Which USB Mic Should You Buy? (AKG, Blue, Rode, Shure, Apogee, Audio-Technica)

We round up six USB microphones - from the Audio-Technica ATR-2500x-USB, AKG Lyra, Blue Yeti Pro, Rode NT-USB Mini, Apogee HypeMic and Shure MV5 - to put them through their paces on voice and acoustic guitar in an old-fashioned shootout.
Want to skip to the audio comparisons?
Voiceover: 07:25
Acoustic Guitar: 08:26
N.B. Regarding comments at 11:20 - The base of the Rode NT-USB Mini is threaded and can be mounted to a microphone stand or boom arm.
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[@burntmarshwiggle]

This would have been a killer video had the mic placement been uniform. If you have the Audio-Technica two inches from your mouth and the Rode 10 inches from your mouth thats going to make a massive difference. Unfortunately, this video doesn't offer useful sample comparisons.

[@YummyCatgirlMilk]

@@Ziraya0 expect your wrong half of them can be put on a boom arm. Just because they come with them doesn't mean you can't take the 2 minutes to record the audio on a boom arm .

[@LukesEnglishPodcast]

The AudioTechnica sounds the best, but only because it’s the closest to your mouth. Proximity effect is a thing.

[@vikrambhati7667]

Plus it lacks gain knob

[@landondale8496]

Not surprisingly, the mic that sounded best for voice was the one closest to the source (the AT on a boom arm). Hard to tell how well the others compared since they were picking up so much room reverb. I was really surprised at how well the Rode sounded all around, but especially with the guitar.

[@kirkegodfrey414]

Thanks for this. The mic placement variation made this pretty problematic.

[@sovakievich]

Totally! no way to compare if the distance from mic is not the same.

[@lcpowell]

amen to that. mic placement is everything.

[@_dfph]

I think this an unfair comparison of the mics. The mics that are near the table's surface are picking up way too much reverberation from the table. Mics should be positioned similarly if your going to make these type of comparisons.

[@zykify]

@@_dfph Both yes and no, apart from the Audio Technica they all had their own stands and none of them was adjustable so whatever difference the distance makes, it will be there for the end-user. For the guitar, it is different, in that situation the microphone placement would most likely be carefully optimized and even a small difference in positioning can make a huge difference in sound.

[@tylerthurston3837]

They were showing it with the included stands so you know what you get out of the box, as the majority of people probably wouldn't buy a mic stand like the audio technica one comes with

[@katk925]

On the Apogee HypeMiC, the reason the legs are loose like that and won't stand up straight is just that you need to tighten the screw under the legs. You have an allen wrench that came with your HypeMiC for this!

[@jadestudio2985]

Fk it's so hard to pick a mic

[@jaakkotoivanen3437]

I got the blue yeti X for 150€ I searched for months and now got the best for my needs!

[@kunalzagde6486]

@@jaakkotoivanen3437 broo Keep that yeti at a long distance(not much) increase its gain, and check how does it sound like.

[@jaakkotoivanen3437]

@@kunalzagde6486 It sound fanominal such a great mic !

[@kunalzagde6486]

@@jaakkotoivanen3437 i got my yeti two days before. And i am completely satisfied with it.

[@hellochriis]

They: "Every mic did sound so different" Me: What???

[@kapamaroyGR]

There's no sense in comparing microphones using different distance from your mouth guys

[@deejayzam]

This video got me even more confused, in a nice kinda way. ;)

[@rodtompkins]

I'm partial to the HypeMiC based on this and other reviews, plus I've had great experience with Apogee products. I bought a pair of the original Apogee MiCs in 2012 and I still use them all the time. The build quality is amazing, and to my ears they still sound great on a variety of sources. Also, the compactness of all the Apogee MiCs appeals to me since I usually tuck them into my backpack when I travel.

