NEEWER UM04 USB Microphone

Get's the job done, but lacks polish

I acquired this so I could use Zoom on my Linux workstation without having to plug in a dedicated headset. It does this. According to other participants, I come through clearly, and I don't have issues with echo / feedback loops from using speakers at the same time for sound. It comes well packaged, with a USB-C cable that has a USB-A/USB-C adapter hooked on one end--see the pictures. Thus, you can plug it in to either a USB-A or USB-C port on your device--the device itself has a a USB-C port. You can plug it in with minimal setup.

Still, it has some rough edges.

Plugging it in and it was autodetected by the OS. Unfortunately, despite being only a microphone, it advertises itself as both a speaker and a microphone. This causes the OS to switch both input and output to the microphone which obviously doesn't work well for hearing.... You need to manually switch the output back to your speakers. According to the instruction manually, the same thing happens on OS X. Also, it has a 1/8" headphone jack. Why? How knows. The so called instructions say it is a monitor port, but I didn't hear anything when plugging headphones into it and using the microphone.

Speaking of the instructions. It looks like a nice big manual, until you realize each page just a single sentence written in some 8 different languages. I appreciate the internationalization, but some actual information information would have been useful. Basically what I learned from it was how to switch audio sources in Windows and OS X. There are buttons and multicolored lights, but despite reading the manual and playing around a bit with them, I'm not really sure what they do.

So, if you're looking for a nice microphone that I can just sit on your desk, this fits the bill. Just don't expect to understand all buttons and ports.

Dirty

October 11, 2026

Great Small Omnidirectrional Microphone for Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, etc

This is a great microphone for what I am doing. I have a local podcast and we don't do a production to make it look professional and do all the editing and all that. Takes too much time and no reason to look like you are something you are not. We record our podcast with Google Meet and talk local politics. We don't edit anything. So this microphone is perfect. Actually too good for what we do. I have been using the one built into my 4K camera and it has been just fine. I have used this one one time. The last meeting and you could see an upgrade in quality. Not actually see it, but you could hear it.

It was easy to set up and my Windows 11 computer and Google Meet picked it up immediately. So it is compatible with what I use. I like that it blocks background noise. The Mute and status lights/controls take a few minutes to get used to. That is pretty par for the course when you start using almost anything you haven't used before. It is a great value for the money and it functions as it should. I am excited to see how it progresses from here on out after I get used to it. I have a Mic on a stand that I paid a lot for and never use it as I don't need it now. When we get into needing more production I will. This is a nice mid-point between the mic on my monitor or 4K camera and the one on the stand made for podcasting.

Impressive little microphone, with great value

I'm used to studio quality condenser microphones, but my wife found having the stands on the side to invasive for her desk space.

This can sit anywhere you like on the desk and it does a good job picking up sound. Its not gonna be studio quality, but it is surprisingly good for the value and size of the microphone. It has a built in noise cancellation feature which works very well. Honestly better than some software versions that you may use on apps like Discord and such.

Its very easy to use. For what it is, its a great deal. Just don't expect to be singing into this microphone, but for gaming or maybe even as a budget podcast microphone, its a good deal.

Works Fine and Blocks Background Noise, but the Audio Isn't a Big Step Up

I'm using this with a MacBook. It worked without installing anything, though I did have to change a couple of simple settings to get it going.

On sound quality, I'd call it ordinary. It's fairly close to the MacBook's own built-in mic. There's a bit of extra isolation, but not a dramatic amount. Other mics I own sound better, so if you're upgrading from a built-in laptop mic hoping for a big jump, temper your expectations.

Where it did impress me is background noise. I used it alone in a room while there was noise outside, and the person on the other end of the call said they couldn't hear any of it. That part works. I haven't tested it with multiple people in the room or from across the room, so I can't speak to how it handles that.

The mute button works and the plus/minus buttons respond well. The lighting looks nice. The mic sits steady on my desk and doesn't slide around.

One thing worth knowing: the included cable is USB-C on one end only. I swapped in my own USB-C to USB-C cable. Mac users may want to plan for that.

Nothing was missing or defective, and there was no odd smell. I also haven't tried the headphone jack.

