The Best Microphone of 2022

The Blue Microphones Yeti is a table microphone that gives you lots of sound and has good build quality for the money, and is therefore our best microphone of 2020. It's well built apart from slightly sluggish controls, and has a stable design. You have access to a decent number of settings. In terms of design, it's quite big, but the rounded shape makes it seem smaller. It's easy to orient. You can fix it in a particular position using the two controls on the side. With the USB cable connected, you can easily get started with recording. This makes the Yeti extremely user-friendly even for those who aren't used to technical products. We like the fact that there's a physical mute button. This is very useful, for example, when you're speaking into the microphone and want to be able to quickly turn off the sound if someone comes into the room.

The Yeti gives you very high quality recording quality given the price tag. In this price class and segment, you can't find a microphone that performs better. You get a very natural soundstage which is clean and clear and with good balance. At the same time, noise is kept to a very low level. Unfortunately it does also pick up a bit of environmental noise regardless of how you set the sensitivity, which impairs the good impression somewhat. For example, a computer with a noisy fan can produce audible noise in your recordings. There's quite a big difference when you rotate the sensitivity knob, so you should experiment with this before starting to record. But even on the lowest level we experience quite a lot of environmental noise. The USB cable is very long, which means you can place yourself a little way from the computer, but this is still a negative point in the test report. However, given the price this is a very good value for money table microphone suitable for those wanting to record podcasts, YouTube films or if you want to stream to Twitch or similar services.

When the MK4 Analog was first released in 2011, people were hugely impressed with its fantastic sound recording and build quality. However, it took almost 5 years before Sennheiser released a digital version that gave you the opportunity to plug the microphone directly into your Macbook, PC, iPad etc.

The MK4 Digital gives you the freedom to be more mobile with your music, podcasts and so on. You don’t have to lug a lot of extra equipment or cables, which makes it both easy and fun to record music or other sound when you're on the go.

The exterior hasn’t changed. But that isn’t a negative statement, as the MK4 Digital both feels and looks robust while the design is minimalist. The build quality is high, and the microphone really feels like a premium model.

High quality often comes via materials that weigh a little more than ordinary plastics. So for those of you who have to carry this in your bag every day, it’s going to feel a bit heavy. Nor is this a microphone you’re going to want hold in your hand for a very long time.

The sound recording is impressive. For acoustic music, such as guitar, recording with the MK4 Digital is sharp, clear and has a wonderful depth. You get a real feeling of authenticity.

The microphone also does a good job at reducing background noise whilst focusing on those sounds which are up close. And you can basically eliminate all background noise with a few keystrokes using many free programs.

Overall, everything about the MK4 Digital, such as design, sound recording, reduction of background noise and the fact that it’s so easy to connect, makes this an excellent purchase. The big question you need to ask yourself is whether you want to spend the extra money on a Digital MK4 or settle for the analogue version. Bear in mind, however, that with the latter you’ll need some extra equipment to be able to connect it to your computer, so if you don’t already have the gear, then maybe the price evens out in the end.

The Sennheiser MK4 is an analogue cardioid condenser microphone with extremely good sound quality given the price. If you're going to stream with as low a noise level as possible, it's a great option. The same applies if you're looking to record your own music in your home studio without breaking the bank. For example, acoustic music sounds incredibly good.

Voices come through crystal clear. It also evens out peaks well so that the sound doesn’t become shrill. The sound is airy and well-balanced. If we were to complain about anything, it would be that we'd have liked a little more oomph in the bass notes. But overall this is one of the best microphones we've tested, particularly given its price class.

It also does a good job of not picking up unnecessary environmental noise – for example it reduces keyboard sound very well.

Only XLR

The build quality is high. The metal body makes the microphone quite heavy, but it's intended to be installed in a housing, so in practice this doesn’t matter – in fact it gives a premium feel.

One genuine disadvantage of the MK4 is that you have very few outputs to play with. The only one on the microphone itself is XLR, and this normally means you have to buy an external sound card if you don't already have one. But there’s a digital variant of the MK4 where you can connect and adapter, and can then link it directly to your mobile phone, for example. This analogue version doesn’t have this option, for obvious reasons.

Nor is there an XLR cable in the package, which we feel is a bit stingy. In other words, if you don't already have the other equipment you need, this means it’ll cost you a couple of hundred quid more to use the MK4.

But you do get what you pay for, and the price for the actual microphone isn't really that high given how good the quality is.

Elgato Wave:3 is a microphone intended for gamers and people who record podcasts and the like. It worked excellently from the moment we took it out of the box and connected it. It doesn't require much adjustment of the settings for it to sound really good.

