Microphone Performance

I tested the microphone of the Mad Catz F.R.E.Q. 2 by connecting it to my integrated sound card (Asus SupremeFX S1220 audio codec), as well as a couple of other sound cards, such as the EVGA NU Audio Pro (PCI Express interface) and the Creative Sound Blaster X3 (external USB sound card).

To review the microphone's sound and compare it to similar headsets, I used the Adam A7X speakers and Shure SRH840 headphones (both fall in the studio monitor category). I connected them to the Audiolab's M-DAC, a high-quality digital-to-analog converter that functions as an external sound card when connected to a PC. Testing was done in Discord, Skype, and Audacity, and I also used Audacity to record the sound from the microphone. The sound was recorded with microphone sensitivity set to 100% and was not postprocessed or edited in any way.

For reference, this voice recording has been made with Rode NT-USB, a high-quality studio microphone:



This is the sound recorded by using the retractable omnidirectional microphone the Mad Catz F.R.E.Q. 2 is supplied with:




As you can hear, microphone quality is acceptable for the price, but by no means spectacular. My voice is completely understandable and maintains a certain level of depth, but lacks airiness. A constant background hiss can also be heard even when the microphone is connected to an external USB sound card (Creative Sound Blaster X3, reviewed here). The hiss didn't get in the way of my everyday Discord chats with my friends, but this microphone obviously isn't suitable for anything other than basic Discord/TeamSpeak communication. You definitely won't be using it for your Twitch or YouTube live streams or voiceovers.

Looking at affordable gaming headset offerings, you can get an audibly better microphone from the Cooler Master MH630, which you can easily hear in the sample below. I've also added the SteelSeries Arctis 1; it's microphone sounds thinner, but also cleaner and less boxy.