{"id":491008,"date":"2022-09-07T16:00:58","date_gmt":"2022-09-07T13:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/the-hype-is-questionable-review-geek\/"},"modified":"2022-09-07T16:00:58","modified_gmt":"2022-09-07T13:00:58","slug":"the-hype-is-questionable-review-geek","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-hype-is-questionable-review-geek\/","title":{"rendered":"#The Hype Is Questionable \u2013 Review Geek"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a25780ab2c95\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a25780ab2c95\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-hype-is-questionable-review-geek\/#%E2%80%9CThe_Hype_Is_Questionable_%E2%80%93_Review_Geek%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;The Hype Is Questionable \u2013 Review Geek&#8221;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-hype-is-questionable-review-geek\/#Heres_What_We_Like\" >Here&#8217;s What We Like<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-hype-is-questionable-review-geek\/#And_What_We_Dont\" >And What We Don&#8217;t<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-hype-is-questionable-review-geek\/#An_Interesting_Design_to_Say_the_Least\" >An Interesting Design, to Say the Least<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-hype-is-questionable-review-geek\/#Unique_and_Impressive_Sound_Quality\" >Unique and Impressive Sound Quality<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-hype-is-questionable-review-geek\/#A_Note_About_Manufacturer_Defects\" >A Note About Manufacturer Defects<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-hype-is-questionable-review-geek\/#The_Gist_Its_One_of_Many_Great_Options\" >The Gist: It\u2019s One of Many Great Options<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-hype-is-questionable-review-geek\/#Heres_What_We_Like-2\" >Here\u2019s What We Like<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-hype-is-questionable-review-geek\/#And_What_We_Dont-2\" >And What We Don&#8217;t<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CThe_Hype_Is_Questionable_%E2%80%93_Review_Geek%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;The Hype Is Questionable \u2013 Review Geek&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div id=\"article-content-area\">\n<div class=\"single-review-card\">\n<div class=\"review-card-heading\" style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<div class=\"rating\" style=\"width: 30%;\">Rating:<br \/>\n<strong>7\/10<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong class=\"more-info-hover\">?<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong class=\"rating-info\"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>1 &#8211; Absolute Hot Garbage<\/li>\n<li>2 &#8211; Sorta Lukewarm Garbage<\/li>\n<li>3 &#8211; Strongly Flawed Design<\/li>\n<li>4 &#8211; Some Pros, Lots Of Cons<\/li>\n<li>5 &#8211; Acceptably Imperfect<\/li>\n<li>6 &#8211; Good Enough to Buy On Sale<\/li>\n<li>7 &#8211; Great, But Not Best-In-Class<\/li>\n<li>8 &#8211; Fantastic, with Some Footnotes<\/li>\n<li>9 &#8211; Shut Up And Take My Money<\/li>\n<li>10 &#8211; Absolute Design Nirvana<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/strong>\n<\/div>\n<p>Price: <strong>$150<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"type:primaryImage size-full wp-image-128518\" data-pagespeed-no-defer=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2022\/09\/d23ff69f.png?width=1200\" alt=\"The King Bee II in front of some pink curtains.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"type:primaryImage imagecredit\">Andrew Heinzman \/ Review Geek<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Neat Microphones\u2019 affordable King Bee II has garnered a massive following from both amateur and professional audio nerds. But after testing the microphone for a few months, I have complicated feelings. The King Bee II sounds awesome, but its weight and design make it a bad choice for some customers.<\/p>\n<p>Note that the King Bee II is a \u201cstudio microphone\u201d with an XLR input. It requires phantom power, and it doesn\u2019t have a USB port. You can\u2019t connect the King Bee II to your computer without an audio interface.<\/p>\n<div class=\"review-card-body-inline fullwidth\">\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"pros\">\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Heres_What_We_Like\"><\/span>Here&#8217;s What We Like<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Nice audio for the price, very &#8220;flat&#8221; or &#8220;natural&#8221; sounding<\/li>\n<li>Comes with a shock mount and proprietary pop filter<\/li>\n<li>It&#8217;s one of the only XLR condenser mics with a flashy design<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"cons\">\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"And_What_We_Dont\"><\/span>And What We Don&#8217;t<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Ridiculously heavy, requires a high-quality stand or mount<\/li>\n<li>Lacks a built-in high-pass filter<\/li>\n<li>Design doesn&#8217;t seem very