JLab - TALK Professional Plug & Play USB Microphone

Works well and is good audio quality. Overall satisfied.

Broke after 4 months of ownership. Consistent static coming through the microphone and even replaced the USB with no fix. Currently out a mic and being a content creator having a good working mic is really crucial for me.

If you're looking for a high-quality microphone for your streaming podcasts or other recording needs, the JLAB Talk Microphone may work great for you. The package includes the JLAB Talk mic, tripod, 6.5-foot USB-to-USB-C braided connector cable, and a quick start guide. The mic comes with a lengthy 2-year manufacturer's warranty. This is the first "real" mic I have used in years. I previously had one that simply plugged into the "3.5mm mic jack". It was as basic as a mic could possibly be only having an on/off switch. Mics have really advanced over the years and now are being used more and more as people create YouTube videos and other types of podcasts. In the brief time that I have used this mic, I have thoroughly enjoyed using. There isn't much to this product, but here are a few take-a-ways: PROS: ----------- * Very sensitive mic, can pick up the smallest of sounds when the gain is turned up to max * Very clear and high-def-like at 96khz sample rate (this is around good FM radio quality) * The provided USB-C cable is plenty long at 6.5' AND it's braided which makes for a good look and easy to keep untangled. * Easy to switch between mic functions on the big dial * Each individual function works as expected as regards to input location around the mic (front, front/back, sides (Stereo), or 360-degrees (omni-directional). * The short legs are made with very durable metal and blue rubber feet to keep it still. It provides a good clean look and feels stable. * Headphones jack is conveniently located on the bottom of the mic and allows for listening what the mic hears. * One other huge plus not even mentioned in any of the documentation is that this mic will also work with certain phones and tablets (non-PCs or Macbooks). I used a USB-to-USB-C adapter and plugged this mic up to a Samsung Note xx, a Samsung Fold, a Samsung Z Flip, and a Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra and each provided a much better recording than the phone mic. I also did this with an old iPad MINI using a USB-C-to-lightning audio/video adapter (official apple product) and it also worked great. I'm unsure of other devices; however these did in fact work perfectly. Once plugged into the device, the circle around the function knob lit up to indicate power and then recorded great after that. CONS: ----------- * With this mic being so sensitive to literally every single sound, having to press the big dial to mute the mic actually causes a slight "click" sound when trying to mute in the first place. Typically you won't mute a mic like this via the device, but by a sound board or PC touch screen. So yes, it can be muted via the device, but you'll hear the fumbling of pressing that button if you're not careful. * I like the fact that there is a volume and gain option, but I don't like the fact that they are both on one knob. Pressing the small button will change the color of the circle thus showing the level of each one but at one at a time. I would much rather have 2 separate knobs showing each's level so one does not have to switch between the two so much. IMO, it would make those 2 levels easier to read and adjust on the fly if they were separate. In addition, if the mic is live and you need to swap between the 2, the click sound is heard when broadcasting or recording. OTHER OBSERVATIONS: ----------------------------------- * The USB-C plug is gold-plated for high-quality audio, and is at a 90-degree angle for better cable management when connected to the mic. The other end of the USB cable can use a USB-C adapter if needed to plug into a USB-C outlet on another device. * As with most mics, you may need to use a pop filter to avoid accidental air sounds on the mic especially if you want to make your recordings as professional as possible. CONCLUSION: =================== For most people, this microphone should suit most basic recording needs. The only reason you may want to upgrade to the Talk PRO is if you will be recording an instrument or something that needs insane clarity. Going from 96khz to 192khz sample rate is a big jump and you can definitely tell the difference when music and instruments are concerned. This is the only difference between those 2 mics. If your quality doesn't have to be insanely perfect, this Talk mic is likely all you'll need. It's plug-n-play... easy to use. But I do wish the vol/gain controls were separate but still easy to use. Great work, JLAB.

Super easy to set up and use, if you're used to selecting sound devices in your computer's settings. You pretty much just have to hit the drop-down menu and select it. The instructions tell you to use it for sound playback as well, but that doesn't make any sense to me. It does have a headphone jack, so maybe that's what it's for. It's pretty cool that you can select the mic sound pattern-- omni, cardioid, stereo, and front and back, like recording a conversation with someone across the table from you. I didn't spend a lot of time testing the spacial sound features, but my friends can hear me just fine on video conferences and shouting at eachother during games. The cardioid setting does a pretty good job of reducing sound in the background. The only thing that bugs me about it is the control markings. The dark print on black is really hard to see, and the position indicator on the knob is invisible, especially with my computer monitors backlighting it. I guess it was designed to be used in a bright conference room? Anyway, see my picture and try to make out the marking on the big knob, and that pic is in the daylight, not in a dark room while gaming. I colored in the position indicator with a white marker after I took that picture so I'm all good... Overall, a great all-around mic with really nice build quality.