Rach

October 6, 2026

Will not connect to older computer

I am torn with this particular item mostly because primarily, well, I cannot get it to connect to my computer. It is a little older 2009, but usually newer items still connect even if we have to troubleshoot a few things, which almost never happens. Unfortunately since it cannot connect, I can really only comment on the size. It seems to be a decent quality build, and seems to be ok. But for me I sort of have to go with a 3 star because I am convoluted as to why it will not connect for sound at all. My computer reads that its there. But no access to it. I will continue to try and troubleshoot this issue, but for now, I am struggling to see the value when its not working properly. This is very likely my computer and its age, but again, most newer things still connect and work fine. I even tried an alternate cord to see if that would work and it did not. Overall, the size is decent and it looks a lot better on a desk than a big bulky microphone, so I hope i can figure it all out. If i do, I will try and come back to update. So far, sort of in between.

Very good mic with noise reduction.

This is a very good mic which I've tested in a number of cases, It does pretty good noise reduction, but it's not the best I've used.

First off the screenshot of a recordings: This is the middle one, the top is an unfiltered laptop one. The bottom is a headset from a large computer maker. They have been blurred, but you can see the basics.

First screenshot has fans down low, second has the fans up. As you can see in a quiet environment, it's very good at nearly eliminating the noise. However, It suffers a bit (but still does a pretty good job) in a more noisy environment.

The controls are fairly decent, the RGB mode can make it so you can't tell which mode (unfiltered or filter it's in)

Controls

+/- are fairly intuitive. (It will use yellow (up)/purple(down) to indicate direction, if at max it will flash when pressed)

Main: 3s press: Toggle RGB mode (This is sometimes hard to trigger)

Main: Double press: Toggle noise reduction (Will be green if on and unmuted, otherwise blue if off and unmuted)

Main: Single press: Toggle mute (Will be red, otherwise green/blue as above or RGB

In testing with discord, it was not preferred over the bottom one. With or without using krisp, but the headset has the advantage of being close by. In another application, with the same people, one commented I seemed like i was coming through a megaphone.

The USB cord is nice, as it's got an adapter with it to use USBA or C. It's not very large and easily fits in my laptop bag.

Overall, This is one of the better mics I've used and the noise reduction is top tier IMO. Definite 5 stars.

Mike Martin

October 2, 2026

Clean, Compact Desk Mic — Read Up on the Controls Before You Start

The NEEWER UM04 is a solid plug-and-play desktop microphone. No drivers needed — plug in and it's recognized immediately. Audio quality is clean and clear, and the AI noise cancellation does a good job handling background noise like keyboard clicks or ambient room hum.

The included USB-C cable is well done: USB-C on the mic end, with a built-in USB-A adapter — so you're covered for either port type without hunting through a drawer. That kind of thoughtful packaging detail is worth calling out.

The buttons are less intuitive. The touch controls work, but the behavior and mode switching aren't immediately obvious. Worth spending a few minutes with the manual before your first call so you're not fumbling mid-meeting.

One clarification on audio output: this has a 3.5mm headphone jack, but monitoring or audio playback routes through that jack — it doesn't function as a standalone speaker. If you're expecting to hear audio from it directly, you'll need headphones or earbuds plugged into the side jack.

For work calls, dictation, or AI voice tools, it does exactly what a desktop mic should do — and looks good doing it.

Low sound quality

I really wanted to like this product. The RGB function doesn’t really work and it pairs easily. I just had complaints from a class that they can’t hear me very well when using the mic. I push the volume all the way up and cranked it and still they said it’s a bit soft so i couldn’t really test out the noise reduction due to soft voice. I stuck to a wireless mic that is next to my mouth or wireless lavs works better. The touch sensitive buttons work fine and it will display the color of what you are trying to do. If you press down the middle, it will swap between blue or red and when it is red, it is muted and when you press the volume up button, color changes to yellow but other than color indicators, we do not know the maximum level it can be.

For those conference calls crowded around one laptop

I'm keeping this in my backpack for travel. Too often I end up in a conference room full of people trying to make a single laptop work for a Zoom call. I've only unboxed it so far, but it seems nice and it's small. Still need to try the sound and pickup.

1:20

good little conversational microphone at a low price

I am very happy to have this little microphone and do recommend it.

Since it is a little tricky to operate with few directions, you will probably want to write down from this listing how to operate it.

The microphone has both a ambient noise suppression mode and an open unfiltered mode.

