This is not just a mic, it is a full-blown DAC. This means it also outputs stereo sound. There is a standard headphone jack on the bottom of the unit next to the USB port. The input and output will both do 96k. I would only use this rate when recording vocals, and still, I usually use 48k. I didn't measure latency but it is extremely low for a non-ASIO device. This is a cardioid mic. This means it picks up sound mostly from head-on and the sides, not so much from behind. The sound profile is nice and full but has a slightly tinny feel. This can be fixed with an isolation mount. It has a standard mount screw so we have some options. I played pink noise and recorded it about 6in from my speaker. I'm using Presonus Studio Monitor Eris E5's. If we compare the spectrum on the left to the recorded sound on the right we do see differences. Since no sub was involved, we expect a drop under 90hz. From around 100 to 500hz, we do see a discrepancy. What we do not see are any big spikes or dips. We do see an interesting roll-off on the high end but I am not surprised here. This means that we get a decent signal and EQ can fix this easily. Was it my speakers, or the mic? That would require more testing but it's nothing you can't work around. The provided stand provides no isolation and this is noticeable. The integrated soft-mute button on top is nice, but note it will be audible without a gate and a smooth touch. Upon plugging in with the nice long cable, this registers as a full audio device and lovely Windows will default to it. We are all used to that so watch out. I don't think I would use headphones plugged directly into the unit. I would ignore it or route it back to a hardware mixer if I needed another output signal. Overall a good mic and the price is about where it should be.
