If you're in the market for a pricey, studio-like USB microphone for high-quality audio capture, you've probably considered one of Shure's offerings. You'd do well to look at the Shure MV7+, a dynamic podcast mic that's cemented itself into our best microphone for gaming guide for some time now. Razer, however, has come up with something that might not beat the MV7+ outright, but certainly gives it something to think about.

It's called the Razer Seiren V3 Pro, and it retails for $250/£250. That's around $40-45 cheaper than the MV7+ at current prices, and while the V3 Pro isn't quite able to deliver the same ultra-refined, smooth vocal capture, it's got a lot going for it in terms of sheer flexibility.

It's more usable in a desktop position, for a start. You also get access to an AI noise reduction feature, a noise gate, a compressor, and a parametric EQ with plenty of well-tuned presets. There's also an auto setup feature, which I had some real trouble with. I'd say it was better ignored, or if needed, used to provide a rough baseline you can tweak for yourself later.

Still, many great vocal tones can be pulled from this particular unit—albeit with a touch of fiddling. It's got a tendency towards a detailed capture, but still reveals the odd rough edge that takes a little tweaking to filter out. But with the flexibility on offer here, the V3 Pro makes a good case for itself as a versatile vocal mic.

It's not quite on the Shure's level when it comes to finding that podcast-like, streaming friendly, studio-grade sound. But it's a jack-of-all-trades with a lot to offer, provided you're prepared to put a little time into it.

Razer Seiren V3 Pro features

The Razer Seiren V3 Pro is a dynamic microphone, which means it's not as sensitive as a traditional desktop condenser mic. You'll need to move some air in the near vicinity to get the most out of it, although unlike the Shure MV7+, Razer has included a screw-in stand base to allow it to function as a desktop mic straight from the box.

It makes use of a 30 mm dynamic capsule with a frequency response of 50 - 16,000 Hz, and supports audio capture up to a 32-bit/96 kHz resolution, along with 32-bit float support through a Razer Synapse setting. This format technically allows for higher peaks without clipping or distortion.

Do you need 32-bit float support? Probably not. But Razer says it's perfect for streamers who speak quietly, and then suddenly yell at… I don't know, something jumping out of a cupboard in a horror game.

The Seiren V3 Pro is a dual-connectivity mic, with an XLR socket and USB Type-C port integrated into the bottom of the chassis, although you can't use both at once. In terms of controls, you get a manual gain control wheel on the bottom, and a large tap-to-mute button on the top.

Around the bottom of the foam pop filter is a tastefully small ring of RGB Chroma lighting, and the microphone itself is attached to an adjustable one-sided arm with a ⅝-inch boom arm socket in the bottom.

It's a good-looking, professional-feeling object, with a chunky, overbuilt design that underscores its "Pro" moniker. If I had one ergonomic critique, I'd say the pop filter is a touch loose in terms of fit, which means it has a tendency to slip slightly out of position at certain angles. Mind you, some Shure mics have the same problem, and I've not had it fall off entirely under testing, so it's not a huge deal.

Razer Seiren V3 Pro sound

I'll go more into the Seiren V3 Pro's auto setup option in the software section below, but as a quick note: It's far from perfect. However, the microphone itself is a well-equipped unit, and the manual software options work fairly well. The clips below were recorded with custom settings, rather than auto setup:

Desktop position

In a desktop position, it's also rather quiet—which is to be expected from a dynamic microphone. I had to boost the gain settings to record the clip above, with a dose of compression and some AI noise cancelling to even out the volume and remove some unwanted nasties. The noise gate is a touch aggressive, which means I had to set it fairly low and allow some background hiss to remain in the final desktop-position take.

Close-up position

Still, Razer advertises this mic as delivering "studio sound", and while it takes a little fiddling in the software to get there, the close-up results sound very good indeed. The desktop position audio is also perfectly decent, if a touch noisy. It can do both, but being a dynamic microphone, it still likes being close to your lips for those toasty tones.

I'd say what we're dealing with here is a good-quality capsule that leans towards detail, with the EQ presets and software features richening things up. There's nothing wrong with that, but the Shure MV7+ sounds like a higher-quality unit from the get-go.

Razer Seiren V3 Pro software

Razer has made a pretty big deal of this mic's auto-setup feature, so I was curious to see what it made of my quiet living room in a desktop position. Upon connecting the mic for the first time, Synapse asks you to speak normally into the microphone to record a test clip, before taking a sample of the room ambience to adjust the noise-cancelling features.

It then asks you to pick a primary purpose, such as streaming, podcasting, gaming capture, etc, before adjusting all of its own settings.

Which, in my case, led to an overly-aggressive noise gate that clipped my voice so badly that every other word was missed out in my first test clip. Oh dear. Trying again, it seems that the auto setup gets very confused with my particular use case, with the mic placed 10 -15 cm away from my mouth next to a window with occasional traffic.

Desktop position, auto settings

Despite having a very good compressor, AI noise suppression, and the aforementioned noise gate to play with, the auto setup struggled to find a good gain level, set the gate far too aggressively, and chose to ignore the compressor and AI noise suppression sliders entirely. Which again resulted in an uneven sound with plenty of words being cut off.

Close-up, auto settings

Still, with a bit of tweaking (essentially, I fiddled with the noise gate settings until it stopped cutting off the start of my words, gave it a gain boost, and compensated with AI noise suppression and a touch of compression), the Razer captures a rich vocal tone overall, as you can hear in the Sound section above.

However, the auto setup feature regularly makes mistakes in terms of its settings choices, which is likely to leave many users scratching their heads. It's a nice idea on paper, but in practice, I'd leave it well alone.

Top marks, however, go to the parametric EQ presets. I leapt straight to the "podcast" setting and was presented with an EQ curve that looked very familiar. I've done some podcast audio engineering in a previous life, and Razer's EQ curve looks… well, it looks very much like one of mine. Which is obviously the best podcast EQ you'll ever find, of course.

You can tweak the EQ around to your heart's content, but each of Razer's default options is a pretty good start. I've noticed a tendency to boost the bass frequencies in each preset with a sharp drop-off in terms of sub-bass, which is often good practice when hunting for a 'rich' sound. Still, as noted above, it's the EQ that's doing a lot of the work on what is otherwise a good, but not mind-blowing capsule.

