FIFINE TAM8 review: an affordable microphone for streamers and YouTubers

More and more Ukrainians are daring to launch their own YouTube channels, stream, record podcasts, voice over various projects, etc. For all these tasks, you need a good microphone, and not for all the money in the world. As an option, we suggest considering the popular FIFINE TAM8 model. The microphone stands out for its stylish design, moderate price tag, high-quality voice recording, and advanced features. Are there any disadvantages in all this? There are definitely some, so read the review below to make your final purchase decision.

FIFINE TAM8

Pluses:

stylish modern design; extended scope of delivery; good voice recording quality; can be connected via USB or XLR; RGB backlight; touch and physical controls

Minuses:

voice recording lacks upper and middle frequencies; mediocre quality of materials

8.4/10

Rating ITC.ua

Technical characteristics of FIFINE TAM8

Packaging and equipment

FIFINE TAM8 is delivered in a large bright box.

Inside we can see the microphone itself, a round stand for placing the microphone on a table, a screw adapter from 5/8» to 3/8», a pantograph stand, a user manual, a hexagonal screwdriver, and a USB-C cable.

Design and ergonomics of the FIFINE TAM8

FIFINE TAM8 has a rectangular design with rounded corners. The body of the microphone is plastic, and the place under which the capsule is hidden is metal.

Additionally, there is a foam pop filter on the capsule. The microphone mount to the stand or pantograph is also made of metal.

On the front of the FIFINE TAM8 there is a touch button that changes the RGB backlight. Below, we see two plastic knobs: the top one is responsible for the microphone volume, and the bottom one allows you to control the volume of your voice in the headphones.

On the back, there is a touch button that turns the microphone on/off.

The bottom has a USB-C port for connecting the microphone to a PC, laptop, smartphone, or other device. Next to it, we see an XLR input and a 3.5 mm headphone jack.

FIFINE TAM8 also has a round metal stand that allows you to place the microphone on a table or any other flat surface. There is a silicone gasket on the bottom of the stand that prevents the entire structure from sliding on the table.

We also have a metal pantograph made of aluminum with holes for wires and a reliable solid mount.

Features and capabilities

FIFINE TAM8 is actually two devices in one. First, it is a FIFINE AM8 microphone and a FIFINE BM88 pantograph. Since the microphone itself FIFINE AM8 The original FIFINE AM8 had only a round stand, so we added a pantograph to it and called it FIFINE TAM8. This means that all the features and capabilities I describe for the FIFINE TAM8 also apply to the FIFINE AM8 because they are basically the same thing.

The FIFINE TAM8 is a dynamic microphone that can be connected both via USB-C and XLR. The first option allows you to connect the microphone to a smartphone or tablet, game console, laptop, or PC. The second option allows you to connect the microphone to any existing audio interface (sound card or mixer) to improve the sound.

Don’t forget about the aforementioned touch-sensitive control buttons and a pair of physical jog dials, which additionally allow you to control your voice during recording and its volume in the headphones.

The model does not have an app, and there is no need to install drivers before using it. Just plug it into the desired device and you’re done.

The microphone has RGB backlighting on the body, which is controlled by a touch button on the same. When you press it, the backlight color and its modes (three) change. Please note that there is no backlight when connected via XLR. Therefore, if you want to record voice through the audio interface and you also need RGB backlighting in the frame, you will have to connect an additional USB-C cable.

FIFINE TAM8 sound

The FIFINE TAM8 is a dynamic microphone with a cardioid pattern. This means that it is sensitive enough to pick up sound only in front of you. This means that it is a great solution for anyone who does not have a professionally equipped recording room. The microphone picks up only your voice and does not pick up street sounds, voices in another room, echoes, the TV nearby, etc. Of course, if all this is too loud, some sounds will still be recorded, but it will be much less than with a condenser microphone.

The FIFINE TAM8 is recommended for vocal recording, voice-over, podcasts, streams, YouTube channels, interviews, and ASMR.

The quality of voice recording is at a high level, especially for the price tag and the package. I did not have enough highs and mids, but all this can be adjusted later. The main thing is that even with these shortcomings, the sound of FIFINE TAM8 is of high quality. This allows you to literally take the microphone out of the box, connect it to a PC, and start recording your voice. And if you also tinker with the program, add filters, compression, etc., it will be great.

Also, the quality of the recording will be significantly affected by connecting to a good audio interface via an XLR cable. And here it all depends on the model and your skills. That is, the sound can be improved only slightly or improved several times.

For an example of the quality of voice recording on FIFINE TAM8, I recorded the video below.

Experience of using FIFINE TAM8

I really liked the FIFINE TAM8. It’s cool that the manufacturer has taken its popular product, added another to it, and put it on sale. From the user’s point of view, this is useful because the standard microphone package has been significantly expanded, which means that it has become much more convenient to use. And changing the name doesn’t matter at all.

FIFINE TAM8 pleases with its price tag, and most importantly — with the quality of the voice it can record. Yes, it’s not perfect, but it’s definitely very powerful and simple. Out of the box, we get not only a multifunctional set, but also ease of connection, and high-quality recording without any effort. And if you do a little bit of processing or connecting to an audio interface, you get a significantly improved quality.

I would also like to mention the stylish design of the microphone. It looks cool even in black, and in white it looks like something space-futuristic. I also liked the ease of use of the touch buttons on the case.

However, it’s plastic and looks like a budget device in real life. Up close, you can see that the microphone is accessible, but all this does not affect its photogenic appearance in photos or videos. However, you should know about it.

The same goes for the pantograph. It is metal and quite reliable, but the paint is not perfect, and in some places it will peel off if you move the pantograph frequently, change its position, etc. All this is also not noticeable in the photos and videos, but it is a fact. Probably, this is normal for the price tag of the model because for the money we have a stylish design, a good set and high-quality voice recording. Of course, to realize all this, we had to save money somewhere, and we did it on materials. In my opinion, the decision is correct.

Also, the pantograph and microphone are very visible to dust and traces of use, and the foam pop filter is literally covered with anything that can get on it. As a result, this part of the microphone is always very dirty, so I often cleaned it with the back of a sticky note before using it. This takes less than a minute, but you still need to know about it.

Price and competitors

FIFINE TAM8 is sold at a price of 4599 UAH. In my opinion, this is a very pleasant and adequate price for the available features of the microphone and its configuration. There are plenty of competitors, but some of them are of the same FIFINE brand. Not all microphones among the competitors are dynamic, there are also condenser models, but FIFINE TAM8 has the most serious set of microphones.

Pay attention to FIFINE K688. There are also FIFINE AmpliGame A9, and Sennheiser Epos B20. Popular models in this segment, even pop ones, are JBL Quantum Stream and HyperX QuadCast. And let’s not forget about the classics in the form of Blue Microphones Yeti. It has its disadvantages, but it also has plenty of advantages.

8.4/10

Rating ITC.ua

Design, ergonomics

9

The microphone has a modern, bright design, and it looks fantastic in white.

Assembly quality, materials

7

The savings were made on materials, so they are of mediocre quality.

Features

8.5

There are many functions, they are different and easy to use.

Price

9

The microphone has a great quality/price/features ratio.

Sound quality

8

For the money, the microphone has excellent voice recording quality, but an 8 for the lack of mids and highs.

Options

9

The model has a large, extensive package that deserves a good rating.