The Fifine K683B is a bang-for-the-buck cardioid USB condenser microphone that ticks most boxes that streamers would possibly need. The plug-and-play nature of the microphone grants it the flexibility to record on different platforms, whether it’s your gaming PC or your smartphone (with USB-C).
If you’re willing to look over the very minor build quality issues, the microphone is a must-have for budding streamers, podcasters, or recording artists.
Polar Pattern: Cardioid/Uni-directional
Sensitivity: -43dB ±3dB @ 1kHz
Features: 1/8″ (3.5mm) stereo jack, mute button, microphone gain knob, sturdy desk stand
Frequency Response: 50Hz – 17kHz
Sampling Rate: 192kHz/24bit
Output: USB 2.0 Type-B to USB-A & Type C
Aside from the brief yet helpful user’s guide, there’s not a lot going on inside the box to help you get started – which is not a huge problem considering the ease of setting everything up.
The microphone comes with a clamp with a 5/8″ that can be mounted on the included heavy desk stand, although you might have to get a 5/8″ to 3/8″ adapter for some microphone arms.
For connectivity, the Fifine K683B comes with a Type-B to Type-A & Type-C cable, which you can plug in directly to your gaming PC, MacBook Pro, and even most modern smartphones! Unusually enough, I first tried the microphone on my Samsung Galaxy S21 and it worked without any hitches.
An understated, but almost essential feature that this microphone has is a 3.5mm audio jack that you can plug your headphones in for zero-latency live monitoring; a handy feature for USB microphones.
Note: The difference between Fifine K683A and K683B is the included stand, in which the former uses a tripod stand while the latter includes a stand with a heavier base.
As a musician and an audio junkie, I had low expectations before reviewing the microphone. For its price, the audio quality blew my mind. I’ve had reservations over using condenser microphones due to their sensitivity but the quality can’t be beat, even compared to Shure’s PGA58.
Despite its cardioid polar pattern, it can still pick up the clacks of my Cherry Red switch keyboard, light thumps on the table, and the sound of your neighbor’s beloved rooster/dog. I’d recommend mounting the microphone to a boom arm to minimize noise. As for the included pop filter, the mounting mechanism does nothing to minimize the handling noise.
At around ₱3,000, the build quality of the microphone is not expected to be as rigid as high-end microphones from MXR, Shure, and others. Despite the chassis being decent, the metal grill does not have any give, which is an uncommon trait in microphones at this price point. However, the mute button feels a little flimsy and could use a tactile sound when muting/unmuting.
I did a simple A/B testing on my Rainbow Six: Siege team on Discord and they actually prefer the sound of the Fifine K683B over my own Shure PGA58.
PROS:
+ Great audio quality
+ Has mostly everything you need to get started
+ Competitively priced
+ Premium feel
CONS:
– Subpar pop filter
– No 5/8″ to 3/8″ screw adapter
– Flimsy mute/unmute button
Fifine K683B is a great first microphone for people dipping their toes in podcasting, videogame streaming, or recording their music demos. I absolutely love how the microphone includes a headphone jack for that zero-latency monitoring. You can get this microphone from Lazada for ₱3,140, or even less if you use this discount code.
Disclaimer: This product was freely sent to us by M One Enterprise, a local distributor of Fifine Microphones, for us to review. However, our reviews and opinions remain unbiased and unskewed for the benefit of our readers.
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