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In the market for a new USB microphone? Our audio experts bought, rigorously tested, and scored 8 of the Best USB mics available today. Comparing the models side by side, we evaluated them for ease of use, sound quality, and convenience to suss out where each one shined or fell flat and help you make the most informed decision for yourself. Be it for streaming, podcasting, or just upgrading the quality of your Zoom calls, this list dives deep to help you find the perfect product for your unique situation.
Advanced LED Interface, Most connection options on this list, Space-age aesthetics
Inexpensive, great sound quality
High-pass filter, Easily adjustable foam cushioned-stand, Lots of customization potential
Ultra portable, clip-on feature
Bargain price, XLR connection
Affordable, Simple, Easy to "plug-in-and-play"
Cons
No carrying case, pricey
Echoey, only supports mini-USB connection
Expensive, Not Portable, Requires ShurePlus MOTIV App for most advanced features
No polar directional patterns, awkward screw stand adapter
Expensive, Underwhelming sound quality, Requires third party software for many advanced features
Crinkly, abrupt sound, no volume control
Problematic mic stand, uninspiring aesthetics
Lack of Features, Barren User Interface, "Tinny" sound quality
Bottom Line
The choice for anyone who wants the very best sound and user experience from their microphone
If you're looking to seriously upgrade your recording quality without breaking the bank, this is the way to go
The pick for anyone who's willing to pay to have the most control over their tech
A stylish, high performing mic for users who want top of the line performance in a small package
While this clean, slick microphone is the pick for somebody who likes to play around with a lot of fun features, it's probably not the best option for anyone looking to quickly and easily up the quality of their podcasts or streams
An incredibly portable and easy to use mic that will benefit anyone recording on the fly
A bare-bones model with decent sound quality that will up your game on a budget
This mic is a product that prioritizes being simple and inexpensive, and if that's what you also prioritize, it could be a great fit for you
The Blue Mic Yeti X blew us away with its clean and clear sound quality, even during a Zoom Video call. With retro-type styling that is consistent with the Blue Yeti brand, it sports a mic screen with a distinct tapered look. Its clean and shiny base gives the X a professional and high-quality aesthetic that looks far more expensive than its relatively reasonable price tag suggests. The X was top-scoring in sound quality, recording clean, full-sounding bass when tested with music. Its clear metering visual, lighted directional pattern, and easy mode-changing make the Blue Yeti X's user interface simple and intuitive.
Unfortunately, the Blue Yeti X's outstanding sound quality routinely picked up plosives on the breath during testing, so you're probably going to want to utilize a pop filter with this mic. Although it's one of the larger microphones on this list, the Blue Yeti X does not come with a carrying case. However, the quality foam packaging it comes in means you're probably fine transporting the microphone in its own box. The X features four distinct directionality options, which makes it ideal for a variety of uses. Whether you need to go bidirectional while recording a podcast with another person or stereo to record more immersive sound like ASMR, the Blue Yeti X is a great overall pick for whatever you intend to create.
The Blue Yeti X sports sleek, retro styling and a sturdy metal stand.
The shine of gunmetal blue you gleam while unboxing means this is the iconic original: the Blue Mic Yeti. This classic model scored second overall in our testing with a price tag indicative of its accessibility. The Blue Yeti is heavy and sturdy with a stand that enables you to adjust and tighten your mic to any angle, even flipping it upside down to become more compact for transport. The Yeti also supports alternative stand capability with threads to mount onto any standard stand or boom. Its simple and intuitive gain and volume control, along with easy switching between four polar patterns, make the Blue Yeti ideal to start working right out of the box.
There are tradeoffs to the enticing value and ease of use. For instance, the music we recorded sounded rather echoey with some fuzziness. The voice recording was considerably brighter but still a bit too distant and echoed. That said, the gain and volume control is consistently strong and responsive, and the Blue Yeti aided in loud and clear discussion over Zoom calls. Its ease of use, convenience, and features make the Blue Yeti a prime pick at an attainable price.
With prominent dials and buttons, the Blue Yeti was efficient and easy to use.