If you are talking to a digital vocoder like I was, you will want to turn that off! Most people won't care.

There is an AI mode- I think someone else should explain how that works!

The different indicator lights mean different things and the meaning is a little obtuse until you get used to it.

I used it for what I needed it for, which was testing with signal processing software I was writing.

It did fine. The "blue original sound" mode did what I wanted to do.

The "yellow vs purple' for volume up and down is a little confusing as those colors are not meaningful.

Red for louder and green for software would make more sense than yellow vs pink.

Anyway you press the center button for three seconds or tap it twice and that's how you get mode changes.

It think this product needs a little work but as long as the product listing is around OR I write the instructions down it is easy to operate. Mine is in "blue original sound" mode now hopefully it will stay programmed in that mode whileI operate it.

There is a headphone jack on the side for listening. I did not test that but note many PCs still have 1/8" stereo jacks.

The UM04 looks like a speaker not a microphone - but there is no speaker associated with the device.

I think it's obvious from the listing but just wanted to mention it!

I tried this microphone with both my Android and my Macintosh. No drivers required for Android you need to turn the permissions on to get it to work. That is normal.

It comes well packaged in a consumer-friendly box and includes a cable that is pleasant to touch.

It may not be obvious but the included cable is like many now and has the ability to plug into USB-A and USB-C. USB-C on both sides.

Like all meeting microphones I've seen it lacks an indicator light to show that it is sending audio. I wish the manufacturers would add that so you can see the mic is live!

Like I said. These are minor issues. It's a good microphone and I'm very glad to have it!

Price is good quality of both mic and cable are nice.

Photo 1: I have a big hand but this should demonstrate its size. It's like a school softball - larger than a baseball in circumference.

Photo 2: Showing it in unfiltered audio mode

Photo 3: Showing both ends of the cable with the hybrid USB-A/USB-C side of cable in my hand

Recommend.

R3V13W_L06

September 28, 2026

A Great Backup Mic for Long Workdays

I work from home and spend a lot of time on calls, so audio quality matters quite a bit to me. I still prefer wearing a headset most of the time, but after having one on all day it’s nice to have another option. This has become a really solid backup mic for exactly that reason.

The build quality is good and feels like what I’ve come to expect from NEEWER. They tend to make pretty nice gear without getting crazy with the price. The noise cancellation on this mic can be a little aggressive at times, but when my keyboard is going or the landscapers are outside, I’m glad it’s there. It does a surprisingly good job cutting down that background noise.

I’ve also used it with my iPhone 15, and that’s probably one of my favorite uses for it. It makes a really handy little mobile conference mic. It also records through the NEEWER Mic app. The app doesn’t seem to connect to this particular mic in the same visual/control-panel way that it does with some of their other microphones, but recording through the app works fine.

The touch controls are simple too. Tap to mute, double tap to turn the noise cancellation on or off. Nothing complicated. For work calls, occasional recording, or just having another audio option when I’m tired of wearing a headset, this has been a pretty useful mic.

R. Rios

September 28, 2026

Sometimes You Just Want a Microphone to Be a Microphone, But With Style.

This little desktop microphone has been a boon to both the work I do and the play I do.

I originally picked it up while troubleshooting some Bluetooth problems. I needed to isolate my microphone from the rest of my wireless audio equipment, and this turned out to be exactly what I wanted. It plugs into USB, the computer recognizes it, and there is no Bluetooth connection competing with everything else on my desk.

Sometimes you just want a microphone to be a microphone, but with style. This one is genuinely cute. The round design is compact, the white finish looks great with my monitor and speakers, and it manages to look good without taking over the desk.

I also appreciate that the package feels complete. The included black USB cable is USB-C on both ends, with an attached USB-A adapter built right into the cable. That means I can use it with either type of port without digging through a drawer looking for another adapter.

That may sound like a small thing, but lately some manufacturers seem determined to discover how little they can put in the box while assuming the buyer already owns every cable and adapter ever invented. This microphone arrived with what I needed to put it to work.

I use it for dictation when writing papers and correspondence, for voice input while working with AI tools, and for communicating while gaming. In every case, my recordings have been clean and clear.

The controls are simple. The mute button is easy to reach, and the red indicator makes it immediately obvious when the microphone is muted. The headphone jack on the side is another feature I appreciate because I can keep the entire audio path wired when I want crisp monitoring without wireless delay or another connection to manage.