Now whether you are a gamer, vlogger, creating a YouTube video or just need a good quality microphone for your online meetings or heck even online classes nowadays, then this is the microphone for you. The JLAB premium 4-Directional USB microphone is an excellent premium quality microphone which is easy to setup, virtually plug and play once you setup the audio input and output with the provided instructions, you get great recording quality. Now I tested the microphone in online gaming, my zoom office meetings, and let my kids’ play with it in their online Roblox gaming and it has performed well. The sound on the other end was clear and crisp, and the directional modes actually worked pretty well. The quick mute option is a nice feature, really helps when your kids walk into a meeting and you need to quickly mute the mic, and the swivel mount and the stand are nice and sturdy. The volume and gain controls right on the microphone is amazing option and worked well. The microphone also has an AUX input available incase you need to connect it to something that does not accept USB option. I even tired the microphone connected to my android phone and it worked nicely. Overall not a bad microphone at all for the price and I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a quality-built microphone.

I would rate the JLab Talk microphone 5 stars and the instructions included with the microphone 2 stars. This is an excellent USB microphone. Do not be fooled by the low signal to noise ratio – it records beautifully. This is what the sound wave (JLAB PIC) looks like when recorded in a sound booth recorded using the cardioid option and compared to the analog signal from an Analog cardioid microphone (Analog Mic Pic) I used in a sound booth, which was run through a soundboard. While the signal is quieter – there is plenty of headroom to boost the signal and this is what it looks like boosted. (Boostede JLab Pic) There was no difference in sound quality between the Analog Mic and JLab recordings. Notice that the background noise level on the boosted signal is less than the original analog signal. (Boosted JLAB Pic) One of the advantages the digital microphone has over the analog there is less distortion of the signal when you boost the volume. The 4 different recording options (Cardioid, Omni, Stereo and Bi-Directional) all work well, each limiting the sound from the unwanted directions. The ease of switching between these 4 options was quite useful. Testing the JLab Talk microphone using an online meeting app, the volume was easily heard, the mute button was easy to use and the headphones plugged into the microphone worked well. The directions included with the microphone were way too minimal. There really was no description on boosting the gain and volume. The knob that controls the gain and volume has no endpoint – keeps turning even when you reach the top setting. No directions to let you know that the glowing ring around the knob that controls the recording settings let you know you are going from low to high on your gain/volume control. JLab’s website has an excellent set of instruction videos – learned more from it than the instructions in the flyer included with the microphone. The Bottom line is that I would not let the poor instructions included with the microphone stop you from buying it. The sound quality is excellent and once you have learned how to use it you no longer need the instructions.

The microphone came packaged nicely and was very-well protected in its box. It comes with a desktop stand and a removable cable. The stand is very stable on my desk and folds for easier storage or transport. The included USB-C to USB-A cable is long, fabric-wrapped and has a right-angle connector at the microphone end. Overall, the microphone seems well-built and nicely designed. Recorded audio was OK. Voice pick-up was good but unfortunately the microphone has a background level of noise that is very noticeable during periods of silence. That background noise; however, is not overly distracting and would be quite easy to ignore or filter out in post if needed. The recording field selector is convenient to use and it is easy to discern the changes in how the microphone is recording on playback. Switching fields during a recording will add audible clicks as you rotate the knob. You can quickly mute the microphone by pressing in on the field selector knob, but doing so makes a noticeable and audible click that might need to be filtered out later as well. I would expect a little less noise in the microphone’s recordings at this price point but other than that it’s a good quality microphone with nice features.

Contents inside the box: - TALK USB microphone - Microphone stand - USB cable - Quickstart guide The JLAB TALK USB microphone is mid-level for the TALK series. It was fairly easy to set up since it's a plug-and-play and the computer starts up the set up. Once installed, the JLAB TALK USB microphone was ready for use. There are 4 different record settings: cardioid (front recording), omni (all surroundings), stereo (right and left channel), and bidirectional (front and back channel). Turning the larger knob allows for changing the different record settings. The larger knob also allows for muting when you press it, and second smaller bottom knob allows for control over volume and gain. I tried out the various settings with different noise factors generated in the background (i.e. TV on low with fan on high setting and blowing in the direction of the JLAB TALK USB microphone). In my opinion, the best record setting was cardioid when you speak directly in front of the JLAB TALK USB microphone. My voice sounded clear and sharp despite the subtle TV and fan noises, which were low. In comparison to an average phone earbuds with microphone attached, the JLAB TALK USB microphone seems to reduce outside noise, more so honing in on my voice. The omni setting, however, seemed like my voice was distant despite keeping relatively the same distance when testing out the cardioid setting. Overall, I would say this is a fairly good entry-level USB microphone to create podcasts, narratives, speaking-content for videos, etc. I was fairly pleased with the results of each record setting.