MSI Immerse GV60 Streaming Microphone Review

1. Introduction & Specification Details and Close-up
2. Design
3. Performance
4. Final Thoughts

Introduction & Specification Details and Close-up

MSI has jumped into the streaming microphone market with its newest addition to its Immerse family of products.

12

MSI has launched the Immerse GV60 desktop streaming microphone that is designed for creators and, more specifically, for broadcasters or streamers. The microphone comes equipped with four polar patterns, meaning it can be a solution for a variety of different recording situations, as well as a high sample rate of 24-bit/96 kHz. MSI states on the back of the box that the microphone comes with "High-Resolution Digital Audio", and a 3.5 mm headphone jack that allows for "zero-latency playback".

The front of the microphone features the accessibility options such as volume control for microphone monitoring, microphone volume, polar pattern switch, and a mute microphone button. MSI has wrapped all of these features up into a sleek-looking matte-finished black microphone that certainly looks very premium. The Immerse GV60 has been slapped with a $129.99 price tag, and throughout this review, we will be determining if this microphone will be the next addition to your streaming setup.

Close-up

Jak's Test System Specifications

• Motherboard: ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Hero X570 (Wi-Fi) (buy from Amazon)
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600X @ 4.4GHz (buy from Amazon)
• GPU: EVGA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER XC GAMING (buy from Amazon)
• Cooler: be quiet! Silent Wings 3
• RAM: 16GB (2x8GB) Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB 3200MHz (buy from Amazon)
• SSD: GALAX HOF Pro SSD PCI-E M.2 2TB
• Power Supply: Corsair CX Series 750 Watt (buy from Amazon)
• Case: be quiet! Silent Base 600 (buy from Amazon)
• OS: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64-bit (buy from Amazon)

MSI Immerse GH61 Gaming Headset

	Today	Yesterday	7 days ago	30 days ago
	$97.66	$97.66	$98.04	$100.71	Buy
* Prices last scanned on 4/18/2024 at 1:01 pm CDT - prices may not be accurate, click links above for the latest price. We may earn an affiliate commission.

Design

The MSI Immerse GV60 is one of the best-looking desktop microphones I have reviewed. I absolutely love the aesthetic that MSI has decided to go with, from the slick matte finish to the weighty and sturdy feel the microphone has when handled. The Immerse GV60 measures 120 x 125 x 295 inches and has a decently heavy stand that brings the total weight of the microphone to 2.4 pounds. Due to the weighty base, I never felt as if the Immerse GV60 was ever going to be knocked over, even if I accidentally hit it with my arm.

12

At first glance, the Immerse GV60 looks quite similar to the Blue Yeti that is extremely popular among live streamers, but when comparing the look of the Yeti to the GV60, I would pick the GV60 for its slightly chunkier build. Now, while I love the way the GV60 looks, there are some problems with its design that I believe are oversights MSI has made and can improve upon with future iterations of the product.

The first would be the polar pattern, volume, and microphone volume knobs located on the front of the microphone. Each of these knobs has a really tight tension with no grip, making it very difficult to change any levels. Notably, this issue could just be with the model that I've tested and not a consistent problem across every Immerse GV60 (hopefully!).

Located at the bottom of the microphone are the USB-C port and the 3.5 mm headphone jack that can be used for headphone monitoring. The microphone is fashion between a stand that allows it to rotate 180 degrees vertically while also allowing the users to choose which angle is preferred by tightening and loosening the two screws. Included in the box is a 10-foot USB-C to USB-A power cable as well as a foam pop filter that can be placed over the microphone to reduce any plosives. Unfortunately, the pop filter doesn't seem to fit the microphone head correctly and sags either side of the microphone body.

12

The Immerse GV60 doesn't come with any software for customization, which is why it seems MSI has thrown all of its accessibility features on the front of the microphone. Additionally, the microphone doesn't come with any boom arm adapter, so if you were considering purchasing this microphone and hooking it up to a boom arm, make sure you already own the appropriate adapter.

Overall, it seems apparent that MSI wanted to design a desktop microphone that is extremely easy to use and is essentially plug-and-play.