It also feels substantial enough to stay where I put it. I have not had problems with desk bumps or handling noise becoming part of the experience.

That simplicity may be my favorite feature. Plug it in, select it as the microphone, and get to work.

It records. It mutes. It stays out of my way. And it looks good doing it.

Five stars.

Adriel Varchild

September 28, 2026

Clear sound without blocking the monitors, for home or office use

I never would have thought to look for a flat microphone like this before, but now I wish I had found one sooner. It takes up almost no desk space, and I can place it wherever I need it.

My previous microphone was a regular upright model. It took up more room, blocked part of my monitors, and sometimes got in the way. This one stays out of the way completely. I can move it closer or farther away without any problem, and it does not block anything on my desk.

I now use it for meetings, dictation, and everything else I do in my office. It looks nice, works well, sounds clear, and is very easy to manage. I like it so much that I will probably get another one for home.

The lighting options are limited and not especially important to me, but they are a nice touch for someone who likes a little extra lighting in a darker workspace. Overall, the sound, volume, design, and functionality have all been great. I definitely recommend it.

Solid desktop mic!

Overall for the price, this is a really solid buy, matching some of the lower end blue microphones. I am on a lot of conference calls, so I decided to try this mic, and the AI noise cancelling was pretty excellent! A lot of the ambient noise was not picked up on my call, which was a surprise to me. I will say that the reason why I am giving this a 4 star is ultimately due to the sound quality, which sounds a bit thin at times, but ultimately, for telework, this is a pretty solid device. This mic also has a touch mute button, as well as a gain control, which is pretty handy. I think this mic would be best used if you are on a conference call in person at a 6 foot table with your other coworkers.

Compact omnidirectional mic for Mac/Windows

Nice compact omnidirectional microphone that works . This should make online conferences easier in a group small group setting. There is also a small jack for earphones should this be needed. I did not notice a need but I suppose depending on placement there might be some feedback. The microphone comes well wrapped and in a strong cardboard box. It uses a USB-C connector cable going to a USB-A at the computer end. There is a pretty comprehensive instruction leaflet in several languages (including English). Instructions for using with Mac or Windows are provided. The color renders it unobtrusive if left on desk or conference table.

It does a great job of eliminating echo on an iPhone 15 Pro Max

I own quite a few microphones and I use them all for different use cases, and I wasn’t exactly sure how useful this one was going to be, but in the end, I found it to be very useful. So what convinced me of the usefulness of this microphone is where I tested it. I have a room in my house that has a tremendous amount of echo because it’s a fairly big room with not much in it. I compared the UM04 against the stock iPhone 15 Pro Max microphone, and what immediately stood out was the UM04 had a little to no echo in my recordings. The stock microphone for the iPhone actually was more true to life (considering it came on board with the iPhone I'm a bit surprised by that as well typically) and included quite a lot of echo. Now typically I wouldn’t be recording in a room like this because of the tremendous amount of echo, but I can actually see myself potentially using it for certain situations in this room now. Primarily, I would be using this for phone calls, but I may actually also use this to record lower quality samples for experimental sound recording. That’s not to say that it’s a low quality microphone, it’s actually quite good considering the asking price, but I do have different condenser microphones they are much more suited for fidelity recordings. The quality of the audio is generally most favorable in the upper frequencies. The middle frequencies were a little bit hollow in my opinion, and the bass did similar to the higher frequencies. Connecting the microphone to some of the iPhone's apps is a little hit or miss in my testing. Using the microphone with dedicated audio applications typically works out pretty well. About 50% of the video recording applications did not recognize this microphone, but the ones that did recorded excellent audio. For that reason, I would recommend it more for audio recording more than anything else because of the high compatibility with applications. There are so many video recording applications for iPhone, it's really difficult to say whether or not it's going to work or not but, as I mentioned about half did work for me. I also think it's worth mentioning that I did not need to install any dedicated software to get this microphone to work with my iPhone. It was pretty much just plug and play. For that reason, I would say connectivity and compatibility were generally not an issue for me. I think the microphone is pretty sleek looking, but it's not something that I would pick for design per se. I like that it's small and compact and can stay out of my way for the most part. Comparing this microphone to the online images and the description, I was not surprised in any way after receiving it based on appearance. It's about the right size to slip in a small bag and take on board a flight and do some impromptu recording in a hotel room. Overall, I'm very impressed with this microphone. Five out of five stars.

Good microphone for conferencing

This is a pretty good quality microphone for professional use. It's very easy to set up- simply plug it in and it will be recognized on windows or mac as a microphone input. I had to tweak the volume sensitivity settings a bit within windows but overall very easy to set up. It's worth noting that it works with either usb-c connection or usb-a.

When you look at this device it would seem that it would be a full mic/speaker solution, but sadly it does not have a built in speaker so while it works great at picking up voices directionally, you can't use it as a conference solutionnas you won't hear anything without plugging headphones directly into the 3.5mm headphone jack. It isn't advertised this way so it has no affect on my rating, but it's worth mentioning as something to be aware of prior to purchasing.

Overall it's a good mic solution for conferencing and the noise reduction does a decent job of minimizing background noise. For the price, I can definitely recommend it for those who are on the go but still need to be able to conference in to calls.

Hal F. White

September 19, 2026

Clean up your calls

Have not gotten to use this yet but in my tests this really cleans the audio up. This was filmed at about 1 foot from the microphone and even though the phone was blocking direct line of sight to the mic there is no measurable difference in my voice hitting the mic either way. The cleanup of the noise is super sharp. meaning I don't get AC noise or even my Clothes Dryer in the background. I did have to redo the review a few times thanks to my dog barking. Should have left that in for comparison but he really barks when he wants to :) Love this think its great and will be very useful for future Zoom calls.

2:10

Good for gaming, not for streaming

This mic is okay. It does its basic job pretty well, and even has decent noise cancelling. I used this on a PC and a PS5 to pay Warzone, and it did fine with communicating in voice chat. Loud, clear, no problems-everyone could easily understand what I was saying. I even recorded it in Audacity while snapping my fingers with the NC on, and it deleted the snap for the most part. Pretty effective and cool, and this would be valuable potentially for someone who games or conferences in a noisy environment and needs to cut out the distractions for the other participants.

The only problem that I noticed was that when I recorded clips on my PC and my PS5, the audio from the mic wasn’t included in the clips. I have another condenser mic which works no problem, but I couldn’t figure out how to get the audio from this mic into the clips even after a reasonable amount of troubleshooting. Even more strange because it worked fine for the voice chat and even allows you to connect a wired pair of headphones to listen to the game audio (at least on PS5, didn’t try that on the PC).

Bottom line: I think this is a good choice for someone who plays games, wants good voice comms, and needs to cut down some background noise. I don’t think it’s suitable for someone who streams and expects to capture their gameplay for posting.

Ryan's Reviews

September 15, 2026

Impressive Conference-Style Microphone Without Taking Over Your Desk

I was genuinely impressed by this desktop microphone. It provides much of the same experience I have had with larger conference-room microphones, except this one actually fits comfortably on a desk instead of occupying enough space to demand its own conference table.

The sound quality is what I have come to expect from NEEWER. Voices come through clearly, and the omnidirectional pickup makes it especially useful for meetings where more than one person may be speaking. The AI noise reduction is also a useful addition for filtering out some of the normal background noise that inevitably exists around a desk.

I especially like having physical controls for mute, noise reduction, gain, and monitoring right on the microphone. The headphone jack for live monitoring is another feature that makes this feel considerably more capable than a basic USB conference microphone.

Setup is simple, the footprint is compact, and the overall design feels well thought out for Teams, Zoom, online meetings, teaching, or even basic recording. If you want conference-room-style microphone functionality without putting a giant piece of equipment in the middle of your desk, this is an excellent option.

Effective mic for meetings

This small device does a terrific job as an external mic for my mac. It’s compact and easy to store. The sound quality is great even from several feet away.

This USB microphone is easy to set up and works with usb a and c.

The on-device controls are convenient, and the microphone picks up voices well with a few tweaks to the settings.

Overall, this is a good-quality microphone for the price.

Works easily. Plug and Play

This USB Microphone was very easy to set-up. It is basically just plug and play. I really like the sound quality and how it is omnidirectional. It also comes with a long cord (about 4') so you can place it in the center of your conference table and still reach your desktop or notebook computer easily. If you need to mute, all you need to do is tap it once and a red light will go on. You can also plug headphones into the headphone 3.5mm jack if you want to monitor audio in real time. The price point is very reasonable. We have tried other NEEWER products and have repeatedly been satisfied with their products.

A very useful condenser mic at a great value.

The NEEWER UM04 USB Microphone is a very good desktop microphone. Personally I'm using it for AI dictation. I can sit back and have a conversation with AI with the convenience of a mute button right in arms reach. This is a well-made, great value microphone for having conversations with AI. Sound quality is what you would expect for a small desktop condenser mic. For me, this is a very useful item when dictating and using AI. I highly recommend it.

Great on Android... volume not adjusting on Windows

I got this product as I travel for work and need to make conference calls out of temporary offices and this microphone will be very useful for those situations where I need to be in a room with a team... especially be able to mute the mic when I need to make sure that everyone is on the same page before embarrassing the team! I tested this device on the Windows computer and I literally can't tell the difference between the audio levels when using Audacity... I'm not sure if it's some built in adjustment on the recording too... but whatever is happening I have a feeling Windows might be overriding it. I then plugged it into my Google Pixel 9 and it worked every bit like advertised with all the controls. There were a massive difference between noise canceling on or off and the step increment of volume is very pronounced. I tried to find the instructions for this on the QR code they provided to see if I can find what's going on with Windows... but the website for instructions doesn't load any instructions... thankfully I found their PDF on this product page... but it made no mention of how to handle built in features that overrides the volume adjusters on the device. Overall, this product is fantastic for doing what it states... but I really wish it had more on how to deal with Windows... or Mac, if Mac does the same adjustments.

Works great, easy setup

Plugged it in and it worked right away — no drivers, no fussing around with settings. Just plug and go. Sound quality is clear and it picks up voice well without a lot of background noise.

Good little desktop mic for meetings, video calls, or recording. It’s compact and doesn’t take up much desk space. Does what it needs to do.

Handy speaker for use on computer with lots of meetings during the day.

Pros:

Works on windows/Mac computers and plugged into iphone

Speaker is good quality, no static or interference heard on other end when talking

Comes with Lightening and USB C connector on one end and USB and USB C on other end for whatever you are needing to plug into

easy on/off mute switch and volume buttons

Nice small size so doesn't take up a lot of room on your desk.

Cons:

Doesn't double as a speaker as well, only microphone.

Crystal Clear Audio for Every Meeting

This Microphone is an absolute game-changer for my home office setup. Its 360-degree omnidirectional pickup ensures I am heard clearly even when moving around the room. The AI noise cancellation is incredibly effective at filtering out distracting background sounds like fans. I love the plug-and-play simplicity, as it worked instantly with my Mac without any driver hassle. The touch-to-mute button is very responsive, and the red/green light indicators provide helpful visual feedback. The compact, puck-style design sits low on my desk and never obstructs my view of the monitor.

Audio quality is professional-grade, offering a massive upgrade over my laptop's built-in microphone.

The added RGB lighting is a nice touch, giving my workspace a modern and personalized feel.

Build quality feels solid and durable, making it a reliable tool for daily Zoom and Skype calls.

Overall, this is a high-value microphone that delivers premium performance for a very reasonable price.

This is not just a microphone, it's a fully functional audio interface with a built-in microphone

I already have decent microphones on my MacBook, so I wasn't sure if this would be an improvement. I ran some tests, and here are my findings. For context, I studied sound engineering at the graduate level, so I have some background in audio and microphones to make a reasonable analysis.

First off, it's nicely built, and it works as a proper omnidirectional microphone. I tested it by positioning myself around the mic and recording a voice sample from all directions. The voice sounds identical from every angle, making it a great pick for capturing audio from multiple people around a desk. Audio is clear, and I appreciate that it operates at 24-bit/48kHz. I'd be fine with 44.1kHz too, but since most audio applications are moving toward 48kHz, native support for that sample rate is a big plus.

I also used a sine wave oscillator to see how high of a frequency the microphone can capture. As you can see in the spectrum analyzer image I'm uploading, it records well above 20kHz, which is roughly the highest frequency an average human can hear. In reality, most people hear well below that, and it only gets lower as we age. So for all intents and purposes, this captures full spectrum audio, especially for voice-based communications.

