One of the best things you can do to improve your overall video quality is to get a good microphone. High-quality audio can be the difference between your videos sounding professional, and sounding like you’re talking through a tin can. But with the wealth of choice out there when it comes to microphones it can be hard to pick. I recently got the chance to try out the new JBL Quantum Stream Talk stand microphone to see what it’s like and what it’s ideal use cases are. In this review I’ll test it out by voicing over my videos and then I’ll go over the pros and cons and let you know if I think this microphone is a good fit for you.
JBL Quantum Stream Talk stand microphone
Summary
As a starter microphone, this is a solid budget investment for those wanting something dependable and easy-to-use.
Pros
- Lightweight weight
- Easy to use
- LED light is helpful
- One touch volume and mute button is convenient
- Comes with built-in stand
- Sound quality is very good
Cons
- Not collapsible
- Microphone could be more adjustable on post
- Plastic construction
- No mounting options
What you get
This microphone is kind of an interesting character. It is extremely lightweight and that’s because it is built almost entirely of plastic. The construction consists of a coaster sized stand as a base, with a narrow post which the microphone sits on. The microphone itself is super slim and probably only the diameter of my baby finger.
Impractically for some, the microphone does not fold or collapse, meaning it is not as portable as it could be. I’d love to see a future version of this able to fold down completely flat for Transport. But since this is designed to be used on its stand on a desktop, perhaps that’s not a major concern. There is also no way to mount this to any kind of microphone stand or arm.
In the box you get a USB-A to USB-C cable to connect to your laptop. There’s an Aux jack for connecting wired headphones for monitoring, if you want to do that.
Set up & connection
Depending on whether you’re using this on a Mac, PC, or gaming device your set up will be a little different, but essentially you want to go into your audio or sound settings and choose the JBL quantum stream talk microphone for sound output.
Supercardioid Pickup Pattern
JBL Quantum Stream Talk’s supercardioid pattern means it picks up sound that’s directly in front of it. It zeroes in on your voice, keeping it front and center, while that background noise – the clacking keyboard, the hum of your PC, or even the occasional cameo from your dog’s enthusiastic barking is minimized.
However, bear in mind that the supercardioid pattern is very particular – it demands that you speak directly into the sweet spot of the mic.
How to place JBL Quantum Stream Talk
I definitely found this in my testing; while I got good volume and clarity from positioning the microphone about 8 inches in front of my mouth, I found that if I placed it at about 12 inches away or further compromised to the audio quality.
Multi-Function Control Knob
There’s one single button on the base that doubles as both a volume dial for your connected headphones, as a gain knob for adjusting mictrophone volume input, and as a mute button for the mic, if you push it. Think of it as the sensitivity setting for your mic. High gain means your mic is super sensitive and can pick up the faintest whispers. Low gain, on the other hand, makes it more about your voice and less about background noise.
I can confirm that if the mic is used further away from your mouth and you crank the gain, there is noticeable hiss or hum as part of the audio track. That’s why it’s generally better to get the mic closer to your mouth and lower the gain.
The tap-to-mute function is also quite a useful feature. It’s the panic button you never knew you needed, especially if you have family members who like to barge into your room while you’re broadcasting, or you need to sneeze or cough.
The beauty of this control knob isn’t just in its functions, though. It’s the ease of use. No alt-tabbing to tweak settings in some software. It’s all right there, literally at your fingertips, which means you can stay focused on your game, your chat, or your presentation.
One last neat little feature is that a tiny LED ring around the input of the microphone will glow green when you’re connected and ready to record, red when the mic is muted, and blue while you’re adjusting the mic volume.
USB-C Connectivity for multiple devices
Got a PC? Works like a charm. Mac? No problem. Even many Android smartphones and tablets are on board with USB-C. This universal appeal means you’re less likely to need different cables for different devices, reducing clutter and making your setup sleeker and more streamlined.
Audio quality
As I hinted that earlier, the quality you’re going to get from this mic has something to do with where and how you place it and how you adjust the game. But I found when it was set up on my desk at about 8 inches from my mouth with the gain at a moderate level, the sound quality was extremely good. I was able to minimize any hiss or background noise and just get really good sound quality. Conversely if you’re not going to take care with your placement of this microphone your audio quality will suffer. Fortunately it’s easily remedied with some tweaks.
It may be worth pointing out that this is not the ideal microphone for picking up multiple person conversations. That’s just not what it’s built for so it’s not going to sound good. This is not a downside since the microphone doesn’t pretend to be anything other than a single-speaker mic.
Watch my review on JBL Quantum Stream Talk stand microphone
Overall review: JBL Quantum Stream Talk stand microphone
Overall I think this is a pretty great microphone particularly for folks who might be starting out and don’t have the budget to splash out on fancy equipment. Let’s go over the pros and the cons to see if it might be right for you.
On the pro side it’s lightweight and easy to move around, ultra easy to use and configure, and it does come with a built-in stand. I found the LED light to be very helpful and the one touch volume, gain and mute button is actually pretty convenient and means I can avoid needing to tweak the settings inside my computer. The sound quality it produces is actually very impressive given the plastic build and budget price point.
On the downside, there are a few limitations of this mic which are worth being aware of but may not be true cons. For starters it’s not very collapsible or portable, but it’s also not billed as a travel or portable microphone in the first place. (If you are looking for something that is built carting around, I highly recommend you check out my review of the Tula wireless microphone instead.) I think the microphone could use a little bit more adjustability on the stand since it really only has one good upward angle. There’s also no mounting options for this. But again if you’re looking for a highly adjustable, mountable, or portable microphone there’s plenty of other options out there. If you find the plastic build a concern you can certainly opt for more durable and heavy duty construction but you’ll definitely be paying more for many of these upgrades. On its own merits I think the JBL quantum stream talk is microphone for podcasting, gaming, or doing voice and I can definitely recommend it to you. It sells for about $49USD/$69CAD and you can get it from JBL or Amazon.
If you are looking for some other microphone options you can definitely check out the Tula mic review I did or see what using a wireless Lavalier kit from Joby is all about… right here.
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