Maono is not a brand I had heard of previously to reviewing this microphone, so it was a pleasant surprise when opening the mail and seeing the neat yellow and black package; greater still was unpacking. The device was packed superbly, and everything inside the box had its place. The microphone also works straight out of the box with no additional software to install, and the microphone was plugged in and ready to use moments after freeing it from its container. The Mano DGM20 Gamerwave also quickly replaced the Rode microphone I had in place with its simpler-to-use USB-C cable and stand.

As mentioned, the DGM20 is ready to go straight from the box, requiring no complicated setup or software. It was as easy as plugging the device in and getting to work. Selecting the audio icon in the taskbar menu and checking it was the default device was as complicated as it got. The DGM20 is also compatible with PC, MacOS and PS4/5. The device has many of the fancy features of some higher priced products on the market at a reasonable price and has three colour choices consisting of pink, white and black.

The first task was to check the sound quality. I pulled up Audacity and recorded myself, playing with the gain controls on the unit’s base. I soon found the quality of audio I was looking for. Next, I set the device into the noise-cancelling mode with a simple press and hold of one of the three buttons on the top, a green light indicating it was ready. This was all followed by cycling through the colour choices, and there were ten choices to choose from, seven solid colours, two rotation colours and off. I started with the Orange, later preferring one of the colour cycles.

Testing completed, it was time to use the microphone for more day-to-day tasks, such as chatting with friends and communicating in-game, checking with the other participants all responses were positive. I also used this microphone while recording a video for YouTube the sound quality could have been better in other areas due to the placement of the microphone and the setup I had. While the audio was clear, it was quiet and seemingly distant. I followed this session up by joining some friends on a podcast, moving the microphone from the desk stand to the microphone arm I already had, the hinge joint mounting adaptor coming in the box. The only item missing from the package was the adaptor to step down the screw to the microphone arm. This was solved by using the adaptor from my Rode Microphone. This new setup helped the microphone pick up my voice more clearly, and I am more than happy with how the audio came out, see the clip below.

As you can see and hear, I am in the bottom of the frame; the microphone is clear and sounds as good as the other two. The top right presenter has a HyperX microphone for comparison.

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The box comes with everything needed to get using the microphone straight away. Inside were the microphone, the desk mount and stand, A USB-C to C with USB A adaptor built-in, the instruction manual, and the hinged joint microphone arm mount. The microphone looks nice and is compact, standing approximately 20cm tall with the deck stand or 11cm without. The device features a shock mount, pop filter, headphone jack, and gain dial at the base. At the same time, the top sports the microphone capsule, noise cancellation/mute button, and RGB colour button, both easy to tap while holding for two seconds, activating the noise cancellation, or turning off the RGB, respectively.

The Maono DGM20 Gamerwave is a great microphone for the pricing. It will allow entry-level podcasters, gamers, and anyone else needing a nice, reliable microphone to communicate. The microphone is compatible with many systems, allowing users to move from device to device and bring their new favourite microphone. The single button tap mute was a great feature when talking to friends or gaming online to ensure others weren’t hearing what wasn’t needed to be communicated. Overall, this microphone will be a great addition to anyone wanting to get into the audio recording space; whether it is gaming, podcasting, streaming or vlogging, the DGM20 will work a treat.

(Review unit supplied for the purposes of this review)