[@DJ-li1kz]

Atr 2500x for overall balance between function, blue yeti sound best for just voice

[@jemallen2818]

Finally a good review including the atr2500x! For some reason it's hard to find reviews about it in youtube. Thanks! :)

[@AlainLafleche1]

For me, the Audio-Technica ATR-2500x is the winner. Great sound and having just one pattern without extra button is a plus, there is always noise introduce with buttons on a long run.

[@pasoundman]

AKG and A-T win hands down on voice (hugely more natural). Sadly you didn't really pay much attantion to the acoustic environment so it's hardly a meaningful test.

[@Angeloflight444]

I was not expecting that for Audio Technica! I think it was the best for the voice of the speaker. Second best for his voice although the worst performing was the shure one. I can feel it has less dynamic range(maybe because of built in compression) than the others but I really liked the coloring it did for his voice. As for the guitar the AKG was the best for me. It has brightness and warmth at the same time. The Rode one and the shure one couldn’t really handle that. It would be interesting if you had included the Shure MV51 in your comparison. Thank you for the test! Cheers! 🍺

[@zykify]

Thank you for this overview. I think the Audio Technica sounded best in general but I will go for the AKG because 1. it has a stand already and 2. for the front & back pickup pattern. It also had a very clean sound without too much low's which will make the essence of spoken words easier to come through.

[@SwirlyJoe]

It's also a nice piece of decorations when not in use🤪

[@hexlo514]

Nice review, but would have been nice to have the same distance to the microphones on the sound tests.

[@youknowme...1840]

Audio-Tech is the best to go. Surprisingly AKG has too much noise.

[@iaia5368]

all other mics in this review, tend to make much ''artificial bass'. AKG is more clear. are you sure, he does much noise? ...

[@eduardo.enrique]

@@iaia5368 agree

[@sdstreiker]

AKG Lyra ROCKS!

[@chaddaughtridge4642]

For the acoustic guitar, it was a no-brainer. The Apogee sounded the clearest and most natural. The AKG sounded a little low in the low end. I thought the Rode did as well. The others were a little distorted and not as clear.

[@kevinhanwell3985]

Thank you for a well presented review. I enjoyed the humour and the sound tests on both voice and guitar. Extremely useful info.

[@elijahharing]

And Australian haha

[@nunoferraz5426]

Missing samson g track pro... seriously

[@REMRODFILMS]

that mv5 sounded fire!

[@economicdevelopment5972]

I have Shure MV5 and it has been fantastic for voice, music recording, even Microsoft Teams!

[@blueser100]

I have it too and use it for acoustic guitar 👍

[@greg6162]

I honestly thought the Shure MV5 had the best all around balance, especially for music. The Yeti needs a pop filter or maybe the settings needed to be tweaked. I like the Shure MV5 for plug in play on an iPhone or MacBook Air m2

[@catherinebanton7557]

Too bad you didn’t test the noise floor. It’s important. The yeti mics have a very high noise floor with a kind of a hissing sound and gets worse as it gets older (manufacturer chip problem) while the rode mics have a really low noise floor. I don’t know about the rest.

[@montxsuz]

Good review, thank you. I nearly bought the Rode NT-USB Mini before watching it, now I am having second thoughts (it would have been nice to have had the Rode NT-USB non-mini in this review, Rode being an Australian company). I listened to this video through my computer, which has decent (AudioEngine) speakers plus a SubWoofer. I found that the otherwise good-sounding Audio-Technica was the only mic to have triggered my SubWoofer due to its low-end, causing vibration. That was during the Voiceover. Maybe I'll save up for the Apogee instead.

[@nickbro96]

apply a high pass filter and you'll be right

[@mrsinevich]

Hi! Which one would you suggest for speech recording (audiobooks, voiceovers etc.): Audio-Technica ATR-2500x-USB vs Rode NT-USB Mini?

[@odarquehunnett200]

I’m hearing a high hum with the AKG...connection or gain issue...?

[@borisvaradinac7972]

For the podcast and voice-over or ZOOM, Teams, Skype and all other video calls, I would always go with Audio Technica, or RODE NT USB (normal size not mini). Thank you guys for great video and no post editing while testing those mics!

