USB Microphone, MAONO 192KHZ/24Bit Plug & Play PC Computer Podcast Condenser Cardioid Metal Mic Kit with Professional Sound Chipset for Recording, Gaming, Singing, YouTube (AU-A04)

Great microphone! Looks and feels like an expensive mic. I appreciate that it comes with a foam cover, pop filter, and adjustable arm base. It’s also very easy to use. It’s a plug and play mic so you don’t have to download or buy any additional interfaces to get quality sound from it. And it does produce quality sound. I received so many compliments about how great/professional my audio sounded (I use the microphone for work and audio recordings). Unfortunately, 2 weeks into using the microphone, I started having issues with subtle white noise. After I failed to isolate and troubleshoot the issue myself, I reached out to Maono’s support and they were very responsive. They also attempted to help me figure out what was going on with my audio and when we could not resolve the white noise issues, they sent me a brand new microphone as a replacement. I found this very generous of them as I was only asking for a replacement cable. So while I might have received a defective product, their support staff’s responsiveness and willingness to help me resolve my issues despite my Amazon return window lapsing earns them 5 stars. So thankful that this company stands behind their products and are willing and able to make things right.*just a note: I think their support staff may be located outside the country… only because they would usually email me back in the middle of the night for me. Otherwise, we had no issues communicating.

Standard for all my reviews: When reviewing products, I always remain objective and honest about the product or service. I always review with information that I feel others would like to know about the product as I always assume what I'm writing will influence for or against the purchase. I always try to go above and beyond surface characteristics and input into quality, value and application. Most importantly, I will always end the review with an answer as to whether I'd purchase the product again which I believe is the most critical question pertaining to the item. To manufacturers: Want me to review your items, just let me know!When purchasing electronic gadgetry, I rarely go the 'cheap' route. I started my research with the expectation of purchasing the Blue Yeti combo which includes the mic, shock mount and scissor arm. But at $300 I wasn't sure if I really needed to go all-in for it. After thoroughly searching reviews and comparing products I decided I'd give this Maono combo pack a go. It comes with the condenser mic, scissor arm, shock mount, and pop filter. The price point of about $60 left me wondering just what I'd be getting but figured if it was terrible, I'd return it, use it somewhere else or simply replace it with a better unit.I'm not a BIG podcaster but have multiple online meetings, participate in events and want to get more into podcast hosting in the future but mostly just wanted a unit I could keep on hand, ready to go and push it out of the way when not needed. Perhaps my bar for expectation was too low given the price point but I'm VERY impressed with this set up for the price.The installation was an absolute breeze. In fact, it was so easy, I didn't even look at the instructions until the end as I thought I had to have missed something. I was able to get it set up in probably 5 minutes and it is truly plug and play with your PC (Windows 10). I plugged it into my USB hub, the PC immediately recognized it and I was ready to go. I did a quick test of mic volume and level and it sounds awesome. All the attachments are intuitive, easy to adjust and attach. As you can see on the one picture, I have the arm attached to the back side of my stand-up desk. It's secure and very easy to swing out of the way. The arm is plenty adjustable, swings easily and I can position the mic in any number of positions based on what I'm needing. I have yet to use the pop filter and probably won't unless I'm on a very important podcast/show.As far as the mic itself, couldn't ask for more. Levels appear good. Volume is good. The only thing to be aware of is that it is a directional mic and, therefore, you need to make sure the "Maono" name and logo on the mic are facing you when mounting it. If you don't, it's going to sound like you are in a closet or under your desk when talking. I tested it in a number of different distances and angles and it has great sensitivity and volume. It has only been two days since I've been using it so I can speak to the durability of the parts, pieces or electronics but everything appears well made, solid and durable. The others on my meeting said I sounded great.I would, without a doubt, purchase this product again and am very glad I saved the $250 to go this route first. Two big thumbs up for this Maono product at this price point.

I've been doing my research on microphones for use with a new Podcast series that my friend and I want to start as well as some YouTube product review videos. First off, compared with the two previous mics that I had, this thing is amazing for the price and when you consider everything you get with the package it's the best place to start.The stand is sufficient and holds everything very steady and is fully adjustable with some good tensioning knobs to keep it in place. The pop filter fits nicely although I like to just use the wind foam that slides over the mic itself. It's sounds the same and allows me to keep a clearer view of my desk and my monitor. The best part is the sound quality. Is it the best mic out there--no--but with a bit of tuning in your DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) you'll be amazed at how good of a recording you can get from this it. I like everything about it so far. One thing to keep in mind is that if you back away too far from the Mic, even with the gain up, your voice is going to sound more ambient. Keeping your face 2-4 inches from the mic produces clear and well detailed audio. The USB option just works perfectly on my Mac, and on my PC--although I use this with GarageBand on my Mac. If you're just starting out and you want all the bells and whistles for recording your voice for well under $100 you can't go wrong with this setup. Enjoy!UPDATE 4/16/2019 - I'll need to strike my comment about the mic being more abient as I pull back, that is a function of the space I'm sitting in. I'm going to add some curtains and sound insulating panels to some the open areas of my new home studio to reduce the echos that the room produces. This is one sensitive mic! Also, something that just blew my mind. I realized that my desk was too deep for the extension arm that came with the mic so I surfed around and realized that Maono also had a mic setup like this with a desktop mic stand (using a weighted base). I reached out to them and asked if I could purchase that stand separately, letting them know how much I loved their mic setup. At first they said that they don't offer the stand separately, but then decided to just mail me the stand free of change. That's right, "FREE OF CHARGE!" I was so blown away by this. Talk about customer service. Don't let the lower price fool you folks, these are good folks and their product is worth serious consideration before you drop a lot more money on something that might be as good or even less. I can't imaging needing something better for podcasting and youtube video production.