Choosing Budget-Friendly Products for Remote Meetings

Recently the weather has gotten a bit colder.
Every morning, I have a hard time getting out of my warm blankets.
How is everyone doing?

Covid-19 has settled down, but some people are still working online or taking online classes. Even more, online job interviews have also become commonplace.
I am sure you have all experienced this at one time or another.

Now, I would like to ask all of you a question.

Do you think that all you need is a built-in microphone and earphones?

For example, let’s say you are in a remote meeting and someone has a great idea.
However, the sound quality is so bad that messages aren’t coming through, and this person loses his or her moment to shine.
In order to communicate well in a remote meeting or online interview, the sound quality is the first thing to consider.

You don’t want to go to the trouble of buying an external microphone to improve the sound quality...
But don’t worry.
I have selected the most budget-friendly products for you.

If you are in a position where you are planning remote meetings, online interviews, or online classes, please stay with me until the end.

CLASSIC PRO / CPH700BK High Sound Quality Portable Headset with Microphone, 4-Pole 3.5mm

This headset microphone is one you can purchase in the 1,000 yen range. Since this is our company brand product, we recommend it!
Frankly speaking, you must think that there’s a catch because the price is so low! Is such a cheap headset microphone really a safe choice? I think that some people may worry about this. However, this is truly a cost-effective headset mic, and the quality is unbelievable for a price in the 1,000 yen range.

I actually first came across this product during a remote meeting at our company. I was using another one (to be introduced later!), but I noticed that a staff member was using this product.
I really paid attention to the sound quality and to my surprise, I could hear the staff member’s voice clearly.
I couldn’t let this happen! So I decided to try this out as soon as I could get my hands on it!
When I finally got the chance to try this out, I found that the voice I heard was fine, my voice reached the other side well, and we were able to communicate smoothly without being asked to repeat what I said. I concentrated on the meeting so much that I forgot that I was testing this product. Lol.

This is perfect for those who want an all-in-one microphone and headphone set.

CLASSIC PRO / CDM25U Desktop USB Microphone

Next, I’m going to introduce a USB microphone. Like the previous item, this one has amazing performance with a price in the 1,000 yen range.
This product was just released in 2023. I am actually in charge of the sales promotion of USB microphones and I have tried many USB microphones, but I can confidently recommend this microphone in particular.
When we shot a video introducing this product the other day, one of our video team members said, “I didn’t have high expectations for the sound quality since it’s so cheap, but I was surprised at how good it actually is!” ( ^)o(^ ) Awesome!

Check here to see if you can actually hear how good the sound quality is.

The CDM25U also has a mute switch. The gooseneck mechanism also makes it easy to adjust the angle.
Just connect the cable and it is immediately detected on the device, so there is no need for a complicated setup.
This is the perfect product for those who want a microphone only because you already have a set of headphones or earphones!

Both are surprisingly cheap at the 1,000 yen level.
As you would expect from CLASSIC PRO. I am so pleased to have introduced you to this low-priced, easy-to-use equipment for remote meetings.

Now, although the above two models are sufficient enough, I would like to show you two microphones that I personally use as equipment that can upgrade the sound quality by one more level.

BOYA / BY-PM500 High Sound Quality Desktop USB Microphone

This product is very easy to use and is my personal favorite because it has a mute switch and allows for volume adjustment close at hand.
The polar patterns can switch between cardioid and omni-directional, so meetings with multiple people can be handled with this one microphone.
The fact that the BY-PM500 mic is a good weight and stable is also a personal plus. I tend to have a very messy desk, so I appreciate the stability that prevents it from falling over, even if the mic gets caught on the cable or something hits the mic.
I previously wrote an article about my experience using this product for streaming, if you’d like to, go and take a look at it.

⇒ I broadcasted a live stream with the USB microphone BY-PM500

I personally recommend the BY-PM500, so go check it out!

BOYA / BY-M1000 Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone

This is also my favorite piece of equipment.
I used to use this full-fledged condenser microphone for remote meetings, although I now use the BY-PM500 USB microphone which I showed earlier.
Condenser microphones can capture sound well with a delicate and clear sound. However, it also requires an audio interface, so it is not so easy to use.
If you mainly use a condenser microphone for streaming or recording purposes, and remote meetings are an added bonus, you may be able to get a good selection of condenser microphones.

As a side note, some of my friends from college had a really solid set of equipment. During my online classes, the professor was amazed at all the serious full set of equipment that my friend had on her screen, and I remember my professor asking my friend about her equipment every time. Haha.
If you are in an online class, you might stand out like my friend... Maybe a small USB microphone would be just the thing?
If you are one of those people who are determined to stand out, go ahead and get all the equipment you can afford!

Well, how was it?
In this article, I introduced products for remote meetings.
In addition to these, Sound House offers many other products, so you can try to find the perfect product for you!

Also, I recommend a USB microphone for remote meetings, so you’re going to want to find a good USB microphone! Please refer to the following page (in Japanese only) if you are interested!

We hope you will consider installing our products to achieve smooth communication remotely!