MAONO DGM20 GAMERWAVE – The best BUDGET MIC USB for gamers and podcasters
Maybe you don't aspire to become a professional, but you still have the dream of providing video content, or interviews or simply having your say through a podcast. The audio component therefore becomes indispensable, but what to do if you have a limited budget? Today I'm talking to you about the best cardioid USB microphone that also offers RGB LEDs and a unique function in this price range, namely noise reduction. I'm telling you about the Maono DGM20 GamerWave that we discover together in this complete review.
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On offer on Amazon
UNBOXING AND CONSTRUCTION QUALITY
We cannot help but start from the sales package, which appears well-finished and above all complete with accessories to start using the USB microphone straight away. In fact, inside we find, in addition to our Maono DGM20 GawerWave, also a support support reinforced in the base with a metal bracket to make the microphone more stable when positioned and inclined on a flat surface. There is also a pop filter and anti-vibration support. The position of the microphone is adjusted using a butterfly which, once unscrewed, unlocks the joint mechanism, but if necessary we can remove the microphone and anchor it to a stand, using the attachment supplied. The unboxing experience is completed by the instruction manual and a USB cable that can be connected to both USB-A and USB-C sockets, as it integrates a sort of cap that transforms the connection if necessary.
More or less the Maono microphone is 18 cm high, an excellent height for a portable configuration, without weighing down the scene if we are recording video as well as the voice. By the way, the product is Plug & Play, so you just need to power it via connection to a PC, both Windows and MacOS but also PlayStation 4/5, and start recording, as it is not necessary to install any drivers.
In the lower part of the microphone we find a knob that rotates to adjust the volume gain while striking the presence of the 3,5 mm jack input on the front, thus allowing you to connect wired headphones for immediate listening to what and how we are recording, thus being able to adjust volume and effects in real time. Under the grille that hides the heart of the microphone we then find the presence of RGB LEDs, capable of reproducing fixed, gradient or dynamic colours, but the LEDs can be turned off if necessary. To do this it is necessary to act on the buttons positioned in the upper part of the microphone, two specifically, one of which is used for the RGB LED functions and the second allows the possibility of muting or enabling the extraordinary ENC function, to reduce annoying noises during our recordings.
We understand what state our Maono DGM20 is in by means of an LED positioned in the upper part of the frame that surrounds the microphone grille, which will change color based on the state: red for mute, green for standard activities and finally blue when the ENC is active. Finally, on the back of the product there is the USB Type-C input for powering the microphone. Supporting structure in plastic, but of good workmanship while the available colors are black, pink or white.
RECORDING QUALITY
Let's start by giving some technical information on this Maono DGM20 GamerWave. The gain that we can set using the appropriate knob is equal to ± 3 dB, while the capture frequencies range from 50 Hz to 20 KHz. We are talking about a cardioid microphone with a single polar pattern, i.e. capable of eliminating the capture of noise coming from the back and sides, concentrating the capture on what comes from the front.
Of course it is impossible for only our voice to be captured and therefore in reality all the annoying noises around us can enter the recording sphere. Precisely for this reason the company has equipped this product with ENC technology, allowing a "clean" capture of what we really want to record and the performance I must admit surprised me, without however changing the final quality of the captured audio track. Personally I carried out my tests with a gain of 50%, without post-processing software, and the result really satisfied me. However, the advice is not to speak too far away.
During tests, the voice was clear and crisp, far from the metallic and unpleasant sound that we normally find in cheap microphones. In any case, the company makes available, but only for Windows users, a software that allows you to update the product's firmware but above all to customize the intensity level of the ENC, if the pre-set one is not to your liking.
PROJECTED IMPACT
Maono DGM20 GamerWave has no particular weak points and at a very accessible price it provides many goodies, such as the presence of RGB LEDs to create a certain atmosphere perhaps in the field of gaming streaming, but we also and above all have clear audio quality rich in details, exceeding expectations. We have a support app and the ENC function which in certain contexts saves your work, as well as the jack input to listen to you in real time. Ideal for podcasts, streaming, video conferencing, live, so if you're looking for a microphone with excellent value for money, this option is more than worth considering. You can find it on Amazon and on the official website, buying it for just a few euros: at the moment on the brand's website you can get a discount using the coupon EMANUELEIA FULLA to obtain a 10% discount as well as the Free Shipping.
On offer on Amazon
