AKG P120 vs AT2020 vs MXL 990 Blind Mic Shootout/Comparison

I have done a blind test between three (typically) $99 microphones that you commonly find online, music retailers, and amongst friends. I find that the AKG P120, At2020, and MXL 990 are the easiest to find and most accessible. I've done three different tests: female singing, female speaking, and male speaking. Hopefully for future videos I'll have a male singer. Please comment with mics you'd like to hear in a shootout and I'll try to get ahold of them. Thanks friends!!

[@MrHandsomeStudios]

Female singing test: Mxl 990 (mic 1) didn't sound as good when Viktoria was singing because you could hear distortion and both akg p120 (mic 2) and AT2020 (mic 3) sounded like much better quality mics. Mic sounded 2 especially good when she hit those higher notes because it sounded clear, no distortion and it worked with her voice because she already has a bright voice so it didn't sound unnatural. Both mic 2 and 3 sounded really great in the singing test. Female speech test: I have the same opinions in this test as above. Mic 1 sounded a little unnatural because the bass were a little to loud but the mic didn't clipp/distort as much. However I think I noticed that mic 3 also had a little more boosted bass like mic 1. Male speech test: Mic 1 and 3 sounded best on the male voice when he was talking and mic 2 had to much trebble/high frequences which didn't sound as good as the other 2 mics. This is the opposite thing to the female test. Mic 3 were probably my favourite in this test. A good thing with mic 2 is that it would stand out more in a music recording compared to other instruments because of the louder higher frequences which will cut through the mix making your voice standing out more. I think overall mic 2 maybe would be better if you're playing an intrument or singing and want it to cut through the mix and stand out more. It seems to also work out better for people with brighter voices. I also think that mic 1 and 3 would probably be best for podcasting and simmulair things.

[@bugsbaloney6200]

The AKG P120 sounds the best to my ears.

[@ViktoriaSilk]

Bugs Baloney that seems to be the common pick amongst other commenters. It is a great mic :)

[@ashed7976]

@@ViktoriaSilk that a dope interface! Bt why dint you turn up the gain??? Its kinda lower volume than other covers and videos out there! {Slightly yet noticible}..... I am just curious cause I wanna make cover like conor and other artist whose vocals are so loud crisp and clear. Uk Thanks.

[@spruce420]

Yea i just ordered one for streaming :)

[@sahiljamadar7572]

2 mic p120 better sound

[@ramabosch6226]

Victoria! thank you very much for doing this. I was trying to get a nice review between the P120 and the AT2020 and you made it! all the best for you. Cheers from Argentina!

[@ViktoriaSilk]

Rama Bosch glad you found it helpful!! Which one did you like?

[@ramabosch6226]

I'm getting the P120 thanks to you!

[@Jhefps]

I agree. Thank you, Victoria!

[@koltigin4097]

Mic 2: Noisy Mic 3: Less noisy than mic 2 Mic 1: Most noiseless mic

[@kronossonork6994]

AKG and Audio-Technica are both excellent, I've used both plus Shure, Oktava, Rode and BeyerDynamic, I like the P120

[@lukeingram7655]

To me #2 & #3 were far more crisp and clear than #1 but of those two #3 seemed a bit more even/flat in response however it was really a toss up as to which of those I'd prefer.

[@ViktoriaSilk]

Mister Sugoi they are all special in their own ways haha 🎶

[@saintarj4552]

From what I've heard AKG P120 is the best budget mic

[@Barncore]

Sounded like mics 2 and 3 were off axies, and mic 1 was more direct

[@MichaelGray-gn9fv]

Better for these test to be in a properly treated reoom. Hearing too much of the room which is coloring the test.

[@EFEYmusic]

Female Mic 1: 3:14 Mic 2: 4:00 Mic 3: 4:48 Male 7:09 7:32 7:58

[@brunofabris3144]

Thanks hero

[@Why-I-Oughta]

👍

[@mossiegee4674]

I own all three but bought another two p120's as i found them the most versatile

[@khodzhef]

Thanks, I want buy 990

[@johnnyfrisco5354]

Really nicely presented video... I think all 3 microphones are excellent and sound great. Thanks for this comparison

[@ViktoriaSilk]

Thank you, they are all great :)

[@SoloNecr0zis]

This was really wel thought and helpful, thank you! I prefet the AKG by far.

