Original FIFINE AM8 review

Original FIFINE AM8 review

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Why this old review still matters: This is where the AM8 started becoming one of Brandon's recurring budget recommendations.

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The original question

Can a microphone around the $50–$60 range get close enough to expensive creator microphones that a beginner should save the money?

The AM8 was tested over both USB and XLR, then compared against several familiar reference microphones.

What Brandon liked

• Very strong sound for the price.
• USB and XLR in one microphone.
• RGB.
• Touch mute.
• Straightforward controls.
• Easy path from beginner USB setup to a future interface.

AM8 vs K688

In this original test, Brandon still slightly preferred the K688's raw sound and isolation.

That did not make the AM8 a bad choice—the larger point was that both budget FIFINE microphones sounded far closer to expensive gear than their prices suggested.

Against the SM7B

The SM7B remains a much more flexible professional microphone, but it also requires a more expensive supporting setup.

For a creator simply trying to sound good on stream or YouTube, this review was an early example of why Brandon stopped telling beginners they needed premium microphones.

This verdict aged well

Later Darkened Cyrus videos continued to recommend the AM8, including: