Samson Meteor Mic USB Condenser Podcasting Podcast Recording Desktop Microphone

***SEE UPDATE BELOW*** ORIGINAL Review in 2013: I really loved this microphone when I first bought it in April. It has great sound quality, and it worked perfectly with my iPad. Made several great recordings. Everything was working awesome for the first 6 months. Then in September it started to fail. It used to always show an indicator light that turned blue when I had it plugged in correctly. Now it only will turn yellow/amber, and sound quality has degraded. Tested it extensively with both iPad as well as 2 laptops, always same issue. Researching reviews elsewhere online has revealed that there are many other people who have had this same problem -- only that they found that this problem continues to progress to the point where it won't record at all. I'm feeling really disappointed now in my purchase, and have to deal with arranging for repair through the manufacturer since it is outside timeframe allowed by Amazon's return policy. No longer will it be a deal at $69, once I add in all the costs of shipping it for repair. NEW UPDATE in 2025: So I completely forgot I had posted this review, and today was looking back at my old 2013 order just to find out if they still made this Meteor Mic. An update is definitely in order! Plus I need to bump the stars up to 5 now as well. So at some point after I posted that review above, I did reach out to Samson by email and complained. They promptly responded and asked me for the serial number on my device. When I told them, they seemed rather surprised (like "Really? that's the number on yours?) and immediately shipped me a replacement (which appeared to be brand new), and then had me ship the failed one back in the replacements box. So now it is Jan 2025, almost 12 years later, and that replacement mic is the one I use all the time. The built-in mic on my laptop does not work at all, so I must use an external USB mic, and this Samson Meteor Mic is my most favorite. The sound is awesome (has a foam pop filter over it), and my replacement has never once given me a problem. In fact, I love it so much I got curious today about whether I could even buy another one after all of these years. Well I guess so, and now even for half the price too. I really don't need another one, but this is just good to know! I sure hope the ones today are just as good a quality as the one right here on my desk.

Back story: I make YouTube videos and stream to Twitch using OBS and sometimes right from my PS4. The USB port became loose on my Blue Yeti and although it still worked, I had to plug it in just right or it would disconnect on my computer. So I decided to just buy a new mic instead of dealing with a broken port. I had intended on getting a new Blue Yeti but thought of getting a bit less expensive but still provides great mic quality and features. Let me start of by saying I love how small this mic is. I mean it's really small. My old Yeti was a bit cumbersome because it was big and I often had to clear space on my desk to set it up. This Samson mic is small and doesn't require nearly as much space. I think it would be great for a portable mic. I also appreciate the fact that it comes with a really long cable. Far too often do you get short cables with electronics which sucks. I'm using Windows 10 and the mic was instantly ready to use. No fuss. I also powered up my PS4 to see if it would work with it and it DOES. The quality of the mic is slightly better than my Blue Yeti. The Yeti produced a faint hum in my recordings is isn't present in the Samson. It's a bit more bass than the Yeti which is nice. My voice is more clear and pronounced. So for me, this mic is actually better than my old Yeti which I paid a little over a hundred dollars for. A physical mute switch is a must for me and it's nice and clicky on this mic. It also doesn't make a loud sound when you click it. The built in headphone jack is also a must for me so I can listen to what I'm saying. So I like that and the volume wheel. I'll miss the gain and polar options on my Blue Yeti, but I did not use them that much and I can control gain via software. So all in all, I am very happy with this mic and would highly recommend it if you're looking for something good and easy to use.

I have only had this a short time, but it has exceeded expectations. I have used this on my PS4, video conference and making videos on OBS. The sound quality and adjustments are easy. My voice is loud and clear with no static or distortion. There is an increase in bass as you get closer to the mic, however at about a foot away and little to my side, it has worked perfectly. It is truly "plug and play," with a few small adjustments depending on the program I'm using, it works well. I have used it with computer speakers, with no feedback, and with headphones, both work great. Unlike others, the mute button and volume control on the mic is easy to use. The only drawback I see here is that the USB and headphone plug is behind one of the legs, so you have to have at least one leg down to use. I do wish it was a USB-C connection, but it works as intended. This mic is well worth the price. Over time if there are any issues, I will come back and update. Overall very pleased with this mic.