[@WellKnownToneBeats]

Another nice one, I still have my mxl, we use it in studio for backup, great clutch mic

[@ViktoriaSilk]

WellKnown Tone I really liked the mxl, it had a lot of presence and clarity. And the blue light was pretty fun haha

[@dalion9170]

many thanks , I like the P120 ,more rounded sound I Think , cheers from Perú

[@ViktoriaSilk]

Daniel Aranguri I liked it a lot too, they all sound so different haha and I wouldn’t say no to any of them :p

[@Texturas75]

​@@ViktoriaSilk Hey, cheers from Perú too! Thank you for this video!

[@hrishabhbairagi2420]

thanks

[@hannaha4046]

Thank you! i have been looking everywhere for a comparison between these mics. well delivered, to the point. liked the blind elements as well v helpful :)

[@ViktoriaSilk]

Glad it helped! I know these are common mics people debate between, hope you find a mic you love!

[@datmaixuan0993]

AKG P120 is the best

[@thebigbongtheory7351]

Nice idea with this blind choosing. Very innovative

[@dtdropsthebeat3493]

I know this is old but I do a podcast and right now we using audio Technica at2020s but we thinking of getting two more mics for guests and my brother who is joining us so I thought about getting the AKG 220 not the 120 or should I just get another audio Technica at2020 or the MXL 990 and MXL 991 which on Amazon they both come together?

[@ViktoriaSilk]

Ready Set Show Podcast if you guys are happy with the 2020s, then keep them! I myself just enjoy having a variety of microphones, so if you get the MXL bundle, your getting a couple right there. You may not use the 991 mic often, but it’s nice to have, and the 990 is awesome :)

[@dtdropsthebeat3493]

@@ViktoriaSilk Awesome thanks for your reply! I am think of getting the AKG 220

[@dhrubapatgiri3986]

According to you maam, for medium tonal male voice which microphone will be the best for home studio ,plz reply thank you

[@angelmelody8187]

Please let me know Rank it please Which is the best for singing Akg p120 vs at2020 vs se x1a???

[@rwxrw]

Great video, Victoria. Just that I needed. :)

[@ViktoriaSilk]

SharpTheDemon thanks for watching, glad it helped!

[@ashed7976]

Is it connected directly to ur pc or u have used any kind of interface.

[@ViktoriaSilk]

They all went through the Apollo Twin Duo 1st Gen. Interface

[@jktubeful]

MXL 👌

[@nammanumma]

i like your singing.....beautiful......thanks for the detail comparison......❤️

[@techcureservices5953]

The MXL990 is obviously the more natural sounding. Your environment was a little boxed, but still treated nicely. I think the P120 was amazing in the mid range but a little harsh on high frequencies. I didn't care for the AT2020 as it sounded like a forced subtractive mix. I think it would be good for those who are just beginning to learn to mix vocals (as a crutch), but professionally I believe the best mic here to be the 990... I'm actually going to buy one as a backup to my TLM103. GREAT SHOOT OUT!!!!! I wasn't even looking to buy another microphone lol

[@MichaelGray-gn9fv]

Retest in a properly treated room . The 2020 picks up everything so sounded like the boxy room . The room is way more imortant than the mic.

[@AgriAutoIndia]

Useful video for an Artists

[@kaistudio8229]

finally this video together with the comments has ended my deadlock all this time and my choice is AKG. Thank you from malaysia❤️

[@adrianmutimer5022]

They all have a nasty high frequency peak or perhaps resonance. Was tired of all of them by the end.

[@ViktoriaSilk]

Probably resonance, my vocal booth wasn't quite dialed in, and sounded on the boxy side. Could have EQ'd it, but wanted to keep it as untouched as possible. Thanks for watching :)

[@dmytrobatsenko4150]

Looked into numerous tests and it seems like AKG is better for female vocals, obviously this mic has more dynamic range and is a bit more accurate, but they also do some tricks with that presence boost around 4-6 kHz that make you think it sounds better. Very similar why most people like Shure SM58 sound . But MXL 990 and V67G give better lower end, that makes male voices richer in sound. None of them compare to Rode though. So I think it doesn't make any sense to pay more for budget home recording - taking just the one that you like and that's it, they are really very close. ANd otherwise, if one needs the best quality voice recording probably it's better to take some pro studio time :)

[@LanceisLawson]

I bought a MXL-990 and ended up selling it after only a month. I didn't care for it at all. The V67G is my choice for MXL.

