The manufacturer HYTE should be well known to PC enthusiasts. After all, they recently delivered an impressive PC case with the Revolt 3, which in our review could inspire us. Now they are venturing into their first gaming headset and are making a debut that is quite respectable. Our HYTE Eclipse HG10 review reveals what the wireless headset has to offer.
Technical data
| Design | Over-ear |
| Driver | 40 mm neodymium |
| Frequency Range (Headphones) | 20 – 20,000 Hz |
| Impedance | 32 Ohm |
| Microphone type | Unidirectional |
| Connectors | Wireless (2.4 GHz wireless network); USB Type-C (charging port) |
| Weight | 360 g |
| Compatibility | PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Mac, Nintendo Switch |
| Price | € 109.90 * |
HYTE Eclipse HG10 review: the scope of delivery
The HYTE Eclipse HG10 reaches us in a squeaky yellow square cardboard box that looks delightfully minimalist. On the front a picture of the headset, on the back the most important functions. No “bling-bling”, no advertising slogans. Inside we find all the components, neatly arranged next to and on top of each other, in a plastic envelope.
Of course, the headset itself takes up the largest part of the packaging. Also included is a 2.4 GHz USB-A dongle in matte gray, as well as a USB-A to USB-C cable with a length of 1.8 meters. The obligatory manual and the light gray microphone boom round out the scope of delivery.
Design and finish
The first look at the HYTE Eclipse HG10 is pleasing. The design looks classy and minimalistic, just focused and detailed. The first thing that stands out is the unusual shape of the ear cups. They look as if a classic round shape had been taken and the rear third simply cut off. HYTE itself speaks of a “half-moon design”. That’s because the front is flat and features offset H and dot elements in the style of the manufacturer’s logo.
Unusual. Unusual. But quite practical when the gaming headset lies flat on the desk. On the other hand, it would have made more sense if the straight surface had been placed at the back, because the microphone boom is in the way this way. But now well.
The rest of the design seems no less unusual. HYTE relies on a matte white color scheme for the earcups and controls, which, together with the shiny details on the headband and the chic metal elements on the temples, emphasize the classy look.
The ear cushions made of vegan leather and the generous foam headband present themselves in a slightly darker color. The ear cups can be turned completely outward and minimally inward, as well as tilted inward. The headband features a comfortable ratchet adjustment, though it is not labeled. In total, the size can be adjusted in seven steps.
The controls are mainly located on the left ear cup. On the right, we only find the button to mute the microphone, as well as an LED that indicates the mute function. On the left, the HYTE Eclipse HG10 (from top to bottom) features a volume dial, the power button, a status LED, the USB Type-C charging port, and the 3.5 mm microphone input. The detachable microphone itself looks quite unspectacular, comes to a length of 15 cm and is quite flexible to be placed close to the mouth.
The workmanship of the HYTE Eclipse HG10
Basically, the build quality is on a very high level and does not have to hide even behind much more expensive gaming headsets. The metal temples feel valuable and robust, while the matte design offers a pleasant feel.
On the other hand, the relatively penetrating plastic smell is a bit unpleasant after unpacking. Fortunately, this dissipates relatively quickly. A point deduction in the B grade is given for the actually already too soft plush on the headband, where the underlying temple comes to light under slight pressure.
Also, I don’t like the screening on the right side – this is probably a production error. This is, compared to the left, much too smooth and thus does not allow precise adjustment.
Comfort of the Eclipse HG10
The HYTE Eclipse HG10 is a closed over-ear headset. The ear cups thus completely enclose the ears. The passive seal already does a good job of muffling ambient noise as much as possible. The particularly soft material of the two-centimeter thick ear pads is also noticeable, thanks to which the 360-gram headset rests comfortably on the head.
The fact that the wearing comfort is not completely convincing is mainly due to one reason. This is mainly due to the unusual shape, which differs from the usual round or oval ear cups. We repeatedly found ourselves readjusting the headset on the head during the test because it somehow pressed.
Somewhat strangely, there is comparatively a lot of space inside, with around 70 mm in height and 50 mm in width, which should please people with larger ears.
Practical test and handling
The HYTE Eclipse HG10 is connected exclusively via the included 2.4 GHz USB-A dongle. If we connect the headset to the PC or console using the included cable, it is not recognized. The cable is therefore only used for charging.