But overall? The software design is fairly straightforward, as long as you're prepared to do some of the work yourself. I wish the auto setup was better when it comes to some of its settings choices, but there are enough options here to easily correct its mistakes.

Razer Seiren V3 Pro value

At $250, the Razer Seiren V3 Pro is far from cheap. However, it is cheap-er than the Shure MV7+, and finds itself shooting for the same target market. Namely, those who want a near-studio-level microphone for semi-pro streaming audio.

The problem is, the Shure microphone is simply better at performing that goal, at least in a close-up position. While it's a chonkier unit and less versatile, its key selling point is the plug-and-play nature of both its software and its internal hardware.

I've spent half a lifetime screwing around with audio settings, and the Shure MV7+ is so darn good at finding a professional sound with the minimum of tweaks, I consider it the be-all and end-all of semi-pro vocal mics. I had hoped that the Razer's auto-setup feature would close that gap, but unfortunately it had me hunting through the settings at multiple points during testing.

That being said, the Seiren V3 Pro is a very capable microphone once you've tweaked it for yourself. It also looks great and has a chassis design that oozes refinement. And, despite its flaws, I think its sonic characteristics (after the requisite effort) make it worth considering. Particularly if you plan on mixing things up between desktop and close-up positions.

Just leave the auto setup well alone, yes?

Whether I'm contributing voice over to a PC Gamer video, or simply yapping over Discord, my microphone needs to keep up. As a recovering theatre kid, I didn't do all of those elocution exercises for nothing!

So, as we look towards the last act of Amazon Prime Day, I was pleased to see our top pick overall for the best microphone for gaming decently discounted. There's a lot to love about the Shure MV6 USB Gaming Microphone—even with its actually pretty short included cable—but what I love most is that it's now only $142 from Amazon.

• We're curating all the best Prime Day PC gaming deals here

While you may be able to take the kid out of the theatre, you can't as easily take the theatre out of the kid. As such, I've no doubt the sturdy desk stand of this mic will be able to weather even my most expressive hand flailing. Add to that an impressive auto level mode in the software, and this dynamic mic is exactly what I need while I move in, out, and shake it all about in the recording booth.

If you've never stepped up to the mic before, our Andy goes into more detail about this latter feature in his Shure MV6 USB Gaming Microphone review. He explains, "Dynamic mics can be sensitive to poor mic technique, like shifting your speaking position or constantly adjusting your distance. To address this, Shure makes use of an Auto Level Mode within its Motive Mix software suite. This intelligently adjusts the gain in real-time to give a consistent volume of sound, jumping in to lower the gain setting if you suddenly yell, and boosting it if you begin to drift away from the microphone or shift in your seat."

So, the Shure MV6 won't just appeal to wriggly performers like me, but to gamers that get really into the action too. On top of that, this mic is also much less likely to blow out what we in the biz call 'plosives' (basically, sounds like 'puh' in 'public' and 'buh' in 'bus'). Helpfully for someone who has a loose grip on her indoor voice at best, it all comes together for smooth, smooth waveforms.

For gamers and those fond of amateur dramatics, this mic well suits. It's easy to set up and leave in-situ on your desk, and the Motiv Mix software is there to offer a hand every step of the way. Andy explains, "Upon plugging in the mic with an included USB Type-C cable and opening the software, you're greeted with a quick tutorial on how best to use it, with a suggestion to keep the capsule six to 12 inches from your mouth for best results. Good advice for most mics I'd say, to get the richest, most focussed sound—especially a dynamic one."

If you're a true audiophile looking for truly professional sound, you may be better served by this mic's big sibling, the Shure MV7 podcast microphone. But if you're just beginning your amateur audio journey—or just fancy upgrading from your gaming headset's crunchy microphone—you'll be well served by the Shure MV6.

👉Check out all of Amazon's gaming microphone deals👈

Between online video calls, streaming, content creating, and messing with music, I really appreciate a good microphone for my PC setup. Once upon a time I'd be hard pressed to find a high-quality USB mic, but with many gamer brands stepping into the space great PC mics have become more commonplace.

What I haven't seen before is an exceptional quality PC mic that can also switch over to XLR interface for analogue use like Rode's NT1 5th generation release.

Rode may not be super familiar to gamers, but for those into music production and other content creation, the brand is a household name. Known for putting out excellent recording options, Rode has often been revered as delivering audiophile quality, often a bit cheaper than some of the other contending brands like Sony. The NT1 5th Generation microphone is yet another example of this, but in a mic that's so flexible you can use it for basically anything you can dream of.

Unboxing the mic is a neat experience as it's immediately obvious by the heft that this is a premium product, which you'd want for $259 USD. There's a lot more metal than I'm used to, including an aluminium body and full mesh over the actual mic portion.

The box also includes a shock mount, pop filter, and USB C and XLR cables that are thicker than the oceans (seven Cs) so it's usable straight out of the box. There's no stand, but it'll work with the standard threading for anything you already own. I've also had success on a box with a hole cut out for the cable and simply holding the mic.

The first thing I noticed when recording is how low the sound floor is on this microphone. Being a large-diaphragm cardioid condenser microphone, it is designed to pick up every little noise, but I also realised that my voice wasn't coming across as much louder than many ambient noises around me. Still I was impressed with the plug and playability across every device I tried it with. This noise gate issue isn't ideal for things like streaming but that's where Rode's free software comes in.

While there are no controls on the microphone itself, when plugged in via USB you get access to extra functionality through the free Rode Central app. This lets you set a gain input to raise the volume so your voice is crystal clear as well as manage the high pass filter to get rid of those background noises and it works a treat. Using it I managed to get my stream sounding like this in only a few tweaks.

Rode offers a few other apps to do even more, but for most this is probably all you'll need to play with. Though, after all this tampering I was worried about clipping, but that's another thing this mic handles wonderfully.

As low as the sound floor is, the ceiling appears to be just as high with a frequency range from 20Hz to 20kHz which outdoes our current fav mic the Shure MV6. Rode boasts that the NT1 5th Gen is an unclippable mic, and under the right circumstances they might be right. It's pretty hard to make this thing clip without the gain turned up a fair bit. If you're using Rode's suite of apps you can even recover sounds when this happens or alter them. The pop filter and mount also do a great job of keeping harsh sounds away, and the microphone itself is dead quiet which makes for very clean recordings.

