While gaming headsets have improved over the years, they still don’t compare to a quality pair of headphones. Especially if you spend a lot of time listening to music on your headset as well. If you go that route you are left without a microphone. You can run a desktop microphone, but if you have background noise, a microphone that is closer to you is still ideal. This is where Antlion Audio’s ModMics have always come in. Not only do they offer an option to use with headphones, but they have also always been focused on the Modmic being a better microphone than what you can get on your typical gaming headset. Well, Antlion Audio is launching two new microphones, their ModMic USB 2 and ModMic Uni 2. Today I’m going to check out both and see how they perform, so let’s dive in.

Product Name: Antlion Audio ModMic 2

Review Samples Provided by: Antlion Audio

Written by: Wes Compton

Amazon Affiliate Links:

Antlion Audio ModMic USB 2

Antlion Audio ModMic Uni 2

Photos and Features

If you have been aware of ModMics for a while now, the naming of these two new microphones might be a surprise. There is a good chance you have seen the ModMic 3/4/5 in the past. I reviewed the ModMic 5 back in 2017 and the ModMic 4.0 before that in 2016. The ModMic 5 was then replaced by the ModMic Uni and the ModMic USB was launched as well. Going back to the version 2 in the name is because they are sticking with their ModMic USB and ModMic Uni product names along with the ModMic Wireless which the Antlion Audio website does say they have a ModMic Wireless 2 in the works but had delays that will push that launch into 2025.

Both of the new microphones have similar packaging and you can see the evolution from the previous models. They have the same peg hanging box design and the color themes match but the artwork has been changed and improved on. Up top you have the Antlion Audio logo then in a bold font the ModMic name with the Uni 2 and USB 2 designations below that in a smaller font. Then they have a drawing below that of a person using the microphone, those drawings are different for each model in blue for the USB 2 model and blue-green for the Uni 2. Those drawings then have a real picture of the ModMic itself showing how you can add it to your headphones. Then down at the bottom, they show the connection type. Around on the back things are similar between the two models as well with a drawing showing the ModMic with text boxes highlighting each feature and a compatibility list down at the bottom.

Both the ModMic USB 2 and Uni 2 come with a hard shell carrying case inside of the box. What was surprising however was that they have different finishes. The USB 2 has a hard shell with a fabric finish and the Uni 2 has a fake leather-like finish. Both have the Antlion brand name molded into the top and a zipper around the middle to keep everything inside. I’ve seen both case finishes over the years used for the ModMics and both get the job done. I was just surprised that they haven’t settled on one or the other by now.

Inside the case for the ModMic USB 2, you get a set of instructions tucked up under the microphone itself. Then on the other side of the case, they have all of the ModMics wire stuffed into the mesh pouch. The top also has two small baggies. One has the new USB Type-A to Type-C connection adapter and the other has the standard ModMic installation kit. That installation kit includes an alcohol wipe, two extra replacement 3M double-sided sticky pads, a second magnetic base, and five S-shaped clips to use to attach the ModMics cable to your headphone cable to keep things clean. The extra mounting base is the big inclusion here for me though, you can keep this around in case you lose your original or you can mount it on a second pair of headphones to swap the ModMic between them. Antlion Audio also sells a similar kit online if you ever need any of these in the future. The USB adapter is a nice inclusion, a lot of devices these days, especially laptops have moved fully to Type-C.

The cable on the ModMic USB 2 is 2 meters long or just over six and a half shoe holders in length. It has a USB Type-A connection on the end and an in-line mute button. The mute button is simple with just a white button with a microphone symbol with a line through it. Pressing it does light up a red light behind it and it will glow to let you know you are muted. Beyond that, the cable doesn’t have any sleeving and has a rubber finish on it. They do include a Velcro strap that comes preinstalled to tie up the wiring when transporting.