[@gormauslander]

What makes you prefer The full size nt over the mini?

[@garymanis6305]

I'm curious why you included the bottom rung Sure MV5 , which is priced the same as the Rode NT-USB Mini ($99 USD) instead of the Sure MV7 ($249 USD), which is intended for content creators, is an excellent mic and is priced in the middle of this group or the legendary radio/podcast studio microphone Sure SM7b/CloudFilter bundle ($549 to $589 USD).

[@auxorion]

It's really a shame you didn't keep the distance consistent. The way you presented this, the ATR-2500x sounds like 1000* better than the rest, and the Yeti Pro is like 100* better than the rest, however when you look at the video, the ATR-2500x is at a perfect distance, and the Yeti is at a decent distance, while the rest of them are very far away. If you had spoken directly into each of these mics (up to 6-inches away from the capsule), we'd have an accurate idea of what they sound like. Come on, you should know this..

[@viktorkostadinov5069]

Hello I want to record guitar is the Audio-Technica ATR2500x-USB a good option?

[@ProvenSawlid]

I think the rode NT-USB original should've been apart of this set up

[@DocToxicTF2]

right?

[@balifeefy]

guys you should also test all of them on a mic arm and on the same high

[@lcpowell]

Mic placement is everything. The HypeMic can also be mounted onto a mic stand, I love mine.

[@lcpowell]

I've done jobs in hotels with the HypeMic, it's a great travel mic.

[@pasoundman]

Totally agree about mic placement.

[@joeyoung3319]

I'm actually watching because...(Drum Roll)...I just heard of USB mics a minute ago... LoL

[@angelmahree8635]

This video was extremely helpful!!!

[@sotnat9834]

Audio Technica wins, best sound !!!

[@ssergejev]

Shure MV5 is cheapest, but MV51 would be in same class as others and good competitor too. MV5 style came from SHURE 520DX I believe ;)

[@greg6162]

The Apogee and Audio technica were good but the MV5 actually had the best overall balance IMO

[@szita2000]

I think pricewise as well the Shure was the best mic for voiceover and podcasting. The Rode as much as these guys would want to like it sounded a bit USB-y, tinny to me.

[@govindvaidya8599]

Dear friend: Thanks for useful demo. Request your opinion on: SHURE MV5 usb mic...&... RODE NT USB Mini... can you please tell which of the above TWO mic - has crisp- clear- warmth sound quality suitable for Vocal- Singing for home recording. Thanks Dilip, India

[@ArtemisKitty]

Would the Yeti X be a more comparable one both due to price range and being a current model usb mic vs an older model usb/xlr hybrid, placing it in another class? The Yeti X is cheaper, yet on paper looks way better in stats than the Pro, plus it seems to be aimed more at the same target audience as the rest here. Have you tested and compared the Yeti X and Pro together, choosing not to feature the (4 condenser vs 3 condenser) Yeti X over the Pro? If so, mind sharing why?

[@endezeichengrimm]

The Audio Technica sounded the best to me. I think it has to be close to your mouth to really deliver the best. I might get the Audio Technica if I can find a suitable stand that will work on top of a desk.

[@ArvyVillamarzo]

Very informative video. Having a guitar player and a voice over narrator test the mics was absolutely brilliant. I also loved the way you played the guitar.

[@CatFish107]

I don’t want one, nor do I want to continue watching past the first 10 seconds, if you're just going to shout at me.

[@aprilvscott4787]

I would go for the prettiest one which is the AKG hehe

[@shemofficials5181]

How to connect akg Lyra on any device can you help me please ,I have problems

[@MrBazsi888]

1. Apogee - Full sound amazing, nice treble. 2. ATR-2500x-USB - too much low freq. but pleasing with music 3. Blue Yeti Pro - spikey, but okeyish 4. Shure MV5 - midcentric, nothing special 5. AKG-Lyra - too dry & thin sounding, high noise 6. Rode NT-USB Mini - artificial sound, useless

[@ltbaxter]

Excellent summary, and a good video. The AKG and Rode really were noticeably worse than the others.

