JBL is best known for speakers, earbuds and headphones, but the company has recently pivoted to microphones to meet the needs of modern content creators. It all started with the Quantum Stream line of condenser microphones, and the company has brought a trio of updated mics in the series to CES 2024 in Las Vegas.
The Quantum Stream Talk, as the name suggests, is primarily for podcasters and streamers. The condenser boasts a super cardioid pickup pattern so it only captures what’s directly in front of it, which will be your mouth. This drastically reduces background noise, as that’s the bane of any podcaster. The shock-absorbing base assists with noise reduction. The mic costs $50 and releases in March.
The Quantum Stream Wireless microphone kicks it up a notch. This wireless condenser is actually wearable, via a clip-on design. The mic is intended for on-the-go recording, as it boasts an omnidirectional pickup pattern that captures audio from every direction. This captures ambient noise, of course, but that could be the point when making field recordings and the like. There’s an included algorithm to reduce unwanted environmental noise and the mic ships with a handy case. The Quantum Stream costs $100 and also launches in March.
Finally, the flagship microphone is called the Quantum Stream Studio. This is a professional-grade condenser that shines as a podcasting microphone, but should also be great for music-making, voice-over work and related tasks. The interior boasts three condenser capsules and captures audio in 192 kHz/24 bits, which is a broadcast quality sampling rate. There are four pickup patterns to choose from, depending on your needs, and an integrated compressor to handle sudden bursts of noise. The Stream Studio is available this March for $150.
All of these microphones integrate with JBL’s updated app, which is typically used to adjust headphone parameters. The upgraded app now offers microphone controls, so you can dial in the perfect sound directly from your phone instead of having to mess with buttons and knobs. These microphones are all available to demo at CES, if you happen to be in Las Vegas.
We’re reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Keep up with all the latest news from the show here.