This is partially because of high quality the recordings are, but also just thanks to the classic sound this mic offers. It really does have a lovely warm tone to it, which has been loved by singers since Rode started offering the NT1 mic. This same timbre applies to spoken voice, so if you're a streamer who values the tone of your talk, this will likely bring out the best in it. Though it's worth noting there's no native mute button on the physical mic, so you may need to setup a digital option.

The lack of on-mic controls seems odd, but it's because this isn't a mic designed for PC gaming, it just happens to be one that works excellently with it.

Instead, this mic is designed to be plugged into other things that control it which can take some setting up, but it also allows you to take this mic to different projects with different settings held to the computer, rather than accidentally layering things onto the microphone. It keeps it clean, so when you take this mic to a gig and plug it in via XLR you don't have to worry about your gamer settings getting in the way.

It does mean this isn't the right choice for many gamers. Most would be fine with something a fraction of the price like the budget friendly Amazon Basics USB Condenser Microphone or even a midrange option like NZXT's Capsule Elite.

But if you're a gamer who in any way dabbles in other content creation this could be the answer for you. It's a steep price difference, but the NT1 5th Gen almost feels like getting multiple mics in one package. By no means does it seem unfair for a studio quality mic with massive range, a fair bit of customisation, and the ability to use it wherever you want.

When I saw that Elgato's Wave Link audio mixing software now supports non-Elgato microphones, I got quite excited. I don't have an Elgato microphone, but I do care about my audio quality on my PC for a range of uses. So let's see whether it's worth an install.

The Wave Link is a mixer for microphones and output devices that can add effects and adjust sound on the fly from any source. Where you'd previously need a Wave microphone or XLR unit, it now accepts any input that your Windows or Mac device recognises.

The updated Wave Link app has up to five mix tabs and allows up to eight different sources. Effectively, this means if I want to stream, I can customise the mix of multiple outputs to be different to how they might sound when I'm offline or playing games.

This could be making a game lower volume on stream or making Discord sounds higher to more effectively hear chat. It's intuitive, easy-to-understand, and quite effective. 'Chrome' appears as 'Google Chat Download' for me, which is mildly confusing, but that's the only real hiccup I had setting everything up.

This in itself is a decent replacement for a full-on mixer, but it actually gets more interesting with the option to add effects. You can individually add compressors, de-essers, EQ, and more to outputs. Ones you've acquired some yourself, or downloaded through the Elgato marketplace. Not everything here is free, unfortunately, but there are some solid free effects that are easy to set up.

If you think the fluctuation in the dynamics between Spotify or Chrome is too jarring, throw a compressor and limiter on there to fix it yourself. This is neat, and swapping between different presets merely requires clicking on whichever mix you want to use.

There is a downside here, though. Effects are added at the beginning of a mixer stack, which means you can't set a de-esser on Chrome for just your personal mix and leave sound untreated in your stream mix. You can't even get around this limitation by adding two versions of Chrome to your stack. You can apply and unapply effects with the quickness of a button, though, so it's not a huge problem in my book

The eight total inputs are a small limitation, and you can add multiple outputs to the same track, but not multiple inputs. This means that a mixer stack can affect a wide variety of sounds, but those in the same section have to be treated the same way.

It's not just output that you can adjust with the Wave Link. You can add effects to microphone input, which you can then add to your output stack. With my Shure MV6, I can adjust some settings in Shure's Motiv app, or add them after the fact in Audacity, or skip both and do it all straight from the Wave Link.

As someone who spends a lot of time adjusting sound after recording when I make videos, I could see this majorly cutting down on recording time.

Again, though, it is held back somewhat by the fact that you can't add different effects for different mixes. I'd personally love the ability to up the bass in a streaming setup, and then flatten it for when I'm gaming with my pals. I don't necessarily want to hit the Discord group with a radio voice at 10 PM on a Friday.

What struck me in my time with Wave Link is that it being free, intuitive, and coming with pretty powerful stock effects makes it feel different to much of what is currently out there. I had a slight 'why aren't more people doing this?' moment as I used it. Rode's Unify is a solid mixer, with very limited output control that works with Rode's own devices.

Logitech's Mixline allows some mixing with non-Logitech devices, but it's not as intuitive and doesn't come with easy effects integration. The VB-Audio VoiceMeeter mixer is a tad dated in appearance, though still pretty powerful (and it will cost you after 30 days). The Wave Link works almost unencumbered with any device, is easy to use, and I think it would be a boon to any setup, regardless of whether you own a Corsair or Elgato device.

There's room for the app to grow in the future, too. There's one free voice changer effect in the Elgato marketplace, which could serve as a decent replacement for the likes of VoiceMod, but it will only get better as the marketplace does.

It could still benefit from some fine-tuning and a greater number of effects in the Elgato marketplace, but I'm sold on the app and could find myself using it from here on out. The fact that I can hook it up to my Stream Deck for quick mix swapping is just an extra cherry on top.

French publisher and hardware manufacturer Nacon has filed for insolvency, after Bigben Interactive, the majority shareholder in the company, failed to make a partial lone repayment. This appears to have caused a knock on effect that has led the company to declare that its "available assets do not allow it to meet its due liabilities." (via IGN).

While the news will be worrying for fans of games published under its umbrella, it's also concerning for its hardware wing. Nacon designs and manufactures a variety of hardware peripherals, including controllers, headsets, microphones, and more recently, racing wheels.

With debt organisation considerations now requested [PDF], it certainly seems likely that Nacon will be forced to look at what it can and cannot afford to keep. And while its game publishing endeavours look to have been reasonably successful, a question hangs over the viability of many of its wide-ranging hardware efforts.

For our part, we've reviewed a fair number of Nacon controllers (and various other accessories) in recent years, and haven't always been blown away by the results.

The Nacon Rig M2 Streamstar microphone and Rig 900 Max HS gaming headset failed to impress me personally, although other efforts, like the Nacon Revolution X Unlimited, have faired slightly better.

I also got a chance to test out a pre-release version of its recent Revosim RS racing efforts last year, and while there was plenty I liked about the direct drive wheel and pedal combo, I couldn't shake the feeling that it was a slightly-too-early demonstration of something that was a fair way from being ready to come to market.

It remains to be seen what happens next with the company, though it is trying to stay positive about the recent move. It says of the insolvency: "This procedure will enable the Company to continue its business, renegotiate its debts, and develop a credible and effective continuation plan."

While Nacon hasn't always knocked it out of the park, its hardware efforts have made for some interesting, and occasionally unique, additions to the hardware pot. So let's hope that continuation plan sticks.

