The Bottom Line
Pros
- Impressive sound quality for the price
- Plug-and-play
- Portable and lightweight
- Pack-in pop filter for a richer sound
- Intuitive onboard controls for gain and mute
Cons
- Plastic build does feel a little cheap
- No software means all customization is beholden to third-party apps
- The small height makes it sit a little low on some surfaces
Should you buy it?
AvoidConsiderShortlistBuyIntroduction & Specification Details and Close-up
When it comes to audio products, the price generally indicates the quality you can expect. Typically, you will need to look at expensive professional gear for audiophile-grade or studio-grade sound. Things get much more interesting on the budget or more affordable side of the spectrum, which is where the ENDORFY Solum Voice S resides. Budget audio can still deliver great sound, which is always worth considering. The Solum Voice S is a $60 USB microphone that aims to give budding streamers a way to level up their audio without breaking the bank.
ENDORFY is a brand that creates a wide range of hardware, from keyboards to headsets to cooling, chairs, cases, and power supplies. Regarding its microphones, the company has a wide range of products aimed at creators and streamers, including the RGB-friendly AXIS Streaming microphone and the pro-streamer-grade Solum Broadcast. The ENDORFY Solum Voice S is the company's most affordable microphone to date, and the good news is that the out-of-the-box recording quality is excellent for a budget microphone.
It's also entirely plug-and-play in that no official software or driver installation is required before you're ready to record. This level of simplicity is easy to admire, and the plug-and-play approach extends to the fact that it arrives already pre-installed on a stand with a pop filter. Now, as a budget or affordable mic, there are some concessions that go beyond not including any sort of official software for customization - a few notable ones at that. Let's dig in.
Specifications & Close Up
- Product Type:Microphone
- Model: ENDORFY Solum Voice S
- Microphone Type: Condenser
- Polar Patterns: Cardioid
- Interface: USB Type-C
- Frequency Response: 30 - 18,000 Hz
- Sample Rate/Resolution: Up to 24-bit, 96 kHz
- Dimensions: 170mm height (with stand), 74mm width
- Weights: 231 grams
- In the Box: Solum Voice S, USB-C cable, Pop Filter, User and safety manual
Kosta's Test System Specifications
- Motherboard: ASUS ROG CROSSHAIR X670E HERO
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7950X
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition
- Display: MSI MAG 321UPX QD-OLED 4K 240 Hz
- Cooler: ASUS ROG RYUO III 360 ARGB
- RAM: 64GB (4x16GB) Corsair DOMINATOR TITANIUM RGB DDR5 DRAM 6000MT/s
- SSD: Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus-G M.2 PCIe Gen 4 SSD 4TB, Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus Plus M.2 PCIe Gen 4 SSD 8TB
- Power Supply: ASUS TUF Gaming 1000W Gold
- Case: Corsair 5000D AIRFLOW Tempered Glass Mid-Tower ATX PC Case
- OS: Microsoft Windows 11 Pro 64-bit
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* Prices last scanned on 12/7/2024 at 6:06 am CST - prices may not be accurate, click links above for the latest price. We may earn an affiliate commission from any sales.
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Design & Software
Design
The ENDORFY Solum Voice S is compact, even by USB microphone standards. With the stand, it measures just 170mm and weighs 231 grams. As an affordable or budget microphone, the body and stand are plastic, which is disappointing but not unexpected. The good news is that the microphone can be unscrewed from the base of the stand and connected to a microphone arm relatively easily. With the limited height, hitting that 15-20cm sweet spot between the microphone and your mouth might require some bending down, depending on the surface it's placed on.
In terms of physical controls, all you have is two, the big gain knob on the front and a touch-to-mute button on the top of the microphone. In addition, you've got the headphone jack and the USB-C port on the rear for connectivity and power. The only thing missing is a dedicated volume dial for the headphones, so you must rely on your PC for those adjustments.
The ENDORFY Solum Voice S does ship with a pop filter, which is very welcome. This can help reduce unwanted sounds from your voice, like an overly sharp-sounding "S" or a plosive "P," without software post-processing. Pop filters are not standard for microphones, especially compact USB ones, so it's nice to see one included here - even if it does make the Solum Voice S look like one of those guards standing out in front of Buckingham Palace.
Lastly, ENDORFY has added RGB to the Solum Voice S's gain dial. You can change the color by pressing it like a button or turn it off entirely by holding it down for a few seconds.
With the physical design out of the way, the Solum Voice S is a condenser microphone with a directional Cardioid pick-up pattern. With the USB cable connected, you've only got around 45 degrees of vertical tilt, but that was more than enough for our testing - which included trying the Solum Voice S in various locations and setups thanks to its lightweight build and portability.
Software and Support
The ENDORFY Solum Voice S doesn't ship with any official software, so you're ready to go once you plug it in. In Windows 11, the Solum Voice S immediately appears as a microphone option, and the headphone jack also appears as a speaker. In applications like Discord, Zoom, Teams, or OBS, you've got immediate access to the Solum Voice S. The good news is that most applications have audio controls; for example, in Discord, you can adjust the input and output volume for the microphone, and headphones - with additional input sensitivity controls.
In the popular streaming application OBS, you can also adjust and add microphone monitoring, which is excellent for understanding your overall volume and how you sound in the recording or stream. And if you've got a GeForce RTX graphics card, the Solum Voice S broadcast works well with RTX Broadcast and its impressive AI-powered noise cancellation tools. The only thing missing in most apps is a dedicated EQ for the microphone, so you'll need to find one with these features if you want to make any meaningful adjustments to the balance.
Performance & Recording Quality
Performance
Although it's lightweight and has a plastic build, the ENDORFY Solum Voice S's out-of-the-box sound quality is decent. The sound is full and detailed when placed in quiet rooms or environments. Even with full gain, there's no distortion; however, it will pick up some background audio like PC or laptop fans. This can be alleviated with software-based noise cancellation like RTX Broadcast, which is versatile and powerful enough to block out the sound of something as loud as a lawnmower.
Speaking of versatility, the portable Solum Voice S feels at home when connected to a laptop and is light enough that you can take it with you for a more professional sound when you're on the go. One notable downside to the lightweight all-in-one microphone on a stand design is that it does pick up vibrations, even though the stand has a dampening foam layer on its underside.
Recording Quality
USB microphones have made great strides toward being comparable to a dedicated XLR microphone and audio interface. Above, you can hear the ENDORFY Solum Voice S's default out-of-the-box sound.
Final Thoughts
As a budget microphone for under $60, the ENDORFY Solum Voice S can immediately level up your streams, recordings, or video content compared to a headset. That's immediate in the literal sense, as the Solum Voice S is a pure plug-and-play USB mic that doesn't feature any dedicated software or downloaded drivers to work. This simplicity and the lightweight, portable build make it an option for entry-level streamers or those wanting a great-sounding microphone to take on the go for meetings or other voice-related tasks.
However, creators looking for a more professional setup might want to consider a more expensive option than the ENDORFY Solum Voice S. For $20 or so more, you can get something with a sturdier metallic build, better shock and vibration absorption, and dedicated software, so you can fine-tune how you sound. That said, the Solum Voice S is a budget microphone that delivers the most essential thing for a microphone - sound quality.