute | Tap-to-mute sensor with LED | Tap-to-mute across the top, red LED when live |
| Stand | Detachable stand | Built in, tilts, weighted base |
| Shock mount and pop filter | Not built in (Stream Tech Reviews) | Both built in (HyperX) |
| Boom-arm threads | 3/8 and 5/8 in (Stream Tech Reviews) | 3/8 and 5/8 in (HyperX) |
| Connection | USB-C on the mic, 2 m USB-C to USB-A cable | USB-C on the mic, USB-C to USB-A cable |
| Weight | 261 g mic, 125 g stand | 12.9 oz, about 366 g, stand included |
| Compatibility HyperX lists | Windows, Mac OS, PS4, PS5 | PC |
| Warranty | Not listed (product page gone) | 2 years (HyperX) |
| Tested here | Yes, 3+ years, score 7 | No |
What actually changed
The body. Stream Tech Reviews, which owned both, says the SoloCast 2’s audio specs are the same as the original’s: a 14 mm cardioid condenser capsule, 24-bit and 96 kHz, 20 Hz to 20 kHz. HyperX added 24-bit and 96 kHz recording to the original in July 2022 through its NGENUITY software, so the sample-rate line on the SoloCast 2’s box is not new. Tom’s Hardware makes the same point.
What’s new is everything around the capsule. HyperX built a shock mount and a foam pop filter into the SoloCast 2, and the stand is part of the mic. On the original, the stand comes off, and Stream Tech Reviews rates its shock resistance as very limited. It found the original “picks up a ton of rumbles” from typing when it sits on the desk, and says the SoloCast 2 does better.
Tom’s Hardware saw it differently: its review says the SoloCast 2’s stand “is kind of low” and still “picks up a lot of desk movement.” Two reviewers, two results. If you type hard on a mechanical keyboard next to the mic, plan on a boom arm with either one. Both take 3/8 and 5/8 inch threads, so no adapter.
The software is the other change. HyperX says the SoloCast 2 gets high-pass, low-pass and voice enhancement filters in NGENUITY, saved to the mic. Two caveats from the reviews: Tom’s Hardware found the software in beta in December 2025, with settings that did not save, and Stream Tech Reviews says that using NGENUITY’s effects caps the output at 24-bit and 48 kHz.
The Mac question
This is where the two split for anyone reading this on a MacBook.
HyperX’s spec sheet for the original listed Mac OS, and mine has worked on my Mac through a hub and plugged in directly for three years. HyperX’s SoloCast 2 page lists compatibility as “PC,” and its footnote says NGENUITY is available for Windows 10 and 11. I haven’t plugged a SoloCast 2 into a Mac, so I can’t tell you it works there, and I won’t guess.
What that means in practice: on a Mac, plan to use the SoloCast 2 without HyperX’s filters, and buy it from a store with a return window you can live with. If the filters are why you want it, you need a Windows PC to set them.
The part neither mic fixes
Distance. Up close, my original sounds full and clear. When I moved it above my monitor, about 30 cm away, people on calls said I sounded too far away, and some couldn’t hear me well. That’s the main reason I’m moving on from it. The mic didn’t change. My setup did.
The math is the same for both, because they share a capsule and a cardioid pattern. Going from 15 to 30 cm drops your voice by about 6 dB, so the gain goes up and the room comes up with it. The SoloCast 2’s new stand doesn’t change where your mouth is. If your mic has to live above the monitor or off to the side, my guide to the best microphone for video calls covers the boom-arm route.
Who should buy which
Buy the SoloCast 2 if you’re buying a desk mic for calls today, you’ll keep it within about 15 cm of your mouth, and you’re fine without the Windows software on a Mac. At $59.99 it gets you the original’s recording specs plus the built-in shock mount and pop filter the original lacked.
Keep the original if you own one and it works. Run the 2022 NGENUITY update on a Windows PC if you want 24-bit and 96 kHz. A second $60 buys you a better stand, and for calls, where the mic sits matters more than the stand.
Skip both if the mic has to sit 30 cm away or more. Buy a dynamic mic on a boom arm instead, or take calls on earbuds. These days I take mine on my AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods Max.
My recommendation
Buy the SoloCast 2 for a new desk, at $59.99. It’s the one HyperX still sells, and on paper it’s the original with the accessories built in. I’ve used the original for three years and gave it a 7; I haven’t used the SoloCast 2, so that call rests on HyperX’s specs and the four reviews above. Put either one close to your mouth. That decides how you sound more than which version you bought.
FAQ
Is the HyperX SoloCast 2 better than the original SoloCast?
On paper, yes. It costs the same $59.99, records at the same 24-bit and 96 kHz, and adds a built-in shock mount, pop filter and stand. Stream Tech Reviews, which owned both, says the audio specs are the same. I used the original for three years; I haven’t used the SoloCast 2.
Should I upgrade from the SoloCast to the SoloCast 2?
Not if your original works. HyperX gave the original 24-bit and 96 kHz recording in a 2022 NGENUITY update. The upgrade buys a better stand and built-in vibration damping, and reviewers disagree on how much the damping helps on a desk.
Does the HyperX SoloCast 2 work on a Mac?
HyperX’s SoloCast 2 page lists compatibility as PC, and its NGENUITY software is for Windows. The original’s spec sheet listed Mac OS, and mine has worked on my Mac for three years. I haven’t tested a SoloCast 2 on a Mac, so buy it where returns are easy.
Can you put the SoloCast 2 on a boom arm?
Yes. HyperX lists built-in 3/8 inch and 5/8 inch threads, so it mounts on standard mic arms without an adapter. Stream Tech Reviews says the original has the same threading.
How close should the SoloCast be for calls?
About 15 cm from your mouth. That’s where my original sounded full and clear. At about 30 cm above my monitor, people on calls said I sounded far away.