Fifine BM88 Review, A Solid Low-Profile Boom Arm?

Last Updated on December 4, 2023

I’ve been using the BM88 boom arm mic stand for a good while now and figured it was time to share a proper review of it.

I have been using it with both the AM8 mic and the K688 mic and, although there are a couple of issues I’ve got to share about the mic arm itself, it still works great overall – especially with these mics!

This review will go over my overall experience with this boom arm sharing what it’s good at versus what it’s not good at to help you get a better idea if it’s the right boom arm for you to get as well.

With that, let’s get to the review.

Product: Fifine BM88 Low-Profile Boom Arm

Recommended Price: Under $60

Cheapest Place To Buy: Amazon.com

Warranty: 2-Year warranty with product registration (More Info)

My Rating: See below!

BM88 Build Quality

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For me, the most important aspect of any boom arm is the overall construction and build quality. Before getting into the experience of using it with a couple of different mics, I want to highlight the build itself and how it feels to use.

When it comes to durability, this feels like it’ll hold its own for the foreseeable future. It’s an all-metal build that’s easy to set up and maintain.

There are a couple of caveats when it comes to the stability of this boom arm due to how it’s constructed… But there’s a simple fix that I share below to avoid any wobbling or sagging while using it.

Let’s first start off with how the build handles stability then we’ll go over the installation and mounting process.

How Stability Is Handled

The BM88 is solidly constructed with an all-metal build. The all-metal design gives it a sturdy feel, but there are times when the arm gets loosened up after daily use. However, it does come with an Allen wrench and is easy to tighten right back up when it does eventually get loosened.

Although it does loosen up at a couple of points after long use, I feel confident that it’ll continue to withstand daily use. The metal finish of the BM88 looks great and I don’t feel like the areas where I have to re-tighten the arm are being strained to a point where durability ends up being at a loss.

When everything is tightened up, there isn’t any wobbling or sag going on with the top arm that is used to adjust your mic angle. You need to find sort of a “sweet spot” when you tighten everything up. If you have the base of the arm too tight on the clamp, the clamp can shift around if you’re constantly sliding it around horizontally.

Something that the installation guide doesn’t highlight is that there are three points at the top of the clamp that you can tighten up with the Allen wrench which further secures the arm to the mount.

I noticed that the bottom arm did have some noticeable wobble while shifting it around but after tightening up those three points, it’s super solid and stays put. While using and adjusting the arm after fully securing it, it feels like it’ll maintain its durability.

To sum up the build when it comes to stability, the BM88 stands out as a lower-cost, durable boom arm. It’s not made out of crappy materials and gets the job done as a sturdy boom arm.

Installation & Mounting

The guide that comes with the BM88 is easy to follow and getting it installed is a breeze. There are only a few steps to get it fully set up.

Using the Allen wrench that comes with it, you simply tighten up each part of the arm after getting the mount positioned on your desk. Slide the bottom arm into the mount then it’s a simple tighten-up to connect it to the mount and then it’s the same for the top arm.

The desk clamp supports a maximum desk thickness of 60mm (2.4in). I use a thin glass desk that has support edges all around the bottom of the glass top, so I wasn’t able to use the mount on my main desk since the top of the rounded clamp is wide to keep it secure...

Luckily, I have a flat wooden desk right next to my main desk and I was able to mount it towards the edge of the desk next to my main desktop and it mounted flawlessly with it!

So, before you decide on getting this boom arm, ensure that your desk doesn’t have any overhanging supports or edges since the clamp is only able to be used on completely flat surfaces.

Now let’s dive into the features of the arm and my overall experience of using it.

BM88 Main Features

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Sure, the BM88 has top-notch build quality, but what about the functionality and overall features?

How does it hold up compared to other similar boom arms?

Cable management is arguably the best part about this arm as it’s painless to put together. Simple slide mechanics to cover up the cable that easily avoids any unwanted pulls on the cable.

Combine that with how much adjustability and compatibility you get out of the arm and you’ve got some of the most important aspects you could ask for when it comes to a simple boom arm.

Below are some details about these features and how simple everything is to use.

Awesome Cable Management

This arm has integrated cable management to keep your cables hidden away and avoid any unintended pulling of the cable from your mic.

It’s super easy to use, there are two cable management channels that slide right out to open up the cover. There are arrow indicators to show which way you need to slide them on/off.

