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Are you one of those who are still using an older computer that doesn’t offer a built-in microphone? Ever wished you could have the capability to do some voice recordings or even use Skype (a voice over ip telephony software) to place calls to your friends all over the world? Well, here’s a very simple and cheap solution: USB Fever’s Notebook Right Angle Mini Microphone.

USB Fever’s Notebook Right Angle Mini Microphone is a very small, portable and pocketable mini microphone that fits in the palm of your hand. It is a durable, right angle microphone that you can plug into the microphone jack of your computer. But don’t be fooled by its small size. It’s fully capable of picking up voices and noises that are not directly over the microphone. Actually, when compared to the built-in microphone of my Vostro 1700, it gave a much better and less distorted recording. See below. For a few dollars for a microphone, it may be a great, inexpensive investment even for those with a laptop with a built-in microphone since it offers a much better quality recording.

For those who want to skip over all the detailed review and just want a summary, you can jump to the review summary

The microphone is relatively straightforward miniature microphone that is set at a fixed 90 degree angle (right angle) from its microphone plug. Simply plug in the microphone into the microphone jack of your computer, configure the recording software to accept the input from the microphone and you can start recording.

Microsoft Windows (practically all versions) offers a very basic sound recorder software (Start. Programs. Accessories. Entertainment. Sound Recorder) that you can use for voice recordings.

Or, check out the feature rich offerings of Audacity (freeware).

Here are more details of the product (taken from USB Fever’s website):

Features:

- Long voice-reception range, you don’t have to speak to the microphone very closely
- Compact and lightweight

Specifications:

- Frequency Range: 100~5KHz
- Directivity: Omni directional
- Sensitivity: -54 +/-3dB
- Connector: 3.5mm, gold plated

Package Contents:

- Notebook / Laptop Right Angle Mini Microphone x 1

Package:

- Blister

Click on the thumbnail images for a bigger picture

Slideshow of the above pictures

Product Video

Video at YouTube

Comparison recordings:

vs vs
Right angle mini-mic vs Vostro 1700 built-in mic vs Plantronics 470

For a comparison, I’ve made three different recordings: one with the built-in microphone of my Dell Vostro 1700 laptop, one with the USB Fever Notebook right angle mini microphone and one with my Plantronics 470 headphone.

Here are the recordings. They are all in wave file to avoid degradation caused by compression into mp3 format (lossy codec). They were made around the same time and I was sitting at the same position at my desk. Please keep in mind that the results may vary depending on your environment and computer as well as the software used for recording. Of course, it’s obvious that the cheaper microphones are not going to compete with the Plantronics but I wanted to add it in to provide a basis of the sound quality.

USB Fever’s Notebook Right Angle Mini Microphone

Built-in microphone on Dell Vostro 1700 laptop

Plantronics 470 headphone

I have also mentioned in my previous Nuance’s Naturally Dragon Speaking 9 software review that I used this right angle mini microphone and it worked fine with the software. Considering that the Naturally Dragon Speaking software goes through a testing phase to determine the amount of background noise and that the microphone passed the test should give you an idea.

Here are my observations:

I really like USB Fever’s Notebook Right Angle Mini Microphone, first for its small and very portable and pocketable size. I like how the microphone feels very durable and firm and that I feel confident that it won’t easily be broken during transport or use. The audio recording is amazingly good, compared to the built-in microphone of my Dell Vostro 1700 laptop and it picks up sound even from a certain distance away. My only dislike with the microphone is that it is of a fixed size and length and thus I can’t extend it or adjust it any further. But, considering its inexpensive price, and how well it works regardless, I really can’t complain.

Review Summary

USB Fever’s Notebook Right Angle Mini Microphone is a very inexpensive solution anyone with a need for audio recordings for laptops that doesn’t come with a built-in microphone. Even for those with a built-in microphone, this microphone is still a very good investment as it offers a comparable quality recording at a tiny size. The microphone is very sturdy and easy to use. Simply plug it in the microphone jack and set the recording software to receive inputs from the microphone and you’re set. Check out USB Fever’s Notebook Right Angle Mini Microphone here.

Enjoyed this review? Check out the many other Palm Discovery product reviews of USB Fever products here.

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