Our world is constantly changing and evolving, and for once, we can see what we’re headed to. We’re moving to the digital world. Every form of communication is online. From chatting with friends, talking to teachers, to working from home. Online communication is a key part of our lives. Whether you want a microphone for livestreaming on Twitch, recording videos for Youtube, recording music, or just for conversation, you’re going to need a nice microphone. Many people are curious if there is a best microphone to use in 2023.
The answer is that the best all-around microphone to use in 2023 is the Blue Yeti. With 4.5 stars with over 25,000 ratings, the Blue Yeti is the best microphone to use for streaming, recording, and video conferences. It is high quality, durable, and will cover all of your microphone needs without breaking your bank.
If you want your voice to sound as good as possible, then you’re going to want one of the best microphones around. That’s why we put together this list of the best microphones you can use for various needs and requirements.
The microphones featured in this article account for different considerations such as budget, sound quality, and special features. And of course, all of these microphones work well with Open Broadcaster Software for all of you streamers!
The best microphones in 2023:
- Blue Yeti: All-around
- Alctron UM900: High-Quality Budget
- FiFine K669B: Low Budget
- Elgato Wave 3: Professional
- Shure MV7: Top-Tier
Ready to get your voice heard? Read on.
The Best Multifunctional Microphone: Blue Yeti
The Blue Yeti microphone is widely regarded as the best microphone all-around for most use cases. It has great sound quality, a nice look, and is designed with ease-of-use in mind. With price options ranging around $100 USD on Amazon, it’s not crazy expensive either.
The reason there’s a price range is that there are various color options available. The 10-year anniversary custom finish and the teal options come in at a steeper price. Meanwhile, if you’re on a budget, Silver and Blackout styles are a great call!
Our teammates at Speed Gaming News have personally used this microphone. Thus we can vouge for the Blue Yeti’s professional sound quality, adaptability, and exceptional simplicity! If you’ve ever stopped on Reddit to get their take on the best microphones, this one will inevitably be mentioned.
Furthermore, the Blue Yeti microphone connects to USB, so just about all laptops and computers should be compatible with it. So long as you have a USB port or converter.
The Blue Yeti mic is plug-and-play for Mac and PC. It is compatible with Mac OS X (10.4.11 or higher). For “PC” users, the Blue Yeti works on Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10, Vista, XP Home Edition, and XP Professional.
Sorry, if you’re on Windows 98 or lower, you’re out of luck!
The Blue Yeti is not just a great mic all around — It also has a special feature: polar patterns.
Blue Yeti: Polar Patterns
The Blue Yeti’s polar patterns give you get access to four special modes that can help pick up audio for distinct purposes. These different modes specialize in picking up audio for interviews, one direct speaker, podcasts, musical instruments, general conference calls, and much more.
Blue Yeti’s four Polar Patterns, or modes, are:
- Stereo (vocals, ensemble choir, instruments)
- Cardioid (podcasts, voiceovers, vocals, instruments)
- Omnidirectional (conference calls, field recordings, events, orchestras)
- Bidirectional (interviews, instruments, vocal duets)
Also included are a mute button, a sturdy stand, a volume control knob, and a headphone jack.
The Cons of the Blue Yeti Microphone
Being the best all-around microphone on this list, we want to be extra critical to make sure you know exactly what you’re getting. This microphone is outstanding! Admittedly though, nothing is perfect! The Blue Yeti does have a few very minor downfalls.
There are 3 cons of a Blue Yeti mic:
- Wire connectivity
- No shock mount for the mic stand
- It’s too heavy for cheap boom arms
Wire Connectivity
Don’t plan on moving the Blue Yeti around too much because it might lose its ability to connect with the cord if it’s jostled around too often. If you have a boom arm, and you’re constantly shifting it around, do so with care. The microphone is very sturdy, but nothing is invincible.
Admittedly, our team member who used this mic the most, wasn’t too mindful while swiveling it around. Despite this, the port on the microphone still lasted years. You could easily avoid this same issue by simply keeping your microphone in a more stable position.
However, the exceptional customer service at Blue can help you get back on track if you notice some crackling after a few years of rough use.
No Shock Mount
Next, we want to mention is the microphone’s sturdiness. How is being sturdy a flaw? For starters, the stand is a really great and sturdy mic stand! Unfortunately, because it’s so sturdy, it can pick up audio if you bump the desk on which the mic is standing. There are several solutions to this. You could just be careful not to bump your desk too much!
Replacing the stand is a simple option. Or you could set the stand on something soft to dampen the blow of any bumping and banging. And finally, the Blue Yeti is also built to fit comfortably in a boom arm. Wherein lies the other issue with the sturdiness.
Requires a Stronger Boom Arm
Because the Blue Yeti is well-built and strong enough to endure some damage without impacting performance — it has weight!
Weight is a good thing with a microphone, in many cases. As a result of the weight, you’ll want to be aware that if you choose to buy a boom arm, you need an equally strong boom arm! You’ll need a boom arm capable of holding your mic in place for hours, without too much drooping. Essentially, you’ll just need to be willing to buy a nicer boom arm to avoid running into trouble.
Nevertheless, these are very minor flaws and this microphone is an excellent choice. Each can easily be avoided and resolved. But we want to give you the whole truth and the best insight we can give. We want you to be able to make the best-informed decision you can before any purchase!
We Recommend the Blue Yeti Mic
The Blue Yeti is just about as perfect of a microphone as you can find for streaming and recording. The audio is truly incredible for the price. You can hear the quality in this next video as a sample.
