Maono DM40 Pro Review: Professional sound without cables and impressive AI function

Manufacturer Maono has impressively demonstrated time and time again with its products why the brand is one of the most popular microphone manufacturers. After all, models such as the PD300X (our test) or the Wave T5 wireless lavalier microphone (our test) not only impress with their low price, but also with their excellent sound. The latest innovation from the Chinese manufacturer is called the Maono DM40 Pro and presents itself as a wireless desktop microphone that aims to combine professional sound with attractive RGB lighting. Our test clarifies whether this is successful.

Technical data

Product:	DM40 Pro
Connection:	USB Type-C; Wireless
Microphone diaphragm:	16mm (condenser)
Frequency response:	20 Hz – 20,000 Hz
Sampling rate:	48 kHz / 24 bit
Polar pattern:	Cardioid
Dimensions:	160 mm x 49 mm (height x diameter)
Weight:	536 grams
Connections:	USB-C; 3.5 mm jack
Special features:	RGB lighting; Mute button; Multifunctional control button; AI Voice
Price:	82.48 euros

Maono DM40 Pro Review: Clean look, without any cables

• appealing design
• Sophisticated construction
• Good workmanship; but somewhat wobbly plastic construction

The Maono DM40 Pro promises to combine the professional sound of high-quality USB microphones with wireless freedom – and at an almost unbeatable price. Visually, the microphone is somewhat reminiscent of the Rode Podmic USB, only with a round body.

The DM40 and DM40 Pro come in either black or white, depending on what suits your setup better. The capsule is held securely in a flexible spider so that vibrations should not be a problem.

The high-quality pop filter is inserted directly into the shock mount, but can be easily removed if you don’t want to use it. The microphone comes with a stand that raises it around ten centimetres off the ground. However, if you prefer to use a microphone arm, you can simply remove the DM40 Pro by turning the shock mount anticlockwise and attach it to an arm.

Nice detail: The USB-C receiver can be inserted at the transition between the shock mount and the stand to save space – handy if you want to throw the microphone into your backpack for use on the go. The receiver sits so firmly that it cannot accidentally fall out.

With a weight of 536 grams for the microphone, shock mount and stand, the composite is pleasantly light. In terms of materials, the manufacturer relies almost exclusively on plastic, which is why the DM40 Pro doesn’t feel quite as high-quality as the PD300X or the Endorfy Solum Voice (our test).

However, there is not much to complain about in terms of workmanship. Only the silver-colored gain control on the front feels quite wobbly and should have a noticeable detent.

RGB lighting, connections and controls

• Attractive RGB lighting
• Numerous effects and colors

Attention fans of colorful RGB lighting: If you like it colorful, the Maono DM40 Pro will undoubtedly get your money’s worth. After all, lighting in over 16 million colors is one of the features that distinguishes the Pro model from the DM40.

The microphone shines in a wide variety of colors and lighting effects thanks to the honeycomb structure of the capsule. The effects can be adjusted using the corresponding button on the underside of the mic, which is also responsible for switching it on and off if you hold it down for two seconds.

At the touch of a button, you can switch between different static colors or activate appealing color change, gradient and breathing effects. However, it is just as easy to deactivate the lighting completely if you wish.

Of course, the Maono Link app offers significantly more settings. Here you can create your own color tones for the lighting or adjust the brightness as required, which is preset to 40 percent by default.

Connections and operation

• 3.5 mm jack and USB-C
• Microphone can still be used while charging
• Intuitive operation

The Maono DM40 Pro has two connections: You can connect headphones via a 3.5 mm jack to monitor the microphone during use. There is also a USB-C port to either operate the device via cable or charge the battery.

Of course, you can continue to use the DM40 Pro while charging the battery. If you prefer, you can of course also use the mic via cable. According to the manufacturer, the latency in wireless mode is just 0.02 milliseconds and is therefore virtually non-existent.

Both connections can be found on the underside of the microphone, where you can also switch it on and off or adjust the lighting. You can also deactivate or activate mic monitoring here.

Operation is also very simple. It is also very commendable that Maono includes detailed instructions in German with the microphone, which explain everything in detail.

The large rotary control on the front is responsible for the microphone volume (gain), which is indicated by a green LED underneath. By clicking on the rotary knob, you can switch to adjusting the volume for connected headphones (blue LED).

However, the top of the microphone is where things get interesting, as it is presented as a capacitive touch surface. Most of the top side is used to mute the microphone, which is indicated by a red LED at the top edge of the front.

However, there is another button underneath. This is responsible for noise suppression. A total of four levels are available if you want to reduce background noise. Of course, you can also deactivate noise cancellation completely. In addition to three predefined noise cancellation modes (Slight, Moderate and Agressive), you also have the option of setting the intensity yourself with a custom mode.

App connection: Maono Link

The Maono Link companion app also proves to be very practical and useful. It has a clear design that you should find your way around quickly.

In the first tab, “Basic”, you can, for example, adjust the gain and headphone volume precisely and switch the noise cancellation function on and off. You can also make recordings directly here to test the sound and export them quickly and easily if you wish.

