A stylish condenser microphone that had frequently updated software, full on-mic control for sound, an output jack and can be mounted is something of a rare find in the sub-$100 bracket. The MAONO DM30 (Amazon | Official Site) comes out on top as a microphone that provides not only top tier sound but provides all the various bells and whistles of a much higher end microphone.
There’s a lot out there, but a lot of it doesn’t come with many features, is poorly built or just kind of lackluster in the sound department. When we took a look at the DM30 we took an extensive look at what came in the box and you actually get a lot here. You get a standard mount and a USB cable that works as both usb-c and usb-a allowing you to use it with thin laptops and any other computers.
The RGB flows out of the bottom of the microphone while the dial on the front controls input and output volume. The microphone has a 3.5mm output jack and can be mounted in standard microphone mounts (unscrew from bottom base, has a hold already built into the stand!).
Sound Quality
The sound is crystal clear when coming through the microphone. At about six inches from the microphone, the gold standard for these types of mics, it picks up the voice crystal clear and doesn’t pick up any extra noise from the room (a/c, my air purifier, etc.). There’s a mini-fridge running over in the side and it’s not picking it up.
There’s a lot of customization available in the downloadable software. If you pick the mic up and aren’t cool with how it’s sounded, check the software and play around. For me it was perfect with plugging and playing, but I wanted to note that you can adjust the settings.
Build Quality
I have to say this thing is chonky in a good way. The thickness of the plastic and metal parts of its construction are satisfactory. The software is easy to install and works wonderfully. I was able to mount the microphone to a stationary boom-arm with no problems. It worked without the software too, which is nice.
I wanted the lights off, for instance, since it’s in front of my face while I’m talking, there’s an easy button to smash on the bottom to get them off. Very nice.
Overall Thoughts
This is a great buy coming in at sometimes under $50. You’re getting $200+ in microphone for a fraction of the cost. You can turn off the lights if they annoy you, the sound is so much better than anything at this price point generally is and you can even mount it on standard hardware. It doesn’t have those spider legs like some mics have that are built in; this is a pure studio microphone from the start.
As a note, there’s a big value in the software which isn’t a primary part of this review. The mix software is very valuable for streamers and professional audio users. Maono-Link is a great bonus add-on for this mic.
If you’re interested in learning more about the microphone, check out the Official Site
