FIFINE T669 USB Microphone Review

For my second microphone review, I’m taking a look at the FIFINE T669, a USB-powered condenser microphone that I would call bare and focused. With a price tag of just PhP3,048, I didn’t expect a lot to be honest, but my oh my was I wrong. TL:DR, it was one of those products that was hiding a surprise. Let’s get into it.

Specifications

Unboxing

The package that was sent to me had not just the microphone itself, but a complete array of accessories to match. There’s an arm that you can easily attach to your desk, a stand, a shock mount, a pop filter that you can easily secure to the arm, a USB Cable, and a foam cover, plus the usual documentation.

Arm/Stand Assembly

Even without the manual, assembling the microphone arm and connecting it to your desk should be fairly easy with no extra tools needed. Once done, you can also adjust individual sections of the arm to suit your setup. You can even do a bit of cable management for a clean look.

The arm itself is long enough to reach a good position if you place it either on the side or at the back of your desk, while the 2.5m cable is also long enough to reach the microphone even when connected to the back of my PC.

Design and Build Quality

Despite its affordable price tag, the T669 does not skip on good build quality with its metal housing. While you’ll expect say a dedicated Mute or Power button, it only has one control – the volume knob. Yes, this microphone neither has an ON and OFF switch, nor does it have a Mute button. You can, however, mimic the latter by turning the volume knob anti-clockwise. I mean, sure, that works, but I can imagine it being hassle when you need to do it quickly.

Performance

What the T669 lacks in features, it makes up for in the most important department – sound quality, For its price, it can capture my voice with excellent clarity without sounding too harsh or piercing. There is also decent low-end that gives a bit of body to the sound. In terms of positioning, the voice seems to be very forward.

Even from a distance, it can still pickup my voice with decent volume and detail. A cardioid polar pattern means that this mic is the most sensitive at the front section, less on the sides, and does not capture sound from the rear.

Since the microphone is very sensitive, it does pickup a lot background noise, which, of course, can be taken out during post or using the built-in noise reduction features of specific apps like Discord. To get the exact volume you want, you will have to manually adjust the knob and for Windows 10, the slider on your sound settings. For me, 60% on the volume knob, and 80% on the sound settings.

Verdict

If I had to describe the FIFINE T669, it’s like going into a hotel room with only just the bed and air conditioner, but still being able to enjoy my sleep. It may not have the extra features that some more expensive microphones have, like a mute or even a power button, but it does make up for it with excellent build quality and incredible sound quality that’s worth more than the price it’s selling for.

If you’re starting your streaming or podcast career, and you’re on a tight budget, we highly recommend that you try the T669, as it should be more than enough for the job. You can get it via M One Enterprise’s official store on Lazada.

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Emman Tortoza

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Emman has been writing technical and feature articles since 2010. Prior to this, he became one of the instructors at Asia Pacific College in 2008, and eventually landed a job as Business Analyst and Technical Writer at Integrated Open Source Solutions for almost 3 years.