If you’re looking for an affordable and versatile microphone for gaming, streaming, podcasting, or recording, that also offer sharp-looking RGB lighting, the AmpliGame A8 is a great option. This microphone is designed to offer high-quality sound and convenience for various applications, from solo commentary to multiplayer chat.
In this review, I’ll take a closer look at the FIFINE RGB mic and see how it performs in various scenarios.
Let’s get started by taking a quick look at the Ampligame’s Design and build quality. I’ll see you there.
II. Design and build quality:
The FIFINE AmpliGame A8 is a USB microphone that has a sleek and modern design, with a focus on simplicity and functionality. In this section, we’ll look closer at the microphone’s build quality, RGB lighting, and overall design aesthetic.
The build quality of the FIFINE AmpliGame A8 is impressive, with a sturdy metal and plastic construction that feels solid and durable. The microphone is not too heavy, but it has a good weight that adds to its stability and quality. The shock mount also helps isolate the microphone from vibrations and handling noise, improving the audio quality. The USB cable is also durable and long enough to provide flexibility in microphone positioning.
In terms of size and weight, the FIFINE AmpliGame A8 is relatively compact and lightweight compared to other microphones on the market. The microphone measures 6.7 x 4.5 x 2.8 inches (17 x 11.4 x 7.1 cm) and weighs around 1.1 pounds (0.5 kg) with the stand attached, which makes up most of the weight of the microphone. This makes it easy to place on a desk or table without being moved by trailing USB cables. Some microphones are so light, the slightest nudge of their connecting cable sends them spinning, often off my desk.
Another welcome feature of the FIFINE AmpliGame A8 is its RGB lighting. The microphone has an array of RGB LEDs sitting behind the microphone grill. These lights can display different colors and patterns, depending on your preference.
Honestly, when I switched it on for the first time, my room was in darkness and the microphone lit the room up like the electric circus at Disney Land Paris.
It’s good to see such vibrant and adjustable RGB lights on a microphone at this price point. To be honest, I didn’t expect such a dazzling light show for the price point that FIFINE is aiming at.
Also, the RGB lights can easily be swopped between multiple color modes with a touch of a front-facing capacitive buttons.
Additionally, there is a little capacitive mute button on the top of the mic. It looks great: red when muted, and green when active. But the problem is, capacitive buttons are, well, hard to find with fingers. Though it’s right in the center of the mic, it can still be hard to pinpoint the press position when you are mid-game. In comparison, a physical button would give you an immediate tactile feedback that your finger is in the right position.
I don’t understand why there is such a strong trend for companies to use capacitive buttons for single actions. We use capacitive touch screens on smartphones because we need the flexibility of a touch screen to work with thousands of different apps. But when a capacitive button is used for essentially an on or off button, I think it’s overkill. They could have and should have, just used a normal button.
Moving on to the overall design, I thought the aesthetic of the AmpliGame A8 was clean and minimalistic, with a matte black finish and a simple shape. The microphone is compact enough to fit on most desks or stands and doesn’t take up too much space.
What really interested me was that the stand has a built-in suspension shock mount to dampen any sounds traveling up through the mic’s stand and into the microphone. To be honest, I found the quality of the shock mount really good, considering the mic has to fit all its value into a $60 price point.
My only complaint here is that the microphone’s plastic stand did feel a little flimsy. If I had applied just a little more pressure to the stand, it would have snapped like a lollypop stick.
In conclusion, the AmpliGame A8 is a well-designed, well-built USB microphone that looks and feels professional. The metal and plastic materials, shock mount, and durable USB cable contribute to the microphone’s quality and longevity. The RGB lighting is a fun, practical addition that can add some personality to your setup, and the overall design aesthetic is sleek and modern.
Next, let’s dive into the sound quality of the A8 microphone.
Sound quality
In this section, I’ll touch on what I, and I think most people, would consider the most important aspect of a microphone: the sound quality it can produce.
The sound quality of the A8 microphone is one of its main selling points, as it promises clear and natural sound for gaming, streaming, and other applications. So how does it perform in practice? Let’s find out.
In my tests, I found the FIFINE AmpliGame A8 delivered good overall sound quality with minimal distortion and noise. The microphone captured my voice with clarity and depth and reproduced it with what I consider to be a fairly warm and natural tone.
The cardioid polar pattern effectively picked up our voice while rejecting background noise, making it suitable for voiceovers and podcasting.
My only complaint with the sound quality was that the mids sounded a bit drab. They were there, but they lacked clarity and often were drowned out by a deep thumping base and poised and crisp highs.
