MAONO A04 Gen2 vs MAONO PD300X
Two of our picks from Best MAONO Microphones: PD200X, PD300X, PD100X and the Wireless Ones Compared, compared side by side on the specs and trade-offs that actually matter.
Short answer
Between the MAONO PD300X and the MAONO A04 Gen2, we recommend the MAONO PD300X ($87.98 when we checked it on 2026-08-31) as the better maono microphones: pd200x, pd300x, pd100x and the wireless ones compared for most people. A deeper voice, or a streamer who wants the step above the PD200X without the PD400X price. The MAONO A04 Gen2 ($61.16 when we checked it on 2026-08-31) still makes sense if someone who wants the whole desk in one box: mic, arm, shock mount, pop filter.
MAONO A04 Gen2 XLR/USB Condenser Microphone Kit for PC Podcast Recording
$61.16observed
Lowest we have recorded: $61.16 on (2 weekly checks)
MAONO Dynamic Microphone-XLR USB Podcast Recording Mic with 192kHz/24bit
$87.98observed
Lowest we have recorded: $87.98 on (2 weekly checks)
Our take on each
MAONO A04 Gen2
Best for: Someone who wants the whole desk in one box: mic, arm, shock mount, pop filter.
The MAONO A04 Gen2 is a condenser kit: the mic, a boom arm, a shock mount, a pop filter and the cables, in one box for about $60. The Gen2 adds an XLR output beside the USB port, which fixes the original's dead end when buyers outgrew it.
The A04 family carries nearly 20,000 ratings at 4.5, most of them from first-time buyers, and the reviews read the same way: good for the money, sensitive to the room. The arm in the box is light and the shock mount is plastic, and both do the job on a desk that does not get bumped.
It is the most complete first setup on this page, and the one whose parts you replace one at a time rather than all at once.
MAONO PD300X
Best for: A deeper voice, or a streamer who wants the step above the PD200X without the PD400X price.
The MAONO PD300X sits between the PD200X and the PD400X: the same dynamic rejection of keyboard and room, the same USB-C and XLR outputs, and a larger capsule that fills in the low end on a deep voice. It records at 24-bit/192kHz over USB, which matters less than the capsule and more than the marketing suggests.
It keeps the tap-to-mute cap and the Maono Link EQ and limiter, and it adds a headphone jack for zero-latency monitoring. Owners rate it 4.5 across about 350 reviews, a smaller sample than the PD200X but the same pattern of remarks: quiet over XLR on a weak interface, excellent over USB.
Pick it over the PD200X if you monitor through the mic or your voice sits low; pick the PD200X if neither applies.
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