Even though a lot of society has re-opened in some form or another, it’s also true we’ve all been spending more time at home and online. Where possible, many companies have encouraged their employees to work from home. That’s how we ended up with all these Zoom calls and conferences. Are you being heard loud and clear? What about with podcasts and online streaming? In today’s video, I compare the audio quality across four very different solutions. Which budget computer mic is the best?

Way back in February, fully seven months ago, I picked up the Logitech C270 webcam for about $30 Canadian. I asked at the time whether this was the best budget webcam you could get for the money. And then, not long after, everything started shutting down, everyone started working from home, and everyone needed a budget webcam. That humble YouTube video shot up in popularity and people are still watching it today.

Similarly, last spring, I shared my thoughts on the Lenovo 300e Chromebook. At the time, I asked whether this education-focused Chromebook would be suitable for bloggers and business owners. With the rise in online and remote learning, plus remote work, that YouTube video has also attracted a fair bit of attention these past few months. People are looking for affordable ways to stay productive, to do the work (and homework) they need to do.

But, one area I’ve mostly overlooked until now is audio quality. If you’ve got an okay computer and a halfway usable webcam, you probably still want a decent budget computer mic too. You need to be heard and you want it to be clear. This is especially true with Twitch streaming, podcasting, and vlogging, but it’s just as important for Zoom calls.

So, that’s how I ended up biting the bullet with the Fifine K669B USB microphone. Like almost everything else during this pandemic, its price tag has gone up. But, it’s still very affordable. I picked it up for about $60 Canadian. While more than its usual price, that’s still cheaper than something like the Blue Snowball or the Blue Yeti. How does the Fifine K669B compare against the HyperX Cloud Revolver, Logitech C270, and even the Rode VideoMic Pro? Watch the video above to find out. The results may surprise you.

Are you in the market for a budget computer mic? Or do you just use the mic that’s built into your laptop?