I think this $26 Amazon Basics USB desktop microphone should make more expensive models a little ner

Returning home one evening after a night of revelry, I discovered a mysterious Amazon box on my doorstep I had [[link]] no memory of ordering. No, it wasn't the whiskey playing tricks on me, it was instead another gift from my mischievous editor-in-chief. This time he's sent me a $26 to review. Goody.

Actually, I shouldn't be so quick to judge. Pulling the mic from its default cardboard packaging reveals a surprisingly weighty little chassis, and that's a promising start.

I've had the privilege of working with some roadworthy audio equipment over the years, and the little Amazon Basics mic has the same sort of heft I'd usually associate with something gig-proof, like a or SM57. It's just in miniature, so you can easily integrate it into your desk setup.

The Basics mic also comes with an adorable little stand, which, for reasons I can't quite fathom, tilts from the bottom of the pole, not the top. I have no idea why the little mic loves a Dutch angle so, but it makes me giggle slightly every time I see it cocked to one side. A slightly bizarre design choice, perhaps, but I suppose a tilt is a tilt—and it's completely stable at a full drunken lean, regardless.

You also get a USB Type-A to Type-C [[link]] cable, a brief quickstart leaflet and, err, nothing else. This is an Amazon Basics product after all, and realistically, this is about right for even some fairly high end desktop mics. A stand, a microphone to put on the stand, a cable to connect said microphone to your PC. All as it should be.

The mic itself actually has a couple of hidden features worth shouting about, though. Firstly, it's got an internal shockmount, which should help with table bumps and unwanted reverberation. And secondly, it has a tap to mute function, activated by… well, pressing a mute button on the front. I'm not sure that counts as [[link]] a "tap", but that's how Amazon describes it, at least.

That's actually a feature our current favourite budget gaming mic, the , lacks. Score one for the little Amazon cheapo-beepo unit then. Good stuff. The Basics unit records at up to a 48 kHz 16 bit sample rate, and has a frequency response of 50 Hz - 20,000 Hz. These are completely acceptable specs for any mic, and combine to create an audio quality that I'd say is surprisingly good.

Again, I'd like to remind you this is a $26 mic. Sure, it doesn't provide the shiny, golden clarity and richness you'd associate with some of . But I'm going to call it here: it sounds downright good. Not just for the cash, but in general. I've tested many, many budget microphones over the years, and this one stands tall over anything I can think of for under $50.

, it feels like ultra-budget audio gear needed something of a win, and the Amazon Basics USB condenser microphone has achieved just that. It's weeny, it's well-built, it sounds good, and it costs you around half the price of a modern AAA game. That'll do nicely!