Once the dongle is connected and the headset is turned on, it is immediately displayed and preselected in the Windows sound settings. Unlike Razer last time with the Barracuda Pro (our review), HYTE once again relies on a T-shaped connector here, so the dongle sometimes blocks another port on a notebook.
Otherwise, the range of functions turns out to be manageable. Using the wheel on the headset, we increase and decrease the volume, the mute button mutes the microphone or activates the voice output. There is nothing more. HYTE does not offer any companion software or other features for the wireless gaming headset. So you’ll have to do without Bluetooth, ANC or other gimmicks.
Range, battery life and charging time
The HYTE Eclipse HG10 also scores points for its wireless range. Thus, I was surprised that the gaming headset ran out of breath after only about 8-9 meters in my obligatory walk from the living room to the bathroom and the sound began to drop out. A bit disappointing.
But okay: with a gaming headset, you’re supposed to sit at the desk or on the sofa. However, the given range might not be enough to quickly fetch the preferred drink from the kitchen and continue chatting with the teammates.
It also becomes a gamble in the battery area, because there is no battery status display due to the lack of software. The LED on the left ear cup doesn’t help either, because it only glows orange when the headset is connected and green when the charging process has been completed.
The manufacturer promises up to 30 hours of continuous sound playback until the battery needs to be charged. We can roughly confirm this in our HYTE Eclipse HG10 test. Of course, the battery life always depends on the volume. The headset ran out of breath after about 27 hours at full 100%. A full charge of the headset takes about two and a half hours of time, which fits.
Recording and playback quality
On paper, the HYTE Eclipse HG10 relies on fairly typical specifications. The acoustics are handled by 40 mm neodymium drivers that map a frequency band from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz and have an impedance of 32 ohms. That this alone does not mean much is once again demonstrated by the example of this headset. The HG10 does not live up to the high-fidelity sound promised on the packaging.
At first glance, the sound seems quite pleasing and offers a rich, precise bass, but it is clearly too much in the foreground. While the mids are still on a fairly good level, the mix almost completely swallows up trebles.
This is especially obvious when listening to music. While vocals and lead instruments are still staged well, the lower and medium trebles clearly lack brilliance. Upper trebles beyond the 10,000 Hz mark (e.g. violins) are quite sharp and unpleasantly exaggerated. The same applies to sharp S and sibilant sounds in the mid-range. Furthermore, the quite warm sound seems very constricted.
The situation looks a bit different in gaming mode. Shooters or action titles in particular benefit from the sound, which offers a successful spatial localization despite focused bass and pure stereo sound. Weapon sounds on the other hand can also become unpleasantly sharp at full volume.
This sometimes hurts the ears. We noticed this especially with silenced weapons in Call of Duty and similar games. Especially since you have to live with the sound image of the HYTE Eclipse HG10. You will look in vain for an accompanying software including equalizer or other setting options.
Microphone quality of the HYTE Eclipse HG10
The situation is similar with the detachable microphone. Although it delivers a quite good sound including decent noise cancellation, we have seen much better microphones in cheaper headsets in this area as well.
In return, the microphone convinces with an excellent volume and quite dynamic voice reproduction. However, the basic sound is always a bit nasal, which doesn’t necessarily resemble the realistic sound.
Depending on the playback source, a more or less present background noise is perceptible in our review sample. The microphone also has problems with sibilants, while noise is recorded from time to time. Thus, the microphone quality can basically be called good, but especially in view of the price, for example, a Corsair HS65 (our review) shows what is possible for under 100 Euros.
HYTE Eclipse HG10 review: conclusion
In summary, the HYTE Eclipse HG10 marks a good entry into the headset segment for the manufacturer. The model collects plus points primarily through its noble and unique design, as well as the high-quality workmanship, which is only in need of improvement in the details.
Wearing comfort, sound and microphone quality are good. Even if they are not free of criticism. Especially the sound mix, including the clipped trebles, has potential for improvement. It is also a pity that there is no app that can be used to adjust further settings. However, the good battery runtime is again a positive aspect.
What remains in the end is a visually exceptional, versatile wireless gaming headset that hardly offers any noteworthy unique selling points, but also does not have any glaring weaknesses. It’s a base that HYTE can definitely build on in the future.
HYTE Eclipse HG10
Workmanship
Comfort
Sound quality
Recording quality
Features
Value for money
84/100
Stylish and elegant wireless gaming headset with very good workmanship and good wearing comfort, but the sound is not completely convincing. However, the price-performance ratio is okay.
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