As for the ModMic USB 2, visually there aren’t any big changes if you have seen the ModMic design in the past. The cable runs into a solid hook at the end. Then from there the boom itself is thicker and is flexible. The boom has the mounting point on it and that can be loosened and moved wherever on the microphone you need it, including flipping backward depending on if you are trying to flip sides. Down at the end is the microphone capsule which comes with a foam pop filter on it. One of the big changes here is the move to a single microphone capsule. The original USB ModMic had a switch at the end where you could switch between Uni and Omni directional pickups. They have gone with the Unidirectional pickup full time which makes sense, if you are running this type of microphone you are trying to cut out background noise not add it in. Antlion’s goal as listed on their website was to combine the noise cancellation of the uni-directional mode with the quality of the omni-directional mode. The signal-to-noise ratio when compared to the previous Uni-Directional capsule is 70 to 67 and even farther ahead of the Omni-Directional capsule. Beyond that, the stats are similar. They also say that the strain relief durability has been improved.

While the case has a different finish on the outside, inside the case for the ModMic Uni 2 is the same as what we saw on the USB 2. The microphone has space in one half with two straps to hold it in place. Then the cord and accessories are all tucked into the mesh pouch on the other side. You can an installation guide for documentation. Then you get the same small baggie with everything needed to install the ModMic Uni 2. You get an alcohol wipe to clean the surface, extra double-sided pads, a second magnetic mount, and five S-shaped wire clips to clip the ModMic wire to your headphone wire.

The cord for the ModMic Uni 2 is noticeably thinner than on the USB model which isn’t too much of a surprise as it doesn’t have to pass as many wires through it. At the end, it has a 3.5mm jack. This cable is 2 meters long as well and also comes with a Velcro strap. It also has a microphone mute in-line but because this isn’t powered through USB there isn’t a light-up button. You just have a simple switch that will cut the feed when needed. It does make it harder to see if you are muted though. Antlion mentioned the improved strain relief which wasn’t visible on the USB 2 but you can see it on the Uni 2. Compared with the last time I took a look at once, the strain on the plug end here is longer.

The strain relief going into the ModMic Uni 2 is longer as well, even when compared to the USB 2. Beyond that, the design is similar with the same overall shape but there were a few big differences between the two. The ModMic Uni 2 is thinner, and with that at the start where it hooks, it is more compact. The wire is flat whereas on the USB 2, it is round. You have the same adjustable magnetic mount that can be moved anywhere you need it. Then down at the end, the microphone capsule is a little more compact. It has the same improved capsule with an improved signal-to-noise ratio and with that a better noise floor.

Getting the ModMic USB 2 and ModMic Uni 2 next to each other is the best way to be able to see some of the differences between the two. Specifically how the Uni 2 has the thinner flat design that is more compact at the hook where the wire comes in. This also shows the better wire strain reliefs as well which I’m not sure why the USB 2 wouldn’t get the same longer design. Even the microphone capsule design is more compact. I don’t know the internal design, but I would guess that the USB 2 has to have at least some of its analog-to-digital converter inside of that housing. The foam for the pop filters between the two is a little different as well as the mesh on the housing itself.

Performance

For performance testing, there were a few different aspects that I wanted to check out. First off is the setup experience and just overall how it fits on your headphones. Then the other half of things is their performance and for that, I did our standard microphone tests that way anyone can hear how they perform and compare them to other devices.

So in the past, I have used ModMics with my VModa headphones for my LAN PC and I also tested them with the Ultrasone Pro 480i. But for a while now I have been using the Philips Fidelio X3 when I need headphones and I’ve never installed a ModMic on to them. For most headsets that wouldn’t be a problem, but with a fabric finish covering most of the outside I didn’t have any faith that it would stick. Sticking to a perforated screen will work, but not so much with fabric. Thankfully the Fidelio X3 does have a metal ring around the earcup, it’s not the ideal spot to mount it but it will work and the boom on the ModmIc is flexible enough to let me get the microphone into the right location. So all I had to do was put the headphones on and play around with where I wanted it, then clean that spot and stick it on. From there I used the S clips to clip the wire to the headphone wire and we were off to the races.

