In this video I unbox and review the Fifine AM8 — a 2023 Red Dot Design award-winning dynamic microphone that does both USB and XLR. Fifine sent it over for testing, and the big question I wanted to answer was simple: if it’s only $99 AUD (a fraction of the Shure SM7B here in Australia), does it even come close to that legendary “gold standard” podcast mic we use in our studio? I’ll be the first to say I’m no audio engineer — I’m a video guy who’s had to train my ears because our production company has been doing a lot more podcast work lately. But straight out of the box, as a plug-and-play USB mic, the AM8 surprised me with how full and balanced it sounds. It’s an end-addressing dynamic mic (you speak into the top), and with the right distance (around 2–6 inches), the sound is clean and clear with barely any fiddling. I also break down what I loved (price, versatility, USB-C, monitoring, simple controls, tasteful RGB) and what I didn’t (cheap plastic build and handling noise, plus an easy-to-bump mute button). If you want premium brand power and no-frills “look the part” podcasting, the SM7B is still the move — but if you’re a mere mortal like me chasing value-for-buck creator gear, the AM8 is absolutely worth considering.