A quiet room, or two voices on one mic
Logitech Yeti
The long-running USB condenser with four pickup patterns and plug-and-play setup; no XLR, and it hears bumps.
Photos: Logitech
of 6 reviews recommend itand 1 owner review
Choose it if you stream from a quiet room, or want two people on one microphone in its bidirectional or omnidirectional pattern. It plugs in over USB with no drivers and has gain, mute and a headphone output on the body. It is a condenser, which RØDE says is more likely to pick up background noise in an untreated space, which during a set means your speakers, and reviewers find it hears desk bumps and pops. It has no XLR output, and its reviews date from when it was sold as the Blue Yeti, with little owner evidence. With music in the room, the MV7+ is the safer choice.
- Best for
- Streaming or podcasting from a quiet room, alone or with a guest.
- Skip it if
- You want to move to an XLR interface later, or your desk takes knocks.
What people praise
- Four pickup patterns, including modes for groups and interviews
- Good sound for the money
What to know first
- Picks up desk bumps, vibration and pops
- No XLR output, so it can't grow into an interface setup
USB now, XLR later
Shure MV7+
A USB-C and XLR dynamic mic with on-board processing and sound near the SM7B family; its app felt unfinished at launch.
Photos: Shure Incorporated
of 8 reviews recommend itand 23 owner reviews
Choose it over the Yeti if music plays in the room while you talk. It is a dynamic mic with USB-C and XLR outputs that work at the same time, and over USB Shure's free MOTIV Mix app sets gain, tone and compression and runs a real-time Denoiser that reviewers single out. That processing works over USB only, the app felt unfinished at launch, reviewers find it pricey for a USB mic and the touch mute easy to hit, and there is no stand in the box. If you already use RØDE's apps, look at the PodMic USB.
- Best for
- Streamers and podcasters who want one mic for USB now and XLR later.
- Skip it if
- You will only use XLR: the on-board processing works over USB only.
What people praise
- Clear, natural voice sound, close to the SM7B family
- USB-C and XLR on one mic, usable at the same time
What to know first
- MOTIV Mix desktop app felt unfinished, with no presets at launch
- Expensive next to other USB microphones
USB and XLR in RØDE's apps
RØDE PodMic USB
A solid dynamic mic with USB-C, XLR and APHEX processing; reviewers split on its price next to the original PodMic.
Photos: RØDE Microphones
of 6 reviews recommend itand 24 owner reviews
Choose it over the MV7+ if you already use RØDE's software or hardware. Its APHEX processing is set in RØDE Central and stays in the mic for any app, RØDE Connect takes up to four PodMic USBs on one computer for guests, and an external pop filter comes in the box beside the internal one. Three of six reviewers find it too dear next to the XLR-only original PodMic, owners and reviewers say it picks up knocks and desk rumble, and unlike the MV7+, its USB and XLR outputs can't run at once.
- Best for
- Streamers who want USB now, XLR later, and RØDE's free apps.
- Skip it if
- You already have an XLR interface: the XLR-only PodMic does that job.
What people praise
- Clean, warm voice sound
- Solid, heavy all-metal build
What to know first
- Expensive next to the original XLR PodMic
- Picks up knocks and desk rumble
XLR into an interface you already own
RØDE PodMic
A cheap XLR dynamic with a heavy metal build and a warm voice sound; it is quiet, so check your interface's gain.
Photos: RØDE Microphones
of 6 reviews recommend itand 35 owner reviews
Choose it over the PodMic USB if you already own an interface or a streaming mixer with an XLR input and want to spend less: the three PodMic USB reviewers who find that model too dear point here. Reviewers and owners rate its warm voice sound, its heavy all-metal build and the internal pop filter and shock mount, and reviewers find it rejects off-axis and room noise. It is XLR-only and quiet: nine sources say a weaker interface needs the gain up or a booster, and Delamar had a Scarlett 2i2 at full gain with audible noise. The box holds the mic alone, with no cable or stand, it pops up close without an external filter, and owners say it picks up knocks. If gain is the problem, the SM7dB solves it in the mic.
- Best for
- Podcasters with an interface already who want broadcast sound for little money.
- Skip it if
- You have no XLR interface: the PodMic USB adds USB-C for that.
What people praise
- Warm, clear voice sound for the price
- Heavy all-metal build
What to know first
- Low output: a weaker interface needs the gain up or a booster
- No cable, stand or case in the box
Video reviews
- PodcastageApr 2019Recommends
XLR into an interface short on gain
Shure SM7dB
An SM7B with a built-in +18 or +28 dB preamp, so it works on any interface with phantom power; it costs more.
Photos: Shure Incorporated
of 11 reviews recommend itand 56 owner reviews
Choose it over the SM7B if your interface has less than the 60 dB of clean gain Shure asks for. It is the SM7B with a preamp built in, switchable to add 18 or 28 dB, so the Cloudlifter-style booster goes, and a bypass switch turns it back into a stock SM7B. Reviewers and owners hear the same voice sound and the same rejection of room noise. It needs 48 V phantom power from an XLR interface or streaming mixer, there is no cable in the box, ten sources call it expensive next to the SM7B, and four reviews say an SM7B owner with a clean, high-gain interface gains nothing. Podcastage, one of two mixed reviews, says to keep expectations of low-noise recording in check.
