V-MODA Boompro vs Antlion ModMic 5

[kaisei]

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Note: The Antlion ModMic 5 was provided to me in exchange for a fair and unbiased review. The Boompro was purchased with my own money.

 

 

 

V-MODA BoomPro ($30)

Accessories:

• (1) 3.5mm Y-Splitter

• (1) Single line velcro strap

 

Build

The BoomPro starts with a 3.5mm connection which splits into the boom mic and the rest of the cable. The boom mic is very easily adjustable and holds its position decently. I say this because the mic will occasionally droop a slight bit, which may or may not bother some people. The cable is 79” (200cm) long and is reinforced with fabric wrapping. The cable is slightly on the stiffer side. There are several points where the cable will not fully straighten from how it was wrapped inside its box. If the cable were more plush, I feel it would straighten out more naturally, but it does not affect movement as it is right now. About 12” (30cm) down the cable, there a 1”x1” (2.5cm x 2.5cm) module for controlling the volume and muting the mic. The connection points here are also reinforced, which makes the total length of the module about 3” (7.5cm) long. This adds a bit of heft to the cable. I’m not sure if it needs to be so large, or if it could somehow have the width reduced to make it feel more like a cable instead of a cable with a box built into the middle of it. There is a clip on the module to help alleviate the extra weight somewhat. The BoomPro terminates in a 45 degree 3.5mm 4-pole connection.

 

Compatibility

Full compatibility with just about (some people have reported that it did not work with their headphones, so I will not be including an absolute statement on compatiblity) any headphones with a single 3.5mm removable cable.

 

The microphone is easily compatible with console gaming. For the PS4, no adapters are needed. Just plug the 4-pole right into the headphone port into the DualShock 4 controller. For the Xbox One, it would depend on the controller. The first generation controller would need the official headset adapter from Microsoft, but the second generation controller with the 3.5mm jack will be compatible without any adapters. It should be noted that if your headphones require more power, then connecting an amplifier will still be necessary. Then the setup becomes slightly more complicated with the use of the Y-splitter and possibly needing a ground loop isolator to eliminate static or high pitched sounds.

 

Sound

The microphone captures voices really well. It is permanently set in omni-directional mode, so background noise will be apparent. It does a decent job in keeping the majority of the outside sound out, but my keyboard typing test using Cherry MX Browns and Cherry MX Clears can be slightly heard in the background. Mouse clicks can occasionally be heard as well, but all the background sounds are very much subdued. This makes for a very pleasant experience in chats and even video recordings.

 

Antlion ModMic 5 ($70)

Accessories:

• (1) Cable wrap

• (10) Cable clips

• (1) Mute switch module

• (2) 3.5mm Extension cables

• (2) Magnetic base clasps

• (1) Alcohol wipe

• (3) 3M adhesives

• (1) Pop filter

• (1) Carrying case

• (1) Microphone/Headphone 3.5mm to USB adapter

• (1) 3.5mm Y-Adapter

 

Build

The ModMic 5 is very solidly built. The mic comes with a thick pop filter that barely covers the entire microphone portion of the boom mic. It does not seem to have any negative effects on the sound quality. The microphone portion contains a switch to swap between omni-directional and uni-directional modes. The shaft of the boom mic is reinforced with sturdy plastic.

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Actually it's reinforced with a steel reticulated spine. -AAJoe

It can be adjusted at the desired angle, and it does a decent job at holding it’s form. The magnetic clasp is stronger than the previous versions to help reduce accidental drooping of the mic when you move your head too suddenly. The mic then makes a u-bend into a reliable looking strain relief. The cable on the main mic is about 8” (20cm) long, terminating into a 3.5mm jack. The two extension cables feel almost too flimsy, but is acceptable for in-home use without too much rough usage.

 

The mute switch module can be used in-between any of the 3.5mm connections. For something that only performs one function, the module feels too huge. It adds unnecessary heft to something that is already adding a second cable onto your headphone/microphone combo. Both of the adapters are solid blocks instead of wired splitters. This may or may not be a problem with connectivity depending on if it blocks off adjacent USB ports or hits ledges near the USB/3.5mm port. The block portion of the adapters are both about 1” (2.5cm) wide, 1” (2.5cm) long, and ½” (1.3cm) thick.

