Today I am testing out another rather cheap USB microphone. The Samson Meteorite.
If you are interested in this microphone, it will set you back $40 on Amazon.
What's In the Box
- Microphone
- Microphone Stand
- Documentation
Performance / Features
The build quality of this microphone is nothing special. It is an all plastic body and the permanently attached cable feels like it was pulled of a cheap iPhone charger. The microphone stand (if you can even call it that) is a plastic base with an indentation to place the microphone in. It has a magnet to help secure the microphone and it also allows you to tilt the microphone to place it in the best position.
There is also a light on the front of the microphone. It glows blue to indicate that it is plugged in and receiving power and it blinks red if the signal gets to loud and begins to clip.
The frequency response of this mic is 20Hz - 20kHz, but you wouldn't be able to tell. The 14mm capsule seems to create a very tinny and small sound. It is not conducive to recording any instruments.
The polar pattern is listed as cardioid so it should have done fairly well with noise cancellation. However, when testing it against the keyboard, it picked up a LOT of noise. This issue could have been resolved by adding a microphone stand adapter to the mic, allowing you to get the microphone off your desk, but as this is not an option, it did HORRIBLY at avoiding background noise.
Pros
- Portable
- LED Indicator for Clipping
Cons
- Thin sound
- Picks up lots of background noise
- Poor build quality
- No mic stand mount
Conclusion
I cannot recommend this microphone. It is a bit too expensive for what it is. It does not allow for decent placement, it picks up lots of background noise, and the build quality is not good. If you were considering this microphone which costs $40, I would recommend saving another $10, and picking up the Samson Meteor, which is all around a MUCH better microphone.
If you have any additional questions about this headset, leave them in the comments on this site or on the youtube channel, and I will try to reply ASAP.
Samson Meteorite: http://amzn.to/1YO5wmt
Samson Meteor: http://amzn.to/1P708Dv
