Overall and Final Verdict
So in my testing, there were a few things I was considering. Is the ModMic 5 as good as the previous models? Is it a good option for someone who wants a gaming headset but with proper audiophile quality headphones and microphone? Also if it is an improvement over the past design, is it worth upgrading to for ModMic 4 owners? Before I answer those questions I think we should run through the pros and cons of the ModMic 5.
For pro’s, like the previous ModMic, the audio performance of the microphone is just top notch. I think it's about as close as you can get to a high-end condenser microphone while being attached to a headset. Even when testing in the uni-direction mode it is on par or slightly better than the best that gaming headsets have to offer and the omni-microphone is even better. That brings me to really the main improvement for the ModMic 5, you now have options. Before you had options but once you picked a microphone with or without a mute, omni or uni you couldn’t switch without buying another ModMic. The new setup gives you an all of the above option. Then of course what made the previous ModMic great was the removability and that you can use it with your preferred headphones or a high-end pair of headphones that are worlds above the average gaming headset.
As for con’s, the issues I had with the previous design are still there. The microphone is still easy to knock off and I wish the mount had smaller movement increments, it is currently at 90 degrees each click and that leaves no room for adjustment. The new design also brought along the downside that the new sleeving is extremely frustrating to install. I do still like that they include it, though.
So about my previous questions… Is it as good as the previous ModMic? Audio performance is unchanged, but they did improve on the design by giving you the option to flip between omni and uni. The new replicable cord gives you better options as well as the sleeving. Is it worth upgrading from the ModMic 4? No way, the improvements are nice but unless you need a second microphone there really isn’t any reason to upgrade.
The last question was - Is it a good option for someone who wants a gaming headset but with proper audiophile quality headphones and microphone? Frankly, for anyone looking to use higher quality audiophile headphones but need a microphone you only have a few options. The ModMic, The BoomMic from V-Moda, or a table top setup. For cost the ModMic 5 comes in the middle, the BoomMic is a cheaper option but it doesn’t work with a lot of configurations where the ModMic is going to work with anything. So yeah, if that is your goal it is a good pickup. This does bring me to the last issue I had with the new design. Packing in those new features did raise the cost. A ModMic 4 can still be had for about $50 where this model has an MSRP of $70. When you combine this with even a cheaper pair of headphones that additional cost makes a big difference. So the ModMic 4 still ends up being the better value, but if you want options in the future a ModMic 5 and something like an Audio Technica AUD ATHAD500X is going to end up costing you about $160 pushing it up in the range of a Sennheiser PC 363D or a Sennheiser GAME ONE. Because of this, I think the ModMic 5 is best for someone who already has the headphones or has a very specific preference. If not check out all of the options and see what works best for you.
Live Pricing: HERE