 

The worse (and thankfully optional) part of the setup is the cable wrap. It is about 79” (2m) long, and is made of some sort of weaved plastic material. A lot of people had problems with the cable wrap fraying when they cut it, which prompted Antlion to supply a couple of ways to properly adjust the length of the cable. One way is to use a lighter to burn the ends where the wrap was cut to sear the ends. The second way is to use nail polish before and after cutting. This all seems to be more effort than necessary, and adds even more heft to an already cumbersome setup with multiple cables going from your head and added weight of all the additional optional accessories.

 

Compatibility

In regards to compatibility with headphones, the ModMic will work on all of them. There does not need to be a requirement of a 3.5mm jack. The magnetic clasp will stick on just about all surfaces unless there are a pair of headphones with a fabric type surface. Yes, the 3m adhesive will even work on the grills of open back headphones.

 

Similar with the V-MODA BoomPro, the ModMic 5 is compatible with everything as long as you use the appropriate adapter. All of the adapters are included for you in this case, but new ones may need to be purchased if the adapters blocks get in the way of connecting to ports.

 

Sound

Unidirectional

When the mic switch is switched to unidirectional mode, the single inner microphone will be active. This mic is aimed at the user and will reduce the majority of background noise. When typing on my mechanical keyboard and excessively clicking my mouse, there was very minimal background sounds being captured by the mic. This mode is great for a semi-noisy room, but it comes with one caveat. The user’s voice sounds very much muted or muffled as well. This mode cannot be recommended unless reducing background noise is an absolute necessity during a chat session.

 

Omnidirectional

This mode is where the ModMic 5 shines. When the switch is swapped to omnidirectional mode, the two microphones at the end of the mic boom is activated. It captures the best representation of your voice of the two modes. Background noises will be heard, but those are slightly muted. Typing on my mechanical keyboard and the excessive clicking on my mouse sounded slightly muffled, while my voice was clear and concise. Unless there is unwanted chatter in the room, this mode is the suggested mode of the mic.

 

Conclusion

So how do these mics compare? If I had to give a 1-10 score to each mic, I would say the ModMic 5 Omnidirectional mode scores an 8, the V-MODA BoomPro scores a 7.5, and the ModMic 5 Unidriectional mode scores a 6 in terms of sound quality. Although the ModMic 5 Omnidirectional sounds the best from the tests, the BoomPro is only very, very slightly behind it. The high price tag on the ModMic 5 comes from the ability to switch in-between the two modes, the upgraded build quality from its previous version, and the large amount of accessories. However, the V-MODA’s build quality does not fall short all the while holding onto a very competitive price. Giving the price and performance, I would have to go with the V-MODA BoomPro your headphones are compatible (or modded to a 3.5mm jack to be compatible). Otherwise, the Antlion ModMic 5 is compatible with all headphones with its magnetic clip, but it comes in at more than twice the price as the BoomPro

[AAJoe]

Thanks for taking the time for this comprehensive review! My only, very minor, correction is "The shaft of the boom mic is is reinforced with sturdy plastic " - Actually it's reinforced with a steel reticulated spine.

No way you could know that without slicing open your ModMic through

 

I'd like to thank Kaisai for letting me use him to do a comparison. It became clear through our many posts on these forums that he was a big fan of the Boompro as well as being a fair and reasonable person. I wanted to see how we'd stack up in his eyes so I could be sure we know where to improve next.

 

If anyone has any questions about this review I will let Kaisai answer unless you specifically ask me- nobody wants the hardware rep trying to butt in on a review!

[kaisei]

29 minutes ago, AAJoe said:

Thanks for taking the time for this comprehensive review! My only, very minor, correction is "The shaft of the boom mic is is reinforced with sturdy plastic " - Actually it's reinforced with a steel reticulated spine.

No way you could know that without slicing open your ModMic through

 

I'd like to thank Kaisai for letting me use him to do a comparison. It became clear through our many posts on these forums that he was a big fan of the Boompro as well as being a fair and reasonable person. I wanted to see how we'd stack up in his eyes so I could be sure we know where to improve next.

 

If anyone has any questions about this review I will let Kaisai answer unless you specifically ask me- nobody wants the hardware rep trying to butt in on a review!

Thanks, I added that into the review as a quoted correction.