If the interlocutors complain about poor sound during Internet conversations, then the best solution to fix this problem is to buy a microphone. It is not necessary to take an expensive model for several thousand rubles, because it is quite possible to get by with a budget solution, for example, Sven MK 200. This microphone costs little money, but despite this, it has good characteristics and will provide decent sound quality for any type of conversation. Let's take a closer look at it.
Package
Start the review of the Sven MK 200 microphone first of all with the package. The device is sold in a small blister pack. The equipment here is very meager: a round stand, fasteners for a stand, a stand (leg) with a microphone. Of course, nothing special can be expected from a budget device in terms of equipment, but the manufacturer could still add wind protection to the general set.
Appearance
The Sven MK 200 microphone looks quite ordinary and unremarkable. The case, as well as other parts of the device, is made of plastic, andpretty cheap. In some places there are even places with poorly processed material. Anyway, the microphone is still inexpensive and it would be stupid to demand perfection from it in everything. Regarding plastic, it is also worth noting that it is matte, without any glossy inserts, so fingerprints on the case will not be visible.
The lower part of the microphone also consists of a wide round stand, on which the leg is attached. The fastener itself, by the way, is universal and allows you to remove the leg from the stand and mount it on the computer monitor case.
As for the leg, it has a slightly bent shape and a length of 18cm. The microphone itself is located at one end, and a cable for connecting with a 3.5mm plug comes out of the other. The cable length, by the way, is 1.8 meters, which is quite good.
Connection
Connecting the Sven MK 200 microphone is very simple. All you need to do is plug the device into the appropriate connector on the computer's sound card. You can also connect a microphone to the front of the PC if it has the right connector. Installing additional drivers after connection is not required, since everything works according to the plug&play principle.
The only thing that is recommended to be done after connecting is to go to the sound settings on the computer, go to the recording section and adjust the level sliders in the properties of the Sven MK 200 microphone. It is desirable to leave the gain at 0, and move the microphone parameter itselfat around 35-40.
Specifications and testing
Before proceeding to testing, a few words should be said about the characteristics of the device.
The type of microphone here is electret, which is quite expected. An electret is a type of condenser microphone, only cheaper and without the need for high-quality recording equipment. On the one hand, this is, of course, a plus, since you can record from such a microphone on absolutely everything, even on a laptop, tablet or the same smartphone. On the other hand, the quality, compared to the same budget capacitor devices, will be an order of magnitude lower.
In terms of directionality, the Sven MK 200 is an omnidirectional microphone, i.e. the location of the sound source is not as important for it as, for example, for cardioid devices.
The sensitivity index is 60 dB, which is quite good. The frequency range is less pleasing - 50 Hz at the minimum and 16k Hz at the maximum.
Actually, the characteristics are over, you can proceed to testing.
In principle, for the money the microphone demonstrates a very good quality. The sound is not perfect, of course, but much better than through the same built-in microphone on a webcam.
The "gurgling", "hissing" or any other noise that negatively affects the sound recording or is heard during a conversation, which is familiar to cheap devices, is not here. The quality, again worth repeating, is not perfect, primarily due to the narrow frequencyrange, but it is very, very good.
As for sensitivity, despite 60 dB, you will have to speak almost next to the microphone itself. The maximum allowable distance from the device is 40-50 cm, but no more.
Reviews and price
Reviews of the Sven MK 200 show that the company's microphone turned out to be very worthy in terms of its characteristics and the quality of the recorded and transmitted sound. The device does not have any serious or significant disadvantages. Unless some users note the fragility of the stand, a cheap plastic case and a marriage, which, albeit infrequently, still occurs. As for the price, you can buy this microphone for 150-340 rubles, which, in general, is quite acceptable.
