
Maono - A04 Gen2
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Based on 1 year's data from Feb 25, 2026 How it works
All of those are super overpriced, any $30-$40 USB mic from brands like Maono, Fifine, Movo, Zealsound, etc. will give you more bang for your buck, deliver basically the same sound quality and no one will hear the difference or care. Don't get pressured by gear nerds into buying name brands. The only big difference you'll get is going from USB to XLR, it's basically like upgrading a mechanical HDD to a SATA SSD. If you want specific recommendations, the Maono A04 Gen2 would probably last your entire career. It has USB AND XLR out. So if you upgrade to an interface later on, you don't even have to get a new mic. Just an interface. Microhones have crazy diminishing returns nowadays in terms of price. It's way more important to try to actually treat your space for good acoustics. (I review mics for a living)
I ordered a cheap podcast USB mic from Amazon 3 years ago, called the Maono microphone. I'm still using it, and it sounds great, and it was about 70$ USA
maono and fifine are great value. pd100x or am8 perform pretty similarly. seiren is pretty spartan when it comes to features. hyperX is good but pricey
I vouch for maono/fifine. Gamer brands are overpriced. Just a heads up, if the mic is an XLR jack, you'll be needing an audio interface tho. That I cant say much about it.
Have you watched the reviews/sound tests on YouTube? I'm definitely not the right person to give any advice as I only have experiences with cheap chinese microphones. 😁 But since you said it's just for hobbies, Maono has some great choices to choose from and there are a bunch of reviews on YouTube testing & comparing them out in different condition. You'd definitely want a mic with a gain control if you also play an instrument as mics for singing are usually only good for close-up singing. I personally own two Maonos. 1 for singing up close, 1 for casual instrument playing. I don't have any room treatment or whatsoever but their microphones naturally reduce background noises and I'm not interested to upgrade as I'm not willing to invest that much for a hobby.
Get one with a shock mount if you can. The desk mics will pick up every little bump and nudge when you hit the table kahit very minor. The maonos are great value for the money if you're on a budget.
With that being said, you can basically use any mic and tune it to your hearts content. Blue snowballs are good I’ve heard and I use a maono in the same situation you are. The Maono does me good enough
Maono! May own software.
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