durable<\/li>\n<li>Several reports of manufacturer defects<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"reviews-blurb\">Review Geek&#8217;s expert reviewers go hands-on with each product we review. We put every piece of hardware through hours of testing in the real world and run them through benchmarks in our lab. We never accept payment to endorse or review a product and never aggregate other people\u2019s reviews. Read more &gt;&gt;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"An_Interesting_Design_to_Say_the_Least\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_0\">An Interesting Design, to Say the Least<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<div class=\"greybox_callout\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Dimensions<\/strong>:\u00a08.5 inches tall, 3 inches wide<\/li>\n<li><strong>Weight<\/strong>:\u00a02.47 pounds with shock mount<\/li>\n<li><strong>Connectivity<\/strong>: XLR (Phantom Power required)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Accessories<\/strong>: Shock mount and pop filter<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>The King Bee II is one of the only \u201cXLR studio microphones\u201d that looks like a USB mic. And for the most part, I mean that in a good way. Microphones should look exciting, and the King Bee II\u2019s unique design inspires young people to upgrade their gear and record higher-quality audio.<\/p>\n<p>I also appreciate that Neat Microphones created a special shock mount and pop filter just for this microphone. These simple accessories not only increase the King Bee II\u2019s usability but they enhance its design. I didn\u2019t expect this kind of flashiness at such a low price. (However, I have a complaint about the pop filter\u2014more on that when we get to the sound quality.)<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128521\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2022\/09\/db4688fb.png\" alt=\"A side profile of the King Bee II. There's a decent air gap between the removable pop filter and the capsule.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Andrew Heinzman \/ Review Geek<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>But I\u2019m concerned about the King Bee II\u2019s durability. The skinny little neck under the capsule of this mic looks very easy to break\u2014I always feel like I\u2019m going to snap the poor thing when I remove the pop filter. It\u2019s a bad trade-off for a cool design, which is a bit of a shame, as young people seem to be the most interested in this microphone.<\/p>\n<p>And man, the King Bee II is heavy. It weighs\u00a02.47 pounds with the included shock mount, which is nearly three times the weight of <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Audio-Technica-AT2020-Cardioid-Condenser-Microphone\/dp\/B0006H92QK\/?tag=reviewgeekreviews-20\">Audio Technica\u2019s AT2020<\/a>. Cheap mic stands or arms won\u2019t hold this beast. You need a mic stand that\u2019s $100+ if you want to use the King Bee II, and even then, I suggest checking the stand\u2019s specifications to see if it\u2019s up to scuff. (My\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/21090-500-55-Microphone-Adjustable-Telescoping-Professional\/dp\/B000TZVCWG\/?tag=reviewgeekreviews-20\">K&amp;M stands<\/a> worked great. You can also get away with a\u00a0cheap tabletop product like the\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Samson-MD5-Desktop-Microphone-Stand\/dp\/B000MYIIRG\/?tag=reviewgeekreviews-20\">Samson desktop stand<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<p>To me, the heft and design of this microphone are very frustrating. The King Bee II is clearly intended to attract younger customers who may have little to no experience with \u201cstudio quality\u201d XLR recording. A lighter microphone that can survive some abuse would be more appropriate for this crowd.<\/p>\n<p>I don\u2019t think that experienced or responsible users will have any problems with the King Bee II, but still, the weight of this microphone is just obscene.\u00a0At least it sounds good!<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Unique_and_Impressive_Sound_Quality\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_1\">Unique and Impressive Sound Quality<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-128517 size-full\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2022\/09\/9ada5e19.png\" alt=\"The King Bee II without its pop filter.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" data-credittext=\"Andrew Heinzman \/ Review Geek\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The King Bee II without its pop filter. <span class=\"imagecredit\">Andrew Heinzman \/ Review Geek<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"greybox_callout\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Transducer Type<\/strong>: 34mm condenser capsule<\/li>\n<li><strong>Polar Pattern<\/strong>: Cardioid<\/li>\n<li><strong>Frequency Response<\/strong>: 16 Hz to 20 kHz<\/li>\n<li><strong>Connectivity<\/strong>: XLR (Phantom power required)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Self Noise<\/strong>: 6 db<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>The King Bee II is primarily intended for single-source voice or music recording. You can use it for instruments, singing, voiceover work, podcasting, and other applications. In my testing, I found that it\u2019s effective in all of these areas, though I have a few notes.