JBL CSUM 10 compact microphone review: Clarity and affordability

The JBL CSUM 10 is easy to use. In fact, as easy as things can be. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/Indian Express)

JBL CSUM 10 is a very company microphone. No, it’s no lapel mic, but is about half the size of the Yeti. It has a stable, heavy, base that keeps it in place on the table and does not move around easily. The microphone’s direction can be adjusted to be towards you when recording a podcast or aimed at giving both sides equal weightage when you are doing an in-person interview for instance.

There are two ports at the back. One is the USB port for your laptop — since I use a MacBook, I had to use a converter to connect to the USB-C port. There is also a 3.5mm jack to connect to your earphone and monitor the sound quality. This comes with its own volume control too. There is also a mute switch, which is handy.

The JBL CSUM 10 is easy to use. In fact, as easy as things can be. It is plug and plays in every sense and at the most, you will need to go to setting and select this one as your microphone. Since we use Zencaster to record podcasts, you can see as you log in which device has been recognised as the microphone.

Interestingly, the microphone also makes a difference when you are speaking in online workshops or just holding a team meeting. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/Indian Express)

The microphone also has two modes — omnidirectional, when it records directly, and cardioid when it has a wider 180-degree listening field. It is best to just adjust these modes and not tinker with the angle of the microphone itself to get the best recording.

While I used wireless headphones, or just the microphone on the MacBook to record podcasts, there would always be a bit of adjustment required to get the audio right. But with the JBL mic, the clearance from my podcast editor was swift and accompanied by a ‘Perfect’. So it does make a noticeable improvement. Maybe you can also hear the difference between podcast episodes from earlier and in the past couple of weeks.

Interestingly, the microphone also makes a difference when you are speaking in online workshops or just holding a team meeting. So I would suggest this for those who are online a lot as speakers at events and webinars.

Priced at Rs 5,799, the JBL CSUM10 is half the price of many other microphones like the Yeti Blue and it not really a pushover in any sense of the term. I think, I might just buy this one for my podcast adventures.