I'm old enough to remember when plug-and-play USB microphones were rubbish. Your alternative, however, was the murky, audio nerd-inhabited world of XLR, which required the use of a separate interface to connect a microphone to your PC.

XLR is still the gold standard for professional recording gear, but the world of studio-style recording can be fraught with fiddly details. HyperX has decided that its latest microphone, the HyperX FlipCast, might as well have both connections at once. On the rear of the mic is both a USB Type-C and an XLR port, so it's suitable for both plug-and-play usage and most recording interfaces. Take your pick.

Not only that, but the XLR connection doesn't require 48 V phantom power, and can work in tandem with the USB version. That means any interface with an XLR socket should work if you so desire, or you can simply plug it in the back of your rig, or both—which makes for a pretty excellent start in the compatibility stakes.

The microphone itself is a large, dynamic unit, with a podcast-style form factor. It's got a sizeable foam filter, and comes attached to a substantial curved stand, suitable for attaching to a boom arm (both ⅜-inch & ⅝-inch threads are supported). What you don't get, however, is an included desktop stand—which is unfortunately pretty standard for this sort of microphone.

In fact, you'll also miss out on an included desktop stand if you opt for our best microphone pick for podcasting, the Shure MV7+. It's pretty much my favourite microphone right now, because it captures professional-grade audio over both XLR and USB interfaces, and comes with some very easy-to-use software.

It's a fair bit more expensive than the FlipCast at the time of writing, though, with the HyperX unit coming in at $261 to the Shure's $300. Still, the HyperX better be impressive if it wants to take the Shure's spot, even if it does manage to beat it on MSRP.

It's quite a good-looking mic in person, despite the product photos on the HyperX website making the large, shiny protrusion on the top look a little cheap.

Here you get a large, capacitive mute button and a sizable LED display that acts as a gain indicator. Towards the rear is a volume control dial, while on the back it's got those XLR and USB Type-C connections, alongside a 3.5 mm jack for on-mic monitoring. The FlipCast also has a streamer-friendly RGB ring, which spins through its colour wheel at quite an astonishing rate.

Yes, it can be adjusted. Anyway, an interesting extra feature is the addition of two small buttons on the rear of the mic, which control a built-in high-pass filter and presence boost function—which gives you an idea of the sound profile HyperX might be aiming for.

Clear and precise is definitely the order of the day. High-pass filters reduce low-frequency noises (which sounds a bit counterintuitive, I know), while the presence switch boosts the upper-midrange and treble audio frequencies. What you should end up with, then, with both enabled, is a decent whack of clarity, sacrificing a little richness for a more focused sound.

HyperX FlipCast - all software settings on, filters on

And lo, it comes to pass. The FlipCast captures a clear, if slightly thin, vocal tone with the filters enabled, although those switches are subtle enough that I can see many first-time users setting up the mic without realising they exist.

It's not a particularly wide-ranging sound at these settings, which will be a boon for focused voice chat cutting through the sound of gunfire, but not so great for vocal recording. Still, turn off the switches (or have a play with the EQ in Hyper X's Ngenuity software), and the FlipCast duly richens up—although it never quite reaches the crispy-yet-deep, radio-like quality of the Shure.

HyperX FlipCast - all software settings on, filters off

Speaking of the software EQ, I'd really like to see HyperX include some presets by default. I know my way around an equaliser, but most gamers would likely enjoy some basic pre-engineered settings to help them find the vocal sound they're after. Still, out of the box, the FlipCast appears to have been tuned well, and its default sound profile is actually pretty good.

The basic nature of the rest of the software, though, is disappointing to see. Noise cancelling, compression, and a limiter setting have been reduced to tickboxes, which means you can only turn them on and off—and when it comes to the noise cancelling, that's a real shame.

You'll want to turn it on, because the FlipCast is a rather sensitive beast. I'm used to setting up a microphone of this type for close vocal capture, which means keeping it a few inches away from my lips. However, the HyperX mic is sensitive enough to capture at a much further distance, which might seem like a good thing at first glance.

HyperX FlipCast - all software settings off, filters off

But with the noise cancelling off and the gain set to a reasonable 60%, it likes to pick up a lot of background noise, along with a little bit of hiss. Enable the noise cancelling, and most of the unwanted noise duly disappears—but it's quite particular about which noises it picks up and which it chooses to remove, leading to the odd audio quirk.

The softly-jingling zipper on my hoodie, for example (I didn't even realise it jingled until I started using this mic), gives it the odd issue. It'll duck the noise out very quickly, then cut back in in a way that suggests a rough audio edit.

Essentially, it's a bit of a blunt instrument, and you can hear it working a little too often for my liking. A simple slider adjustment would likely allow you to tune this sort of behaviour out, but no, on and off are your only options.

Turn on all the goodies, however, and the audio capture becomes a little forced. If I was using this microphone on the regular, I'd keep the noise cancelling and limiter turned on and the compressor left off, along with the filters. At these settings, you get a good balance of dynamic range, richness, and clarity.

HyperX FlipCast - noise cancelling on, limiter on, compression off, filters off

Very nice. This mic's tendency towards sensitivity also extends to the XLR connection, where you'll likely want to enable some VST plugins of your own to reign in its high-output ways. It's a good-sounding microphone nonetheless—just with a lot of lead in its pencil.

I'm not opposed to that in principle, but it's not the easiest thing to work with. And if you choose to go USB only with the HyperX software in tow, your sonic options are somewhat limited, even if what you end up with is a great tone overall.

So, it's not a bad showing for the HyperX FlipCast. But the combination of these caveats and its significant price tag is enough to give me pause. It's far cheaper in the UK right now (£195 at the time of writing), and if that price was translated into dollars, I'd be more inclined towards a heartier recommendation.

For $261, though, I'd rather spend a little extra and buy the Shure MV7+ instead. It's got much more impressive software, which allows for simplified, easy adjustments of its various filters and noise-cancelling options to find the right sound for you. It's also got a capsule that sounds genuinely studio-ready, and while the HyperX puts up a good fight in the audio stakes, it's still outclassed by the Shure offering.

And should you wish to save some cash, it's well worth considering some of the cheaper options in our best gaming microphone guide. They might not have the same feature set or audio-capturing capabilities as the FlipCast, but you can still save a boatload of money by picking up something very good (with better software) for less.

