Today, we’ll be focusing on Beyerdynamic’s new microphone; the Beyerdynamic Fox USB. As mentioned on the product name, it’s powered by a USB Interface. If you’re a podcaster or a streamer, then our Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone review can be very beneficial to you.
Beyerdynamic was established in 1924 in Heilbronn, Germany. The brand is known for manufacturing excellent-quality headphones, wireless audio systems, conference systems, and microphones.
Why pick a USB microphone instead of a standard XLR Microphone?
For the reason of convenience, the Beyerdynamic Fox is powered by a USB Type-C interface. It’s easy to use on modern computers, especially on laptops.
USB Type-C is an excellent choice from Beyerdynamic since Micro-USB is known for being broken in just a short time. Plus, you won’t be needing a Phantom Sound Amplifier, since it only requires 5V.
If you travel a lot for podcasting and you don’t have a lot of time to set up, having a laptop and a USB microphone will make things easier. Streamers will also benefit from USB microphones, which reduces wiring clutter.
In general, podcasters, musicians, and gamers need a high-quality microphone for better vocals, and the Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone has all these essential features.
Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone Packaging
The Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone came in a black, square-shaped box with a matte texture. The brand logo can be seen at the top-right corner, while the product and model can be seen in the middle.
The product usage can be seen at the lower portion, which gives us an idea of what the microphone should be capable of. At the back, the microphone, as well as the USB cable, is shown, along with advertised product features.
The product key features are indicated and briefly explained at the top of the box. At the bottom, you’ll see the technical specifications of the Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone.
There’s also an indication of how the product functions or what they’re used for. To see the contents of the box, you’ll have to slide the actual box by pushing on either left or right side.
Overall, the outside packaging is excellent. Let’s now unbox the package and see what we get.
Inside the Box
As we open the box, we’ll first see the instructions manual. The rest is covered in a lovely black foam; to protect the contents of the box.
Inside the foam cover, there’s a mesh windscreen pop filter, a braided orange USB Type-A to USB Type-C cable, desk stand, mic stand adapter, and the microphone itself.
These accessories are protected with black foam, bubble wrap, and plastic resealable bags. The overall packaging of accessories gave a premium feel, as most cheap packaging doesn’t include proper protection.
Overall, Beyerdynamic has done an excellent job of packing their products. Next is the product’s design & functions section of our Beyerdynamic FOX USB Microphone review.
Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone Review – Design and Functionality
The Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone has a slim design, with a black colour and matte surface. The build is quite sturdy, and the design looks excellent in any angle.
The microphone also includes a windscreen pop filter that clamps directly onto the microphone. This lessens any unnecessary noise, especially if you’re talking close to the mic.
The Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone works with a USB cable that can be plugged onto your PC or Mobile. Essentially, there are no drivers required, so it’s plug & play.
On the front side of the microphone, there’s a headphone jack and a headphone jack volume control.
Right above the headphone jack’s volume control knob, there’s an adjustable sound control; both routed to your PC; both or the microphone. Adjusting this determines the sound that you hear from your computer, or directly from the microphone.
If you want to mute on-the-go, there’s also one located on top of the volume mixer knob. You can toggle this setting by pressing the button once. Typically, the orange light shouldn’t be blinking. But if it is, it means that it’s muted.
At the back of the microphone, there’s a USB Type-C Input, and gain control, which can be switched between low and high.
The design of the Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone is excellent, providing easy adjustability without changing anything software-wise.
Overall, this isn’t disappointing, especially if you consider the fact that it only costs $119.99 at the very least. Let’s discuss more of the features in the next section of our Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone review.
Key Features of the Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone
The main reason we buy the product is because of its key features. Let’s tackle each key feature that the Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone has.
Clever Mute Button
The Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone keeps all the disturbing sounds away when recording by using the mute function. You can also record all sorts of instruments in the background for a full studio recording.
Zero-Latency Headphone Jack
The Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone has a Zero-Latency monitoring feature via the headphone jack. Listen to your own voice directly to the microphone without any delay.
Slim & Compact
The Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone has a slim design that looks attractive & professional. Enjoy the excellent quality & attract people with your studio/setup.
Low Noise Floor Level
The Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone features low noise floor level that doesn’t bother listeners with any unnecessary background noise. Enjoy perfect podcasting & streaming throughout your session.
USB Type-C Connector
The Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone uses USB Type-C Interface instead of the standard Micro-USB port. Enjoy recording, podcasting, and streaming directly on your PC or mobile phone.
