Introduction

In an era where school kids dream of becoming big streamers and most meetings for us in the working crowd moved from offices and cafes to Zoom and Teams, having a good-sounding microphone is more important than ever. I wish more people understood this as I then wouldn't have to listen to their crappy, ear-piercing, and/or completely muffled webcam microphones daily. Whether you're on your way to Twitch or YouTube gaming stardom or want to make a better, more professional impression in online meetings, your microphone is what you should aim to upgrade first. Many users think that upgrading their camera is more important, but that's blatantly wrong. Everyone can tolerate a slightly grainy picture with imperfect colors. I don't need to see every pore on your face or be able to read the book titles on the bookshelf behind you. However, I do need to hear everything you're saying loud and clear or we're in for a frustrating experience.



This is where the Movo UM700 makes its grand entrance. It's an affordable $80 USB microphone with a three-capsule array, four polar patterns, robust metal stand, pop filter, and long USB cable. It also includes a headphone jack for direct microphone monitoring. The specifications of the Movo UM700 sound eerily similar to that of the famous Blue Yeti, but the Yeti costs $50 more, and that instantly puts the Movo UM700 on the radar for anyone looking for a Yeti-like experience for much less money. In this review, we'll examine how the Movo UM700 fares in terms of features and sound quality to find out if it's worth considering over more expensive competitors.

Specifications

• 14 mm (0.55") diaphragm
• Polar Patterns: cardioid, stereo, omnidirectional, and bi-directional
• Sample Rate/Resolution: 16-bit/48 kHz
• Frequency Response (specified by the manufacturer): 20–20,000 Hz
• 1x 3.5-mm headphone out (direct monitoring)
• 3 m Micro-USB cable
• Microsoft Windows and Apple macOS plug & play support
• Weight: 1.04 kg (microphone + stand)

The Package

The box depicts the microphone on its own and in action, with two people sharing it between themselves. The technical specifications are nowhere to be seen, but the four pickup patterns are covered in detail to emphasize the multi-functional nature of the Movo UM700.


Here's what you'll find inside the box. Aside from the microphone attached to its metal stand, there's a 3-meter Micro-USB cable, pop filter, and instruction manual. The contents of the box are protected with a thick layer of foam, so the microphone should survive usual shipping grievances.


Unfortunately, the pop filter comes preinstalled on the head of the microphone and gets squished by the protective foam during shipping, which is why one of its sides is creased. The creases didn't disappear even after the microphone sat on my table for several days, so it's safe to say they are there to stay. On the upside, the other side of the pop filter is completely smooth, so you can simply turn the creased part away from view should you find it as annoying as I did.