Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I make YouTube videos and podcasts several times a week. I have a plethora of renowned microphones--Rode, Neumann, AKG, Oktava, Warm Audio, etc. Let's be honest--the Fifine mic does not challenge any of those. And it's not meant to. Indeed, anyone who is considering buying any of the sub-$200 Blue microphones should seriously consider Fifine first. In my opinion, Blue microphones are terribly harsh and tinny sounding. They have an unusual timbre to the recording--almost a metallic sound, as if someone is processing the voice in a steel container. All the YouTube sensations use Blue--and I wonder how many of them are sponsored. Regardless, the hype behind Blue microphones is undeserved. Fifine's microphone is, on the other hand, appropriately priced. It provides better sound quality than any sub-$200 Blue mic, including the Yeti (the one Blue mic that everyone seems to weep over). Whereas the Yeti sounds brittle and harsh on many voices, the Fifine mic sound a little warmer and certainly does not have the upper-frequency boost of the Yeti. The Fifine mic's build quality is surprisingly good. The housing and basket are all metal; the suspension arm is metal; the cable is wonderfully long to reach any computer near or around your desk; the pop filter does help reduce plosives; and the overall size of everything is diminutive. SOUND The Fifine mic's sound is warmer than Blue microphones. This means that the Fifine mic is more flattering to voices. We generally dislike treble frequency resonances and spikes (imagine scratching your nails on a chalkboard), and a lot of cheaper mics (and some expensive ones, too) can't control that treble energy. The Fifine mic for the most part does. The sound is not brittle or harsh or fatiguing. It does not sound hollow or distant. Indeed, the mic has a fairly accurate reproduction of my voice. I always add compression and normalize recordings when using any of my professional mics. But the Fifine needs only a slight db boost or decrease, depending on your recording. Indeed, there is very little I have to do in order to record and then add the recording to my videos or podcasts. Plug and play, indeed. On the other hand, those who want to mess around in Audacity or Audition, add compression and other filters to the recording, will likely be disappointed. I have tried filters and compression on the Fifine mic, and was irritated to find that the recording was immediately distorted. Even minimal filtering will cause the recording to fall apart. If you are recording in a noisy environment, and try to use hiss or click reduction, the recording will likely lose detail and fall apart. Consequently, be wary if your particular use-scenario falls into these parameters. The mic is very sensitive. I keep it at 8 inches from me, and it clearly picks up my voice without any issues. I have a large desktop PC behind the mic, about 2 feet away, and the mic will just barely pick up the fan noise in the background. My setup, I must admit, is not ideal for this. Whereas with XLR condenser or dynamic mics with significantly better components I can reduce or excise that noise in post, it is not really an option on the Fifine for the reasons I mentioned above. BUILD As I said, the build is surprisingly good. I expect this mic, if used with some care, will last for years. The only real gripe I have about the microphone is the "volume" knob on the front. This is basically the gain knob. And it does nothing. There may be slight (VERY slight) gain changes, but I cannot hear them or see them in Audition. It is possible my microphone simply is faulty in this regard, but you may want to check other reviews here to see if this is a trend. Regardless, the mic does pick up my voice without any issues. I was also a little surprised by the quality of the suspension arm. It is, frankly, sturdy. It's the perfect size for the small Fifine mic, clamps on to my desk securely, and has full movement 360-degrees, along with limited vertical adjustment. For desk use, it is everything a budding podcaster or YouTuber will need. In fact, I use the suspension arm for overhead shots with my action camera, too. If not needed, I just unclamp it from my desk and it folds into a small size to stow away. The pop filter is nothing special. It is not specifically made for the Fifine mic--it is comically larger than the mic. But, it does help reduce plosives. Your speech technique is more important than a pop filter--so if you learn how to control plosives and sibilance, any pop filter will be sufficient. What I was relieved to see, however, is that the goose neck on this pop filter is easily adjusted. I have other filters from Aston and Blue that require a ridiculous amount of force to alter the goose neck. Those filters are heavy and unnecessarily and stupidly bulky. They add weight to the suspension arm for no other reason than because the companies wanted their filters to look cool--heavy metal and pointless logos everywhere. However, the filter Fifine provides is big enough to cover any mic basket, light enough to not weigh down a typical suspension arm, and easily clamps and moves when you need it to. OVERALL For $55, I can't think of a better deal to get your creative studio started. No, the mic does not give you amazing sound quality. And if you upgrade from the Fifine to the Rode NT1 or some other XLR condenser mic, you'll immediately hear the sound difference. But for a USB no-hassle mic--the Fifine does an excellent job. Value for performance? You get everything you need to start your video or podcast studio. And if you're not sure if you are going do the whole creative thing very long, or just want to test out your creative abilities, then I think this mic set is a reasonable and appropriate purchase. Don't fall for the hype that Blue shoves. Consider this mic first.