Did you know that you can get an amazing microphone that comes with an adjustable arm stand, pop filter, metal shock mount, and many other accessories without having to spend a lot of money? That’s right – Maono has created a condenser microphone kit for professionals that sounds incredible.
Having a great microphone is one of the wisest investments you can make because a microphone can last you a long time. A microphone that sounded good in 2010 still sounds good in 2020, but you can’t say the same for cheap little standalone microphones or those that come as a part of your headset.
The Maono AU-A04 microphone kit is one of the best bang for the buck kit you can get today. The build and sound quality are hard to beat. And because all the parts of the kit are designed to work together, you won’t have to worry about compatibility.
Maono AU-A04 Condenser Microphone Kit
Features
This stunning microphone kit comes with quite a few accessories. You get the condenser microphone, an adjustable scissor arm stand, a metal shock mount, a pop filter, a foam mic windscreen, a table mounting clamp, and a pretty long USB-B to USB-A cable.
The adjustable scissor arm is very lightweight. It is not the best microphone arm ever, but it does its job nonetheless. If you are buying this microphone kit for use at home, then it shouldn’t be too much of a problem. The only real problem is that the scissor arm is not very long.
The pop filter is a great addition to the kit. It is fairly easy to mount it. It goes in front of the microphone, and it blocks all the popping noise caused by the air hitting the microphone as you speak. The pop filter makes your audio recording sound crisp and crystal clear. The foam mic windscreen further helps with sound quality by reducing any unwanted noise.
As far as the mounting clamp and metal shock mount are concerned, they could be better. They will allow you to mount the microphone wherever you wish, provided that you can deal with the arm length.
This means that if you accidentally hit the microphone arm, you will get some unwanted noise. The lightweight arm and the mounting kit won’t let you move the mic around while you’re using it.
All this means is that as long as you do not need to move your microphone around, it will be just fine.
The condenser microphone itself is very good, especially at this price point. The only weird thing is that the frequency range only goes up to 16 kHz despite it being a condenser microphone. Typical condenser microphones go up to 20 kHz.
Design; Quality
The design of this microphone kit is pretty standard. Everything is made of either metal or plastic and most pieces are painted in black for an understated look. The microphone shock mount is not like standard shock mounts. You clamp it onto the microphone instead of mounting it with screws, which is maybe why the “shock” part of the shock mount does not really work.
The pop filter and foam mic windscreen are pretty standard and there isn’t much to say about them. Unlike the shock mount, they actually do their job pretty well. The noise reduction that you get from the two is quite impressive.
And when it comes to the scissor arm stand, you pretty much get what you pay for. It is a very basic and short microphone arm stand that can hold your microphone in one place, but it does not feel very solid and your options are limited with it.
Performance
The performance of this microphone kit is the best part of the product. The microphone itself records pretty well, but the pop filter and the foam windscreen are what make it shine. The microphone kit eliminates almost all unwanted noise, but it is still very sensitive, so your audio will be crisp and clear.
Pros; Cons
The main benefit of the microphone kit is the value. You get a ton of accessories that will improve your sound quality and allow you to mount the microphone in any position you want.
- The sound quality of the microphone itself is very good.
- The pop filter and the windscreen block all outside noise, resulting in clear audio.
- The main downside of the kit is the quality of the arm. It does not feel solid, it’s short, and it’s wobbly.
- The microphone only records a range of 30 Hz – 16 kHz instead of the usual 20 Hz – 20 kHz range.
- Another downside is that the shock mount doesn’t do anything when it comes to shock absorption.
Conclusion
The Maono AU-A04 condenser microphone kit is a great product for its price. While the shock mount and adjustable scissor arm could be better, they will be fine for a basic home setup. You just don’t want to move the microphone around a lot with it. The sound you get from this microphone kit is excellent, in no small part thanks to the pop filter and windscreen.