<\/p>\n<p>Sound-wise, the King Bee II has a fairly \u201cneutral\u201d tone. It has a relatively flat frequency response, though there\u2019s a slight boost in the high treble (4 kHz \u2013 10 kHz) to add detail to voices or instruments. Neat Microphones also dampened frequencies below 50Hz\u2014this cuts out some of the sub bass range, which removes some and tightens up the bottom end. (By the way, the included pop filter sucks the life out of this mic. I suggest using a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Professional-Microphone-Stabilizing-Recordings-Broadcasting\/dp\/B01N21H9WY?tag=reviewgeekreviews-20\">traditional pop filter<\/a> if you need one.)<\/p>\n<p>For comparison\u2019s sake, I\u2019ll say that the King Bee II sounds vaguely similar to the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Rode-NT1KIT-Cardioid-Condenser-Microphone\/dp\/B00GGGQK56?tag=reviewgeekreviews-20\">Rode NT1<\/a>.\u00a0Both microphones have a \u201cneutral and flat\u201d sound quality, although the Rode NT1 is a bit brighter and has a lower noise floor. Either way, it\u2019s a flattering comparison\u2014the Rode NT1 is an industry-standard workhorse.<\/p>\n<p>But the \u201cthis is the best mic ever\u201d stuff is a bit overblown. The King Bee II is one of <em>many<\/em> affordable condensers, all of which have a unique frequency response and polar pattern. It will sound amazing with some voices or instruments, but it might sound awful with others. (For example, I think that the King Bee II sounds dull with my speaking voice, but it sounds great with my guitar. This is the kind of thing you encounter with every good microphone!)<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128522\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2022\/09\/a3fd0dd9.png\" alt=\"The King Bee II on a mic stand.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Andrew Heinzman \/ Review Geek<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>And I\u2019m a bit disappointed that the King Bee II doesn\u2019t have a optional high-pass filter. Most condenser mics in this price range have a high-pass switch to carve out some bottom-end detail, which can tighten up voice or instrument recordings. I think that both amateurs and professionals would appreciate such a feature, but to be fair, you can always apply an EQ to this microphone in software.<\/p>\n<p>Anyway, the cardioid pattern of this microphone lends itself to single-source recordings. So, if you try speaking into the back of the King Bee II, it won\u2019t pick up a ton of sound\u2014it\u2019s a perfect design for radio shows, podcasts, or live musical recordings where you really want to focus on a single voice or instrument.<\/p>\n<p>The King Bee II also has a fairly low noise floor. That\u2019s a fancy way of saying that it doesn\u2019t hiss too much, which comes in handy when layering multiple recordings or capturing audio at a low volume.<\/p>\n<p>But like all condensers, the King Bee II can pick up a lot of background noise. If you\u2019re an amateur podcaster or streamer in a noisy environment (or you own a mechanical keyboard), you may need to get a bit creative with your mic placement.\u00a0(Or just buy a dynamic mic, which will be a lot less sensitive to off-axis noise.)<\/p>\n<p>And I need to shoot down a weird rumor. I\u2019ve seen complaints that the King Bee II is sensitive to plosives\u2014you know, \u201cp\u201d sounds. From what I can tell, these complaints are a symptom of user error. Set this mic at a reasonable distance from your face, or aim it diagonally toward your mouth, and you won\u2019t get any plosives, even without a pop filter.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Note_About_Manufacturer_Defects\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_2\">A Note About Manufacturer Defects<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128520\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2022\/09\/c759eb7c.png\" alt=\"Holding the King Bee II without its shockmount.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Andrew Heinzman \/ Review Geek<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Almost every review I\u2019ve written in 2022 has a dedicated section on manufacturer defects, privacy concerns, and other off-putting stuff. I\u2019m not sure if manufacturers are getting lazy or if I\u2019m just unlucky.\u00a0Either way, the King Bee II has a relatively common manufacturer defect.