It's a great microphone, but for this sort of moolah, I want all of my whims accounted for. And while the FlipCast makes an admirable attempt, it's not quite the be-all and end-all mic it may appear to be at first glance. Lovely sound, though. I have to give it that.

They always said I had a voice for radio—and a face too. Self-deprecation aside, my theatre kid past means I know how to project and get disproportionately annoyed by wobbly audio. Thankfully, microphones that faithfully render your dulcet tones are more affordable than ever before, and I've just found a deal for the best streaming microphone that will be music to your ears.

Part of the best microphone for gaming chorus, the Steelseries Alias Pro is now at its lowest ever price. My trusty price tracker suggests it was briefly just as cheap in December, so if you missed out on this deal during the winter sales, you'll be pleased to hear you can once again pick up the Steelseries Alias Pro for only $160 from Amazon.

If you're just chatting to pals on Discord, this bit of kit might be overkill. That said, if you're anything like me and you never did quite manage to exorcise the theatre from your own inner kid, this microphone's all-singing, all-dancing act is difficult to resist. After all, as a yap queen whose Discord call life updates have become affectionately known as 'podcast episodes,' my mates deserve crisp audio quality.

But let's say you have designs on more than just a one woman show exclusively on a private Discord server—let's say you do genuinely want to upgrade your game streaming setup. The Steelseries Alias Pro offers a wealth of ports for various devices, including two USB Type-C ports on the back, and a XLR connection. Better yet, the microphone comes with plenty of cables for all of those ports too, and you also get a programmable Stream Mixer device for easy muting and gain adjustment.

Our Andy was decidedly impressed by this cardioid mic, writing in his Steelseries Alias Pro review that it was a doddle to hook up a two-PC stream setup:

"Just like the regular Alias, the Alias Pro makes use of the excellent Sonar audio interface software, which once again recognised my connected input and output devices with the minimal amount of fuss. It had no problem distinguishing and identifying two PCs connected to the interface, meaning if you were looking to set up a separate laptop for streaming, the Stream Mixer has you covered with the minimum of hassle."

Andy also praises the software's customisation features, which includes easy Stream Mixer dial programming and RGB lighting options. He particularly highlighted the software's ClearCast AI noise cancellation alongside "a simple but powerful compressor reduced to a single slider and an easy to use EQ with some well thought out presets" too, writing that all these features helped to "tame the increased gain provided by the preamp while still keeping a good signal level."

That's a lot more bells and whistles than my weekly rants require, but maybe this is the motivation I need to start courting a wider audience…Plans of world domination aside, the major drawback of this mic is that its already pretty good audio quality and external preamp really shines when attached to the Alias boom arm. Unfortunately, this isn't included in the deal and, at a smidge under $100, it's not the easiest add-on to justify. Ah well, I suppose I'll have to put my plans of total sonic saturation on hold.

I still might not be used to the sound of my own voice, but getting a proper microphone has certainly helped in that regard. It's also proven valuable for communication in hectic multiplayer games, late-night Discord calls, and even the odd video.

If you fancy an upgrade to your sound, and are on a budget, NZXT's rather great Capsule Elite punches above its weight and is just $50 in the Amazon Cyber Monday sales.

• We're curating all the Cyber Monday PC gaming deals right here

This USB microphone is seriously easy to set up, just requiring a single free port on your rig, and it's an intuitive one to control, too. NZXT's software is cleanly laid out, and the mic has a simple volume dial and mute button for quick control. With a recording rate of 192 kHz and a frequency response between 50 to 20,000 Hz, it's got strong, full-bodied sound, perfect for rich audio.

If you want to directly monitor the mic, it's also got a 3.5 mm audio jack, but NZXT has kept it simple here. We think it's a standout choice for podcasters and content creators, due to its ease of use and great sound.

You can hear a sample from it below.

One caveat we did spot in testing is that the Capsule Elite has a plastic chassis, which feels much cheaper than its rich sound. If you are one to travel around with your mic, or are a tad clumsy, it may not be the best choice.

We also noticed that, whilst the stand is highly adjustable, it's also a tad weird. It screws into the mic, like a monitor arm, and doesn't quite sit straight. It's a sturdy metal base, even though it looks crooked.

Comparing it to $100 mics, our Reece earlier this year said the Capsule Elite is "a fantastic USB microphone with stellar price to performance thanks to top-notch audio and noise suppression with the sacrifice of a plastic chassis." It may not feel the highest quality, but it sounds it, and is a solid pick even at double its current price.

👉Check out all of Amazon's Cyber Monday deals here👈

I'm as surprised as you are, but the Amazon Basics microphone is genuinely good. Our Andy gave it 86% in his review, as while it's not the best microphone in the world, it's so darn cheap and so darn decent at what it does, it can't be ignored as a budget value proposition.

Even at full price, this little beauty is remarkably cheap, and now you can pick it up for less than $20 at Amazon. That's just a third of the price of a standard big-budget game, and it can be here in just a few days.

Outside of this microphone having surprisingly solid audio and a sturdy build, it's easy to set up and very no-nonsense. There's no software to mess with (which is both a positive and a negative), and it all works from just a single cable.

It also comes with a quick mute button, which is pretty handy when you're in a heated game of Arc Raiders and your partner calls to let you know that dinner is ready... or so I'm told. It does have a pretty strange tilting stand, which may take a little while to get used to, though.

Above: The Amazon Basics USB condenser microphone recorded from a desktop position.

As we say in our Amazon Basics USB Condenser Microphone review, "I wasn't expecting a whole lot from the Amazon Basics mic, but I'm pleased to report it's been nothing but a pleasure to test. While you only get the bare minimum of features, it's brilliant at its one goal in life—capturing great audio for a very, very reasonable price."

Without any software, you don't get smart built-in noise cancelling. Keep it away from anything particularly loud, though, and your vocals should come through clear and strong.

All of this earned the Amazon Basics mic an instant spot in our best gaming microphone guide, and at that price point, I can't see it being swapped out for some time. You may only be saving a couple of dollars, but it's wild to think it's so cheap that it works out to more than a quarter off. Still, saving the price of a (pretty expensive) coffee on your order is nothing to sniff at.

