Genesis Radium 750D with Thulium 700 Review

On the plus side, the microphone features both USB and XLR connections, and the microphone arm looks much more elegant. Find out on the following pages whether this was enough to impress us in our test or if there were any surprises.

Company History

Founded in Poland in 2011, Genesis has been offering hardware for gamers from the very beginning; its product lineup includes mice, gaming keyboards, mouse pads, headphones, console accessories, and, most recently, gaming chairs. Genesis aims to make a name for itself among gamers; it also sponsors events and is currently building its own esports team. The Radium 750d and the Thulium 700 microphone arm are now set to impress you in the mid-range category.

Technical Specifications

Packaging

Both products are presented in a cardboard box with a gray front and red sides; the front and sides feature an image of the respective product and its main features. The back panel also includes a product description in various languages. Inside, the microphone is well-protected in foam-lined plastic, and the microphone arm is very well protected within the packaging.

Package Contents and Build Quality

The microphone package includes a simple, fairly tall stand that’s quite sturdy. Also included are the microphone, a foam windscreen, a USB cable, and an XLR cable—both of which are 2 meters long. Inside the box for the Thulium 700 microphone arm, we find the arm with a table clamp, along with two sets of cable clips and mounting hardware.

The microphone is well-built, though the plastic used is quite prone to fingerprints. The knurled screws feel sturdy and can be tightened quite securely. There’s no RGB lighting, which gives it a professional look. If you remove the foam, the sturdy cage becomes visible, though the microphone looks quite unusual without the foam cover. But the solution is obvious: just leave the foam on.

The buttons are rubberized, and underneath lies the actual switch; even through the rubber coating, you can feel the actuation point, and everything is flush with the housing. The only thing missing is a shock mount, so impacts—such as from a table—are transmitted to the microphone. The LED embedded in the mute switch provides very nice and clear button illumination.

When it glows blue, the microphone is active, and when it glows red, the microphone is muted. The ports recessed into the rear panel fit securely, and even when you plug in a cable, it sits quite snugly in the port, so we have no complaints here. The microphone arm is also well-built. The materials are well-chosen, and the finish is flawless. The only minor criticism we have is the "DIY mode" required for initial setup—more could certainly be pre-assembled here—but considering the price, we can ultimately live with it.

Audio Recording Quality

We first test without any optimizations from third-party software and then attempt to optimize the recording using software. However, this software isn’t included, and the results may vary depending on the software used.

Out of the box, we found the microphone to have a fairly good, neutral vocal tone. At a distance of less than 10 cm, the microphone is naturally at its loudest but handles recordings very well. Sibilance is handled exceptionally well here and is hardly exaggerated at all. Only plop sounds stand out slightly, but this has been handled excellently for this price range. From about 10 cm onward, the overall voice becomes slightly thinner, but plop sounds are also recorded more naturally at this distance and are hardly noticeable. Since there’s no active noise gate built in, breathing, for example, is picked up, and keyboard keystrokes are also audible in the recordings. If you move even further away, the recording level drops significantly. However, the voice isn’t recorded as if in an empty room—it simply becomes quieter. Overall, the microphone performs very well—if not surprisingly so.

We optimize our recordings and achieve a consistent, warmer sound that works very well up to a distance of 5 cm; even at an arm’s length, the software can balance the levels cleanly, and we’re impressed that the microphone can still capture the nuances well enough for the software to present everything evenly. This means that even nervous people who frequently change their distance from the microphone can be accommodated very well here.

Conclusion

Genesis has a very good microphone on the market, one that not only stands out for its excellent build quality but also scores points for its XLR and USB connectivity. The microphone not only looks great during video calls or streams, but when you optimize the recordings, it can also hold its own against much more expensive models. If you use the microphone with the standard table stand, it becomes a bit top-heavy because the connecting rod is quite long. However, if you use the Thulium 700 arm, the whole setup works together beautifully. The absence of RGB lighting also fits perfectly with its professional appearance. When you consider the price—around 80 euros for the Radium750 and around 45 euros for the microphone arm—we believe it’s a truly great investment in terms of value for money.

Pro

• Excellent build quality
• Neutral recordings
• Handles sibilance very well
• Outstanding recordings after software adjustments
• Excellent value for the price
• Consistent (mute) LED light
• Arm supports weights up to 1 kg
• Arm can be mounted directly through the tabletop using a screw
• Sturdy table clamp on the arm

Contra

• Radium 750 (microphone): Made of plastic prone to fingerprints
• No shock mount included
• Prone to pop noises during (very) close-up recordings
• Thulium 700 (microphone arm): Relatively many components; could be simpler