The equalizer, on the other hand, can be found in the second tab called “Scene”. Here you can influence the sound extensively. In addition to three presets (Original, Gaming and Live), you can also make your own equalizer settings here using a 5-band EQ to perfectly adapt the acoustics to your own voice. If you like, you can also add a reverb (echo) in three stages.

The “AI Voice” section is a fun feature, but one that is absolutely impressive in its implementation. This is because the Maono DM40 Pro comes with a total of 10 AI-supported voices. However, these can only be activated if you register within the app with your email address.

If you’ve always wanted to sound like Deadpool, Jett from the Riot shooter VALORANT or Tifa from Final Fantasy 7, you can do so here. To use these settings, you need to activate the “AI voice changer” option under “AI Setting” in the top menu of the app. The DM40 Pro then creates its own audio recording device (Maono AI Microphone), in which your changed voice can then be heard.

Battery life of the Maono DM40 Pro

The battery life of the Maono DM40 Pro is absolutely impressive. The battery lasts for up to 75 hours until you need to recharge the microphone. This is thanks to the 2,600 mAh battery inside. That’s another 35 hours more than the DM40.

The only point of criticism: there is no battery status indicator. Neither on the microphone itself nor within the companion app. Annoying and we can only hope that Maono will improve this with a firmware update.

Sound quality of the Maono DM40 Pro

• 48 kHz at 24 bit
• convincing, full sound
• However, the sound image is somewhat narrow(er)

The Maono DM40 Pro reproduces your own voice at a maximum of 48 kHz at 24 bit depth, which corresponds to studio quality. On paper, the bit rate does not reach the resolution of an Endory Solum Voice (96 kHz / 24 bit) or the Maono PD300X (192 kHz / 24 bit) and even the significantly cheaper FDUCE D20 (our test) offers a higher quality.

In practice, however, this is fortunately not noticeable at all. This is because the DM40 Pro is convincing across the board from a sound perspective and scores points with its detailed, clear speech intelligibility.

Maono DM40 Pro (Wireless) microphone test recording:

Microphone test recording FDUCE D20 (USB):

Microphone test recording Endorfy Solum Voice:

Microphone test recording Maono PD300X (USB):

Compared to the competitors also pictured, I really like the sound of the DM40 Pro. Bass and treble are pleasantly detailed, but the sound is slightly more muted than Endorfy, for example, which – in the case of my voice – makes for a less sharp presentation of the treble and thus a more harmonious, rounder sound.

The much higher level of detail of the slightly more expensive Maono PD300X can be heard very well, in my opinion. Nevertheless, I am very satisfied with the sound of the DM40 Pro. Of course, this is always a matter of taste and also depends on your own voice, but I personally really like the round sound – even if some of its competitors sound more airy. The DM40 Pro also handles plosives very well, but the handling of sharp S-sounds could be a little better.

It is also pleasing to note that whether you use the microphone wirelessly or via USB-C has no effect on the sound.

Noise cancellation and AI Voice

• Good noise suppression
• Absolutely impressive AI Voices
• 10 voice presets with different timbres

The Maono DM40 Pro’s noise suppression proves to be very useful for muffling ambient noise. Be it typing on the keyboard, passing cars or the fans of the PC or notebook:

As you can already hear here, the different levels have a noticeable effect. Both on the ambient noise and on the presentation of the voice. Very good results can be achieved with the “Slight” and “Moderate” settings without the voice changing too much.

However, I was absolutely impressed by the AI Voice function of the DM40 Pro. In contrast to many other microphones that offer a similar feature, the microphone doesn’t just rely on raising or lowering the pitch. Instead, the mic actually changes the pitch and timbre of the voice, achieving results that are absolutely incredible.

Included are characters like Horizon (Apex Legends), Jett (VALORANT), Deadpool or Tifa (Final Fantasy 7). Sure, it’s just a nice gimmick. But it might be interesting for creators who don’t want to show themselves in their videos and use an avatar instead. Or to spice up your streams a little. Who knows? Here is an overview of the 10 AI Voices:

Even if you don’t know most of the voices in this country (well… at least not me) and Deadpool, for example, doesn’t necessarily sound like Deadpool in the movie, the results are pretty impressive in my eyes.

Maono DM40 Pro Review: Conclusion

With the Maono DM40 Pro, the manufacturer once again delivers a pretty powerful microphone. Sure, the resolution is noticeably lower than that of the competition in the price range up to 100 euros, but 48 kHz at 24 bits is absolutely sufficient for professional recordings – especially as most apps adjust down to this resolution anyway.

In terms of sound, the microphone offers little cause for criticism and delivers a detailed and rich sound, even in wireless mode, which comes across without any sharpness, but is not quite as airy as some of its competitors.

It also has a truly outstanding battery life of up to 75 hours and appealing RGB lighting. The plastic workmanship is fine, but could be a bit more valuable. The AI Voices are a pretty impressive gimmick. Sure, it’s a nice gimmick, but in terms of implementation, Maono’s interpretation goes much further than anything I’ve heard before.

The wireless connectivity makes the Maono DM40 Pro a real multi-platform all-rounder for anyone looking for an affordable and good microphone. However, if you can do without wireless connectivity, you will find slightly better alternatives.