Beyerdynamic Fox

A USB desktop mic to rival its contemporaries in the studio

AS A RULE OF THUMB, taking the leap from your headset mic to a dedicated desktop microphone always sounds noticeably better. With larger diaphragms and sturdier outer casing, dedicated mics can capture low-end frequencies, in particular, much more accurately than the tinny old electret condenser through which you’ve been shouting at campers and breathing Cheeto dust for your gaming headset’s lifespan.

But not all desktop microphones are born equal. In fact, this is something of a growth sector for gaming peripheral manufacturers and established pro audio brands alike—until a few years ago, we were all pretty much satisfied with sounding like a taxicab dispatcher on voice chat, but Twitch changed the landscape. Now, not only are microphones such as the venerable Blue Yeti capable of incredible spokenword fidelity levels, but they’re getting competition from the likes of AudioTechnica and Beyerdynamic, too, who bring decades of studio expertise to the party. And hoo boy, is that ever apparent with this excellent Fox USB mic.

SOUND BITES

Starting with the basics, the Fox is a cardioid condenser and doesn’t feature any other polar patterns, unlike a lot of its rivals on the market. Available now for $150, it includes a very sturdy pop shield, a bright orange braided 1m USB cable, a 1/4-inch to 5/8-inch adapter, and a reassuringly heavy desktop mount. As with any microphone you intend to use while you’re sitting at a computer, it’s best deployed using a boom arm, to keep it high up and away from your noisy keyboard and all the accidental knocks it’s sure to pick up when sitting on your desktop. The adapter’s definitely welcome, then, but it’s worth noting that as desktop mounts go, this one’s pretty serviceable. You can adjust the angle to point the front of the mic up toward your mouth, without fear of it tipping over or changing position mid-stream, and we found it blocked out the sounds of our banging into the desk quite well. If it’s placed nearer to your keyboard than your mouth, though, it’s always going to pick up some of that mechanical switch chatter.

The mic unit itself is built to a very high standard and features an all-metal construction around the shell—it really wouldn’t look out of place in a recording studio, next to units ten times the price. The controls on the front are a less impressive plastic, and they do wobble just a little when you use them, but not so much that it becomes a problem. A mic mute, direct monitoring/PC audio mix, headphone monitoring volume, and headphone input make up the front, while a lone USB-C cable input can be found at the back.

The sound is magnificent—warm, well rounded, and with a slight dip in the higher frequencies (6–10K), which really smooths out vocals. While this array is obviously intended for straightforward vocal capture in a streaming setting, the Fox has the chops for much more. It can record 24-bit, 96KHz audio—better than CD-quality, for the audiophile casuals— and the overall shape of the sound is just as suited to mic-ing up a guitar cabinet, acoustic guitar, or melodic vocal performance as a Twitch broadcast. And for $150, that’s really saying something. There are practical limitations here, though, if you do decide to go Quincy Jones on the Fox, principally the 1m USB cable. Being tethered within a one-meter radius of your PC is tricky, and really you’d need to buy a longer cable to make a musical recording situation happen.

The fact we’re even talking about it like it’s a possibility says so much about how far USB desktop mics have come. And it says a lot in particular about this debut USB mic from Beyerdynamic—with a little more investment in a boom arm and a longer cable, it’s all your recording desires in one mic.

Beyerdynamic Fox

FANTASTIC MR. FOX Solidly built; sounds like a studio mic; suitable for instrument recording.

FARMER BOGGIS Short USB cable. $150, https://global.beyerdynamic.com