General Information
Streaming is big business. Everyone and their mum hosts a podcast, reviews items, or delivers (sometimes) poignant monologues for followers. So where do you start and what is the minimum you could get away with to provide quality content for your adoring fans?
Released on the 25th of March 2025, Nacon's RIG M2 STREAMSTAR PRO HD is a compact and stylish desk-based solution for streamers of all abilities. This all-in-one solution packs essential features into a compact form factor for any PC or Mac user and comes in at a reasonable $129.99.
Features & Specs
- 16mm Condenser microphone
- Playback volume and Bluetooth pairing
- Mic gain and push-to-mute
- 3.5mm headphone jack
- Desktop stand (boom arm compatible)
- Nickel plated PER
- Cardioid polar pattern
- 20Hz - 20kHz response
- -37 dBV sensitivity
- 120 dB SPL @ 1KHz max input
- >42 dB Signal-to-noise ratio
- 100+ dB dynamic range
Audio Above All
Nacon's approach to peripheral design is unwaveringly modern. I particularly like the crisp edges and jutting angular shape of the device. The metal finish of the pop filter/shield is dutifully present and perfect for spitting lyrics into if you are so inclined.
The device is as brutalist as it is minimalist, with just two knobs on the front and two sockets toward the aft. The two knobs control the headset volume and microphone volume accordingly. Clicking the headset button allows you to pair a Bluetooth headset to it, the other mutes the built-in microphone, allowing you some secretive periods between recording thoughts.
The microphone knob's LED ring turns red in the scenario that you have silenced the mic to give you a visual cue that whatever you think you're recording or streaming out, isn't. It's quite a lifesaver, especially when you have been pouring out layers of interesting material, only to realise that it has been muted the entire time. The LED also lights up red when you twist it to set the gain and reach the minimum or maximum thresholds.
The sockets on the underside allow connectivity to a PC or Laptop through USB-C to USB-A, and to plug in a 3.5mm enabled headset. You are supplied with a short extension cord for the 3.5mm socket, I suppose so that you do not need to fumble around underneath when jacking in; but in all honesty, it's pointless. Even the way the extension was packaged was annoying. It was coated around the barrel with a layer of tissue paper and sticky tape, the issue being that it wasn't necessary, and in attempting to get it off, I managed to scrape up the component's rubbery exterior with my nails. Perfect.
Simplicity at its Core
Setting up the device is extremely straightforward. You take the weighted base, add the V-shaped mount and thumb screw it together. Then snap the Rig M2 Pro HD Streamstar into the beckoning lugs, and screw the two smaller thumb screws into it. Angle it to your preference, and you're done. Interestingly, it can be connected to a boom arm, or there's a hidden magnetic backing which could be used to attach it to a sturdy metal surface.
The microphone has almost 180 degrees of freedom for the angle you can have it set up, but I preferred it leaning slightly backwards, so it was a target to bounce my voice off. This was a good choice because, in testing, I noticed that tilting the mic fully forward was far from the best way to capture sound. The microphone is strictly directional; face towards it, project your voice, and adjust the gain to your preference for the best results.
Plugging the cable into your PC, it will instantly be recognized as an audio device. If you choose to connect Bluetooth headphones to it, then you can do so by holding down the headset button to put it into pairing mode. Should you opt for a wired approach, you will need to open your sound settings and set the playback mode to "M2 PRO HD". You can also set your sample rate from here to ensure you're capturing the quality you desire for your setup.
Streaming Success
While the device is easy to install and set up, it is not performing at its peak by default. Reading the quick start guide I noticed that you can adjust the sample rates, as mentioned above. However, I did not realise that out-of-the-box, the RIG M2 STREAMSTAR PRO HD would record at DVD quality, aka crackly during plosives with the gain cranked up, and relatively low volume with the gain turned down.
The untweaked microphone records at 1 channel (mono), 16-bit, 48000 Hz (DVD quality), which is technically suitable for 48 kHz YouTube or 44.1 kHz streaming platforms, but I severely disliked the quality. I cranked it up to the max (24-bit 192000 Hz Studio quality) and heard a stark difference. Any studio-level setting sounded better than the DVD quality, but why limit the device, let it run free, push it to the top and enjoy.
The issue with higher bitrate recordings is that they take up more space but sound far better. This level of quality is ideal for archival and professional audio production. I think that because I listen to a lot of audio, and I produce music casually, I found the lower-end settings audibly jarring. Ultimately, if you upload super-high-quality audio, the host will compress it to a suitable size using their compression technologies anyway. But the point remains that recording in higher quality sounds far better and has fewer plosive pops and less background hiss.
This product is technically great. It's mid-range in terms of price, is decent at cancelling background noise, and is multifunctional for connecting headsets too. However, given the "PRO" moniker, I feel like it's missing something. It could benefit from a companion app to indicate the exact settings you're using or at least to adjust the microphone sample rate to your preferences. Turning the gain knob only serves to turn an LED red when you've hit the upper or lower limits, it's not an exact science, nor is it quickly replicable if you were to alter those settings.
At $129.99 I hoped for a little bit more from the device. While it has an ad-hoc gain adjustment knob, a quick mute button and Bluetooth connectivity, overall I found the recording volume and quality sub-par unless you manually adjust the sample rates to studio quality.
Why it's not set to a higher value automatically is a misstep, especially for purchasers who aren't tech-savvy. A companion app might help resolve this.