Completing the Blue Yeti trifecta is the Blue Mic Yeti Nano, a great pick for anybody whose priority is maximizing sound quality per dollar spent. This mic was one of the top scorers in our sound quality metric, retaining a strong and clear bass that penetrated any fuzzy echoes. During a Zoom call test, the Blue Yeti Nano was clear, free of static, and a definite upgrade from a standard headset mic.
Be forewarned that this model means missing out on some features available in other products offered by Blue Yeti. Unlike its beefier brothers, the Nano does not support four polar directional patterns. Instead, it only has cardioid and omnidirectional options. So, to record a conversation with multiple people or the rich and immersive sound of ASMR, you may want to consider a more suitable model. However, if you simply want to enhance the quality of your streams or conference calls without a major investment, the Nano is the mic for you.
The Blue Yeti Nano packs a lot of punch in a small package.
If you're a back-to-basics person, the Audio-Technica AT2005USB might be for you. This mic is our budget option. With only a volume control toggle wheel and an on/off switch, a traditional microphone look, and simple pleather carrying case, the Audio-Technica AT2005USB is perfect for people who are looking to up the production value of their work-from-home setup without any fluff.
This mic's features are pretty scant. The included microphone stand is lightweight, requires assembly, is a pretty tight fit, and is relatively difficult to adjust. The Audio-Technica AT2005USB sports no directional pattern adjustment and none of its own software. The sound quality was a bit flat, not the best for music, but was clean and neutral, making it fine for voice calls. This just-the-essentials option curiously and delightfully supports an XLR connection, meaning that it will play well with mixers and offers audio utility far beyond that which just a USB connection would allow.
The classically styled AT2005USB is a great bare-bones model for the budget-minded broadcaster.
If the reason you need a USB mic is to have something portable, The Samson Go Mic fills the bill. The microphone is extremely tiny and isn't extensively stylized. While it comes with a ball-in-socket style stand, the main allure of the Samson Go Mic is its ability to be clipped to any laptop, tablet, or other thin monitor.
The Samson Go Mic scored middle of the road for sound quality when compared to the other mics on this list, but, in practice, the sound recorded on this mic is crinkly, abrupt and loud (albeit not echoey). This mic supports no volume control, but it does have a gain control switch. The Samson Go Mic gives you three directional options (Cardioid, Cardioid with a 10 dB Pad, or Omni pick-up pattern) and comes with a nice little case. The real purpose of this mic is its ability to easily go with you anywhere.
The Samson Go Mic performed admirably for a pocket-sized device.
Credit: Jason Peters
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Why Trust GearLab
Here at GearLab, we work hard to ensure a transparent testing process free from biases. We always buy the products ourselves, at the same prices and from the same retailers as our readers do. The microphones we reviewed were all put through rigorous hands-on testing that considered every part of the process: from unboxing to the quality of our final audio recordings. We ran tests using spoken word, music, and video-calling software.
Leading the effort on this particular audio gear review is John Giammona Wilber. John is a graduate of Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, where he worked as a sound mixer and editor on several pilots, web series, and short film projects. In addition, John spent years producing several podcasts and radio shows on Chapman Radio, the West Coast's largest internet-based collegiate radio project. John has worked with audio in a wide variety of contexts with a wide variety of budgets, learning what quality to expect at what price.
The ultra-portable Go Mic comes with a case and easily fits in a jacket pocket.
The Blue Snowball Ice looks like something out of a sci-fi movie and won't break the bank.
We loved the simple and convenient user interface of the Blue Yeti X.
Analysis and Test Results
Our test plan gauges three metrics, which are Ease of Use, Sound Quality, and Convenience.
What's the Best Value?
Our first value pick, the Blue Yeti Nano, sets the standard for value. The Nano retains the superior sound quality of its sister microphones, the standard Blue Yeti and Blue Yeti X (both top performers and great values themselves), while sporting a slimmer price tag. The Nano was also a top scorer in our “Ease of Use” metric.
Another heavy-hitter on the value front was the Audio-Technica AT2005USB. This mic was the second least expensive of the eight we reviewed, and for its relatively small investment, the Audio-Technica AT2005USB really upped the sound quality over video calls. This simple microphone doesn't have a flashy user interface, but its quality mic stand, XLR connection option, and user-friendliness mean it offers an ideal cost-to-performance ratio.
