What is EPOS? - B20 Microphone

The video introduces the EPOS B20 Microphone by explaining its corporate lineage, noting that EPOS emerged from a joint venture between Demant and Sennheiser and is now its own independent brand. The host then unboxes the microphone, highlighting the premium packaging and the thoughtful physical design, including a 360-degree rotating side arm with 3/8 thread compatibility and a sturdy base option. Build quality is emphasized with the use of machined aluminum, and the accessory lineup is shown, including a quarter-inch bolt and a USB Type-C to USB Type-A cable. The discussion moves to connectivity benefits, particularly USB-C, which supports easier use and robust durability, including a test showing that USB-C connectors endure more re-plugs than micro-B connectors. The host explains the general expectation around USB-C reliability and begins to explore the microphone’s features, such as its four pickup patterns and the ability to monitor audio via a headphone jack with negligible latency. The video briefly covers the included safety guide, misassembly caution, and the practical implications of the mute button, gain, and mute/volume interface as part of the overall user experience. A deeper look into the sound characteristics follows, with notes on whether the capsule is condenser or dynamic, the advantages of condensers for frequency response versus the lower noise focus of dynamics, and the practical implications for gaming or podcasting as the host cycles through omni, cardioid, bi-directional, and stereo modes. The host demonstrates how each pickup pattern affects ambient noise handling, offering concrete examples like conference-table setups for omni and near-field personal recording for cardioid, while also discussing the muted/active indicators and the importance of avoiding handling noise. In the software realm, EPOS’s gaming suite is showcased, including real-time voice profiling and a variety of voice presets such as warm and clear options, with the host testing a warm voice and then dialing back to a more neutral setting. The video explores high pass filters, noise cancellation features within the software, and practical testing by gradually adjusting noise suppression to demonstrate its impact on naturalness. The presentation concludes with a price point of $199 USD and directs viewers to the sponsor link, while underscoring the value proposition of the B20 as an all-in-one microphone solution for streaming, gaming, and content creation. The closing remarks thank EPOS for the sponsorship and invite viewers to subscribe for more Short Circuit content, signaling a balanced mix of product insight and sponsorship acknowledgment.

Topics · technology · audio production · hardware · gaming gear