Maono HD300T USB/XLR Microphone Review – All the accessories

*Review unit provided by Maono A good microphone is essential to producing quality content, whether you’re thinking of streaming, Youtube, podcast, or if you just want to have better audio comms.  High quality audio has traditionally been quite expensive and cumbersome to set up, with multiple interfaces and connections required. The Maono HD300T is promising high quality out of the box with one cable to your computer, and it mostly delivers.

What’s in the box

The Maono HD300T really does give you everything you need to get going;

• The Maono HD300T mic itself
• Pop filter with holder
• Anti vibration mount
• Adjustable desk stand with weighted base
• XLR cable
• USB-C to USB-A Cable
• Manuals

Outside of wanting to mount the mic on an arm, you should be good to go.

Setup & Design

The HD300T is easy to setup without the need of any tools, everything screws easily in together by hand. You will need to assemble the base, then install the mount and pop filter with the rigid wire to complete the entire kit, I was able to get this put together in a few minutes, easy-peasy. Once assembled, the full metal base keeps the microphone firmly in place. All of the screw mounts are brass so th ere shouldn’t be any issues with long term wear and tear.  The stand is adjustable both in height and in the angle of the microphone.  On the microphone itself, you’ll find a power switch and some rubber coated tactile buttons to control volume of your microphone. On the back of the AU-HD300T, you’ll find all the inputs and outputs.  Conveniently, the microphone supports both an XLR connection and USB-C connection without the need to amplify the signal. It is very easy to get this microphone set up with minimal equipment. The Samson Q2U microphone offers an XLR and mini-USB connection, at a higher price than the Maono mic. The no-latency 1/8′ headphone jack rounds out the I/O of the microphone. This headphone jack allows you to monitor your microphone in real-time, again without the need for any additional hardware or software. The microphone itself is a classic handheld mic design, the mic itself is 7.5 inches long. The wire cage of the microphone screws off, revealing the cardioid dynamic microphone underneath.

Sound quality

For the price the AU-HD300T delivers great audio quality, budget mics seem to have come a long way. The dynamic microphone doesn’t pick up nearly as much extra ambient noise as a condensor mic would. I’m also happy to report that the pop filter and anti-vibration mount work superbly. The AU-HD300T doesn’t deliver as much clarity as a condensor microphone like the Blue Yeti would, but it also doesn’t overexpose ambient sound. The Rode Videomic NTG shotgun style microphone offered more accuracy in my opinion to my actual voice than the AU-HD300T, but not by much. The Maono mic pitched my voice a little bit higher and muddier in comparison to the more expensive microphone and it obviously blows away the webcam mic of the C920. I’ve recorded some audio samples with several mics to compare. The AU-HD300T was recorded in USB-C mode. Maono AU-HD300T close-up Maono AU-HD300T distant Blue Yeti Rode Videomic NTG Logitech C920 Webcam

Build quality

All of the parts of the microphone are well-built with the main microphone body being entirely metal.

Warranty

Maono has a 24-month warranty on the AU-HD300T according to their product page

Conclusion & Recommendation

At just $65 USD the Maono AU-HD300T represents a great value considering its ease of use, audio quality, and its complete accessories set.  I’m not sure if I can think of a dynamic mic at this price point that offers this audio quality and ease of use. The Shure SM57 and the Samson Q2U are good candidates but are significantly more expensive. If you have a sound treated room,a condensor microphone like the Blue Yeti is a good choice, for the rest of us who have echoey walls and other sound sources, the Maono AU-HD300T is a great starter microphone and gateway into higher quality audio.