USB Condenser Mic for Gaming with Gain, Volume, RGB and a handy Game/Chat balancer

Important Notes

Fifine has supplied me with this MIC for free, to test out and keep. This will not impact my review in any way. This is my honest review and opinion on it.

Unboxing

• Condensor MIC with a pop filter, pivot mount and desk stand attached.

• 6.5FT (2m) USB-C to USB-A Cable.

• A leaflet.

It comes with everything needed and as this is a USB MIC you do not need a separate XLR audio interface

Design and Build Quality

The MIC has a durable plastic construction that feels both lightweight and well-built. It features some visually appealing RGB elements, including a translucent ring at the base and a metal mesh plate over the microphone capsule that emits a pleasing addressable RGB glow. The knobs on the body of the mic add a further touch of style with the huge centred game/chat kob adding a unique look.

The MIC comes with an included pop filter, which is an additional accessory for most other mics and is great to see included in this price range. It helps to break out harsh “p”, ”t” and ”b” sounds which helps improve audio quality.

The included pivot mount is made of metal, and the desk stand has a plastic-encased weight plate for stability. Overall, the mic and its accessories do a fine job of holding the mic in place. However, an issue I've encountered is that the pivot mount tends to loosen if the mic is adjusted frequently, especially if you're making big angle adjustments. This can cause the mic to swing down inadvertently smashing itself on the mount. Tightening the knob firmly does help to secure it, but the smooth round surface makes it difficult to get a tight clamp and it still tends to sometimes loosen with multiple big angle adjustments. It's best to check and re-tighten this knob after any major angle adjustments to ensure the MIC doesn't flap down.

Features

This MIC has all the dials and buttons you are going to need during any gaming or chat session and they are all easily reachable and adjustable. It is a very intuitive arrangement that is a breeze to use.

On the Front

• LED indicator for mute/live which is especially useful for privacy and 

• Game/Chat balance Knob for on-the-fly volume adjustment balance for game and chat sound. This huge knob is especially useful for moments where you need to focus on the gameplay (does not work on PS4/PS5). 

On the Top

• Touch-sensitive mute/unmute button - this is a large button but is only responsive around the centre region. It is sensitive and responds fast and well.

On the right

• Microphone Gain Knob for adjusting the gain if you are close/far away, loud or quiet.

• Headphone volume control to adjust the loudness of real-time audio monitoring. 

On the Left

• Small threaded screw whole for the included pivot arm.

On the Bottom

• Noise-cancelling Button that can help to eliminate background noise.

• RGB Control Button that lets you cycle through the RGB Presets and turn them off completely by long pressing.

• 1/8inch (3.5mm) headphone jack

Setup

This is a plug-and-play mic with compatibility for PC and PS4/PS5 but you may need to do some configuration on Windows and MAC OS to make sure the system is recording through this mic and discord if you are using the right MIC. The included leaflet covers the quick setup process but it usually defaults to this mic when you plug it in and you're good to go without any manual setup.

You do want to make sure you have selected the Fifine Game as the output device on the game and Fifine Chat chat application you are using to make sure the Game/Chat balance knob works correctly - make sure you do as it is a very handy feature to have. I find it easy to set the default output device as Fifine Game on Windows and set Discord or your chat application to Fifine Chat so every game you launch should be set up automatically. 

The Game/Chat balancer doesn't function on PS5. The console only recognized the Fifine Chat output, preventing the selection of Fifine Game in the FC 24. Therefore, game and chat audio come through as a single mixed-signal, requiring balance adjustments within your console settings.

Audio Recording

This microphone uses a condenser design, which is known for capturing detailed and full audio. This is great for clear communication in games. However, condenser microphones are generally more sensitive to background noise than dynamic microphones, which are often preferred for gaming. The cardioid pickup pattern focuses on sound coming directly from the front of the mic, helping to minimize distractions like keyboard clicks or noisy fans.

Since this is a gaming mic, most of us aren’t playing in a home studio and keyboard and mouse clicks are likely your biggest background noises. This condenser capsule offers good voice clarity, but you might need to adjust mic positioning and gain settings carefully to minimise unwanted background noise. 

The Audio quality is brilliant for gaming, in a bedroom environment the MIC sounds clear and it should easily beat any headset Boom MIC you may already have. The quality was a big upgrade over the Hyper X Cloud II Pro built-in boom MIC even when placed down using the included desk stand.

Desk Stand Performance

I found that with the included desk stand positioned in front of the keyboard, key noise was inevitable and depending on the keyboard and the key switches the loudness can vary. While not overbearing, it could still bother your gaming teammates. 

Controller noise is also registered, though subtly, and the noise cancellation feature helps to eliminate this at the cost of making you sound slightly muffled.

Even with the desk stand, this mic is a big upgrade over any headset boom mic.  It offers significantly better recording quality and clarity.  However, for the absolute best performance in podcasts or streaming, you'll want to use a boom arm for optimal positioning and minimal noise.

Boom Arm

This mic is compatible with standard ⅜ and ⅝ screw threads, making it easy to mount on a boom arm. I found the ideal positioning to be 6-12 inches away for optimal clarity and background noise reduction. The RGB also adds a nice visual element for streams.

If you are buying this mic for podcasting or streaming you should use a boom arm to get the best clarity and lowest noise. It sounds fine and the RGB look nice on the camera. When Positioned on the desk for solo recordings it sounds good and the pop filter works well. 

Using a boom arm with the mic close to my mouth with low gain gave the best results for minimizing background noise offers the cleanest possible audio. I have no complaints here.

Built In Noise cancellation 

While the built-in noise cancellation helps with some background noise and controller sounds, it couldn't fully eliminate loud mechanical keyboards and introduced distortion to my voice. Some gamers might not mind using this feature but if you are podcasting or streaming your listeners will want it off for the most natural voice quality. The button is on the bottom of the MIC so most of us can simply ignore this feature unless we are in an extreme environment and are unable to use software-based noise cancellation.

Input Audio Monitoring 

Real-time mic input monitoring boosts your recording confidence by letting you hear yourself in real-time. Ensure your microphone settings and placement are ideal, and eliminate worry. This feature is a must-have for content creators and professionals.

This mic does support real-time audio monitoring for your voice on a hardware level, But it is turned off by default. The included user manual provides instructions on how to enable it on PC and MAC however I was unable to get this enabled on a PS5.

A full guide for this can be found here .

Conclusion

The Fifine AM6 mic delivers solid audio quality, comes as a complete kit with a desk stand, and significantly surpasses any headset boom mic. This makes it a great value proposition for gamers looking to enhance their in-game communication and overall audio experience. The included 3.5mm audio jack lets you plug in your existing headphones or headset and the 3 easily accessible knobs give you on-the-fly control over volume, mic gain, and game/chat balance.

A gamer would love this all-in-one package, and the customizable RGB adds a fun touch that complements the upgraded audio quality.