So, what if I told you that the XLR microphone, that boom arm and the expensive audio interface you have on your desk right now are becoming a bit redundant? And you can get away with something much, much smaller for your gaming and livestreaming setup? It’s true! Well, kind of. It’s been a long while since I’ve had a ModMic on the desk, the last time we checked out the superb microphones from Antlion Audio was the ModMic Wireless, but I’ve just got my hands on a ModMic USB 2 which has had a bit of a refresh in design to give it a nicer sound quality. But can it keep up with my current Wave DX mic and Wave XLR interface? Let’s check it out.
The ModMic USB 2 is a small device which can attach to any headphones, except you know, the little earbud ones. It comes with a magnetic clasp which feels pretty strong and a few sticky pads in case the 3M double-sided tape fails. There are also some cable clips so you’re able to run this ModMic cable parallel to your headphone cable so they can both easily trail to the rear of your PC. The unit is skinny and measures at about 17cm in length with a 2-metre cable attached which terminates into a US Type A. It’s got a small uni-directional microphone on the end of it and the specs are on screen right now for that if you would like to pause the video and read through them.
- SNR: 70 (Typ) dB
- Sensitivity:-36±3 dB
- Impedance: 2.2(Max) kΩ
- S/N Ratio: 67(Typ) dB
- Maximum Input Sound Pressure Level: 110(Max) dB
- Standard Operating Voltage: 3.0 Vdc
- Operating Voltage Range: 1.0~10 Vdc
It’s coloured all in black so it fits with pretty much all headphones out there at the moment, and there’s a windshield to protect your audio from any plosives. The arm is made from steel and is flexible so you can comfortably position the uni-directional microphone where you need it to pick up the best sound without compromising that proximity effect. On my headphones here, the ModMic USB 2 barely reached around the front of my face, which is fine for my usage, as you can hear clearly now.
(Play Gaming Video)
So let’s talk about the microphone a little bit more, because Antlion Audio has redesigned the microphone’s housing so it has the quality of the omnidirectional microphone in older ModMic models, but is now able to achieve a decent level of noise-cancellation. It was able to knock out the sound of my fans in my PC which is sitting on the desk next to me when gaming, and also a background fan too. You’ve got a little in-line remote too which has a mute button on it and that’s it. One thing I do want to say is that it’s not compatible with Xbox as stated on the Antlion Audio website but it is compatible with everything else: PC, Switch, PS4 and PS5 etc.
Okay, comparison time. Is this thing worth it over my current setup? On my desk you can find my Wave DX microphone, my Wave XLR audio interface and a Stream Deck+, and I’ve been using them now for ages as my go-to for content creation and livestreaming. So looking at the audio quality, Can the ModMic USB match a dynamic microphone like the Wave DX? Not quite in the low end… BUT… there is a supreme level of detail in the high end, and that on certain devices, you’re not going to be telling the difference between the two qualities of microphones at all. And for that reason, it makes the ModMic Wireless a fantastic microphone for your content creation, livestreaming, gaming and everything else in between. And because it’s USB-powered, you can go for as long as you want as it’s powered via USB anyway.
The ModMic USB 2 is an absolutely fantastic product and I cannot give it praise enough. Antlion Audio absolutely smash it out of the park with their audio products and this is no exception. It’s easily the best headset mic on the market, and if you’re someone who hasn’t got the space or larger budget for a full audio interface setup, but is looking to improve their vocal audio for content creation, then the ModMic USB 2 is something you need to look at. It’s a seriously impressive piece of kit. For more info, head over to the Antlion Audio website.
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