[@midorihibiki]

Hey I can even hear the background noise/floor noise with Apogee too. I have Sennheiser HD650, THX AAA amplifier and Schiit Gungnir multibit. AKG-lyra to my ear is just a little thin and dry in voice but great with guitar. ATR-2500x-USB has a bold voice but maybe the best of these microphones for acoustic when i can hear the ring sound with guitar, other microphone can produce that but weaker.

[@MrBazsi888]

@@midorihibiki I bought the Hypemic after the video, it's perfect - no hiss & very smart.

[@tianma201211]

@@ltbaxter how about rode nt usb?

[@BannedEvECharacter]

Bought the Lyra last week, if I would've known of rhodes existence, I might of gotten that, but I have no regrets, it sounds great and i'm glad I got it.

[@pasoundman]

Rode.

[@GaragebandandBeyond]

The AKG is the only one with good Mid information.

[@TojiZenin3956]

Useless comparison because the mic distance is not the same.

[@sfdj888]

This is what I am looking for. Cheerz mate!

[@guitarlearningtoplay]

Why no dynamic usb mic?

[@powersliding]

atr2500 or yeti pro

[@pamelatrent9674]

Should've tested a horn--there was a question if you played a trumpet but no trumpet/horn was tested. That would've been helpful.

[@jaredadams7771]

One statement I would claim is that your distance to each diaphragm as well as the axis direction seemed to be different with each microphone.

[@rakshitr6710]

Thank you both for this video. 👍👍

[@fernandolandaeta991]

This video was so helpful Thanks👏👏👏

[@coleman6036]

Everyone does want to be a podcaster. I just started one

[@viper8177]

I like the sound from the Apogee and Rode for voice. The voice sounded like it had more warmth whereas the others sounded a bit flat and plain. That is what I noticed anyway after you had completed the voice tests. I later found out around 16 minutes where you talk about the Apogee having an analog compressor and all the good stuff inside it.

[@maxheadrom3088]

It looks just like a Telefunken U47 ...

[@drakeninja]

Audiotechnica sounded the best overall

[@STREFAMROKU]

Of course, it is because it is closer to the face. Gentlemen know what I'm doing: P

[@m1kel]

yeah proximity is unfrair. how id wish the distance was the same during the tests

[@To77iKUb]

Thank! That helped me a lot.

[@exone9826]

No love for Samson G Track Pro?

[@alvanyoung4494]

The best in this video for me is the audio-technica

[@sudhirkothari]

Can you tell us which USB microphone can work for androind apps like smule?

[@scpdatabase969]

Golden comparison. Guy has a golden voice too haha

[@priyaaraina5407]

This video was so helpful! Thanks a lot for putting in that effort 👏

[@thekaibenz]

ATR2500x win

[@stupidthingsnetwork]

Lol Australian dollars. I was like $450? That's way more that I saw but then I realized it's not American dollars

[@kimmycola8832]

Hello should I get the other rode mic that you connect to a swivel arm for around $200 or the blue yeti for around $200? Please reply it's very much appreciated.

[@theblinddriver8170]

I bought a few days a go USB mic, the Audio technica AT2020 USB

[@gopilotmusic]

A Great Big ThankYou! fellas.. watched (listened) to parts of this vid a gazillion times to choose a usb mic for acoustic guitar... very pleased with the choice you help me make.. I'm just recording with now for 6 takes or so.. the Shure MV5 I chose. Had been close to the Lyra. But choosing for both fullness of tone and fine detail MV5 sounded best to me. I find the flat setting best..into my ipad daw with a little compression. Very pleased🤘

[@theoutsiderjess1869]

I bought the blue yeti and im absolutely enjoying it

[@arlonrando]

Would be an essential information, wich of these run fine on some iPad, expecially bus-powered mics that you can use mobile in the wild without cable-terror, usb-powered hub etc.

[@georgyj111111]

AT (with hipass).

[@iphoneusdsd]

is this a ad for audio technica? since its the only one on a stand...

