The question of “which is the best microphone” only rings true in the ideal case where everything else is set, you just pick the greatest microphone and are good to go. And that is exactly how you do in a recording studio.
A sensible voice reminds you of choosing a microphone based on the use environment when the budget is tight. Because most of the time recording especially streaming was done in environments that are not treated. With hard surfaces all around your room, the sound is going to bounce off and bounce into your mic. The excessive noise floor is the top deal-breaker for most people.
“Does the microphone last for a long time” is a correct question to ask when you just started out. Because that mic will be the only workhorse that you are going to use for a while. But the question is not all about durability but also upgradeability. The build quality may not fall short but if the audio quality can not keep pace with your ever-increasing demand for recording or streaming, such a mic could still be short-lived.
With the Aces hiding down the bottom and only a pre-installed metal shock mount holding the mic, what you get is simplicity at the very first glance. If you want no obtrusive shape in front of your streaming or broadcasting camera, it does the job to blend in your setup with the sleek finish on an all-metal body.
It is more than a looker, and so is the shock mount. You do not find any nut to tighten the mount, but only the rubber band suspending the whole mic, which is a much more effective way to absorb vibration. It also cuts down on the low-end sensitivity, as a result, there will be fewer boomy noises to muffle your audio.
In terms of functionality, the defining feature of this FIFINE K688 USB/XLR dynamic microphone is the ability to deliver perfect sound in some imperfect environments and the flexibility to balance the present need and future expansion in your audio production.
What you really need to muddle is the background sound, and the dynamic cardioid capsule does let the K688 shine through in that aspect. Normal users do not have any sort of special acoustical treatment in the rooms. A dynamic microphone will come in super helpful in this circumstance because it does not pick up much distracting background or reflected sound.
It doubles down on the noise rejection with its cardioid polar pattern. Though you have to work on top of and close to it for the clearest pickup of your voice, the result is just mind-blowing if you’re used to being a condenser mic user. Anything happening out there will not prominent anymore and you can actually experience the advantage of a cardioid microphone this time.
The best bit is that you can continue reaping this benefit for the years to come! Because the design behind is well thought out, making it easy to set up straightway when you just started out and leaving you the choice to upgrade without ditching the whole mic in the future.
XLR mics are featureless while USB mics are powerless. Not at all, at least you can complement them with each other in the case of the FIFINE K688. The two outs give universal appeal to everyone in the following years. Because you do not need to put the work into learning to use it at the very beginning. When you want to up your game or look for the next stage at some point, you can do some experiments with it for the XLR function.
If there is such a necessary, or maybe for a special two-PC setup, you can even send the signal from the mic to two different places, like your PC and an audio interface or a PA when using it outdoor.
First come first serve. What is packed with the mic is the USB audio cable. Do not know tons about microphones and just want solid sound at the very beginning? You should try out the USB connection first to get experienced.
Take the pre-installed mic out of the box and just hook it up on your computer with the included USB cord, you are all set. It is 2022 already, and the USB-C should be on everything, so the USB port at the bottom of the mic is type-C to save the trouble of finding the right cable.
Because of the USB connection, it is not limited to the usage on computers only, it can branch out onto a Play Station console, an Android or an iPhone. Find a 3.5mm TRRS cable for hooking it up with your controller, it can even work with your Xbox. Even before the XLR port steps in, you have got quite some connectivity to play with already.
A small studio is crammed into the tiny body. With the USB connection, the on-body controls are also the fun parts to play with and you will definitely fall for the convenience they provide. And they are just straightforward and do not set the death trap of a single turn of software knob ruining your audio.
I/O Controls
There are also two dials at the bottom for the microphone and headphone volume. The advantage of the controls being underneath is that they will not stand in the way when you hook the mic onto a boom arm. And you can keep a clean and simple look of it in front of a camera.
Touch-sensitive Mute
It could have been good and bad, but things changed with the LED indicator and the monitoring jack. You will not find yourself have not recorded anything yet halfway through.
Headphone Monitoring
Without a headphone amp built in, the 3.5mm port at the back can drive a pair of headphones with its impedance rated between 16 ohms and 75 ohms. Within this range you still have some headphones to choose from instead of being left with only game headsets for monitoring. Because of the combo of the latency-free feature and an input level control, you can pretty much avoid the wild fluctuations in volume by making adjustments on the fly.