Before purchasing the Samson Meteor Mic, I had started video-casting using the Snowball Ice USB Microphone . The Snowball was good, but the sound was a little less rich or full than I had expected. After playing around with a few other options including Bluetooth and other microphones, I decided on the Samson Meteor. Now before I go on, I use this microphone to record my voice for videos and podcasts, I don't do anything musical with it. The Meteor is a great microphone. The sound it captures is rich and natural. I feel like the quality is on par with microphones that cost easily twice as much. The size is great. It is a lot smaller than the snowball and can fit easily on my desk with multiple other peripherals. I also use it to record when not at my desk and it is very easy to hold and can be set on almost any surface. Each leg has a rubber "foot" which prevents them from scratching any delicate surface and has the added benefit of holding the microphone in awkward directions if needed. The audio monitoring level can be easily adjusted using the dial on the front. The dial is fairly loose so you don't have to worry about making any unnecessary noise while turning it up and down. The mute button also comes in handy for the occasional cough. Another point about this microphone is the compatibility with the iPad. Using the Apple iPad Camera Connection Kit (MC531ZM/A) USB adaptor piece, I can plug the meteor into my iPad and record on the go. I have used it with Explain Everything and Garageband. The only limitation is that sometimes the audio output gets taken over by the iPad and the monitor plug on the back of the microphone doesn't provide any audio out. It's a small inconvenience and really minimal for those of us doing spoken word recording. Now for the downside. Just like any quality microphone, it is very sensitive. So sensitive that I have to ensure the air conditioner is off, the computer fan is off, even fans in a room 2 doors away have to be off. I don't have an acoustically shielded room full of foam, so these limitations are what I have to deal with, and I feel that most people who purchase a microphone in this price range don't have the time or money to devote to foaming up a room. It's a small price to pay, however, for a great microphone that gets the job done for far less than comparable models. Overall a great buy.

I bought about 10 Samson Meteor Mic's for the people at my job to complete their Zoom setup. This is a USB mic that is fully compatible with Windows and Mac PCs and laptops via an included USB cable. There is a mute button, an indicator light which is blue when on and orange when muted. It also has a audio out jack for real time monitoring along with a volume knob to control the volume you hear. I personally don't use this feature but it is there if you need it. When used correctly, the mic's audio quality is excellent but there is something you need to understand. This was designed as a podcasting style mic, so it is best as a near-field mic (<1-2 ft) and has a cardioid pickup pattern that does a decent job of rejecting outside noises. But, you have to position this pretty close to your mouth for the quality and pick up to be as good as possible. Compared to others on the market like Blue Yeti and the like, this mic is significantly smaller which is good if you don't want the mic to be visible in the field of view as you Zoom or vlog. Another thing to keep in mind is how it stands itself up. It has 3 folding feet which need to be fanned out to give the mic stability. You really can't use it without it unfolded because the rear feet blocks the USB port when folded up. That's how I use it but if you were to mount it on something, you would just need to unfold the feet also or remove them depending.

Highly recommend this Microphone if you are on a tight budget. Great quality for such an affordable price. Made of chrome steel too, so the weight is both reassuring, but also a minor issue if you are using a microphone arm with it, which I do recommend.