However, for being a premium microphone, it comes with very few accessories, e.g. it lacks a pop-filter. Only stand and microphone are included.

It is basically also a fairly simple microphone. On the microphone body you have a headphone jack, USB-C, a control that allows you to choose between three different settings, and you can raise and lower the gains. You also have access to fast mute. It is minimalistic, but also quite standard for this type of microphone.

A clear advantage is that if you have a stand, you can easily unscrew the bottom plate.

Sounds really great

You're primarily paying for the sound quality. This microphone has really good sound pick-up, your voice comes through noise-free and sounds clear and crisp. It is possible that the microphone is a little weak on the lower frequencies, but this is marginal in terms of price.

As with most microphones, it picks up some sound from the background but, by adjusting the settings a little, it works excellently. If you sit in a quiet environment and stream, it’s clean.

Elgato Wave:3 is ideal if you are looking for a microphone with really good sound quality. It doesn't have many adornments or extra accessories, so we think it could perhaps be a little overpriced. That said, it’s still a really good microphone.

The QuadCast S is a USB-based RGB microphone from HyperX. Guaranteed to attract attention, this RGB microphone is mostly aimed at the gaming and streaming community where you usually use a webcam. But of course it can also be used for podcasts and so on.

The Quadcast S is actually really attractive, and ideal for those who want to stand out. It's supposed to be an upgraded version of HyperX's QuadCast, but what sets them apart? The biggest difference, as previously mentioned, is the RGB lighting. But the QuadCast S also has USB-C on the microphone. Those things aside, they consist of the same components.

With the HyperX Ingenuity app, you can customise the colours to your personal taste.

And just as with the QuadCast, the Quadcast S has good sound recording given its price tag. The voice is crisp and clear, and the basic settings are set in a way that allows you to more or less just unpack the microphone and get started. During the test, we adjusted the ability of the QuadCast S to pick up background noise, as it’s quite sensitive and picks up things such as keyboard clicking. But it’s easy to adjust.

And the QuadCast S is also easy to install. You just plug the cable into the USB socket at one end and the computer at the other and you’re up and running.

On the back of the QuadCast S you’ll find four different modes where you can choose which setting you prefer.

Stereo – best when it comes to conversation and instruments. Omnidirectional – ideal for podcasts or conferences where several people are involved. Cardioid – best for podcasts, streaming and things like voiceovers. Bidirectional – the ideal setting for interviews where two people sit on either side of the microphone.

You can also rotate the bottom of the microphone where you have the Gain function, which is very convenient. But the most functional thing about this microphone is actually the mute button. It sits conveniently on top of the microphone and a simple touch is enough to turn capture on or off.

The HyperX QuadCast S is recommended for streaming, gaming and so on, where you want to liven up the broadcast with a more sophisticated microphone. It has good sound pick up and all the basic features you’ll need. What you have to decide is whether RGB lighting and USB-C are worth the price difference compared to the (about 30%) cheaper QuadCast.

When it comes to budget microphones, there’s not a lot to choose from, at least not if you want a quality product with good sound. The SoloCast is a Hyper X budget model that tries to fill that gap. It’s aimed at people who want to become streamers but who don’t want to spend hundreds of pounds before they’ve made a name for themselves. So the question is whether the SoloCast is up to the job?

The HyperX SoloCast is a very small microphone when compared to the competition, but that’s not a negative as microphones often have a tendency to get in the way, especially if you’re live streaming and visible in the picture. In that case, what you really want is a small microphone with good pick up – and that's exactly what this is.

On top of the SoloCast you’ll find the only button. It’s a mute button, which is often the most important button for anyone a streamer or someone on Discord. And it’s great that it’s so readily accessible.

The SoloCast is a cardioid microphone, which means it mostly picks up sound from objects in front of it. Sounds coming from the side or behind have lower priority. That makes this microphone suitable for anyone who intends to use it alone, not for doing interviews (podcasts) and the like.

The SoloCast's sound recording is pretty good, and the sound has a natural clarity straight out of the box. However, the SoloCast easily picks up background noise too, such as keyboard sounds. By adjusting the noise-gate/noise-reduction in your audio program, that background noise is significantly reduced. But this is something you need to sit down and adjust yourself before you start.

This microphone is perfect for beginner streamers, or people who just don’t want to spend a fortune on a mike. The SoloCast is a functional microphone that will make lots of people happy. The low price is also very inviting. At the same time, competitors offer better sound quality and more functionality for not a lot more in terms of price, so if you're serious about your work, it might be better to invest in one of them. But if you just want to give it a try, or have a decent microphone to talk to your friends, this is an ideal choice.