I'm also uploading a video where I recorded the same audio clip through a Bluetooth speaker at various volume settings, once with noise reduction off and once with noise reduction on. It might be slightly imprecise because when you adjust the recording level, the visual feedback doesn't indicate where you are in the range. It only shows a static LED when you're maxed out or at minimum, so I may have skipped a step or two. But the video gives a good demonstration of the recording at various levels.

At the end of the video, I recorded some silence and applied +24 dB of gain to demonstrate how the noise reduction performs. It does a great job silencing environmental sounds. During my recording, my windows were open, I had an air purifier running, and a neighbor was mowing his lawn in the distance. The noise reduction handled all of that without issue. Every noise reduction algorithm degrades the recorded audio to some degree, and if you listen carefully, you might notice slight degradation on the high frequencies (treble). But the loss in quality is minimal and probably only distinguishable by trained ears. I'd say the execution here is well done. If you've ever heard an overly processed, artificial sound during a virtual meeting, that's a good example of bad noise reduction, or noise reduction struggling with a particularly loud environment. Recent developments in AI have improved these algorithms tremendously, and I think that's why this microphone handles it so well.

The microphone connects to a computer through a USB cable. The included cable is versatile, with a Lightning adapter for older Apple devices on one end and a USB-C to USB-A adapter on the other, in case USB-A is the more available port on your setup. Since audio doesn't require much bandwidth, it works the same either way.

On my MacBook, setup was practically non-existent. No drivers, no additional software. I just plugged it into the USB port and it immediately showed up as an input source. I can't speak for Windows PCs, but on Mac it was completely plug and play.

Here's something I didn't expect: in addition to working as an input source, it also shows up as an output device. So it's not just a microphone but a complete external audio interface. I plugged my headphones into its headphone output, selected it as my output device in system settings, and it worked perfectly, with volume controls through my MacBook's volume buttons. If you're looking for not just a mic but an external audio solution, that adds a lot of value.

I tried to be thorough with this review because it's a field I have experience with, and I also like the Neewer brand and what they bring to the table. I've never had a Neewer product that didn't deliver, especially at their price points, and it's great to see them branching out from video-specific gear into broader multimedia devices. Given that this advertises itself as a USB-C mic but functions as a full audio interface with a built-in microphone, I'm curious whether they have plans to expand into more pro audio territory.

If you need something like this, I highly recommend it. It works well and delivers even more than what it advertises.

3:37

M

April 27, 2026

New puck just dropped.

For the $22.99 list price at the time of my order, I found this omnidirectional condenser microphone to be kind of nifty.

While I wouldn't swap it in for my streaming set up, I would say that it makes for a great conference mic for doing business and having adult meetings.

Due to the nature of the omnidirectional input, it is much more likely to pick up strays, but that is what the supposed "AI cancelling" is supposed to be for. As for it's accuracy.... that's a bit hit or miss.

I like the size of this device, and the button layout makes it pretty easy to use.

For something more budget friendly, I can see it fitting in perfect for an office setting, preferably something with a bigger space at least. It is important to watch out for that echo, to ensure the cleanest audio.

Outstanding NEEWER UM04 USB Microphone – Excellent Omnidirectional Pickup

The NEEWER UM04 USB Microphone has quickly become one of my favorite desk tools. I’m giving it a full five stars.

What impresses me most is how well the omnidirectional condenser capsule performs. I can walk around my entire office...easily 10–15 feet away...and it still sounds like I’m sitting right next to the mic. The AI noise cancellation does a great job suppressing background sounds while keeping my voice clear and natural. Whether I’m recording voiceovers, doing video calls, or dictating notes, the audio quality is consistently excellent.

Setup was truly plug-and-play on both my Mac and PC. The built-in stand is sturdy, the volume/mute controls are responsive, and the overall build feels solid for the price. The black finish looks clean and professional on the desk.

I’ve been using it daily for a couple of weeks now with zero issues. It handles everything from quiet speaking to normal conversation volume without distortion, and the 360° pickup pattern makes it perfect for group calls or moving around while talking.

If you’re looking for a versatile, high-quality USB condenser mic that doesn’t require a boom arm or complicated setup, the NEEWER UM04 is an outstanding choice. Highly recommended for office use, content creation, or anywhere you need reliable, clear audio.

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