Maono PD300X Dynamic Microphone Review

Last month I had reviewed Maono’s Wave T5 Wireless Microphone and today, we will be taking a look at Maono PD300X which is primariliy meant for Podcasting and Streaming. It is a dynamic microphone and offers both USB and XLR connectivity and has a Cardioid polar pattern.

Unlike omnidirectional microphones that pick up the sound from all directions, Cardioid microphones primarily capture it from the front while minimizing the sound from the sides and the back. Hence, it makes it ideal to record sound from a single source while minimizing background noise. Thus, it is a great choice for Podcasting, Streaming, and recording vocals in a noisy environment.

However, it might not be an ideal choice if you also wish to capture ambient sounds or sounds from multiple sources.

In this review, we will be taking a look at its specification, setup process, and do a testing for the sound quality and noise reduction feature.

Specification

Here’s the list of specification for Maono PD300X.

Feature	Details
Model	PD300X
Connector Type	USB-A, USB Type-C, XLR
Microphone Type	Dynamic
Polar Pattern	Cardioid
Frequency Response	40 Hz – 16 KHz
Bit Depth	24-bit
Sample Rate	192 KHz
Adjustable Gain Range	0 to +42 dB
Monitoring	Yes, 3.5mm Headphone Jack
Sensitivity	XLR: -52dBV ans USB: -10.5dBFS/Pa (Max)

There are 4 variants of this microphone:

1. PD300X (Only Mic)
2. PD300XS (With BA37 Boom Arm)
3. PD300XT (With Desktop Stand)
4. PD300XS (With BA92 Boom Arm)

We will be reviewing the PD300XS with BA37 Boom Arm.

Unboxing

The microphone and the BA37 Boom Arm came in two separate boxes. Here’s what the box of the microphone looks like:

Here are the contents after opening up the BA37 Boom Arm Box. The build quality is decent.

I have attached the microphone with the boom arm and here’s what the entire setup looks like:

You also get the following items along with the PD300X:

So here’s the complete list of box contents:

• PD300X Microphone
• BA37 Boom Arm (only in case of PD300XS variant)
• Shock Mount
• USB-A/USB-C to USB-C Cable
• 5/8″ to 3/8″ Thread Adapter
• User Manual

The shock mount came attached to the Microphone. The USB cable is a 2-in-1 cable. On one end, you’ll get a USB-C connector while on the other, you get both USB-A and USB-C connectors. This is quite useful as it lets you connect both Desktops and Smartphones with the microphone. However, for older iPhones, you would require a Lightning to USB-A / USB-C adapter.

How to Setup

Setting up the microphone is quite straightforward.

Setting up on Phone

To use the PD300X with a smartphone:

1. Connect the microphone to your phone using the USB-C port if your phone has one. Otherwise, you can use an appropriate OTG adapter (not included). You can use the USB-A to (USB-C or Lightning) adapter for that purpose
2. Most modern Android and iOS devices will automatically recognize the microphone as an external audio input.
3. Open your preferred recording application to begin capturing audio.

Setting up on PC

• Connect the microphone to a USB port using the provided cable.
• Both Windows and macOS will detect the device automatically and I have tested the microphone with both OS
• For XLR connectivity, connect the microphone to an audio interface or mixer to achieve studio-quality sound.
• Configure your recording software to utilize the PD300X as the primary audio input device
• You can download the Maono Link Software to access more features such as Noise Reducation, EQ, adjust Headphone Gain, adjust Headphone Monitoring and more.

Review

Setup and Ease of Use

The PD300X excels in user-friendliness. Its plug-and-play USB functionality caters to beginners, while the XLR output appeals to professionals seeking higher audio fidelity. The provided BA37 boom arm is stable; however, if you require a Low Profile Boom Arm, you should instead go for Maono’s BA92 Boom Arm which also looks more elegant.

At the bottom of the microphone, you’ll find a USB-C Port that you can use to connect with the recording device. The XLR port is right beside it and so is the 3.5mm Headphone Jack for Monitoring.

At the front, you’ll find the 3-in-1 Smart Knob and Customizable mute button. The Smart Knob can be used to adjust the mic gain, headphone volume, and monitoring. But it can take a while to get used to the same. To understand the same, you should check out the Button Functions section of the Manual.

Maono Link App

The Maono Link app provides users with the ability to adjust gain, equalization, and noise reduction, and a lot more. Here’s what the interface looks like:

It also allows you to select different scene modes such as Podcasting, Recording and Gaming. You can also adjust the Equalizer.

Overall, the Maono Link App is very feature packed and it significantly enhances the user experience of using this mircophone. While Maono Link Software is available for both Mac and Windows for many of the Maono Microphones, it is currently only supported on Windows for PD300X. I’m not sure when (or if) Maono will add support for Mac.

It also support the Maono Arena software which is a mixing software and you might find useful if you do game streaming.

Audio Quality

The PD300X delivers warm and clear vocal reproduction, thanks to its cardioid polar pattern that effectively isolates the voice and minimizes ambient noise. The dynamic capsule ensures crisp speech, making it suitable for streaming and podcasting. For professional recording scenarios, pairing the XLR output with a high-quality preamp or audio interface is advisable to maximize audio performance.

It is the perfect companion for podcasting and streaming. With a Sample rate of 192kHz and a Bit-depth of 24-bit, you get a very high quality audio and thus making it ideal for even high-quality music production.

Connectivity and Compatibility

Offering both USB and XLR connectivity, the PD300X adapts to a wide range of recording environments. The USB connection is ideal for plug-and-play scenarios, while the XLR output caters to setups requiring higher audio quality. The included cable is a 2-in-1 cable with both USB-A and USB-C connectors, and thus it removes any requirement of the adapters (unless you’re running an old iOS device with Lightning port or an old Android Device with microUSB port).

The microphone is compatible with Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS platforms. However, the Maono Link software for PD300X is currently not available for macOS. But you can still use it with macOS just as well but you will have to rely on microphone’s 3-in-1 know for adjusting the gain and headphone monitoring.

Noise Reduction

A notable feature of the PD300X is its built-in 5-layer noise reduction capability, which effectively diminishes background hums and static. 4 of these layers are in the Hardware itself while the last layer can be controlled using the Maono Link Software. You can understand the same better with the help of this image:

The noise reduction worked quite well in our testing as you see in the voice samples in the next section.

Voice Samples

Here’s the PD300X Voice Samples and testing of Noise Reduction.

PD300X Voice Sample

PD300X Voice Sample with background noise

In this recording, the noise levels were higher than what you can hear even with Noise Reduction Disabled. The cardioid polar pattern helps get rid of a lot of noise.

Now, let’s take a look at how much noise we can further reduce using the software features.

PD300X Voice Sample with Noise Gate set to -75 dB

PD300X Voice Sample with Noise Gate set to -50 dB

PD300X Voice Sample with Noise Gate set to -30 dB

PD300X Voice Sample with Noise Gate set to 0

Final Thoughts

The Maono PD300X stands as a commendable choice for content creation, podcasting, and streaming, It is an excellent choice for those seeking a balance between convenience, quality, and adaptability.

Its dual connectivity options accommodate both novices and seasoned professionals, and features like built-in noise reduction and software-based customization add significant value. Its overall performance and affordability make it a worthy investment for those aiming to elevate their audio production.

You can buy the Maono PD300X from Maono’s official website or through Amazon.