The QPAD Beam Stream RGB Mic is a device that boasts 24-bit hi-res audio for ensuring that broadcasting is crystal clear while playing games with friends or streaming to followers online. The cardioid recording pattern on the device and advanced noise reduction work together to keep vocals focused and free from unwanted background noise, with instant touch-sensitive muting ensuring that when it’s time for some silence, it’s quick and easy. It comes with a solid premium finish plastic base for desk set-ups, while also compatible with standard boom arms for the more advanced streamer. No fancy set up is required either, with a plug-and-play system that connects to PCs and other devices with a USB to USB Type-C connection. Finally, one of the key selling points the QPAD Beam Stream offers above its cheaper variant is the dynamic RGB lighting and real-time LED gain feedback by rotating the top of the mic.
What stands out immediately with the QPAD Beam Stream is the quality of the finished product. Like many of the QPAD offerings, the Beam Stream offers a premium feeling product that straddles perfectly the price point that is accessible to the everyday user without straying too far towards the high-end offerings. At an RRP of £79.99 currently, the mic oozes a finish above that, with a subtle black design that blends seamlessly into the desktop setup without dominating the space. Despite being plastic, the weighted base is solid and over many hours of use, didn’t ever risk toppling over, despite frequent desk rearranging and movement.
The RGB lighting is a nice added touch, and it is good that it serves a practical purpose in displaying the microphone gain levels. However, it wouldn’t be something that would sell the product on its own. Half the faff with any microphone set up is inevitably plugging it in and finding that it isn’t recognised or has sound issues that require an hour of troubleshooting to perfect. Thankfully, the experience with QPAD’s mic is a breeze. Simply plugging it into a PC USB port, it gets picked up straight away and within literally a minute, can be used to chat to friends while gaming on Discord. What follows is nothing but compliments about a super clear voice sound without any muffling or problems with other headsets and microphones used in the past.
Where there are slight problems is when using it close to someone else playing games on Discord in the same space. There are ways to minimise the microphone picking up the other person, but from experience it tends to pick up the odd phrase even several feet away. This, of course, is unlikely to be the usual issue with many using the device alone in their own space. However, it is slightly disappointing that, in at least a few experiences, the sound isolation on Discord while using the mic isn’t a little bit stronger.
