Zalman ZM-Mic1 scores as best budget mic for entry level streamers

Official Product photo of Zalman ZM-Mic1 Zalman

For under $10, the ZM-Mic1 delivers ridiculously amazing sound quality that would be great for gamers thinking of starting their own streaming channel.

Live streaming has become a silent norm for gamers these days. This is one way of sharing one gamer's gameplay – good or not – to the rest of the gaming community and the populace of the internet. Aside from high-quality videos, a clear voice of the streamer would make a world of difference for a live stream or a YouTube upload.

In that respect, PC Gamer listed the ZM-Mic1 as the best budget mic for entry level streamers. Since "entry-level" is self-explanatory, buying a Blue Yeti on an unsure first-go would be very impractical. The sound is far behind from the brands on top of the list. However, the ZM-Mic1 is significantly better than any mic mounted in any of the headsets that would come for free when buying a new smartphone.

Notable as well is the price range that any gamer-slash-newbie-streamer can afford. At $10, the clip mic will plug straight into the PC's mic port and not into any of the USB ports. Users are advised for initial static due to a computer's internal preamp.

One of the best quality of the ZM-Mic1 is that it clips to the headphone cord, there is a pseudo noise-cancellation. However, the proximity of the noise to the mic will be audible as is the nature of mics in this quality.

Impressive voice quality is very achievable with the ZM-Mic1, if streamers can tweak the right volume settings. Headset mounted mics are often haunted by loud "S" sound as well as static from just breathing. The ZM-Mic1 solves that dilemma slightly because it is designed to be clipped on to the cord.

Normally, an upgrade in the live streamer scene would mean forking up a little higher from the budget range. Yet for a transitioning live streamer, the ZM-Mic1 is good choice for gauging better units.

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