Joined in 2023 
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As you can hear, the Profile has a very warm sound, uh, profile that gives my voice a nice, crisp quality. Perfect if the type of content you create involves much talking or you need to sound like a professional on a work call.
You might be wondering why there's a gaming headset in our best microphones guide, and the reason is it comes with a microphone that's genuinely up to the grade of a discrete one. That's not something I say lightly, as we've come to expect decent, but not amazing, mics on most gaming headsets. The ATH-M50xSTS StreamSet bumps that trend. Bit rate is the speed at which a digital and audio file gets encoded. Without trekking too much into audiophile territory, 16 bit and above is considered a good bit rate. What connector do I need? XLR or USB? On the software side of things, the HyperX Quadcast S uses its proprietary Ngenuity software to handle all things RGB, and that's pretty much it. I mean, you canadjust things such as the mic level and get a description of each polar pattern. But other than that, it's pretty light in options when compared to the Elgato Wave: 3, which comes with a digital audio mixer or Blue Yeti X's Blu! Voice software that lets you apply audio filters. The AIR switch, once enabled, bolsters the high frequencies by recreating the ISA 110 mic preamp found on the Focusrite Studio Console. That might not mean much to you, but the end result is it helps your voice pop just that little bit more. I also find it helps with clarity in the final recording. Instead of the braided cables we usually see on streamer mics, the Seiren Mini’s cable is rubberized, and its attachment at the mic end is shaped to complete the curve of the body, sitting flush with the pill shape.The Shure MV7 is a great-sounding XLR/USB hybrid microphone that'll give veteran podcasters and streamers a serious upgrade.
This excellent boom arm will probably last longer than your podcasting career, honestly, and the Sennheiser Profile does everything a good mic for streamers' needs. It's easy to use, and the onboard controls give you much control over your sound.Most creators of content are having to fork out for two devices nowdays: a gaming headset and a microphone. Audio Technica's new ATH-M50xSTS StreamSet headset says hell no to that, spend all that money on me instead. Specs-wise, the S is more or less identical to the Quadcast, offering the same frequency response of 20Hz-20kHz, bit-rate of 16-bit, and three 14mm condensers, and lets you choose between four polar patterns. Though my plosives tended to sound a little more blown out than I'd like, the quality of my voice sounded good. During conference calls, I can be heard clearly by numerous colleagues commenting on how much louder I was than anyone else, which is an easy fix by bringing down the gain. Focusrite isn't some recording nobody, either. It's a well-respected brand in professional audio with a legacy of quality products. From the products I've experienced in the past, I can see why: they're simple to operate yet technically effective for high-grade audio production. With the added complexity of XLR comes a great deal of flexibility that you otherwise wouldn't be able to access without even more complex digital mixing software on a USB mic. You can mix, adjust, and monitor an XLR mic before it ever touches your PC, and that's a massive boon if you're looking for a more complex setup.
A boom arm certainly helps achieve both of those things. These almost always clip onto the side of your desk and are super handy to keep your mic close to hand while off your desk, saving precious real estate. Shure's first hybrid XLR/USB microphone manages to provide pro-grade sound with minimal set-up and expertise. While it is more expensive than your average premium mic, its versatility completely justifies the cost. It's hands-down one of the best microphones I've used for recording. That still holds true for the 3rd generation 2i2 included in the Studio bundle, which now runs entirely on a single USB Type-C to Type-A cable, even power. Its interface is brighter, cleaner, and more easily navigated than previous models. The MV7 takes advantage of the ShurePlus Motiv software, which lets you tweak and fine-tune your sound with relative ease. From here, you can mess with things like adding compression to your voice, adjust your EQ, and add a limiter. One of the more understated features is the Auto Level Mode. We've seen similar features in other mics, such as the Elgato Wave 3, which basically keeps you from hitting the red. That's especially useful if your content involves lots of shouting or singing or both. So now you don't have to worry about bursting your viewers' eardrums when a jump scare gets the better of you in Phasmophobia. Also, nice if you're a bit of an audio novice, and your recording area isn't acoustically sound.Sennheiser Profile Streaming Set gives you everything you need to start your podcasting or streaming journey. Sample rate is the number of samples of audio recorded every second. 48kHz is the most common sample rate you'll see on many microphones, and you shouldn't be any lower than that. It still retains its sports-talk radio broadcast mic look, which isn't for everyone, but I think it has a certain charm.I love the dynamic RGB lighting, anyways. It looks like you're speaking into a lava lamp. The mic can be used on a boom arm, but comes with a small stand that allows for quite a bit of positional angling -- about 30 degrees in any direction. That’s great for getting the mic facing up towards your mouth if you’re talking directly into it on a desk.
The Profile has a sturdy metal casing and a more flashy design than I would expect from Sennheiser. Don't get me wrong, Sennheiser makes some of the best audio gear in the world, but some of its designs, especially on its headsets, are a little boring.
On the software front, well, there isn't any. The Profile is a plug-and-play microphone with no accompanying software for tweaking sound. So, if you want to apply filters to your voice or anything fun like that, you'll need to use third-party apps. Since all the controls are on the mic, I'm alright with not having to install another app for my accessories. The proprietary micro-USB cable Razer tends to use on many peripherals is a bit of a pain. It keeps you from using third party cables because they simply wont fit. I can't express enough how much I hate when a hardware company does this. If you lose that cable for whatever reason (which happens), the mic is useless until Razer's replacement arrives.
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