[@seanwebb605]

The best USB microphone is........a proper XLR microphone.

[@jobcambodia]

I have a new RODE USB mini but in the box there is only USB cable that cannot be plugged into my MacBook Pro. What do you think I should do?

[@BR04LAN]

You can purchase an adaptor to convert to the connection for your MacBook Pro.

[@ashashiqien1292]

Im surprised that 4yo shure, still could pick up music better than blue yeti. Lyra is not disappointing. I owned 1

[@lukesuperflyjones]

thanks guys for doing this! Would it be possible to hear the mics all at the same mic placement or even at the same time? Cause that is greatly going to make a difference when it comes to the true sound of the mic. Also buy the Apogee Hype MiC from the USA...its only $349! ;D

[@fazlinji]

Love the the 3 ranges of the Audio-Technica and second, the clarity of the Shure

[@rumial-afghani4589]

It will be good if you have better mic placement and more treated room, its just too many room reverb, hope will better in next content tho, thanks

[@cliffsmith1305]

Great vid, guys :-) Comprehensive and cool! Good guitar playing and good voiceover stuff!!

[@joeshmoe7485]

Why do so many of these USB mics not come with an on/off switch? Being able to turn the damn thing OFF is just as important to me as any other feature. I don't want a mic that is always on and always listening.

[@wontondoge]

shure mv5 is goated for its iOS capabilities + 3 preset's and zero latency monitoring + its $69 right now....$40 cheaper than the rode + it's the best for content creators who also make music, im planning on podcasting as well as using it to record vocals, and for occasional online gaming chat use, and eventually streaming, im also buying a pair of hyper x stinger and aluratek headset

[@killer91935]

Which of the six (besides the MV5) is able to plug into an IOS/Android device? And did you test the headphone latency while playing?

[@bohdanopolonets9753]

Rode

[@DavidBrackett385]

Hi, the apogee is lightning cable direct to iPhone. The others you get a usb to lighting adapter to make them work. Just know the bigger mics like the yeti you will need a special adapter that allows charging at the same time to power them. Both these adapters are sold from Apple. I don’t know anything about Android hope this helps

[@robwright7384]

Excellent review. I like the way you give your expert, honest opinions. Great you tried it on acoustic guitar as well as vocals, allways a good test. Well done ATM gentlemen!

[@dimitriskaradimos6210]

the video could have been better . all the mics were tested while speaking from a different distance from each one

[@davidwallis2899]

Would have liked to see how the M-Audio Uber Mic stacked up to these. A thoughtful and broad review, gentlemen. Well done and informative.

[@dxb_pianist]

Great video! Thank you

[@frankluo230]

I like Rode but NT USB series isn't their finest product. Pod-mic is better for podcast even with a decent interface is in the same ball park of price. Procaster is even better and in Australia the price is really good.

[@MarkusWutte]

Blue Yeti is a big surprise for me! Sounds good! Thank you for this comparison!

[@MajeticLuka]

Great video! Thanks!

[@MrAndrewJSimmons]

Thanks guys you literally got me sold on the yeti I was comparing it with the Lyra and this helped me make my decision

[@sahilonvocals1286]

AKG lyra sounds good 👍🏻 almost no noise

[@jaredadams7771]

WAT

[@ishaansaxena06]

I want to record acoustic guitar in an untreated room... and I am confused between the Audio techninca ATR2500x and Rode NT usb mini....PLEASE HELP ME...PLEASE !!!

[@alinz12]

Me too

[@nissenilsson8712]

Good review 😀. What about that low frequency noise on the AT 🤔? It’s humming. Sounds like a grounding problem but how come? It’s a USB a microphone.

[@melissaanne89]

Hi Sirs I know this video is a year ago...i just wanted to ask which is better for a home studio recording for singing. I plan to start recording inside our room but my problem is it's not soundproof at all...which mic can not capture the other noises? I plan to purchase akg lyra but some reviewers said that it captures outside noises...thanks and God bless...