Is the microphone good? Yes, really good! I’ve been using the Fifine K690 microphone for 5 years and it has served me well over the years!
My purpose of buying this microphone: I’m a huge fan of ASMR and sounds in general, so I wanted to have a stereo/binaural microphone to play around with sounds.
I saw this microphone on sale back then so I decided to try it out, and I really wasn’t disappointed!
The Fifine K690 USB microphone features 4 polar patterns, making it suitable for various scenarios such as: podcasts, recording vocals (singing), voiceovers, recording instruments, gaming, streaming (e.g. Twitch), content creation, face-to-face interviews, conference calls and ASMR.
The 4 polar patterns (modes) on the Fifine K690 are: Stereo, Omnidirectional, Cardioid and Bidirectional.
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| Fifine K690 Polar Patterns (taken from User's Guide) |
What’s in the Box…
- Fifine K690 Microphone
- USB cable (for power)
- User's Guide (manual)
- Mic stand
- Mic adapter for boom arm
Well, I bought this 5 years ago so I no longer have the box with me… (nah, I do but I’m using it to store things and it’s somewhere in my house......)
Please don't mind me for the lack of original packaging. Here's the official photo printed on its manual.
What I love about the Fifine K690
The sound quality is the highlight for me. In my opinion, the sound is clear, and has a good balance of bass and treble; didn’t feel like either was lacking.
I also love how versatile the Fifine K690 is, as it comes with 4 different modes to use for different purposes. I've used this for making ASMR sounds, voice recording and singing. The audio quality is consistent through all modes.
The two modes that I often use are Stereo and Cardioid. Overall, the sound is clear, and has a good balance of highs and lows. I typically don’t need to fine-tune my audio much - it already sounds great out of the box.
In summary, it’s a beginner friendly microphone that offers results comparable to professional quality.
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| Headphone jack and USB port at the base of the Fifine K690 |
The Fifine K690 also comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack to plug in your headphones and monitor the audio. It also has its own stand, which makes it easy to use if you don’t have a mic stand or boom arm.
This was my first USB condenser mic. I really like the convenience of not having to deal with extra cables or an audio interface, unlike my XLR microphones, which require more setup. At this price point, and for a USB microphone, I think the Fifine K690 offers great value.
Key Features of the Fifine K690
- The mic has a solid metal build
- Comes with a desktop mic stand - also made of metal
- USB Connection = Convenient to use and bring around
- Control knob to switch between polar patterns
- Mute button for mic
- 3.5mm headphone jack for direct audio monitoring
- Physical gain knob: to adjust recording volume of the mic
- Headphone control knob: to adjust monitoring volume
👉 Available on Amazon: Fifine K690 USB Condenser Microphone
Comparison between the Fifine K690 and Blue Yeti
Before my purchase, I did a bit of research (on YouTube) and was surprised by how similar the Fifine K690 sounded to the famous Blue Yeti. For my purpose, I was deciding between this and the classic Blue Yeti. I eventually went with the Fifine K690 for its lower price point.
These two microphones are very similar in terms of their features and they both have good sound quality.
If you have a keen ear, you would be able to tell that the Blue Yeti has a distinct sound signature which is boosted. It has a boosted low end and despite that, I like its sound profile (for ASMR mainly).
Since budget was an issue, I went with the Fifine K690. The recorded sound on the Fifine K690 sounded more clean, natural and realistic. As a fan of Blue Yeti’s signature sound, I felt that the Fifine K690 was lacking in something at first. But as time went by, I’ve grown to like the Fifine K690’s sound profile more than the Blue Yeti. For ASMR specifically, it delivers a more lifelike sound and it’s less harsh on the ears.
| Specs | Fifine K690 | Blue Yeti |
|---|---|---|
| Price | US$69 (approx.) | US$104 (approx.) |
| Polar Patterns | Stereo, Omnidirectional, Cardioid and Bidirectional | Stereo, Omnidirectional, Cardioid and Bidirectional |
| Sound Impression | Tone: Warm | Balanced highs and lows | Tone: Slightly bright | Boosted, noticeable bass |
| Connection | USB | USB |
| Colors | Black | Blue, Black, Silver |
A sad story - I lost my Fifine K690 mic adapter
Long story short, I lost accidentally threw away my mic adapter for the boom arm.
I’ve been trying to find a replacement, and it’s been incredibly difficult to buy the CORRECT adapter!
Well… I totally forgot that the manufacturer did include the mic adapter with the microphone. I thought it wasn't provided and have been disappointed for years. I couldn’t attach the mic onto my boom arm, which has a typical 3/8” Male end. The screw on the mic isn't 3/8" Female.
I did a bit of research and bought a generic 1/4” Male to 3/8” Female adapter as I thought it would fit into the mic's screw. But it turned out to be wrong as well. The screw on the mic ALSO isn’t meant for the typical 1/4” adapter.
It didn’t cross my mind to read up the manual until I was writing this post. In the manual, it states that it comes with a 5/8” Male to 3/8” Female adapter.
But after looking up online to see what it means, it doesn’t seem to be 5/8” Male like what they said. At least not the typical one. So I’m not sure what they meant by 5/8” but anyhow…
After researching and testing things out here and there… I finally found the correct replacement (workaround). The microphone needs a M6 Male to fit!
Where to Buy Mic Adapter for Fifine K690
To any folks out there who have lost their Fifine K690’s mic adapter to connect to a boom arm or mic stand, you can go with any of the options below:
Option A: Get the Fifine mic adapter from the official Fifine web store
Option B: Buy a M6 Male to 3/8” Female adapter on Amazon
Or like me,
Option C: I made use of what I bought wrongly (1/4” Male to 3/8” Female)
AND bought a M6 Male to 1/4" Female adapter
I went with the longer route because a) the first two options aren't available in my country, b) I might as well make use of the wrongly bought adapter.
My setup (Option C) - watch video here:
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| Connecting the Fifine K690 on my boom arm |
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| Successfully attached Fifine K690 to boom arm using alternative mic adapters |
The Best Solution
A. Buy the same adapter from Fifine Official Web Store
Note: You must ensure that your boom arm has a 3/8" Male end. Or otherwise, look up for M6 Male to the Female end that your boom arm or mic stand uses.
I did all my research BEFORE I even knew Fifine sells the adapter alone. But… you wouldn’t need to buy it for your mic unless you lost it or threw it away like me.
Enjoy using the Fifine K690 Microphone!
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