Antlion Audio‘s ModMic range aims to offer a perfect solution for those who want to combine their favorite headphones with a high-quality microphone. In my case, I have a pair of Sennheiser HD 599 and a pair of Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO, both of which are great headphones, but neither of which come with a microphone solution. All of the ModMics aim to transform a headphone into a headset, though the ModMic Wireless, ModMic USB, and ModMic Uni each do this differently. I’ve spent time with each, using them to communicate with friends across PC and PS4. Now it’s time to review and compare them all before offering my recommendations.
Antlion Audio ModMic Review | Good things come in threes
All ModMics are packaged inside of a rugged carrying case, which includes the microphone, additional sticky pads and cable clips (when required), and a manual. There is also the wireless dongle included with the wireless version, as you’d expect. It’s nice to have everything secure in one place, even if it’s just to store in a drawer, rather than take with you on your travels.
Buy an Antlion Audio ModMic here
Another similarity between the ModMics is how they attach to headphones. You stick a little dot to the side of the headphone, and then the microphone attaches to that dot via a magnet. The connecting point has a ridged edge, which helps keep the microphone’s placement consistent. I simply let the magnets connect and then I’m ready to go. No additional faffing is necessary.
The setup experience on PC is pretty much the same across all ModMics, as you just select the microphone from your “Sound” settings, choose your quality and levels, and then away you go. On PS4, the USB and Wireless ModMics were immediately recognized, which was fantastic. The Uni, however, will require an additional Y-shaped splitter to be plugged into the controller.
Antlion Audio ModMic Wireless Review
The feature that sets the ModMic Wireless apart from the rest of the range is the, you guessed it, wireless functionality. There’s no wire here, as the microphone connects to a USB dongle. This AptX connection is faster than standard Bluetooth, meaning lower latency between the user talking and the PC receiving and interpreting that audio.
You might think that the audio quality would suffer with the move from wired to wireless, but I honestly think the ModMic Wireless and ModMic USB sound pretty similar. Out of all three mics, I’ve chosen the Wireless as my daily driver.
The 12-hour battery life should be more than enough for even the longest of gaming marathons but, if the battery does run out during a session, the Wireless can be used while it’s charging. This comes in very clutch when you forget to charge it.
There’s also an easy mute button on the side of the microphone. When the mic is muted, the USB dongle’s indicator light changes color to let you know. Another button allows you to change between the microphone’s cardioid and omnidirectional pickup patterns, examples of which you can hear below.
Hello there, this is Mack for GameRevolution, here with an Antlion Audio ModMic test and comparison.
Here I’ve got the ModMic Wireless, ModMic USB, and ModMic Uni. I’ll talk a little into each, so you can hear the differences.
I’m currently talking into the ModMic Wireless with the cardioid option enabled. This is the most expensive version of the ModMic, but it comes with one clear advantage: it’s wireless, and so there’s no additional wire to worry about. And this is how the omnidirectional option mode sounds. Testing, testing, one, two, three. Testing, testing, one, two, three.
I’m now talking into the ModMic USB with the cardioid option enabled. In my testing, I’ve found this and the ModMic Wireless to perform pretty similarly. The ModMic USB connects via, you guess it, USB. Price-wise, it sits in the middle of the ModMic Range. And this is with the omnidirectional option mode enabled. Testing, testing, one, two, three. Testing, testing, one, two, three.
Now it’s the turn of the ModMic Uni. This connects via a 3.5 mm jack and is the cheapest of the current range of ModMics. I think the other ModMics sound better, but the Uni is still an improvement over many of the built-in gaming headset microphones I’ve tested.
If you are also thinking of going with Wireless, you’ll want to know about the price of that luxury. The ModMic Wireless comes in at $119.95, while the ModMic USB is priced at $79.95 (and the Uni is $49.95). That’s a $40 premium for the wirelessness.
Antlion Audio ModMic USB Review
The ModMic USB sits in the middle of the pack when it comes to pricing, offering great audio quality and a convenient USB connection. At $79.95, this is significantly cheaper than the Wireless, while still retaining top sound.
The additional wire of the USB and Uni isn’t really that big of a deal, in my opinion, as you are provided with clips that keep the microphone wire attached to the headphone wire, effectively making it into one chunkier cable. That mic wire also has a handy mute switch at the ready, just in case you need to quickly silence your microphone.
Like the Wireless version, the USB can also switch between cardioid and omnidirectional pickup patterns. The former should help filter out background noise, while the latter opens up the mic to let in more sound from all directions. During my testing, I quickly dedicated that cardioid was best for me. (The audio test embedded above should help to show the differences.)
Antlion Audio ModMic Uni Review
The ModMic Uni is the budget option, coming in at $49.95. There’s no wireless or USB connection here, as it uses a good old 3.5 mm jack. It’s simple yet still very effective, instantly recognized through a PC’s microphone port, or through the PS4 controller’s headphone jack when paired with a Y splitter.
Despite the price, the Uni still boasts a high-quality, noise-canceling microphone that can be muted with the in-line switch. There’s no choice between cardioid and omnidirectional pickup patterns here, however.
For $50, the Uni can transform a headphone wearer into a headset wearer. For someone like me, who would much prefer to only wear one set of headphones for all occasions, having a good quality detachable microphone at the ready is a big win.
Antlion Audio ModMic Review | The choice is yours
If it wasn’t already clear from what I’ve written above, the ModMic Wireless is my overall winner, as not having to deal with a wire is a huge advantage for me. However, if I was to buy one of these ModMics with my hard-earned money (instead of receiving them as review samples), I might be tempted to save $40 and go for the USB, as the audio quality is still great. As for the Uni, I think it’s a nice entry point at $50, offering good bang for the buck, but the downgrade in audio quality and lack of USB support would push me to upgrade. Personally, I’d go with USB or splurge for the Wireless!
If you do pick up a ModMic and think that you’ve chosen the wrong version, Antlion Audio does encourage buyers to exchange their unwanted mic for a different one. So you can go from USB to Wireless, for example, though you’ll obviously have to cover the additional cost. What’s more, there’s a one-year limited warranty on the ModMics, which should offer some peace of mind.
Overall, I’ve been massively impressed with how easy-to-use the ModMics are and the overall quality has been great. I’ll be rocking the Wireless on my Sennheiser headphones for the foreseeable future.
ModMic review units were provided by Antlion Audio.
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