[@jersontanan7409]

The only thing that's keeping me from buying p120 is I have an athm50x headphone.. but thanks to your video, it made me decide to finally get p120.

[@drillgirl718]

at2020 handles the sibilance s sounds better

[@sandeshraut9093]

Hey Victoria, I want to buy microphone to record rap vocals, I was thinkin of at2035 or akg p420 which do you prefer.

[@lucasvieira1805]

Go to the site audio test kitchen. Is a web app and you will see exactly the difference of these two mics.

[@ankitpanwar1401]

Hey Dear u sing very welll...... Keep it up...

[@DJ_PROMO_PR]

Thanks for taking the time to do this kind of videos. Hubby is a lucky guy! ;)

[@ViktoriaSilk]

DJ PROMO I love when I get the chance to do comparisons! Hopefully I can do them more frequently :) haha thanks, I’m glad I was able to get him in front of the mic for this

[@Texturas75]

I suscribe!

[@hamypham5418]

Thank you sooo much for the video!!!

[@wtulin1970]

Nice video! I am surprised. I liked the MXL best, the AT second. What is not surprising to me is that my least favorite was the AKG. As good as they are, AKG mics in all price points just don't work for my ears. Almost weird but in all tests, blind and otherwise, the AKG always makes me a little sad. Lots of folks have that 2020, for another 50 bucks, the 2035 is really great.

[@sangpelarian]

am I the one who dont like the sound of p120? so high on the treble.

[@hardykleybersanchezcarrion5033]

I think same, but the people say p120 is better, or my ears is bad xDD idk

[@sangpelarian]

@@hardykleybersanchezcarrion5033 lol at least we're not alone😂

[@jboytoto]

I hate it

[@pyrom3744]

I agree and that was the one I was looking to buy. I prefer the 990

[@deepakkumar-zy6qu]

yes high self noise

[@smeagolsessions7942]

How far were? It sounds like more of a room sound

[@ViktoriaSilk]

Smeagol Sessions we were actually about 6 inches from the mic. My vocal booth at the time of recording wasn’t finished being treated yet, resulting in a kind of boxy sound at times

[@bhawanisnaik]

Great test.. helped me a lot.

[@Laiazin]

Nice review! Dislike

[@KREZN1K]

7:08 7:33 7:57

[@laurenstrasser]

Very helpful, thanks!

[@rasxiel2493]

MXL 990 best

[@htotube]

You have a husband? But I was hitting on you 😟😟😟😟😟

[@bunnysingh4832]

Thankyou

[@marcell7406]

real goat for this one

[@junreysepe9162]

Great review!!!

[@Texturas75]

Thank you for comparing probably the three most popular budget condenser microphones, with such quality sources as your great singing. I think I'm gonna buy a MXL after this. I wonder how the Samson C01 would compare with those mics. Maybe acoustic and electric guitar recording would be interesting too in future comparisons (and please raise the volume, hehe). Cheers!

[@ViktoriaSilk]

Texturas75 glad you found it helpful! I may do a part 2 since there are a lot of mics in the same price range :) I’ll need to find me a guitar player but it would definitely be fun to mic up acoustic and electric to add to the test. I wanted to keep the mic source as unedited as possibly, this the quietness. Thanks for watching :)

[@UnderRatedChannelOG]

Great video!

[@TRETRU]

Mic 2 sounded the best but I'd save my money.. Great Video Viktoria..

[@Orderftw782]

Can u please tell me which is the best mic in ur opinion 😭😭😭🙏🙏

[@alfonsbarcelon]

Which one is good for no room treatment? I'm using kaotica isolation ball booth only.

[@alfonsbarcelon]

@Gabriel Paz dynamic mic? I was about to get at2020 this week