NZXT Capsule Mini review (2023) a mini USB microphone

As far as cheap microphones go, we think it’s safe to say that over the last few years, we have been spoiled by the number of good mics that cost less than $100. It seems like every big microphone maker has been trying to make something affordable. Now, NZXT has taken its best microphone, the Capsule, and made it into a cute mini-microphone so that it can join in on the fun. The Capsule Mini is a USB mic with a small size that makes your voice sound clear and nice for only $70. The good thing about the Capsule Mini is that it sounds just as good as more expensive mics, but it only costs a fraction of what they do.

NZXT Capsule Mini: Description

Since it’s made for people on a tight budget, it makes sense that some features have been taken away to keep costs down. One thing it doesn’t lack, though, is good recording quality. The NZXT keeps up my recent trend of buying cheap microphones that sound great. we like that the NZXT Capsule Mini has the same black-and-white color scheme as the NZXT Capsule. Since it doesn’t have RGB, it’s a nice way to give it a personality, and it looks really cool on camera.

The Mini keeps things simple with a single volume knob on the front that also acts as a mute button when you press it, a 3.5mm jack on the bottom, and a USB-Type C port on the top. It’s mostly a plug-and-play solution, so if you want to change mic settings like gain or mix, you have to use third-party software or its own NZXT Cam software. The Cam software is pretty basic, and if you want more control over your sound profile, you’re better off using something like OBS or XSplit.

Below, you can hear how the Capsule Mini compares to my three favorite microphones that cost less than $70: the HyperX Solocast, the Razer Seiren Mini, and the Audio Technica AT2020+. The sound is clear and crisp, and the mid-range vocals are good enough to use for podcasting or as a microphone for video calls.

NZXT Capsule Mini: Pros and Cons

Specification Table

Design and Features

Most NZXT products look like the NZXT Capsule Mini. That’s a compliment, since the company has nailed its design language and makes some of the best-looking motherboards, coolers, monitors, and PC cases out there. The Capsule Mini is no different; it comes in black and white matte colors. We looked at the white one, but the other color looks just as good, especially if you want to look like a quiet recording studio.

Since it’s a cheap microphone, the device itself doesn’t have many buttons or controls. In the front, there is a volume knob with an LED status light and a mute button built into the same knob. Aside from the USB-C port on the bottom, that’s it. If you want to use it on a boom arm, the location of the USB port is great because you won’t have to wrap the cable around the microphone before sending it to the arm.

It’s a plug-and-play microphone, so you won’t have to change any settings to get it to sound good. For live output, there is a single 3.5mm headphone jack, and NZXT’s CAM software will detect the microphone and let you change a few settings. If you don’t like CAM, don’t worry. Other software should work just fine. Given how small the microphone is, we would have liked NZXT to include a small bag for it to make it easier to take on the road.

NZXT Capsule Mini: Software

NZXT set out to solve the problem of how hard it is to learn how to use audio software and to make mistakes less likely. Even though you don’t need software to use the Capsule, don’t think for a second that this makes pilot error less likely. Here’s the proof: we can’t see where the gain is set in any software. Since the buttons don’t show how far they’ve been turned, we can only find out by asking the person on the other end or by plugging headphones into the mic and listening to how loud.

When you use different software, you’ll need to change the gain level. Many microphones, like the Razer Seiren Emote, come with software that lets you see gain and volume. You have a lot more control over gain and volume with XLR microphones that have interfaces like Focusrite.

NZXT doesn’t come with any software, so any adjustments we need to make are done with the gain button on the mic and the Device Properties in the Windows 10 audio settings. This is how we found my sweet spot, if you will. we turned the mic down to 54 percent and turned the gain dial clockwise to get my voice to have more details. It’s perfect.

NZXT Capsule Mini: Sound Quality

the way the Capsule Mini sounds to the sound of the bigger microphone. we like how it sounds in the middle. It sounds more like a lightly tuned, compressed radio broadcast to me, and the larger Capsule sounded harsher on the high end. Watch the video to hear how the Capsule and Capsule Mini are different from the SoloCast.

Another thing to think about with condenser mics that sit on a desk is that the mic stand will always pick up impact noise. This was a big problem with the SoloCast, but a boom arm can usually fix the problem.This is my favorite small condenser microphone. It is a tie between the NZXT Capsule, the Capsule Mini, and the HyperX Solocast. The SoloCast picked up the most noise, the Capsule Mini was next, and the larger Capsule was best at blocking out desk noise.

All of that changes, though, when you add a boom arm. The Boom Arm and mini boom arms from NZXT work well for this, but you can also find options on Amazon. We made a whole video about how a boom arm, shock mount, and pop filter can make the SoloCast sound better. When the items were on sale, that package cost about $75, but when the list prices were used, it cost about $112. At $70 for the Capsule Mini and $70 for the Mini Boom arm, the two together will cost $140. The NZXT Boom arm is $100 and the Capsule costs $130.

Pricing and Availability

The NZXT Capsule Mini costs $60 and is available right now from NZXT as well as from Amazon, Best Buy, and other retailers. Don’t let the low price make you think that it’s not worth looking into if you want to record audio that sounds clear and crisp. In fact, you couldn’t tell the difference between the NZXT Capsule Mini and other, more expensive microphones, which is a good thing.

Final words

The NZXT Capsule Mini is a good gaming microphone for a small size. You can record good sound in a small package that doesn’t take up much space on your desk. It’s not the only USB mic that can do the same thing, though. At $70, it’s hard to recommend the NZXT Capsule Mini over the many other mini USB gaming microphones already on the market, like our current budget pick, the Fifine K669B, and the Razer Seiren Mini.

FAQs