The Shure MV7 doesn't come standard with its own stand, but easily mounts onto most standard mic stands or booms.
Credit: Jason Peters
Ease-of-Use
We divided this metric into several parts: how long it took to set up each microphone, the functionality of each user interface, connections each mic supported, the quality of each microphone stand, and alternative stand compatibility.
The Blue Yeti X blew us away in terms of user-friendliness. It took only a minute to set up, and its user interface included a clear mute button, metering visual, and lighted directional pattern select. Its solid metal stand and quality foam packaging made setup a delightful experience. Its aforementioned sister products, the standard Blue Yeti and Blue Yeti Nano, exhibited similar quick setup times and cohesive user interfaces.
Switching between polar patterns on the Nano was as easy as a button press.
Credit: Jason Peters
The Razer Seiren Elite USB was also a top Ease-of-Use scorer. With its 90-second setup time and already-attached mic stand that's sturdy enough to be adjusted with one hand, the Razer Seiren Elite is exceptionally user-friendly despite all its additional features. The LED indicator for mute status and the included high-pass filter make it a convenient and functional audio-recording tool.
Sound Quality
This metric weighed the heaviest during our scoring. We divided sound quality into two parts: voice isolation and playback quality. Our voice isolation metric was tested over a Zoom Video Call, where the Shure MV7 really stood out. It was clean-sounding, free of echoes, free of sibilants, and gave our Zoom calls almost a face-to-face audio quality, albeit with a slightly “broadcast-y” flavor.
Our playback quality metric examined both music and spoken word recorded. The Blue Yeti X and Razer Seiren Elite both sounded remarkably good and similar during playback. The music we recorded was notably clean and free from fuzziness, although the X's bass sounded considerably fuller than the Razer's. Both produced a clean, though muted, spoken word playback that sounded almost as if we were in an anechoic chamber. Both would be very good options for podcasters.
The Seiren Elite looks like something out of a retro music video, and followed through with an impressive recording performance.
Credit: Jason Peters
Another top scorer for sound quality was the Samson Go Mic. While it didn't filter out background noise on the playback as totally as the other mics, the music and spoken word was free from sibilants. The music was especially pronounced, minimally echoey when compared to the other mics, and featured a noticeably strong bass.
Convenience
We broke this metric into four parts. First, we gave a portability score based on the size and weight of the microphone and whether or not it came with a carrying case. The exceptionally tiny 3.8 oz Samson Go Mic was the obvious portability score winner; the mic is designed first and foremost for portability. But a more surprising portability winner was the Audio-Technica AT2005USB, whose simple but professional-looking pleather case makes it ideal for recording audio in a lot of different places.
We scored next based on gain control. While most of the mics on this list have their gains controlled through an app, the standard Blue Yeti and Razer Seiren Elite covered this feature with a simple and tactile knob on the side of the mic. The clear winner here was the Shure MV7, which features a physical touch slider and an automatic mode that sets the gains in real-time as you're speaking into the mic.
With easy to operate adjustments, the Blue Yeti was a breeze to customize on the fly.
Credit: Jason Peters
Our next sub-metric concerns volume control and directional pattern availability. The Blue Yeti and Blue Yeti X scored highest here. Both feature four different directional pattern options and the ability to quickly change between patterns with a knob on the side of the mic. Lastly, when we scored the software that's used with these mics, all the Blue Yeti models scored the best thanks to the Blue Sherpa software used across their product line. The Shure MV7 also scored highly here as the ShurePlus MOTIV app unlocks a whole new realm of functionality.
Conclusion
Whether you're using your USB microphone for streaming over Twitch, giving a Zoom presentation while working from home, or starting a podcast with your best friends, we hope that we've made your purchasing decision a little easier. With many electronics moving wireless, additional USB ports might be necessary. Consider checking out our best USB hubs review for the latest and greatest hubs.
—Michelle Powell, John Giammona Wilber, and Austin Palmer
