Having a good microphone is more important now than ever. It doesn’t matter if you want to start your journey as a streamer, to have better sound output on Discord, or for any other reason that you might think of.
While microphones were expensive before, new brands are offering more affordable options. One of those brands is Fifine. We previously reviewed one of their microphones, the AmpliGame A8, which is a great example of a budget-friendly microphone for only PHP 3,300.
This time, we’re checking out another one of their products – Fifine AmpliGame AM8.
Table of Contents
Design & Construction
In the aesthetics department, Fifine AmpliGame AM8 looks great and would fit almost any build setup. It fits in my room too with the ball black design. What I liked about the AM8 is the build quality. Unlike the AmpliGame A8, which felt plasticky, the AM8 has a solid metal construction for the stands and even the base plate.
Users won’t have a hard time assembling the microphone too. The only thing you will need to attach is the base plate which is separate from the rest of the microphone. Once attached, there is a good weight to the microphone. This means you won’t accidentally push it over on your desk. Afterward, plug the USB cable into the mic and your PC, then you’re good to go.
The felt-like cover on the microphone does build up dust rather easily, so do keep that in mind. At the same time, there is no pop filter included. The microphone itself is made out of plastic, but I didn’t mind since it’s not something I would touch quite often.
There are two knobs – one to adjust the mic volume and the other for the headphone output. Above them is the touch-sensitive button to change the colors of the lights at the bottom.
On the opposite side, you will find the mute button. At the bottom, there’s a USB-C to connect to your PC, a headphone output, and even an XLR connector.
I find the position of the mute button a bit awkward since you can’t see whether you’re muted or not when the knob-side is facing you. If you flip it the other way around, it would be hard to adjust the sound volume and output.
Another minor issue I had is with the included USB-C cable. It doesn’t clear the bottom of the stand, so you can’t easily adjust the microphone without having to unplug and then plug it in again. Still, it won’t be a bother once you’ve finalized your setup.
Sound Quality
While the design and construction play a big factor, what’s important in a microphone is the sound quality. Based on a recording and talking to my friends on calls, my voice was loud and clear when using the Fifine AM8. The background noise isn’t heard too much either as when I’m typing on my keyboard or using my controller while gaming, but it’s audible.
The AM8 also picks up my voice well even when I’m sitting around 5-6 inches away from the mic. Although I have to adjust the mic volume to max in order to do so. Also, the quality isn’t the best when you’re a bit far away, and your voice ends up sounding a bit soft.
From my experience, it works best when your mouth is around 3-4 inches away from the mic. Then just adjust the settings from there. Once you’ve got the setup complete, people can hear you loud and clear, whether it’s a stream, discord chat, or an online interview/meeting.
Since the AM8 also has an XLR output, you can use this microphone for podcasts and pair it with more serious audio equipment. Unfortunately, I don’t have the equipment to try it out but do let us know how it is.
Do note that the AM8 does not include any software. That means you will need to have your own in order to maximize the sound quality of this mic. Aside from the PC, it also works on the PlayStation 5 as well, making it quite versatile.
Conclusion
The Fifine AmpliGame AM8 is an easy to setup microphone with the option for XLR that won’t hurt your budget. It retails for PHP 4,700, via the official Fifine Lazada page but is currently on sale for only PHP 3,500. This makes it a bargain for what the microphone is capable of.
Aesthetically, the AM8 will suit your setup especially if you have an all-black theme plus some RGB lights here and there. Although the only difficult part would be finding the place to set it up since you do need to sit a bit closer to the microphone. At the same time, you have to choose whether you want the mute button facing you or the volume adjustment knobs.
It’s a big step too up in terms of quality as compared to the AmpliGame A8 since the AM8 uses more metal for the frame, and doesn’t feel flimsy. With the sale price, you definitely can’t go wrong with the AmpliGame AM8.
