Antlion Audio ModMic Wireless Review: Slap It On Anything
As far as gaming headsets go, there are some decent mics that come equipped right out of the box. Though, most may be something that you live with just because the headset audio itself sounds great. Alternatively, you may also have a favorite pair of headphones that you wish you could game with but just don’t have a mic attached. Well, that’s where Antlion Audio’s ModMic Wireless fills a void. This nifty little attachable mic offers users a superb mic quality and wireless capability that remains unmatched.
What’s In The Box
Antlion was no slouch when it came to giving users the essentials needed to get the job done when it came to utilizing the ModMic. You’ll receive the device itself, its receiver, an extension cable for it, a micro-USB charging cable, travel case, 2x attachable bases (for headphones), cable organizer, and extra 3m pads (for resticking bases). I was so happy to see that for the $119 price there’s the inclusion of just about everything you’d need, aside from a good pair of headphones of course.
Aesthetics and Build Quality
The ModMic is very pleasing in its simplistic design. It really has the chance to blend seamlessly with just about any set of headphones you stick it to. It is on the larger side, though it doesn’t get in the way of anything at all. Build quality is fantastic as well. While the majority of it is plastic, it’s pretty darn sturdy. The adjustable arm is strong and even offers a bit of resistance to force against it.
The way that this sticks to headsets is that the removable magnetic base is adhered to your headphones via a 3m sticky pad. Well, how well does it stay on your headphones then? I’m thrilled to report that I had no issues with the mic itself nor the base coming apart from each other or my headphones. The magnets are incredibly strong and take a bit of force to pull apart, luckily.
Specs and Audio Quality
The ModMic offers users a bunch of features that are actually quite impressive. It has a 12+-hour battery life on a single charge, single tap mute button, dual-mic modes, and low latency thanks to APTX. It’s fantastic that the battery life does so well, easily getting you through a few days without having to recharge. Additionally, being able to see when your mic is muted via how the wireless receiver mirrors the ModMic’s status saves you from the awkward moments when you’re not sure if you’re muted or not.
I gotta say that I wasn’t expecting to see so many features from a wireless mic. I think my favorite aspects though have to be the dual-mics and the low latency. Being able to swap between the mic-modes (Uni-directional and Omni-directional) to fit the situation is always a plus in my book. I compared the audio to a ClearCast mic as well as the Movo UM700 to see how it stacked up to each one.
When it came to the ClearCast, the clear winner was the ModMic and when it came to the UM700, it did just as well if not better. The thing about that is, the ModMic is a small device meant for a headset. For it to beat out a desktop mic is really saying something.
The audio is crisp, clear, and the best I’ve ever heard out of a “headset mic”. This is the next level that bridges the gap where headset mics meet desktop mics. Another aspect of that statement is the fact that the low latency makes you forget that this thing is wireless at all. Doing videos, any sort of time difference or lag was completely unnoticeable.
What It Could Have Done Better
My one complaint is that the ModMic can pick up just a bit too much background noise for my liking. I know that the Uni-Directional mode is supposed to cut down on that but I can’t say that there’s too much of a difference between the two, in all honesty.
Verdict
What Antlion has done with the ModMic Wireless is nothing short of exceptional. It not only does its core function extremely well but also offers users some cool bells and whistles to solidify the fact that their $119 has been well spent. Slap this on a fantastic headset and you are easily ahead of the curve. A device like this is giving gaming headsets a run for their money.