<\/p>\n<p>Several reviewers and customers say that their King Bee II makes an awful humming noise. It\u2019s clear that some of these microphones aren\u2019t properly grounded. You can hear it yourself in reviews by\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/WxdqPbKylAQ?t=225\"><em>Voiceover<\/em> <em>Village<\/em><\/a> and\u00a0<em><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/a65le85jRrU?t=291\">Free Podcast Tools<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The King Bee II that I\u2019m testing doesn\u2019t have this problem. Still, I suggest keeping manufacturer defects in mind when shopping for this mic. You may not want to buy the King Bee II from a stranger on eBay, for example.<\/p>\n<p>If you buy the King Bee II, try checking for ground loop hum before you throw away the box or receipt. Plug it into an interface or active speaker and touch the area beneath the capsule. If there\u2019s a hum when you touch the mic, return it or ask for an exchange.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Gist_Its_One_of_Many_Great_Options\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_3\">The Gist: It\u2019s One of Many Great Options<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-128523\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2022\/09\/519008b8.png\" alt=\"The King Bee II on a mic stand.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Andrew Heinzman \/ Review Geek<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>There\u2019s a lot of hype around this microphone. Some of that hype is justified; the King Bee II sounds awesome and has a unique Rode NT1-like tone. But there are plenty of awesome XLR condenser microphones in the $100 to $200 range, and amateurs may be better off with something different.<\/p>\n<p>The King Bee II\u2019s weight is a genuine problem. If you\u2019re just getting into audio recording, you probably don\u2019t own a high-quality mic stand, arm, or mount. You\u2019ll need one to use the King Bee II, and that\u2019s an extra $100 (unless you buy a cheap <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Samson-MD5-Desktop-Microphone-Stand\/dp\/B000MYIIRG\/?tag=reviewgeekreviews-20\">tabletop stand<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>I know that the King Bee II looks cool, and it\u2019s a unique microphone. But if you\u2019re buying your first or second XLR mic, you should probably get something a bit more mainstream, such as the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Audio-Technica-AT2020-Cardioid-Condenser-Microphone\/dp\/B0006H92QK\/?tag=reviewgeekreviews-20\">Audio Technica AT2020<\/a>, the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Rode-NT1KIT-Cardioid-Condenser-Microphone\/dp\/B00GGGQK56?tag=reviewgeekreviews-20\">Rode NT1<\/a>, or the\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/AKG-High-performance-Dual-capsule-Condenser-Microphone\/dp\/B00167UQMI\/?tag=reviewgeekreviews-20\">AKG P420<\/a> (which has three selectable polar patterns). These mics are more fully-featured than the King Bee II and aren\u2019t as heavy or awkwardly shaped.<\/p>\n<div class=\"single-review-card border\">\n<div class=\"review-card-body\">\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"pros\">\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Heres_What_We_Like-2\"><\/span>Here\u2019s What We Like<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Nice audio for the price, very &#8220;flat&#8221; or &#8220;natural&#8221; sounding<\/li>\n<li>Comes with a shock mount and proprietary pop filter<\/li>\n<li>It&#8217;s one of the only XLR condenser mics with a flashy design<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"cons\">\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"And_What_We_Dont-2\"><\/span>And What We Don&#8217;t<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Ridiculously heavy, requires a high-quality stand or mount<\/li>\n<li>Lacks a built-in high-pass filter<\/li>\n<li>Design doesn&#8217;t seem very durable<\/li>\n<li>Several reports of manufacturer defects<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\nsetTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n  fbq('init', '1137093656460433');\n  fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/126924\/king-bee-ii-microphone-review-the-hype-is-questionable\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;The Hype Is Questionable \u2013 Review Geek&#8221; Rating: 7\/10 ? 1 &#8211; Absolute Hot Garbage 2 &#8211; Sorta Lukewarm Garbage 3 &#8211; Strongly Flawed Design 4 &#8211; Some Pros, Lots Of Cons 5 &#8211; Acceptably Imperfect 6 &#8211; Good Enough to Buy On Sale 7 &#8211; Great, But Not Best-In-Class 8 &#8211; Fantastic, with Some&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":491009,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2022\/09\/d23ff69f.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-491008","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/491008","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=491008"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/491008\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/491009"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=491008"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=491008"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=491008"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}