After you slide them off you put the cable into the channel and then slide the covers back on. They really are smooth to slide on and off, an extremely simple process for cable management.

Once you’ve got the cable secured in the channel, you can push or pull the cable in the channel to give more slack to the cable itself.

While adjusting the angle of your mic or rotating it horizontally, there’s nothing that is going to snag the cable – the channels allow for full movement.

I can tell that Fifine put a great deal of thought into how their channels are designed. It’s straightforward and practical, really can’t say the same for many of the other low-profile arms on the market.

Simple Adjustability

Adjustability is obviously key with any boom arm. Full adjustment accommodates multiple mounting positions and is able to adjust to whichever angle you need your mic at. The BM88 has a wide range of smooth adjustability all around.

When the arm is fully extended, it extends out to 29 inches. You can adjust the top arm up and down 220° and the bottom arm is able to swivel horizontally for a full 360°, allowing full freedom of movement and fine-tuning of multiple mic angles.

At the end of the arm where you attach your mic there is a rotatable ball-head which is simple to adjust. You throw it into the end clamps and tighten/loosen however wherever you need it.

That’s where you can fine-tune where your mic points, on-the-fly adjustment with a quick turn of the knob.

Everything is smooth for getting your mic into position and sliding it back when not in use. As I mentioned earlier, the top arm where you adjust up and down can get loosened up after a while but it’s just a quick tighten and it’ll stay right where you adjust it.

Wide-Range Compatibility

This comes with three thread sizes, 1/4’’, 3/8’’, and 5/8’’, which makes it quick and easy to throw on whichever mic you want to use or even a camera. The adapters are connected to the ball head that you can switch out to whichever thread you need.

It can handle up to 3.3 lbs for whichever mic you want to use, which is more than enough to support any mic and shock mount. I currently use it with Fifine’s K688 microphone which uses a shock mount and weighs a little over a pound, it works perfectly with it.

Since I had to mount the clamp to a side desk, it worked out that my mic’s cable was pretty lengthy since it’s farther away than how many others would have it mounted, but even utilizing the cable management channels I don’t have any issues.

This arm really does have virtually full compatibility with any mic. There are arms on the market that don’t have this much range of compatibility and versatility so it’s nice to see a compact arm like this have this level of compatibility.

Using the BM88 With Two Different Mics

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I also want to share my general experience using the boom arm with both the Fifine K688 microphone and the Fifine AM8 microphone. Both of these mics work great, they are attached with a 5/8″ thread which is the default thread used out of the box with the BM88 boom arm.

The K688 does not come with any stand which is why I needed to have a boom arm with it in the first place to solidify my upgrade and be able to use it properly.

Having both the top adjustment with the K688 and the ball head on the boom arm makes for a good combination for fine-tuning the right angles for the microphone. Having both of those options together lets you narrow down exactly where you want the mic to sit without having to tweak and mess around with several knobs.

Using the AM8 mic with this boom arm, it was easy to find a good angle the the boom arm itself did a decent job at keeping the mic stabilized, even though it does not have any sort of shock mount.

Obviously, it makes sense that Fifine microphones work great with a Fifine boom arm, but the adapter that comes with this will work with any other mic as well!

The only initial gripe was that while using the K688 on the arm, there would be some sag after long use but after tightening up the three points under the desk clamp that I mentioned earlier and having the other adjustment points fully tightened up, it stays put for the long haul.

Conclusion

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All in all, the BM88 boom arm from Fifine is a great choice for a durable, low-profile boom arm for any mic.

Sure, there might be a few times when you’ll need to tighten things up with the Allen wrench, but this is after months of use and it takes a few seconds to get it right back to no sag, no wobbling.

If you compare this to the other low-profile boom arms on the market, you’ll notice that Fifine’s is usually at the lowest price without sacrificing any major features or caveats… It’s an all-metal, solid build and it’s hard to beat it compared to even the most expensive low-profile arms out there.

Don’t just take my word for it, be sure to check out all of the reviews over on Amazon as well, it’s boomin’ with more highly rated reviews.

So, are you planning on adding the BM88 boom arm to your setup?

Do you feel that it has enough adjustment points? Would you rather have an arm that has further adjustability?

How do you think this compares to the other low-profile boom arms on the market?

Let me know in the comments below! 😀