One thing to note about the FIFINE A8’s sound quality is that it may require some tweaking, depending on your setup and preferences. For example, if you use the microphone in a noisy or echoey room, you may need to adjust the gain and the distance to the microphone to avoid picking up unwanted sounds. Similarly, if you use the microphone with a headset or headphones, you may need to adjust the volume and balance to avoid feedback or audio bleed.
Regarding compatibility, the AmpliGame A8 worked well with various devices and software I tested, including Windows, Mac, OBS, Discord, and Zoom. I didn’t experience any major issues with latency, feedback, or audio settings. However, I did notice some minor pops and clicks when adjusting the volume knob or plugging in the headphones. But this is a problem that all microphones have.
Overall, the A8 provides good sound quality and convenience for its price. It’s not the most advanced or sophisticated microphone out there, but it does a solid job of capturing your voice and making it sound clear and engaging. If you’re on a budget and want a reliable and versatile microphone for gaming or streaming, the AmpliGame is worth considering.
Next up, we’ll take a look at the microphones compatibility and connectivity.
IV. Connectivity and compatibility:
The A8 microphone offers several options for connecting and using it with various devices and software. Here’s what you need to know about its connectivity and compatibility.
First, the AmpliGame can be connected to a computer or a console using a USB cable. The package includes the USB cable and plugs into the microphone’s USB-C port and your device’s USB-A port. Sorry Laptops that only have USB-C ports. (I’m looking at you, MacBook Pro) You are out of luck. You’ll have to use an adapter. The USB connection provides power and audio signals, making it easy to set up and use without additional cables or adapters.
Second, the mic has a 3.5mm headphone jack that allows you to monitor your voice and game audio in real time. You can plug any standard headphones or gaming headset into the jack and adjust the volume using the dedicated knob. The headphone monitoring feature can be useful for hearing yourself and the game audio without delay, which can help with timing and immersion. However, remember that the headphone jack doesn’t support microphone input, so you can’t use it to connect a headset with a microphone.
Third, FIFINE’s mic is compatible with various operating systems and software commonly used for gaming and streaming. We tested the microphone with Windows 10, 11, macOS, OBS Studio, Discord, Zoom, and other applications and encountered no major compatibility issues. I even managed to plug the mic into my iPad pro with an adapter, and it worked! The operating system and the software recognized the microphone automatically, and we could easily adjust the audio settings and levels.
Overall, the FIFINE AmpliGame A8 offers good connectivity and compatibility for its price. The USB and headphone jack options give you flexibility in using it with different devices and headsets, and the compatibility with various software makes it easy to integrate into your workflow. The low latency and noise floor are also a plus, as they ensure a clear and responsive audio signal.
VII. Conclusion:
The FIFINE AmpliGame is a USB microphone that offers a range of features and benefits for gamers, streamers, and content creators. With its affordable price, good sound quality, and convenient extras like the built-in amplifier and pop filter, the microphone provides a solid value for its price.
While the AmpliGame A8 is not perfect, it does offer a lot of pros and benefits that make it worth considering. The pop filter can help reduce unwanted noises like pops and hisses, while the headphone jack allows for real-time monitoring of your voice and game audio. The microphone’s design and build quality are also impressive, with a sturdy and compact construction that looks professional and modern. Also, the RGB lighting is great and really does ad a pinch of spice to my gaming setup.
The only major drawbacks were the robustness of the stand and the quality of the mid tones. But for the price, these are easy to overlook.
Overall, I would recommend the A8 microphone for those on a budget who want a versatile and reliable USB microphone for gaming, streaming, and content creation. It’s a solid option that delivers good sound quality and practical features, without breaking the bank.
You can buy the A8 from Amazon here.
VI. Pros and Cons:
After testing and evaluating the AmpliGame A8 microphone, here are some of the main pros and cons that we found:
Pros:
- Affordable price compared to other USB microphones in its category
- Very nice RGB lighting at a low cost
- Good sound quality with natural and clear tone
- Low latency and noise floor for real-time communication
- Cardioid polar pattern with good noise rejection
- Pop filter included to reduce plosives and sibilance
- Built in shock mount
- Headphone jack for real-time monitoring with dedicated volume knob
- Compatible with Windows, Mac, and various software
- Sturdy and compact design with metal and plastic materials
- Easy to set up and use with USB plug-and-play
Cons:
- Pop filter could be more robust and dense
- Shock mount could be more flexible and durable
- Volume knob could be more precise and tactile
- Amplifier may introduce some noise or distortion at higher levels
- RGB options are limited
- Mid sound levels are not the best I’ve heard.
- Amplifier LED light could be more visible in bright environments