NZXT Capsule Elite USB Microphone Review: Stunningly Great

The NZXT Capsule Elite USB microphone has no business being as good as it is for $90. The 24-bit depth and 192kHz sample rate really take center stage for making voiceovers sound like they came from a much more expensive microphone.

While there are a few drawbacks to the Capsule Elite, I am honestly extremely impressed with the quality it offers, which is why this mic has become my main for all my audio work going forward.

Price and Availability

The NZXT Capsule Elite USB microphone is priced at $89.99 and is available to purchase at Amazon, Best Buy, Newegg, and directly from NZXT.

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This Mic Sounds Way Better Than It Should

I’m going to be honest, I didn’t have ultra-high hopes for the NZXT Capsule Elite. I expected it to be good, but I honestly expected to still prefer my Elgato Wave:3 at the end of the day—boy way I wrong.

The NZXT Capsule Elite touts an impressive 24-bit depth and 192kHz sample rate, which is extremely high for a USB microphone in this price range. The Wave:3, for comparison, is 24-bit 96khz, coming in with half the sample rate of NZXT.

Given that the Capsule Elite is nearly half the price of the Wave:3, I fully expected the 192kHz sample rate to be more marketing than quality, but that’s far from the case.

The very first time I used the Capsule Elite, I was absolutely blown away. There was hardly any background noise, my voice was crystal clear (even though I was about 18 to 24 inches away from the mic), and it sounded like I recorded it in a studio.

Let me set the stage for you: I was in anything but a studio. My office has multiple rack-mount servers and other enterprise-grade networking equipment in it, among my desktop, laptop, fan, and other noise-generating things. It’s normally a fight to get clean audio in here, but the Capsule Elite made it seem like it was nothing.

My Wave:3 on the other hand? I can never get it to sound great in this office. I’ve tried and tried, and I can make it sound good, but not great. The Capsule Elite simply sounds fantastic, with very little work needing to be done.

NZXT CAM, the software that runs this microphone, has quite a few options for it too. Not only does it give you configuration of the LED colors and such, but there’s an advanced setting that’s a full-on virtual soundboard with compression, gate, limiters, and much more.

I was sincerely impressed with the audio quality of the NZXT Capsule Elite, and I think you will be too.

NZXT’s Core Holes Everywhere Aesthetic Lives On

NZXT has had a specific aesthetic for over a decade now: holes everywhere. It’s visible in their old cases, their new cases, and now their peripherals. The back of the NZXT Capsule Elite is no exception.

The front grille I expect to have holes—the audio has to get to the microphone somehow. However, the back looks like a cheese grater, and I’m not sure that I like it all that much.

This is a minor thing, but still worth mentioning. NZXT accentuates the hole design by putting a RGB LED light bar in the holes at the top of the mic. NZXT intends for the back to face your camera while on stream and the holes (and RGB) to be visible to viewers.

While I get that, I do wish the back of this mic was a tad more understated. I prefer the aesthetic of my Wave:3 to the Capsule Elite. Since I rarely stream, though, the aesthetic matters very little in my personal setup—I just wanted to point it out for those who might intend to stream with this microphone.

I Wish It Was a Tad Smaller and Worked on macOS

The overall size of the NZXT Capsule Elite is actually pretty large. For comparison, it’s about the size of a Blue Yeti mic and not the Elgato Wave line of mics. I was both expecting it to be smaller and still wish it was smaller.

It’s not that it’s too big, but it’s just on the larger size of desktop microphones. It’ll cover a good bit of your face when streaming, and it’s not quite as easy to travel with.

On the software side of things, I’m actually a bit disappointed. To no one’s surprise, the NZXT Capsule Elite microphone is controlled by NZXT CAM. However, I was surprised to find out that CAM only works on Windows, and NZXT has no current plans to bring the software to macOS or Linux.

This means that you’ll be able to use the mic with macOS, but not fine-tune any of the more intricate settings. For me, that’s not a huge deal because I have the mic plugged into my KVM monitor that flips between Windows and macOS. So, I’ll be able to customize and use it for gaming in Windows, then switch over and use the mic in macOS for voiceovers when video editing.

NZXT can easily fix the software problem simply by releasing CAM for macOS and Linux—the question is, will they?

Should You Buy the NZXT Capsule Elite USB Microphone?

I’m going to say that you should absolutely purchase the NZXT Capsule Elite. If you’re in the market for a new USB mic for your desk, be that for streaming, recording, or just doing video calls, it’s hard to beat the Capsule Elite’s value proposition. It wipes the floor with my $150 Elgato Wave:3 at half the price.

The main downside with usability comes to OS support—if you use macOS, and don’t have a Windows machine handy to fine-tune it, then I’d say avoid the NZXT Capsule Elite for now. I really hope NZXT fixes this in the future, but, until they do, it’s not worth the headache unless you have Windows close by.

Brand

NZXT

Type

Condenser

Pattern

Cardioid (unidirectional)

Audio Sensitivity

20Hz to 20kHz

The NZXT Capsule Elite is a USB-C gaming microphone with a 24-bit depth and 192kHz sample rate. Designed for both gaming and voiceovers, this microphone is sleek, pairs well with gaming decor, and offers a high-quality experience at an affordable price.