As the last few hours of Prime Day begin to fade, I feel it's my duty as a tech reviewer to try to make as many people aware of discounts that could actually save them money in the long run. Please read these next few chaotic paragraphs with a sense of urgency because I've written about so many deals this week, my brain is beginning a delayed melting process that's entirely unrelated to the European heatwave that's been running alongside it. Even so, I'm coherent enough to know that this might be one of the best offers I've come across. If you are shopping, or even at all interested in a new microphone for streaming and gaming, please read on.
The Maono PD200W is not the most well-known mic on the market. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that most people, even the ones in the know, do not know this thing exists. But they should, because it's a damn good microphone even if you don't consider its main selling point. It has wireless, USB, and XLR connectivity. Most mics only have two out of those three, or just one of them, and yet somehow, Maono's is cheaper than the competition and sounds pretty much just as good as the most expensive options.
I get it, you don't believe me that it can sound that good at this kind of price. Please allow me to prove it to you. Here's my good friend and freelancer, Alex Berry, talking into it:
I know what you're thinking. "Wow, what a lovely Australian voice this man has." Yes, I agree with you, but also, what a superb-sounding microphone that conveys that voice with so much clarity and rich depth.
Okay, but how does that compare to a more expensive mic? Well, here's Alex again, talking into a Shure MV7+ that's much pricier.
Sure enough, that one sounds a bit fuller, and the sound overall might be a bit brighter, but in my opinion, not by all that much. For reference, the Shure MV7+ costs $299 at full price, and $254 during Prime Day. Would you say it sounds $170 better?
Not to mention, the Maono gives you a third method of connectivity on top of the Shure's XLR and USB capabilities, and still holds onto that classy content creator look we all know from the Shure SM7dB.
If you are a gamer who talks with friends, if you are a content creator who occasionally streams or makes videos with voice-over for YouTube, if you're a professional podcaster and you need a spare, or on-the-go capsule for yourself or guests, I don't really know why you wouldn't go for the Maono PD200W. The way this thing is priced, it provides convenience, quality, and a professional, no-nonsense look to creators and hobbyists of all levels - and even gives beginners room to grow into an XLR setup - at such a dramatically lower cost than the competition.
To give you more context, one of my go-to budget-friendly mics I still recommend to beginners is the Blue Yeti Nano, which came out in 2018 to the tune of $99, and still sells for that kind of price. Shure's budget-friendly USB-only mic, the MV6, sells for $169. In other words, I have absolutely no clue how Maono can be making a profit on the PD200W, but if it's going to allow us to get such great mic quality and convenience at this price, we might as well accept the gift, no?
For more on content creation, head to our pages about the best gear for streaming, the best capture cards, and the best streaming mixer.
