V-Moda BoomPro X

Most of the microphones we test are USB models, with boom mics mostly limited to Bluetooth and wired gaming headsets. A good mic can make a big difference in vocal quality, which is especially important now that many of us are working from home more. To that end, the $44.99 V-Moda BoomPro X lets you add a mic to just about any pair of headphones you own, effectively turning them into a headset. It's essentially a headphone cable with a boom mic built in, designed to work with almost all V-Moda headphones and most other models with a 3.5mm jack. The concept is simple, and the mic sounds good, though it's a little fussier to use than it should be. 

It's a Cable With a Mic

The BoomPro X is a unidirectional cardioid microphone. This means its capsule is focused specifically on the direction it's pointed in, and rejects sound from the opposite direction, and even a bit from the sides. This, combined with the mic being connected to an adjustable arm, should result in very solid intelligibility if positioned correctly.

The mic is attached to a 40-inch, fabric-wrapped cable with an inline control remote. The cable terminates in a 3.5mm connection, and if you need more than 40 inches, an extension cable that can nearly double that length is included. The BoomPro X also ships with a 3.5mm Y-adapter, along with four snap-on plastic covers for the mic's outer panel in blue, gray, red, or white so you can customize the look, though sticking with the included black cover is also an option.

The gooseneck-style boom is exceptionally pliable. It almost looks like an expanse of the cloth-lined cable, but whatever shape you bend it into will hold its position with rigidity. 

The inline remote features a convenient volume slider and a mute switch. We like that it’s a switch rather than a button in theory, as it seems more difficult to accidentally mute (or unmute) yourself. But in practice the switch is problematic, as we’ll discuss in the next section.

V-Moda BoomPro X Performance

The claim that the BoomPro X will work with most headphones is true—we tried it out with a wide variety of headphones and had consistent results, including some frustrating flaws.

First off, the cable microphonics—sounds transmitted through the mic when you touch the cable—are intense. Simply touching the cable or the boom results in a loud noise that will be transmitted through the mic and into your Zoom calls, which certainly isn't ideal.

The mic also lacks a gain control, which means placement is everything. If you actually line the capsule up with your mouth and place it somewhat close, it will deliver a distorted mess. For my tests, the best placement was just below my mouth, as close to my chin as possible. Here, there were no plosives popping into the capsules, and the signal was clear and clean. This is also how you’ll get the best rejection of room sound. Some users might wish to have the capsule a little farther away, but the farther you get from your face, the more room sound you’ll let in. Everyone’s voice is different, but starting below the mouth, close to the chin, is a good way to find the best mic placement for your voice.

What’s great about the boom—its flexibility—is also what some users might not like. Despite its rigidity, it’s easy to accidentally knock out of place. Not only is it loud when you touch the boom by accident or on purpose, but readjusting it to get the right mic signal will also be loud. So the best practice is to keep your hands away from your face when you use it—the model in the above photo is playing a dangerous game.

The Mute switch works, but is also noticeably, even uncomfortably loud through the mic, so there is no stealth way of muting your mic via the inline compartment. It's better to use the mute function in Zoom or whatever app you're using for meetings, if possible.

While it requires some finesse to get all of these things just right, the microphone is capable of delivery excellent vocal quality. It will deliver a noticeable gain in quality over any built-in mic you're currently using, and result in clearer calls and meetings.

Better Vocals for Calls and Meetings

When used properly, the V-Moda BoomPro X is an excellent mic with a clear signal that will be an improvement over most built-in headphone or laptop mics. V-Moda could have done a better job in regards to cable microphonics, though, and the lack of a gain knob means mic placement and user behavior while the mic is in use are crucial to it sounding good. So while we give the mic itself high marks, the pieces around it keep it from being a real home run. We look forward to a version 2.0 that hopefully addresses these issues.