Whether you want to get into music production, you’re starting your own podcast or doing anything else that will require you to record high-quality audio a USB Microphone is a very cost-effective and easy way to do so.
In this article, you will find a list of really good USB Microphones at varying different price points, if you’re on a budget, you might like to check out our article on Best USB Microphones for under $100.
USB Microphone Comparison
| Image | Name | Price Point | Headphone Output | Recording Resolution | Read Our Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
  |
Blue Snowball |
Low |
No |
16-bit / 48kHz |
|
  |
CAD Audio U37 |
Mid |
No |
16-bit / 48kHz |
|
|
|
Blue Yeti USB Mic |
High |
Yes |
16-bit / 48kHz |
|
|
|
Rode NT-USB |
High |
Yes |
16-bit / 48kHz |
|
  |
Apogee MiC Plus |
High |
Yes |
24-bit / 96kHz |
When buying the Blue Snowball, it’s important not to get it confused with the Blue Snowball ICE. The two options are fairly similar but the Blue Snowball ICE has lower sound quality and a few less features making it fine for uses like podcasting but not ideal for things like music production.
It’s fairly easy to set up, just plug it in and place it in a good position, however you may want to buy a Pop filter for better sound quality.
Unfortunately, the Blue Snowball does not have headphone output so you won’t be able to connect headphones directly to the microphone for real-time monitoring, obviously you will still be able to listen through your computer but doing so will give you a noticeable delay.
So overall, it’s a good quality microphone for the price, the recording quality is probably not going to be as high quality as some other higher priced microphones and the lack of headphone input is something to keep in mind.
But if you’re just starting out or you’re on a budget, this could be the microphone for you.
On Amazon.com
Unfortunately, Like the Blue Snowball, it doesn’t have a headphone jack for headphone output so if you want to monitor the sound through headphones you would have to do it via your computer which would result in a noticeable delay.
But that could be a worthy sacrifice given the price and the sound quality.
It has a -10dB overload-protection switch to minimize distortion from loud sounds and a Bass roll-off switch to reduce room noise.
It doesn’t come with a Pop filter, but you can easily buy on on Amazon for around $10 – $20.
Overall, if you’re on a budget or you just don’t like the idea of spending hundreds of dollars on a microphone, this could be the microphone for you.
On Amazon.com
Unlike the previous two, it does have a headphone output jack so you will be able to monitor the sound through headphones without a noticeable delay.
It has a volume knob to adjust the volume of the headphones, a gain knob to adjust the microphone sensitivity, and a third knob to switch it between four different modes.
Cardioid Mode, is perfect for vocals, instruments, or anything where the sound source is directly in front of the microphone.
Omni Mode, captures the sound all around the microphone and captures the feeling of actually being there.
Bidirectional Mode, picks up sound from both the front and back of the microphone, perfect for recording two-person conversations or really any situation where you have audio coming from two different locations
Stereo Mode, picks up sound from left to right, perfect for music recording.
Overall, with the excellent sound quality and impressive range of features, the Blue Yeti USB microphone is certainly worth it’s slightly higher price tag.
On Amazon.com
The Rode NT does have a headphone output for zero-latency monitoring via headphones which is a nice addition that not all microphones in this list have.
Another nice addition that this one has is the included pop shield made specifically for it so you won’t have to buy your own.
On the side of the microphone, there are two dials, one controls the headphone volume and the other controls the mix between audio coming from the microphone and audio coming from the computer that can be heard through the headphones.
There are a few features the Blue Yeti has that this one doesn’t like a sensitivity knob, and the directional settings but the recording quality of the Rode NT can be considered to be a bit better than the Blue Yeti so if you don’t need any of those features, this may be the better option for you.
So overall it’s a great sounding microphone with the added bonus of a Pop shield and could be an exceptional choice if you want high quality sound and have a bit more money to spend.
On Amazon.com
As you’d expect at this price point, it has a headphone output which allows you to monitor the sound with no noticeable delay.
On the front, there is a knob to adjust the microphone sensitivity that doubles as a mute button for when you don’t want it to be recording.
Above that is a button to adjust the blend between microphone audio and computer audio that can be heard through the connected headphones.
Overall, it is a great microphone with all the essential features and excellent sound quality, but you will have to weigh up weather the high quality makes it worth the higher price point to see if it’s the right USB microphone for you.
On Amazon.com
So there you have it, whether your on a budget, or you have a bit more money to spend and want really high quality, there is something for everyone.
