Maono PD400X – USB / XLR podcast dynamic microphone review

8.9/10

Maono PD400X is a budget broadcast dynamic microphone that comes with a USB interface at no additional cost. For the most part it has a natural response, a little bit on the bright side with lots of air to it. The higher frequencies can be further boosted via EQ but even without it, PD400X sounds very crispy, especially for a dynamic mic. Good clarity and high output makes it an ideal choice for entry podcasting,…

Fifine K780A – USB Streaming Microphone kit review

8.4/10

Fifine K780A is a bloody cheap full size USB condenser mic that comes as a complete package with all the necessary accessories. Most importantly, it includes a decent boom arm, which alone would cost around $20 plus, not to mention the shipping. This is especially true if you would have to buy all the individual parts separately: the mic, shock mount, a foam, boom arm and a pop filter. So, that’s where most of the…

Shure MV7 – premium dynamic USB mic… worth it?

9/10

Shure MV7 is a dynamic USB mic with a decent sound quality that emphasizes comfort and usability for everyday use. The idea behind MV7 was to create an easy to use solution for podcasting, mimicking the legendary SM7b. Despite my initial disappointment, the mic turned out to be a success, relatively. More compact and cheaper than the SM7b, it also doesn’t require a preamp or an expensive audio interface. The quality is actually quite good…

Maono PM500 – Budget Cardioid LDC Review

9.4/10

Maono PM500 is a very affordable large diaphragm condenser, suitable for streaming, podcasting and home studio recording. It exhibits a uniform response and produces a natural, mellow sound. Unlike most condensers in this price range, it is quite consistent when miking up close and doesn’t seem to be affected by proximity. PM500 isn’t too sensitive and so you don’t have to worry about sounding harsh. Consequently, it is possible to record a clean audio even…

8.7/10

Maono HD300T is a dynamic USB microphone that brings live sound home and packs the best bang for the buck when it comes to vocal recording. It delivers the best traits of dynamics that result in smooth and undistorted sound, saving you from buying expensive equipment such as preamps and digital interface that are otherwise necessary for connecting a dynamic XLR microphone to a computer. This mic comes with handy shock mount & compact pop…

Marantz Professional MPM-2000U USB Condenser Review

8.5/10

Marantz Professional MPM-2000U is a computer mic, which could be easily mistaken for a studio microphone. It has a full aluminum body, shielded with a quality grille and placed into a shock mount –the only difference is – it has a USB port instead of XLR and hosts a 48 kHz/16-bit audio converter. MPM-2000U features a tight cardioid pickup pattern that results in superior background noise rejection, and it has a larger capsule, which facilitates…

7.2/10

Blue Yeti Nano is a smaller, lighter and cheaper version of the original Blue Yeti USB mic, released almost two decades earlier. For the most part, however both of the mics are very similar in concept and sound – not much has changed. Blue Yeti Nano is short by one capsule, so it doesn’t have the stereo and bidirectional modes, but still offers the most commonly used cardioid and omnidirectional pickups. The design has been…

Electro-Voice RE20 Broadcast Dynamic Microphone Review

9/10

Electro-Voice RE20 is an industry standard dynamic broadcast microphone that offers maximum background rejection without sacrificing the quality and the tone of the voice. The mic has a rich and deep sound to it, not as bright as the RE320 as but certainly brighter than the Rode Procaster. The greatest advantage of the Electro-Voice RE-20 is what they call the variable-D response, which gives it a uniform sound regardless of how close you are to…

Rode Procaster Broadcast Dynamic Vocal Microphone Review

9.5/10

Rode Procaster is a relatively inexpensive broadcast microphone, which yet offers professional quality sound. It has a very smooth and manageable response, which makes it ideal for recording. At the same time, the mic rejects a lot of room noise and minimizes such effects as popping. Procaster is a very versatile mic that can handle literally any type of voice you throw at it. However some very basic EQ, particularly low cut is mandatory. Procaster…

Sennheiser e965 Review – Switchable True Condenser

9.5/10

Editor's Choice

Sennheiser e965 is a premium large diaphragm vocal mic with a true condenser capsule, switchable between cardioid and supercardioid patterns. This mic has been out for some while remaining relatively unknown. The price was high in the beginning, it costed as much as Neumann and other high-end models, so those willing to try it out were few. But recently, the price has been significantly reduced, so we finally decided to give it a shot and…

AKG Perception 220 – studio worthy budget LDC

8.5/10

AKG Perception 220 is a budget recording LDC microphone used for vocal and instruments. The price of this mic is comparable to that of a USB, which is considered a trash tier as far as recording goes, and yet it is more than capable of a quality performance in a controlled studio setting. It can sound almost as good as 3-5 times more expensive mics with few nuances but usually good LDCs are always pricey….