For audio testing, I recorded audio from both the ModMic USB 2 and the ModMic Uni 2 and put it alongside recordings from past microphone reviews including the past ModMics, gaming headsets, a variety of desktop microphones, and other basic microphones like webcams. The USB 2 was plugged directly in but for the Uni 2, I ran it through the Creative Labs X7 DAC. Both were set to 95% volume and the microphone boost was turned off. On our DAC I also turned background noise removal off as well. Both microphones performed well but I was surprised that I ended up being happier with the performance of the ModMic USB 2. The Uni 2 had a little bit of background noise and turning that option on in the X7 cut the volume down noticeably over the USB 2. The other big thing to note is how the ModMic compares to a lot of the desktop microphones, this is the more direct comparison. People who are buying a gaming headset aren’t going to be adding a microphone into the mix. But users who want a higher quality audiophile-focused experience are getting headphones and then adding a microphone like the ModMic or a desktop microphone. It’s hard for a compact microphone like this to compete with a larger microphone but the ModMics keep up. More importantly, though, they avoid picking up on a lot of the background noise. Desktop microphones that aren’t on a stand are especially bad at picking up any bump into your desk including when you type.

Beyond that, I’ve talked about it in the past but I do wish that the mounting for the modmic could have a little more flexibility. Specifically being able to spin. The current setup can adjust up or down but you get 90-degree increments. One of their older designs had a finer adjustment but didn’t grip as well and could fall off, so I understand the hesitation to make changes given how well this works. But maybe adding the spin into the mount itself could work. As long as you get the mount where you want, it's not a big deal. But if you miss, it is the one area where it can be hard to get perfect. That said the amount of flexibility that the boom has can make up for just about any misalignment.

Overall and Final Verdict

For some people, buying the latest and greatest gaming headset is all they will want or need. But if you have a pair of headphones that you prefer, adding in a microphone can be a little more complicated, and expensive. For some a desktop microphone will work, but for me that only really works when you also add in a quality boom and an isolating mount which alone is more than what one of the ModMics costs for most setups, not to mention the microphone itself. Even then, that setup is going to pick up background noise a lot, getting a microphone up near your face helps though and that is where Antlion Audio and the ModMic line have done well and the new ModMic USB 2 and Uni 2 improve on that. With the ModMic USB 2, they dropped the double microphones to focus on one and improved the audio performance of that one. Beyond that Antlion did say they have improved the strain relief, but I will note that the USB 2 does still visually have smaller reliefs than the UNI 2. The ModMic is also removable for times you don’t need a microphone, if I'm not gaming or on a call, it is nice to be able to just run your headphones. Both models also have an in-line mute, but I do prefer the USB 2’s for having a light built-in.

As far as issues in my testing, I still want to see more room to rotate the microphone without doing it in 90-degree increments. That has been one of my complaints for a while now, but the amount of flexibility in the boom itself makes that less of an issue. I also had a little bit of background noise picked up on the UNI 2 that I didn’t experience with the USB 2. I don’t know if that is from our DAC, the wire, or just how it performs overall. But in the end, I was happier with the ModMic USB 2, but either would still be a good option. For pricing the ModMic USB 2 has an MSRP of 89.95 which is $10 more than the original when it launched. Given how much the pricing for everything else has gone up, that isn’t too bad. The ModMic UNI 2 on the other hand is a lot cheaper with an MSRP of $59.95 which is less than the $69.95 that the ModMic 5 was when it came out. I’m still looking forward to the ModMic Wireless 2 and would especially love to see Antlion Audio get into the desktop microphone market as well because I do think that for some people is still the better option. But if you want to use better headphones and have potential background noise, ModMic is still the way to go and Antlion Audio has improved on both the USB and UNI models with the USB 2 and UNI 2.

Live Pricing:

Antlion Audio ModMic 2 USB

Antlion Audio ModMic 2 Uni

Author Bio

Author: garfi3ldWebsite: http://lanoc.org

Editor-in-chief

You might call him obsessed or just a hardcore geek. Wes's obsession with gaming hardware and gadgets isn't anything new, he could be found taking things apart even as a child. When not poking around in PC's he can be found playing League of Legends, Awesomenauts, or Civilization 5 or watching a wide variety of TV shows and Movies. A car guy at heart, the same things that draw him into tweaking cars apply when building good looking fast computers. If you are interested in writing for Wes here at LanOC you can reach out to him directly using our contact form.