microphone Alternatives to Samson Meteor and Meteorite?

[Zonus]

Backstory:

2 years ago, I fell for the scam, and bought a pair of Astro A40. To be honest, I'm surprised they lasted this long, given their 1-year warranty, anyway, this isn't about them.

About 2 months ago, my microphone started having issues, but it wasn't too bad, so I decided to ignore it for the most part. It hasn't gotten that much worse, but at this point, it's a major annoyance.

 

To the point:

So, I've been looking around for some smaller desk microphones to replace the included detachable boom-mic. At this point, I'm really liking the look and formfactor of the Samson Meteor and Meteorite, however, from what I've heard they tend to break within a week or two. So does anyone know of similar products? Or has anyone here had a good experience with said microphones?

 

Thanks in advance!

[Philosobyte]

I've had my Meteor for two years. It won't break unless you move the back leg so far that it squishes the cable connector. In other words, it won't break unless you smash your elbow into it, drop it several times onto the floor with a lot of force, or step on it. 

 

To reduce the possibility of even those things damaging the connector, buy a right-angle mini-B USB cable, like this: http://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-Mini-USB-Cable-USB2HABM6RA/dp/B004NO0L4O/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1456776185&sr=8-2&keywords=right+angle+mini+b

 

[Zonus]

2 hours ago, Philosobyte said:

I've had my Meteor for two years. It won't break unless you move the back leg so far that it squishes the cable connector. In other words, it won't break unless you smash your elbow into it, drop it several times onto the floor with a lot of force, or step on it. 

 

To reduce the possibility of even those things damaging the connector, buy a right-angle mini-B USB cable, like this: http://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-Mini-USB-Cable-USB2HABM6RA/dp/B004NO0L4O/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1456776185&sr=8-2&keywords=right+angle+mini+b

 

The stuff I read was the "Unable to install driver to USB device" error. On a further Google trip, there was an easy fix that worked for most people.

And since you've had a meteor for 2 years, I doubt it'd be a big problem.

 

I guess I'll just go with the Meteor. It's quite a good value too, and looks great.

Question: How does the Meteor perform at, say, a 1 meter range?

[Philosobyte]

1 hour ago, Zonus said:

The stuff I read was the "Unable to install driver to USB device" error. On a further Google trip, there was an easy fix that worked for most people.

And since you've had a meteor for 2 years, I doubt it'd be a big problem.

 

I guess I'll just go with the Meteor. It's quite a good value too, and looks great.

Question: How does the Meteor perform at, say, a 1 meter range?

It still sounds excellent with only moderate sibilance and not much lost bass (actually sounds like increased upper bass - not boomy). However, at a normal speaking volume I have to set the Meteor's volume to 80%, and there will be noise. The noise is low enough that for Skype and gaming use, no one will really notice it unless they listen for it. However, it might not be ideal for YouTube use because audio compression will increase the noise floor even further. For Youtube, you should keep the microphone closer to you. 

 

Try to keep the microphone relatively vertical when it is a meter away from you. Or if you're going to tilt the microphone significantly, make sure it's standing on something absorbent like cloth instead of wood or glass or plastic. At a meter away with a strong horizontal tilt, reflections from hard surfaces will add a boxy sound to your voice.

 

 

[Zonus]

12 hours ago, Philosobyte said:

It still sounds excellent with only moderate sibilance and not much lost bass (actually sounds like increased upper bass - not boomy). However, at a normal speaking volume I have to set the Meteor's volume to 80%, and there will be noise. The noise is low enough that for Skype and gaming use, no one will really notice it unless they listen for it. However, it might not be ideal for YouTube use because audio compression will increase the noise floor even further. For Youtube, you should keep the microphone closer to you. 

 

Try to keep the microphone relatively vertical when it is a meter away from you. Or if you're going to tilt the microphone significantly, make sure it's standing on something absorbent like cloth instead of wood or glass or plastic. At a meter away with a strong horizontal tilt, reflections from hard surfaces will add a boxy sound to your voice.

 

 

It's just for Skype, gaming, and possibly some other misc. uses down the line. It's probably the ideal fit for my use, as I don't plan on broadcasting or anything.

Thanks for the help! Much appreciated.