Product Review: OnePlus Microphone Arm Stand

[Read my disclosure statement on product reviews here.]

Lynn, at Wowsbox.com, contacted me recently about reviewing their OnePlus Microphone Arm Stand. Since this was a company I had never heard of before, I was intrigued and said: “Yes.” Shortly thereafter, a box from Amazon was delivered to my doorstep.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The OnePlus Microphone Arm Stand is a low-cost, well-built microphone holder. Designed for heavy studio mics, it installs in a minute or two and easily positions the mic into an infinite number of positions.

The construction is solid and looks like it should last for several years with no problems. The upgraded clamp that holds it to the desktop is also solid; this tends to be the piece that breaks first in other units I’ve worked with. This clamp is much sturdier than the one shipped with the Heil HB-1, for example.

There are a couple of trade-offs for the low price, however. There is no tension adjustment, which means that while this will easily hold and position a heavy mic, like the ElectroVoice RE-20, a lighter mic, like the Shure SM-58, won’t work; the springs raise the mic to the full height of the arm and refuse to lower. There is no tension adjustment you can make that will allow the OnePlus to position and hold a lighter mic.

Unlike the Heil HB-1, there is no channel to hide the mic cable. Instead, the OnePlus ships with several Velcro strips to attach the mic cable to the arm.

Product: OnePlus Microphone Arm Stand
Manufacturer: DuaFire
Website: www.amazon.com/dp/B071KFSTSS
Price: $67.99 on Amazon ($99 (US) MSRP)
Sold and shipped through Amazon.

ABOUT DUAFIRE

DuaFire was founded in June, 2016, with their initial products focused on portable power adapters. They now have several different brands and are searching for the right products to develop. Currently, their other audio product is a guitar patch cable.

The founder, Willian, has prior experience in audio and felt that the audio peripherals market was big enough to enter with high-quality products at an affordable price, with products focused on easy to install and sturdy.

All their products come with a 30-day Money Back Guarantee with a 90-day exchange policy for defective items. Here’s the link to their warranty details.

I asked Lynn, head of DuaFire marketing, why someone should consider their company. She replied: “We are young but we are honest and reliable, our shops are also under Amazon supervision.”

SETUP

The OnePlus is ordered and shipped directly from Amazon, in a sturdy cardboard box with bubble wrap packaging. It arrived quickly and undamaged.

NOTE: Be careful cutting the plastic strap that closes the arm. The springs are strong and, if you are not careful, will quickly spring apart.

The OnePlus clamps to the edge of a table or desk, using an upgraded clamp that is designed to handle the pressure. In units from other companies, the clamp tends to be very cheaply made and breaks easily. I was impressed with how solid this clamp is. (The 2″ washer is not included.)

To help distribute the pressure, I added a large metal washer between the clamp and the table. I’ve found, over the years, that these large washers allow the clamp to grip more tightly, with less slippage over time.

Once the clamp is attached to the table, the arm slides easily into the clamp and installation is complete.

ADDING A MIC

The OnePlus comes with a microphone clamp and two adapters, which allow it to attach most common microphone clips. (The mic clip illustrated here is for the EV RE-20.)

For my test, I used an ElectroVoice RE-20, which is a popular studio microphone. Although the OnePlus comes with a mic clip, I used the one specifically designed for the ElectroVoice. It connected easily and held the mic securely.

The only big limitation of the OnePlus is that it does not have tension adjustments. While the pivot points are connected using Philips screws, adjusting the screws does not adjust tension; though it can totally lock the arms into position.

When I attached a much lighter Shure SM-58 mic, using the included mic clip, the arm swung all the way up and no adjustment of the Philips screws would hold the mic in place at any other position. (I could torque the arms tight enough to hold the mic, but then it could not be repositioned without loosening the screws.)

I don’t have a short shotgun to test, but my sense is that most short shotguns will be too light to properly balance with these springs.

NOTE: In reviewing the printed installation instructions, there was no mention of how to adjust tension, which makes me think that tension is not adjustable.

By the way, while the single-page printed instructions were obviously written by someone who is not a native English speaker, they were clearly illustrated and easy to understand, especially if you’ve dealt with arms like this before.

Another limitation of this unit is that there is no track to hide the mic cables. However, it does ship with several Velcro strips to security attach the mic cable to the arm to get it out of the way. This is totally acceptable for any audio setup.

ADDING A POP SCREEN

The OnePlus also ships with a pop filter, which uses a foam mesh. This is a nice extra touch. The only problem is that this is about six inches in diameter, which may makes it  too big for someone trying to read scrips held on the other side of the microphone.

It has a flexible gooseneck to position it. Because my work involves narrating while viewing the computer screen, I find this pop screen to be awkward to position and a bit too big to see around. However, this may be the perfect size for a singer because they can move around close to the mic and the pop screen will cover them.

SUMMARY

Building an audio studio is an expensive proposition. I find the OnePlus Microphone Arm Stand solidly built, at an attractive low price. While it is missing a tension adjustment, this well-built piece of gear is a good way to get your studio started – providing you are using larger studio mics.

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