The best PC gaming gear 2025

All our current recommendations

Pick a category Best overallCore ComponentsChairs & DesksSystems & LaptopsScreensPeripheralsCases, Cooling & Storage

Choose a list The best PC gaming gear 2025

---

BEST GAMING CHAIR

1. Secretlab Titan Evo

Check Price

BEST GAMING DESK

2. Secretlab Magnus Pro XL

Check Price

BEST GAMING HEADSET

3. HyperX Cloud Alpha

Check Price

BEST GAMING KEYBOARD

4. Asus ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless

Check Price

BEST GAMING MOUSE

5. Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed

Check Price

BEST PC CONTROLLER

6. Xbox Wireless Controller

Check Price

BEST STEERING WHEEL

7. Logitech G Pro Racing Wheel

Check Price

BEST MICROPHONE

8. Shure MV6

Check Price

BEST WEBCAM

9. Elgato Facecam MK.2

Check Price

---

Read the full guide: The best PC gaming gear 2025

POWERED BY

Returning home one evening after a night of revelry, I discovered a mysterious Amazon box on my doorstep I had no memory of ordering. No, it wasn't the whiskey playing tricks on me, it was instead another gift from my mischievous editor-in-chief. This time he's sent me a $23 Amazon Basics USB condenser microphone to review. Goody.

Actually, I shouldn't be so quick to judge. Pulling the mic from its default cardboard packaging reveals a surprisingly weighty little chassis, and that's a promising start.

I've had the privilege of working with some roadworthy audio equipment over the years, and the little Amazon Basics mic has the same sort of heft I'd usually associate with something gig-proof, like a Shure SM58 or SM57. It's just in miniature, so you can easily integrate it into your desk setup.

The Basics mic also comes with an adorable little stand, which, for reasons I can't quite fathom, tilts from the bottom of the pole, not the top. I have no idea why the little mic loves a Dutch angle so, but it makes me giggle slightly every time I see it cocked to one side. A slightly bizarre design choice, perhaps, but I suppose a tilt is a tilt—and it's completely stable at a full drunken lean, regardless.

You also get a USB Type-A to Type-C cable, a brief quickstart leaflet and, err, nothing else. This is an Amazon Basics product after all, and realistically, this is about right for even some fairly high end desktop mics. A stand, a microphone to put on the stand, a cable to connect said microphone to your PC. All as it should be.

The mic itself actually has a couple of hidden features worth shouting about, though. Firstly, it's got an internal shockmount, which should help with table bumps and unwanted reverberation. And secondly, it has a tap to mute function, activated by… well, pressing a mute button on the front. I'm not sure that counts as a "tap", but that's how Amazon describes it, at least.

That's actually a feature our current favourite budget gaming mic, the Razer Seiren Mini, lacks. Score one for the little Amazon cheapo-beepo unit then. Good stuff. The Basics unit records at up to a 48 kHz 16 bit sample rate, and has a frequency response of 50 Hz - 20,000 Hz. These are completely acceptable specs for any mic, and combine to create an audio quality that I'd say is surprisingly good.

Again, I'd like to remind you this is a $23 mic. Sure, it doesn't provide the shiny, golden clarity and richness you'd associate with some of the best gaming microphones. But I'm going to call it here: it sounds downright good. Not just for the cash, but in general. I've tested many, many budget microphones over the years, and this one stands tall over anything I can think of for under $50.

Which again, is all it really needs to do. What dear Dave has sent me here is a budget bit of audio gear that genuinely works, with good build quality, perfectly decent sound, and no software fuss.

Really, my only complaint here is that you don't get any noise cancelling, which means this little condenser capsule is going to pick up noise from the room around you, and any of its inhabitants. Still, good luck finding a mic that provides comprehensive software features for anywhere near this price point, so I really can't grouse too loudly given the minimal spend.

And I suppose you don't get any RGB gamer flair, if that's your jam. But really, this microphone sets out to do one task, which is to record your voice well from a desktop position for a very reasonable outlay, and it accomplishes that task with aplomb.

All of which has me wiping my brow in relief. After the horrors of the Bengoo G9000, it feels like ultra-budget audio gear needed something of a win, and the Amazon Basics USB condenser microphone has achieved just that. It's weeny, it's well-built, it sounds good, and it costs you around half the price of a modern AAA game. That'll do nicely!

October's Prime Day has been delivering some impressive deals, and we've seen some stellar bits of tech hit their best-ever price. If you're in need of a good gaming mic and/or fancy doing some streaming, the HyperX Quadcast S is an excellent choice right now

That's because you can find it on Amazon for just $80. You don't even need to sign up for Amazon Prime to get this deal. That is half off its MSRP and even better value than the pretty great mid-range NZXT Capsule Elite.

The HyperX Quadcast S may use the same audio specs as the previous Quadcast, but, as we say in our review, "even with no significant change, the Quadcast S is still one of the better streaming microphones you can buy".

If you want the latest and greatest, the HyperX Quadcast 2 S is also on sale (down to $145), and this comes with a higher bit rate, sleeker look, and slightly smaller size. However, for the money, I'd be going for the older model.

👉The best October Prime Day gaming laptop deals👈
👉OUR favorite Prime Day PC gaming deals👈

Importantly, the Quadcast S is an excellent and clear-sounding mic that sounds great even on low gain. We did notice plosive sounds are a bit louder than we may want, as the internal pop filter isn't quite catching everything, but it still sounds crisp even with a little too much 'p' in some words.

The anti-vibration shock mount, quick mute button, and on-mic gain control make this microphone perfect for being placed on a desk. You don't need to set it up on an arm to stop it from making background noise as you game or stream.

We have crowned the Quadcast S as the best-looking microphone for gaming, and for good reason. It's super colorful, with RGB hexagons taking up the top half of the microphone. This RGB can be adjusted via the HyperX Ngenuity software, and it all turns off when muted, giving you a clear sign when your audience/friends can hear you.

It helps that the microphone is also intuitive and easy to use, working on PC, PlayStation, and Mac, alongside a suite of software like OBS and Discord. It's a relatively plug-and-play microphone that sounds both loud and clear. What more could you want now that it's half off?

Check out all of Amazon's microphone deals

I'm a sucker for a cleverly-designed object. I'm also a sucker for a good budget gaming microphone, and the HyperX SoloCast 2 manages to be both of those things at once. At $60/£50, it's priced in the same sort of territory as some of the cheap and nasty models you'll find in the listings of many major retailers, but pulling it from the box reveals a surprisingly ingenious little gaming mic.