Dedicated Audio Controls
The Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone sports dedicated audio controls for on-the-go adjustments. Fully utilise the microphone without any use of the software.
High-Quality Sound
The Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone offers high-quality 24-bit/96 kHz sound that can be very useful during post-processing.
Zero Hassle Sound Capture
The Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone lets you capture audio with zero hassle. This USB microphone is an excellent solution for home studio and crystal-clarity mobile recording.
Specifications
This part of our Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone review talks about the microphone’s technical specifications. Let’s start with the microphone type.
The Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone type is a back electret condenser. Condenser microphones have been the best option for streamers and content creators, and it suits all studios.
The microphone has a frequency response of 20 Hz to 20 kHz and a cardioid polar pattern. It also has a maximum sample rate of 96 kHz, and a maximum bit depth of 24 bit.
For the audio channel, the Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone has a mono audio channel. The diaphragm size is large, and the max SPL is 97.5 dB SPL.
There’s also a dynamic range of 77.5 dBA weighted, and a self-noise of -107 dBFS. The microphone sensitivity is -15 dBFS/-33 dBFS. The connector’s interface is USB Type-C for PC input, and 3.5 mm for the headphone jack.
There’s no external power required, since the USB provides enough power, at just 5V.
Lastly is the compatibility. You can use the Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone on any Windows PC, Mac, Android (OTG Adapter), and iOS (OTG Adapter) devices.
Hands-on with the Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone
Let’s talk about our overall experience with the Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone.
At first glance, the Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone looks superb. It works as intended, and there are no signs of any false advertising. It delivers the quality more than what you paid for, so you’re getting more all-in-all.
Upon testing it, we didn’t notice any hissing sound or any unnecessary noise. It picks up our mechanical keyboard typing test but isn’t too disturbing.
The windscreen pop filter also does an excellent job of repelling noise, especially the breathing sound. Some microphones come with a typical foam cover, which also helps, but the windscreen pop filter focuses on where you’re exactly at.
There’s also an option to mount it on a different mic stand, which would look better in our opinion. Installation is relatively straightforward, as the Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone comes with a handy mic stand adapter.
Overall, the Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone is doing excellent in terms of design and regular usage. Let’s perform more tests and explain things in detail.
Switching between your computer’s signal and your own recording signal is helpful, especially if you have a heavy workflow.
While most of the audio recording is separated, the onboard controls minimised our time effectively. If you’re not a good multi-tasker, you’ll have a hard time navigating through your computer.
The mute button also does an excellent job of instantly muting your voice. Most users would probably mute their voice through the computer, but a dedicated mute button can be handy, especially if you’re in a rush.
At the back of the Beyerdynamic Fox USB microphone is the low-to-high gain switch. With the low gain settings switched, we found the low setting to be significantly low. It recorded our voice at about -35dB, which is nearly audible.
Switching to the high setting, it gave us a high amount of boost to the gain, which sounded a bit distorted, but should be helpful when podcasting. Nevertheless, the gain control should be practical mostly on mobile phones.
On the bright side, it would still depend on your computer’s configuration. Since the Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone lacks the option of adjusting the gain with a knob, you can even easily configure it on your computer.
How does the Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone sound?
USB microphones, in general, won’t sound as good as an XLR microphone, because of the way they’re designed. But that doesn’t mean that USB microphones aren’t useful.
With the Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone, you can record at 24bit/96 kHz, which is enough for professional usage.
A higher bit depth will most likely be better since it will sound crisper. Plus, it helps in post-processing.
“Bad sounding” is a thing with most cheap microphones, especially during loud voices. But the Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone did an excellent job of lessening the distortion.
Even with either low or high gain, the Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone adjusts itself to the safest spot it can.
Since we’re all done with the testing, let’s breakdown our opinions about the Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone in our Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone review Summary section.
Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone Review Summary
The Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone performed spectacularly. If good audio recording and excellent build quality are what you’re looking for, then you should definitely get the Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone.
The microphone’s ability to record at full 24bit/96 kHz is an excellent feature that other microphones lack, and the build looks impressive on a desk or a wooden computer table.
The interface also proves to be excellent, as it sports a USB Type-C port, which many microphones don’t have. Its braided orange cable is easy to spot and is long enough to be routed under the table.
At its current price, it’s an excellent performer. Whether it be a live or recording podcast and streaming, the Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone’s features are more than enough.
Suppose you’d like to purchase one, head over to their official website. It currently retails at $139 (originally $179), which received a huge price drop for over a year now.
To conclude our Beyerdynamic Fox USB Microphone review, we were delighted with the product and the features that it offers.