- Best for
- Podcasters and streamers whose interface lacks the gain an SM7B needs.
- Skip it if
- You own an SM7B and a clean high-gain interface; the sound is the same.
What people praise
- The SM7B's voice sound, now with enough output for any interface
- Built-in preamp removes the need for a Cloudlifter-style booster
What to know first
- Expensive, about $100 or 200 euros over an SM7B
- Needs +48 V phantom power and an XLR interface; no cable in the box
Video reviews
- PodcastageOct 2023Mixed
XLR with gain to spare
Shure SM7B
The broadcast dynamic mic owners and reviewers rate for voice and room rejection; it needs 60 dB of clean gain.
Photos: Shure Incorporated
of 7 reviews recommend itand 82 owner reviews
Choose it if your voice goes over XLR into an interface or streaming mixer with gain to spare. Reviewers and owners rate its rich voice sound and its rejection of room noise, which suits a room with speakers running. It is a quiet mic: Shure asks for at least 60 dB of clean gain and warns that many interfaces have only 40 to 50 dB. The Scarlett 2i2 drives it without a booster, Sound On Sound and Mix found; with less, Shure points to its MVX2U or an in-line booster such as a Cloudlifter or FetHead, which adds 25 to 28 dB, or to the SM7dB. It has no USB output.
- Best for
- Podcasters and streamers with an interface or mixer that has gain to spare.
- Skip it if
- Your interface has under 60 dB of gain and you won't add a booster.
What people praise
- Rich, warm sound on speech and vocals
- Rejects room and background noise, so it works in untreated rooms
What to know first
- Needs a lot of clean gain, often a Cloudlifter-style booster
- Dark tone that can need EQ
Also considered
- Elgato Wave:3 MK.2. A USB condenser whose Wave FX processor runs Clipguard 2.0 and five effects on the mic itself, with Auto Gain and Elgato's Wave Link app. All six reviews recommend it, but all six were published between April and August 2026 and no owner reviews have been read yet, so it isn't a pick. As a condenser it has the same room caveat as the Yeti: three reviews say it picks up room noise and reflections. For an XLR dynamic on Elgato's software, the Wave XLR MK.2 in the streaming mixer guide is the interface.
- Logitech G Yeti 2. The new generation of the Yeti picked above, a multi-pattern USB-C microphone that Logitech says keeps the original's design but is new inside. Logitech lists a voice proximity sensor that follows your voice and adjusts gain and EQ in real time, an AI de-noiser for keyboard clicks, notifications and PC fan noise, Blue Voice processing on the mic itself and a 1.3-inch screen, where a Yeti character sleeps when the mic is muted and looks angry when the audio clips. It isn't a pick yet because it launched only in September 2026 and has no record here, with no reviews or owner reviews read yet, as of 9 November 2026.
How to choose a microphone for streaming
Your mixer or controller may already have a mic input
A mic input on a DJ mixer or controller feeds the master mix, so your voice reaches the stream with the music. The DDJ-FLX4 has a 1/4-inch TS mic input, and reviewers point out that its mic audio travels over USB with the music, so a stream needs no extra interface. The DJM-250MK2 has a 1/4-inch TS mic input with no XLR socket, and the Inpulse 500 a balanced 1/4-inch input, so an XLR mic needs an XLR-to-jack cable. The trade-off is that your voice plays through the room speakers too, and OBS can't process it apart from the music.
Dynamic or condenser
RØDE's comparison sums it up. Dynamic microphones are less sensitive by design, which makes them good at isolating your voice and rejecting background noise, but you speak close to them, about 5 to 15 cm away, and they need more gain. Condensers are more sensitive, work from 10 to 20 cm, and RØDE calls them ideal for a space with little background noise and few hard surfaces. A DJ stream has music in the room, which is why five of the six picks are dynamics.
USB, XLR or both
A USB microphone plugs into the computer and appears in OBS as its own source. An XLR microphone needs an interface or streaming mixer to reach the computer; what an audio interface does explains the job, the best audio interfaces covers plain interfaces, and the best mixers for streaming covers units with faders. A mic with both outputs, such as the MV7+ or PodMic USB, starts on USB and moves to XLR when you add one.
Check the gain
Check the gain of the input you plan to use before buying an XLR dynamic. Shure's 60 dB figure for the SM7B is the clearest published number, the PodMic's reviewers and owners report the same hunger, and RØDE says dynamics in general need more gain than condensers to reach the same level. The SM7dB carries its own preamp for interfaces that fall short. The streaming mixers in the streaming mixer guide list their gain.
Keep the music out of your voice channel
Speak close to the microphone and point its back at the speakers. When your voice has its own channel in OBS, its audio filters help: Noise Gate cuts the channel when you aren't speaking, Noise Suppression removes background noise, and a Compressor can duck one source when another makes sound, so the music dips while you talk. The livestreaming guide covers getting the mix into OBS and what each platform allows.
How these picks are made
Each pick is the microphone with the strongest evidence for its situation. The evidence is what professional reviews conclude and what owners report on retailer sites, compiled for each product, with every source linked on its product page. No microphone here was tested in a lab. Prices come from daily tracking across the retailers we link to, and the status beside each one compares today's price with the lowest recorded. The methodology explains the whole process.