HyperX QuadCast – Gaming USB mic /w Shock Mount review

9.7/10

Editor's Choice

HyperX QuadCast is a multifunctional USB microphone mainly designed for gamers and streamers. It has a variable pickup pattern control, a gain knob and a headphone jack for monitoring. Right on top of the mic there is a handy touch-activated mute button. It even includes an internal pop filter, which does an okay job and outperforms Blue Yeti without a pop filter. All those features can already ease life for a user, but the most…

Electro-Voice RE320 Review – Dynamic Recording Mic

9/10

Electro-Voice RE320 is a large diaphragm cardiod dynamic microphone widely used for radio recording and broadcasting. This mic is fairly sensitive and requires a quieter or moderately treated room in order to be effective. It is great for spoken word and singing when you want to capture all the detail and nuances while giving it a touch of silkiness and smoothness of a dynamic. RE320 is hotter than Shure SM7B and other broadcaster mics like…

Telefunken M80 Dynamic Microphone Review

8.6/10

Telefunken M80 is a rugged dynamic cardiod mic for live vocals. It reminds of the well-known SM58, with a similar sound except for a better-balanced low-end response that helps it cut through the mix better. In terms of gain before feedback, there isn’t much of a difference either (when both are adjusted to the same levels) although it appears that M80 requires less gain despite the specs actually saying it has a lower sensitivity. Telefunken…

Audix ADX51 Overhead SDC microphone review

8/10

Audix ADX51 is a very bright small cardiod condenser mainly used as overheads and not without success. The unit is known for being included in Audix drum kits; however, some drummers realized they actually like the ‘sound’ of ADX51 overheads better, and began using them outside the kits in custom setups, sometimes even grabbing them over higher-end and more expensive SDCs with technically better specs. The thing about this mic is it sounds great out…

Audio-Technica ATM450 instrument cardioid SDC review

9/10

Audio-Technica ATM450 is a low profile side-address cardiod condenser, which can be used for miking a wide range of instruments and percussions. Though unsuitable for vocals… it offers a small footprint and has a situational placement advantage over more common front-address instrument mics without sacrificing a bit of quality. On contrary, this mid-range model sounds surprisingly smooth for a small diaphragm condenser: despite adding a noticeable amount of presence, it just cannot be described as…

Heil Sound PR35 – Cardioid Dynamic Review

8.8/10

Heil Sound PR35 is a high quality, recording-grade dynamic handheld with an emphasis on presence and a rich, extended low end. This mic sounds very smooth, the highs are clean and there is almost zero harshness. It can be used for high quality live recordings while being stage-worthy and this is a great advantage. On the other hand, in the hands of an unskilled sound engineer and a mediocre quality PA, it may actually sound…

Shure MV51 – Condenser USB microphone review

7.5/10

Shure MV51 is a feature-rich USB mic with a good low frequency response. It works for all platforms, however only iOS users are given the option to access the mic’s advanced settings, as this requires downloading Shure Motiv™ application, which is only found in the Apple Store. Despite an array of features, Shure MV51 fails to satisfy the expectations of most users. The offered advantages are narrow and they come at a cost! No matter…

Blue Snowball iCE – budget USB mic review

6/10

Blue Snowball iCE is a stylish, entry USB mic with an attractive price tag. Unlike the similar-shaped Samson Meteorite, it is not as blatantly hot and it has a detachable USB cable with a solid Type B connector. The midrange is by far superior and technically, it produces a much more accurate sound than the former. However, there is literally nothing but midrange. It sounds thin and dark at the same time, and it also…

Cyber Acoustics CVL-2004 Rainier USB mic review

6.8/10

CVL-2004 from Cyber Acoustics is a fresh and valuable addition to the USB microphone market. Reminding a lot of Blue Yeti, it offers similar features and performance with one major difference – price. At the time of writing, CVL-2004 is considerably cheaper, and despite certain shortcomings, the value for money is just excellent. To name some of the features, this mic provides zero-latency monitoring via 3.5mm headphone socket, flexible volume and gain controls and switchable…

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cardioid

Maono PD400X – USB / XLR podcast dynamic microphone review

Fifine K780A – USB Streaming Microphone kit review

Shure MV7 – premium dynamic USB mic… worth it?

Maono PM500 – Budget Cardioid LDC Review

Maono HD300T Hybrid USB/XLR Dynamic Mic

Marantz Professional MPM-2000U USB Condenser Review

Blue Yeti Nano Usb mic review

Electro-Voice RE20 Broadcast Dynamic Microphone Review

Rode Procaster Broadcast Dynamic Vocal Microphone Review

Sennheiser e965 Review – Switchable True Condenser

AKG Perception 220 – studio worthy budget LDC

HyperX QuadCast – Gaming USB mic /w Shock Mount review

Electro-Voice RE320 Review – Dynamic Recording Mic

Telefunken M80 Dynamic Microphone Review

Audix ADX51 Overhead SDC microphone review

Audio-Technica ATM450 instrument cardioid SDC review

Heil Sound PR35 – Cardioid Dynamic Review

Shure MV51 – Condenser USB microphone review

Blue Snowball iCE – budget USB mic review

Cyber Acoustics CVL-2004 Rainier USB mic review

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