Specifications

• Frequency Response - 20Hz - 20,000 kHz
• Sample / Bitrate - 24- bit/96 kHz
• Polar Patterns - Stereo, Omnidirectional, Cardioid, Bidirectional
• Headphone Amplifier Impedance - ≤ 2.2k Ohms
• Cable length - 10ft/3m
• Dimensions (with stand, LxWxH) - 10.63 x 4.33 x 4.33 inches/270 x 110 x 110 mm
• Without stand - 7 x 4.2 x 4.2 inches/177 x 106 x 106
• Weight - 2.42 lbs/1100g
• W/o stand - 3.49 lbs/1586g
• Warranty - 1 year

Performance

MSI has equipped the Immerse GV60 with four possible polar patterns. Each of these polar patterns are for a different use case. For example, the bi-directional polar pattern is best used in a podcast-like scenario where two people are sitting across from each other having a conversation. Setting the microphone to the bi-directional polar pattern will focus the sound detection to the front and back of the microphone, minimizing any sound made on the capsule's side.

12

The omnidirectional polar pattern will change the microphone capsule to picking up sound in 360 degrees, making it useful for picking up a conversation between multiple people and capturing environmental noises. The stereo polar pattern will pick up sound from both the left and right channels and is ideal for recording singing or talking.

The last polar pattern is the cardioid polar pattern. It will no doubt be the most-used polar pattern on this microphone as it's ideal for picking up sound directly in front of the microphone and minimizing any other sounds from any other angle.

After performing microphone tests on each of the polar patterns, I found that the cardioid polar pattern was easily the best polar pattern when it came to producing the highest quality audio recording. This was expected considering the microphone is a "streaming microphone".

I also recorded my voice in a variety of different sample rates to see if I could hear the difference in quality. I did notice a slight difference in quality when I recorded in 24-bit/96 kHz, but I feel as if these results are negligible and wouldn't really be noticed by someone who wasn't specifically listening for a change in audio quality.

12

Additionally, the 24-bit/96 kHz sample rate is marketed on the box prominently, as well as the microphone being called a "streaming microphone", however Twitch, the largest live streaming service provider, only allows creators to stream their audio at a max sample rate of 48Khz audio, and if the audio sample rate is outputted at 24-bit/96 kHz it will be downsampled to 48Khz. A large sample rate doesn't necessarily matter for a "streaming microphone", but maybe useful for other creators looking for top-shelf audio quality.

Prices are Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price

MSI Immerse GV60 ($129)

Elgato WAVE 3 ($129)

MSI Immerse GH61 Effects Enabled ($100)

HyperX Cloud Revolver S ($149)

Sennheiser GSP 300 ($90)

HyperX Cloud II Wireless ($149)

Sennheiser | EPOS GSP 370 ($199)

Sennheiser | EPOS GSP 370 (Warm) ($199)

SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless ($139)

Corsair HS80 Wireless ($149)

Final Thoughts

What's Hot

• Sturdy design
• Fantastic aesthetic
• Plug-and-play
• Great out-of-the-box sound

What's Not

• Lack of software
• No boom arm adapter included in the box
• Polar pattern, headphone and microphone volume knob are difficult to use

As I've previously outlined in this review's "Design" section, MSI has clearly created the Immerse GV60 for a specific type of buyer.

12

Judging by the simple yet effective design and the seamless plug-and-play experience, I believe that MSI intends to aim the Immerse GV60 at individuals who aren't looking to customize their microphone through software and just want to take it straight out of the box and have it work perfectly. The MSI Immerse GV60 achieves this, and with it being MSI's first attempt into the desktop microphone, I can certainly commend them for their efforts.

However, due to a lack of software features that have become the standard on desktop microphones intended for streaming use, I can't help but bring up the Elgato WAVE 3. For $30 more ($159.99 MSRP), buyers will get a microphone that takes full advantage of the WAVE Link software that allows streamers to customize their audio channels and integrate them straight into their livestream.

Depending on what type of streamer/content creator you are, and if audio customization is an important factor or not will determine if that extra $30 is worth spending. As for the Immerse GV60, I applaud MSI for its creation and believe that the GV60 is a great starting point that R&D teams can expand upon.

I would love to see software support that provides streamers with that extra level of customization, as well as a re-design of the front knobs into something much easier and pleasurable to use.