This video is a good display of what a casual conversation might sound like while using the Blue Yeti mic. No effects were used, no special setups, just the default quality of the microphone.
If we were to choose to buy a new microphone for this website, we would absolutely choose the Blue Yeti. Overall, it’s an outstanding mic and deserves all of the praise it gets from content creators around the globe. If the Blue Yeti sounds like the microphone for you, you can order it on Amazon here.
The Best High-Quality Budget Microphone: Alctron UM900
The Alctron UM900 is a top-tier and affordable microphone option. It is a condenser mic with USB output. It comes with a high-quality A/D converter and 16bit/48KHZ sampling rate. The audio is crystal clear, and the hardware is highly durable. What’s most impressive is that it sells for just $49.99 USD.
This is the microphone currently used by one of the Speed Gaming News team members. You can check out the audio quality of the microphone in this twitch clip.
Furthermore, you don’t need to download any drivers. You can just plug it in, and it’s good to go.
This microphone was designed specifically for podcasters, meetings, and presentations. It really works wonderfully for any monodirectional mic pick up though, so don’t let that stop you from picking it up if you’re a Youtuber, vlogger, or Twitch streamer. If you need the details, below are some more specifications.
Specifications of the Alctron UM900 condenser USB microphone
- The sensitivity of this mic is set to -38dB
- Max SPL of 110dB
- S/N ratio is 68dB
- USB powered
- Compatible for both Windows and Mac
Beyond the excellent quality and affordable price, one big selling point is the shock support. You can move around all you want, and you won’t have to worry about a thing thanks to the shock-reducing support it comes equipped with. Honestly, Alctron just builds high-quality products. They don’t ramp up the prices, and they create sturdy, reliable equipment that won’t let you down! Even the USB port locks in place, therefor you never have to worry about coming disconnected!
Downsides of the Alctron UM900
The UM900 has a cardioid pick-up pattern. That means this isn’t the best choice if you’re looking for a more dynamic microphone that can pick up audio from 2 sides or all directions. Alcron, however, does offer microphones with 4 polar pick-up patterns just like the Blue Yeti. Two examples are the Alctron CU58 and the Alctron UR66 USB microphone.
We Recommend the Alctron UM900 USB Condensor Microphone
The UM900 is a very solid microphone! We have no complaints about it. If you’re interested in checking this one out, then check it out soon! there are only a few available on Amazon, so get in quick.
The Best Microphone for a Low Budget: FiFine K669B
This has got to be our pick for the best low-budget microphone on the market right now. At only $35 (regularly on sale), the FiFine K669B is a classic microphone that gets the job done. You won’t be getting anything too fancy, instead, you’re going to have all the essentials. Great sound quality, volume control, and even an adjustable stand.
All things considered, this conveniently sized cardioid mic won’t let you down.
“Decent choice for gamer and streamer” – FiFine
Whether you’re a YouTuber, speedrunner, or you’re just gaming with your friends, it’s a microphone worth checking out on Amazon.
Best Professional Microphone: Elgato Wave 3
We recommend this microphone to any aspiring YouTubers or Twitch Streamers. Even if you record or stream content for school or work, this is a professional and audibly clear microphone option.
The Elgato Wave 3 is a sleek, high-quality mic that offers amazing audio control. Other microphones also offer great audio control, but what sets the Elgato Wave 3 apart is its affordable price point and its custom software. Elgato provides video tutorials if you get lost along the way.
Moreover, the software and mic give volume control to the mic itself plus other software on the PC. If you’re a streamer, this is a game-changer. You can change the volume on the fly, therefore you won’t need to spend time tweaking with complicated audio settings.
Ultimately the Elgato Wave 3 is a great mic for streamers, video content creators, or anyone that wants superb audio control. However, we wouldn’t really recommend it to anyone else. The microphone tries to isolate all noise except for the individual user’s voice. This may hinder its performance for podcasts or other uses.
But at only $150 (and often on sale!), there’s not much to complain about. Check it out here on Amazon.
The Best Top-Tier Mic: Shure MV7
The Shure MV7 is an amazing microphone with just about nothing we could complain about. This microphone is almost perfect. We recommend this microphone to anyone who’s into creating content or just wants to be heard exactly the way they sound.
The MV7 is a beginner-friendly mic, but it doesn’t sacrifice quality for that friendly user interface. More experienced sound nerds will find that there are a ton of settings to play with. The mic achieves the best of both worlds by having USB and XLR options. Beginners can plug in the mic through USB and be ready to go, while those who want to go the extra mile can plug it into XLR and tweak everything.
This mic has everything there is to offer: crisp vocal clarity, warm sound, versatility, custom software, a sleek design, portability, and audio control.
Conversely, our only nitpick is that it doesn’t come with a stand, so you’re going to have to invest in one on your own.
One last thing to mention, this microphone leans more on the expensive side. At $250 without the mic stand included, you’re going to be spending a pretty penny on this setup.
But if you’re serious about streaming, podcasting, playing an instrument, or just sounding great — then the Shure MV7 is worth every cent. Check it out on Shure’s official site here.
Which Microphone is the Best in 2023?
Now that we’ve gone over some of the best options on the market, it’s time to make a decision. We have also helped others make a decision about the best gaming mouse & keyboard combination sets!
All of these microphones have their own pros and cons. Some may prefer one while others prefer another. Consider your goals, wants, and needs before you make a choice. Remember that everyone’s preferences are different. We hope we helped you find the best microphone to suit your needs.
