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MAONO G1 NEO / Maonocaster G1 NEO

 | Gaming Audio Mixer | 

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MAONO G1 NEO / Maonocaster G1 NEO gaming audio mixer, an entry-level gaming audio mixer from MAONO.

Iti is fair to highlight that the product is found listed with several different names, which can lead to confusion; the product is usually called:

• Maono G1 Neo
• MaonoCaster G1 Neo
• AMG1 NEO
• Maonocaster AMG1 NEO

Throughout our review we might mention the model with either name and will always be referring to the same product.

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MAONO G1 NEO / Maonocaster G1 NEO gaming audio mixer Review

Tests & Scores

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A

Accessories & Packaging

The MAONO G1 NEO / Maonocaster G1 NEO comes in a sufficiently protected packaging, which includes accessories such as:

• 3.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable
• USB-C/A to USB-A cable
• XLR cable (not included by default but we had it bundled with the unit)

^3_/5

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D

Design

The MaonoCaster G1 NEO has a compact but not excessively tiny size that can fit and desktop setup without being over intrusive.

On the top of the device you will find all the main controls and pads offered by the unit with 3 knobs, 2 faders and 13 pads.

The only additional button is a power on/off found on the rear edge of the case where you can also access all the input and output connectors.

From a lighting point of view, the model offers plenty of RGB elements that do not only serve to embellish the unit but also operate as indicators and backlight features.

In total there are 1 LED backlight per pad, one strip LED per fader and a strip light all around the borders of the case.

These LED lights can be customized in color and style to fit your liking and needs while some give direct and intuitive information of the status of the device like:

• Bluetooth pairing, paired, connected
• Mute/Unmute
• Mic on/off
• Phantom power on/off
• Levels monitoring of the corresponding faders

Moreover, the brand has improved the ergonomics of the MAONO G1 NEO by giving the shell a slightly inclined top panel alignment, making easier to access and visualize.

^4.25_/5

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OC

Operation & Control

Knobs, faders and buttons are large and very easy to grab, control and handle, which despite being made of plastic have better manageability than the buttons and knobs found in some audio interfaces from Behringer and even than some MIDI controllers and MIDI keyboards that we use daily from Akai and MPC.

The knobs have a smooth movement with slight resistance but well balanced to be controlled with 1 or 2 fingers without effort, yet with sufficient fine control in a stepless 360 degree (almost) rotation without any click nor tactile feedback. On the other hand, the indicators of the knobs are a small dot painted in black over black, so it is nearly impossible to see them unless you point a flashlight directly and look at it from an extremely short distance.

The faders, as well, feel well tuned to move up or down without struggling and providing a quick but not overly-loose control.

A nice detail is the fact that the brand has labeled well and clearly each knob, fader and pad with white labeling printing over the black shell and black on top of the white pads.

Unfortunately, though, the unit lacks a dedicated PC software to use any further advanced features or access a possible reprogramming for the nice knobs, sliders and pads.

^3.75_/5

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CB

Construction & Build

The unit is made entirely of plastic with no metal parts seen across the whole device, with the exception of a female thread on the bottom to fix the device to stands, tripods or any other compatible accessory.

Faders, knobs and the power button are all made of similar plastics quality as the shell itself while the backlit pads have a silicone-style build and feel.

These pads are inline with the style and build quality that it is found in most MIDI controllers on the market, even on mid and high-tier competitors from mainstream market leading companies.

The bottom of the shell also sports 4 feet to reduce slippery issues, which proved to do a fairly respectable job but instead of being of silicone, these have the same EVA-foam feel that we have seen on some Tronsmart speakers.

^3.25_/5

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C

Connectivity

Despite the small size and affordable price, the Maonocaster AMG1 NEO should not be underestimated as it packs plenty of features and I/O connections that are hard to see at this price point.

The I/O available in the MaonoCaster G1 NEO are:

• XLR with 48V phantom power
• 1/4″
• 3.5mm
• Aux in in 3.5mm format
• USB-C for DAC/preamp and PC power
• USB-C for 5V power
• Bluetooth for any Bluetooth enabled device (including smartphones and tablets)
• 3.5mm for active speakers
• 3.5mm for headphones

^4.25_/5

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PF

Performance and Features

The MaonoCaster G1 NEO might be aimed to cover the needs of gamers, streamers and content creators but the device is also a capable audio interface for other tasks such as basic music production, DAW accessory and music instruments live playing-controller companion (like electric guitars)

Testing and using it daily, the MAONO G1 NEO showed some positive aspects the we welcomed like the smooth knobs and faders with direct colored visualization of the levels but we found the levels to not be tuned for pinpoint reference accuracy and the pads to be a bit too heavy and needing a bit more force than we would had liked to find; but this is a subjective personal preference.

From a purely audio perspective, the G1 NEO performed respectably well in all of its features as either a headphone amp, audio interface, preamp and mic, phantom powered recording/mixer companion for streaming.

The 20mW of headphone power capability was enough to cover and drive most popular in-ear and over-ear headphones that are not particularly power-hungry, while the 48V phantom power never had any power shortage to manage MAONO microphones through the XLR interface and providing a well-controlled noise and hiss input/output for the mic in and 3.5mm audio out connections.

In addition to this, the number and variety of I/O connectors offered a friendly environment for live streaming without hassle and allowing a multi-device connection for 2 input source devices, 2 mics and 2 outputs (headphone and speaker)

Moreover, the dedicated pad were fun and quick to operate for gaming and streaming allowing on-the-fly mic input voice changing, noise reduction and even 4 different live recordings without the need of any additional app/software – these recordings were assignable to each of the unlabeled main pads and can record up to 20 seconds of audio.

It would had been superb if it was also a MIDI controller but the AMG1 NEO does not send MIDI signals. Also, the G1 NEO does not control Windows Audio Mixer volume from the OS but internally from the unit itself.

^3.75_/5

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MAONO G1 NEO / Maonocaster G1 NEO gaming audio mixer Scores

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