For a start, it's got such a neat integrated desktop stand, it's kind of astonishing to me that I haven't seen something like it before. Essentially, the SoloCast 2 comes as what appears to be one cylindrical unit with two boom arm screw mounts integrated into the bottom (⅜-inch and ⅝-inch, if you were wondering), making it seem like a standard, stand-less, microphone design. Break it apart like a shotgun breech, though, and it opens to reveal a hidden hinged base roughly one fifth of the way up its frame.

It's a robust hinge, too, which means it's weighted enough in its movement to stay at exactly the angle you set it at in a desktop position, with plenty of mass at the bottom to prevent it from accidentally tipping over. Combine that with some nice plastics, a vented grille, and an all-black aesthetic, and the SoloCast 2 really is a good-looking device to place on your desk.

Ports and controls-wise, it's as simple as it gets. There's a capacitive tap-to-mute button taking up the entire circular top of the mic itself, which means even the clumsiest among us (I'm including myself here) won't miss it. Around the back there's a USB Type-C port, and there's a good-sized LED indicator on the front that glows a subtle red with the mic on, and turns off when muted.

It's a relatively stealthy device, then, and I appreciate that. I've got enough RGB-lit doohickeys on my desk to bring a small aircraft in for landing, so testing something that makes an effort to integrate into my setup without drawing unnecessary attention is a welcome relief.

Although I will admit, assigning a red light to the 'on' configuration does seem more than a little counter-intuitive, and a terrible way for your boss to find out what you really think via a mute-based mistake.

Back to the controls. It's also got… oh wait, I'm finished. Yep, everything else is handled by the HyperX Ngenuity software, for which you currently have to install the beta, as it's a newly-released product that isn't recognised by the standard version. From here you can adjust the gain, configure equalizer settings, and add AI-enhanced noise reduction, compression, and a limiter with simple toggle switches—along with high pass, low pass, and presence boosting filters with similar on/off controls.

On the one hand, reducing all these options down to simple toggles for the most part (other than the EQ and the gain, where you can get surprisingly granular) is a win for sheer simplicity of usage. On the other, I'd like some form of slider adjustment for the noise reduction and the compressor at least, as both can be blunt instruments when implemented with a heavy hand.

In that regard, however, the default configurations are actually pretty usable. As you can hear in the clip below, with AI noise reduction, compression, and the limiter enabled, what you end up with is a fairly natural vocal tone, with a good dose of richness without the warbling horrors of noise cancelling-induced distortion. That being said, the SoloCast 2 is relatively quiet from a desktop position unless you boost the gain up (as I've done here), which results in some background hiss leaking in.

You can also just about hear my partner taking a meeting in the background (in a completely different room of the house) with a shut door between us. I'd appreciate being able to bump the noise cancelling up a notch or two to compensate, but alas, it's merely a take-it-or-leave-it option.

Where the SoloCast 2 is allowed to shine, though, is in close up. The built-in pop filter is remarkably effective, meaning you can absolutely mount one in a close-mic'd position for a more studio-like tone and less unwanted noise with the gain backed down. The capsule here has been well-tuned, and everything surrounding it is solid enough to reject most forms of interference without issue.

Other than that, there's… well, not much to talk about really. It seems very well-made, it's a handsome addition to your desk, and the software manages to tread the line between being simple enough for the everyday user, with just enough control left in the form of the toggles and the EQ settings to keep sound tweakers reasonably happy.

If I was being picky (and I am) I'd appreciate it if some EQ presets were installed by default, but the addition of an "add equaliser preset" option in the drop down menu suggests some may be coming once the software makes it out of the beta stage. As it stands, though, it's all very workable, and there's a lack of fuss to the design that endears me to both the software and the mic itself.

However, I think it's got a small but significant problem in the form of its major competition—the $25 Amazon Basics USB microphone. While the SoloCast 2 has a smarter design and adjustable sound settings (unlike the Basics, which has precisely zero software to fiddle with at all), it's difficult to argue with the Amazon mic for less than half the price.

Sticking the clips side by side, I'd say the HyperX unit sounds richer at a distance in a desktop position, likely due to the software compression and a higher-quality capsule. However, the weak noise cancelling lets the SoloCast 2 down, and while the Amazon Basics unit doesn't have any at all, it is significantly cheaper—which really matters at this end of the market.

Still, the SoloCast 2 is a good budget microphone, and if it weren't for the sheer affordability of the Amazon Basics mic, it'd probably be a candidate for our best budget gaming microphone spot by the virtue of its wider feature set as a whole. It sounds good, it's cleverly-designed, and it's well-priced. It's a shame it's been pipped to the post by an astonishingly-cheap pipsqueak, though, ey?

Should you wish to record your vocals for the purpose of gaming, meetings, or a podcast or two, there are a wealth of brilliant microphone options available to you. And, it must be said, quite a few of those brilliant microphones are made by Shure, a company so entrenched in the audio recording space it might as well have set up a tent. However, if content creation is your game, you might be considering upgrading from a regular USB-connected mic into the deep waters of XLR-based audio capture, and if so, Shure says it has you covered.

The Shure SM4 is the sort of microphone you might find in a home recording studio, aka your long-haired mate's garage which he's handily plastered with bits of egg crate and the odd spiky piece of foam. It's a condenser microphone with a cardioid polar pattern, which means it's designed to pick up both at close range and at a distance, and is appropriate not just for recording vocals, but also capturing instruments, ambient sounds, or really anything you might want to pick up in a small room.

It's also been heavily shielded to prevent unwanted RF noise from wireless devices, and comes with a 1-inch brass dual diaphragm capsule that, on paper at least, is a major upgrade over the units you'll find in most desktop mics. And, it must be said, it's not cheap.

The microphone alone will run you $219/£209 for the basic unit with a boom arm adapter clip, but Shure has provided me with the full $299/£275 Studio Kit, which includes an elastic-sprung shockmount, a detachable magnetic pop filter (designed to complement the built-in pop filter in the mic itself) and a handy-dandy carrying case for taking it on the move.

What it doesn't include is the +48 V DC phantom-powered XLR recording interface you'll need to connect it to your PC, the appropriate cable, or an appreciable amount of talent. The first two of those things, however, are available these days for sub-$100 sums, and as someone who's worked in content creation in some form or fashion for large parts of my career, I have a few of them knocking around. They represent a step above the plug and play, shake-and-bake audio of the casual user, and a bold move towards pushing your audio talents out towards the big wide world of content creation.

