FiFine Metal

2 reviews for FiFine Metal

1. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Mark – November 10, 2017

   I was skeptical of this mic despite the glowing reviews – even the limited reviews on youtube are good, with most finding that the limitations of the microphone are far fewer than it’s benefit – which, frankly, is it’s price. I picked it up for $24 dollars on a flash sale, but it’s well worth the normal price for how it sounds.I picked it up with the Neewer NB-35 Microphone boom arm (which is PERFECT for this microphone, btw and comes with a pop filter!) Less than 50 bucks for a complete usb microphone setup. That alone is pretty great.Less than a week after buying this, however, I was at bestbuy for a big sale, and saw that the Blackout edition Blue Yeti was on sale with the ghost recon wildlands game combo for a shocking $75 dollars. So I bought it.I’m a singer/songwriter with 20+ years of recording behind me and play PC games and do some streaming and needed a new mic.All day I’ve been testing this mic (I have the black Fifine K669B for the record) and the Yeti side by side. The Yeti is larger, feels more premium, and has a mute button, gain control adjusts to louder volume, has 4 different polarity settings for doing podcasts or recording in stereo among other things. But I tested this side by side with the Yeti using the Yeti’s cardioid settings to match the Fifine’s. I adjusted the gain controls to be the same in windows, and slightly higher on the Fifine’s gain knob to match the Yeti so they were as evenly matched as possible.I cannot distinguish a large enough difference in the audio (flat recorded in mono with audacity) to truly be able to justify the already discounted price of the Yeti compared side by side with the Fifine.Yes, the audio is just that good. I mean, as good as a USB mic is going to be. If you have the extra scratch and need more than one polarity pattern than just right in front of the mic (and the sides) then you cannot go wrong with the Fifine. I was so taken aback after hearing such good things about the yeti, but they both pickup the same background noises, and feel very similar. When positioned about 6″ from the mics with pop filters in place, my voice felt more natural coming from the Fifine, with a bit more clarity perhaps in the Yeti but barely noticable. What bassiness there was (my voice isn’t very bassy) was – to my ears – better on the Fifine. Not like, stupid bassy, but naturally the tone sounded more pleasing. And that’s where this mic will be, about 6″ from my face. It’s small, light, very well made, all-metal, and about 1/4th the size of the Yeti. And the yeti weighs A TON, and has some bizarre irregular threading on the mount part where you need to buy a specific adapter or pray that you get one that the threads like. The Fifine just works. And if something happens to it you just buy another one for 25 bucks and call it a day.For professional streamers or people looking for a pro-level mic for doing voice/singing work, neither mic is going to be worth your time, you’re going to want to use an interface and XLR mic/s for that, to get the sound as good as it can be. But if you’re laying down tracks, writing idea songs, playing around, gaming, streaming, chatting with your friends in discord, this mic is an incredible value. I wish it had a mute button, that’s a downer. But you can just turn the gain all the way down.I don’t work for Fifine or Neewer, and I really want to like the Yeti, but I’ll probably return it in the morning. It’s a beautiful mic, but not as beautiful as having 50 bucks and something that sounds just as good. (IN CARDIOID MODE that is.) Also the Yeti is bigger, heavier, and takes up more space. I thought for sure when I started testing them that the Yeti was going to blow my mind, but insanely I can NOT tell the difference, or rather, I cannot detect why anyone would believe the Yeti is better sounding.I feel that maybe it’s a reputation thing, as with the Beats headphones. Beats aren’t all that good, my daughter has a pair and when I listen to them they’re not bad but sound about as good as a pair of Klipsch I paid 30 bucks for on sale. Same situation here. I think Yeti’s are maybe for people who either need that headphone passthrough, plan to use this for something greater than streaming or talking, and kids who just think they’re good because other kids use them.TLDR: Don’t be fooled, trust your ears, and just get this microphone and try it for yourself. You’ve got very little to lose.

2. 

   Susan – October 7, 2023

    I bought this as my first upgrade but still at a beginner’s level.What I love: It’s super easy to use. You literally just plug it in and it’s ready to go. It immediately improved my audio quality and therefore also made my editing a lot easier too.What is just so-so: It is nice is that it does come with its own tripod but it isn’t very pose-able. The mic itself can only be tilted up or down and the tripod can only able to be used in the position shown in the photos. But it sits well and is very sturdy.I read about this brand in a book by a long time VO and it was the brand he started his career with.Pink is my favorite color; so this to me is super cuteI can’t wait to try it with a mic stand.It has a USB plug and play cord and so far that is working well. At this point I’m not sure about the durability but it has a nice solid feel so I’m guessing that it is well built but I will only know that for certain after using it for some time.So far one week into using it and I am very happy with this purchase. I can see using it for quite a while to get up and going before I’m ready for another upgrade.For the price point 5 stars.