I purchase this microphone for two reasons: 1.) I make videos for work that require voice-over narration and 2.) I started vlogging and needed a mic to add voice-over to my videos. But, I've actually found it to be quite useful for more than just those purposes. I also use it for online meetings, audio/video chats, teaching online classes, etc. I'm so much happier with it over the built-in mic in my laptop. Firstly, let's discuss looks. This mic has a really neat, stylish look to it. It's retro-looking with an appearance similar to old-school mics from the 1950's, but the flip-out feet give it a modern twist. The polished metal look is also great. It does tend to show fingerprints, though. If that's a concern, consider a different color option. Sound quality is also fantastic. It's a condenser mic, so it's somewhat directional. I find I get plenty of volume when I speak with the mic on my desk and I'm sitting back comfortably in my chair. The sound does get richer as you move closer to it, though. So for video voice-over, I tend to hold it in my hand closer to my mouth. It also does a fairly decent job at minimizing background noise, especially when it originates from the sides or rear. I've had no need for a pop filter on this mic, but I also don't speak with my mouth right up to it, either. I have tested this, and it does catch a few of those pops. So, for those of you who would put it on a stand and speak close to it, consider adding a pop filter. But, if you speak adjacent to it and not directly toward it (as you should do anyway), you'll avoid puffing air at it and causing those volume spikes when you spit air into the mic. It also has a headphone port on the rear so you can monitor your sound input directly from the back of the Meteor as you're speaking, which is great if your recording device doesn't have a headphone jack available for monitoring. The Meteor has a threaded insert on the bottom to accept a mic stand. If you want to attach it to a boom, a stand, a desk mount, whatever, you can do so. But, I will say it'll look a little funny with the feet sticking out when it's mounted on a threaded stand. Some people won't care. If you do, you may try using a screwdriver to take out the fold-out feet, if you plan to leave it mounted to a stand. Speaking of those fold-out feet......... I'd LOVE if those were detachable. It's one of my only gripes with this mic. But, since I use it on my desk the majority of the time, it's usually a non-issue for me. The rear foot also folds up over the Mini USB port on the back of the mic. So, you can't just fold the feet up and still use the mic, as you wouldn't be able to plug it in. If you aren't careful and push down on the mic, you could also change the position of the rear foot and damage this port or the cable by pushing the rear foot up into the cable. So, just make sure to be aware of that as you use and move your Meteor around. The mic level and mute can be controlled right on the mic. I love that! It has adjustable volume on the ring around the mute button. And the LED changes from blue to yellow to indicate the mic has been muted. This works even when you mute the mic from a computer or laptop. (I have a dedicated mute button on my keyboard, so I just use that instead of reaching for the mic.) If you do need to travel with it, since the feet fold up, it ends up being nice and compact. And it even included a faux velvet pouch to put it in. Lastly, if you do purchase this mic...... while the sound quality is very good, if you do plan to record anything with it, I would HIGHLY-recommend spending a few extra dollars and getting the Samson Sound Deck companion app to go with it. You can record audio through that app. And the app includes the ability to turn on noise reduction, which virtually eliminated any echoing I heard from my voice bouncing off of the hard walls in my home office. The Sound Deck app also works with 3rd-party recording products. I tried adjusting Noise Reduction and Echo Erase while recording in Audacity, and it definitely affected the recordings. So, you don't have to record only using Sound Deck, you just need to have the app running in the background to take advantage of it. This also means that all real-time audio has the NR and EE features active, which is great for clear audio during my meetings and training courses. So, all-in-all, this is a fantastic mic! I'm pleased with how it looks and functions. There are a couple of minor things I'd change (removable feet!!!), but not enough to warrant removing a full star from my review. I'd give it a 4.5, if I could. Especially once you pair it with Samson Sound Deck.

From the reviews I've read, they bought this for either their children or themselves to create music or just for the fun of it. What do I use it for? Gaming --- Yes, I use it for gaming. It may be quite silly but I needed a new microphone and this just caught my eye and I was doing comparisons to the Blue Yeti and Blue Snowball Microphone. I ended up going with this just because of the package deal it provided. Keep note that I purchased this back in September 8th and I kinda neglected created this review out of laziness and just decided to write this review since I was on Amazon bored at work. Back on track --- So this Mic.. One hell of a sensitive mic, no doubt about it. If you were definitely one to record music and all of that, be sure to do so either in a completely silent area or get a soundproof room, because this Mic will just pick up sounds that are damn hell far away. My cousin and I like to test the range of the mic so I went from the Garage (where I put my Microphone) to the garage door, about 15-20 steps away (that's far to me..) and whisper to my friend on Skype. I just silently whisper his name and he says he can hear it clearly. Not only was i shocked by the range but to think that this mic can pick up even sounds from inside my house when the door is closed is even scarier. Point is, this microphone is great. Overall quality for other people to hear you, great. The volume adjuster, great. The look, great. Everything about this mic, for me, was just great. The only thing that was disappointing, just as the 3 star review indicated, were the headphones. The most disappointing headphones I've ever used. They broke so quickly and I just kept them connected to my Mic at all times. Broke within 1-2 months. The Microphone Stand is great and the pop filter, I would recommend buying your own pop filter. I'm not too knowledgeable on the subject of pop filters, but I can tell that this one isn't as great as to what you could purchase for cheaper for better quality. One more thing. The package is comes in was amazingly huge and a tad bit heavy. Just be prepared if this product ever comes back in stock and you want to order it.