And, it must be said, when we edge towards semi-professional microphone territory, the prices have a tendency to shoot up rather rapidly—which means the Shure SM4 is actually fairly well-priced for its market segment. Still, it's a lot of moolah for a microphone, and whether you need one or not is something I'll be getting on to later.

For now, let's focus on the mic itself. It's a gloriously well-made bit of kit, with the sort of weight and dusky finish that I'd associate with studio-grade gear. This is going to sound like an odd thing to say, but it even smells professional. Off to the side of the shockmount is a 5/8 inch thread, with an included 3/8 inch brass adapter ring for different sizes of boom arm mounts, along with another 5/8 inch thread hidden in the base of the mic itself.

Nope, no desktop stand for you. This is a microphone designed to be used with an arm, and Shure will sell you one for $120. Here's a little tip, though—while the Shure model is likely to be pretty good, you can pick up a $40 unit that will probably do the job damn near as well. A fancy one is a nice thing to have, but I've been using a pair of these Tonor boom arms for years without incident. Every saving helps, right?

Attached to an appropriate boom arm and XLR cable, and plugged in to a $69 M-Audio XLR to USB interface I have lying around (I had to blow the dust off, but it does the job adequately), the Shure SM4 reveals itself to be a simply lovely-sounding microphone. With a 20 Hz to 20 kHz frequency response and the benefits of all that shielding, combined with its 1-inch brass capsule, it's got a tendency to reject unwanted noise and capture a warm, defined tone, with the sort of smooth-yet-edgy clarity I'd associate with some very expensive studio microphones.

Shure recommends placing it between one and six inches away from your mouth for vocal capture, which means the extra, magnetically-attached pop filter comes in handy for reducing plosives. The built-in version does an admirable job, but I'd say the extra unit takes away any worries about accidentally recording a "puh" and "buh"-filled vocal capture in a hurry. Plus, given the elasticated shock mount and the mics tendency to reject unwanted noise, capturing a studio-like vocal tone is about as easy as could be.

It's remarkable how well the noise-rejection is engineered into the physical microphone itself, which means for vocal work you could absolutely get away without software noise cancelling, and that's more than I can say for most cheaper models.

This is a creator microphone, though, which means I'd better dust off my guitar and have a little noodle to test its instrument-capturing chops. I don't have a front room stacked with valve amps anymore, so what you're listening to here is a raw recording of my rusty playing through a tiny Boss Katana practice amp with zero added compression, studio-trickery, EQ, or effects, beyond a bit of delay and chorus on the amplifier itself. Behold, dear reader—my diminishing talent:

Forgive the sloppy guitar work, it's been a while. Anyway, I'd say that's a pretty good instrument mic alright, especially as it's capturing a tiny budget amp in an un-treated room through a bargain-basement recording interface with no filters, noise gates, or tweaks. It pains me slightly to put up a musical recording without EQ-ing out the hiss of the amp and adjusting the sound, but this is as raw as it gets—and as raw signals go, the little Shure captures extremely well.

That being said, I'd perhaps shy away from putting it in front of anything capable of titanic amounts of volume, simply because it's a condenser model. The diaphragm inside that brass capsule will likely take more of a beating than most, but something dynamic like the classic Shure SM57 is the better choice if you're planning on close-micing something grunty. Condensers are more sensitive, fragile beasts in general, although this one feels like it's been specced highly enough to take more abuse than your average model, at least.

The question you should be asking yourself, though, is how invested you are in the idea of home recording. If you're already equipped with an XLR audio interface and the right cables and boom arms, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Shure SM4 as a brilliant all-round creator microphone. Should you just be starting out, however, then I think it'd be worth taking a look at your exact use case.

For those looking for a good desktop-based vocal microphone, we've got a whole best microphone for gaming guide that should have you covered. And if it's pure podcast-style vocal capture you're after, I think you'd be better served with the Shure MV7+. It doesn't have the same wide capture and versatility as the SM4, but it's a USB Type-C plug and play device that really takes the hassle out of recording your spoken-word vocals at home.

And if it's streaming audio you want, the SteelSeries Alias Pro goes as far as to provide you with a good audio interface, too, complete with some streamer-friendly programmable controls on the front, for similar money. It also neglects to provide you with an included boom arm, but bringing an interface into the equation for similar cash is difficult to argue with.

That being said, if you really are taking your first steps into building a home recording studio of your own, or perhaps upgrading an existing one beyond USB-connected gear, I'm sold on the idea of buying a Shure SM4 as a do-it-all solution. Its reliance on outside equipment is really only a reflection of the nature of high-end audio, and while USB-based all-in-one mics are fine for specific purposes, if you're looking to take a step towards, say, creating content for a living, you will likely want to consider buying a more capable setup.

The Shure SM4 would certainly make a worthy addition to that arsenal, and in that sense, I'm happy to recommend it. For your average user, however, it's likely more than you really need.

A good microphone doesn't need to have a million features to make an impact. Wrap a high-quality capsule in a sturdy frame, convert the output to a USB connection, and provide a stand. That's about all you get with our current favourite budget gaming microphone, the Amazon Basics USB condenser mic, and it works brilliantly.

It's also roughly what you got with the original HyperX SoloCast, and its replacement, the HyperX SoloCast 2, looks like much of the same—except with a redesigned chassis and some tilt functionality thrown into the mix. We were big fans of the original, but it's pretty hard to find now, so are we looking at the return of a budget gaming mic classic?

HyperX describes the SoloCast 2 as "an all-in-one mic that doesn't ask for more", and the keep-it-simple-stupid philosophy seems to be hard at work here. It's a cardioid-patterned condenser mic with a USB Type-C to USB Type-A connection, capturing up to 96 kHz 24-bit audio through its weeny little capsule.

The stand, however, tilts. Oh, and you get a foam pop-filter built in, which is pretty much a necessity if you want to get any microphone up close for a "hot-radio", podcast-like sound. It's also got mic arm threads underneath, which should make it a good candidate for attaching to a boom arm and getting up close and personal.

Should you wish for more, however, HyperX has also announced the FlipCast, a chonky affair that's more than a little reminiscent of our best podcast microphone pick, the Shure MV7+, except with a load of bells and whistles piled on top. HyperX says it's capable of "broadcast-quality" audio capture, with up to a 192 Hz, 32-bit sample rate.

It's also got a multifunctional wheel onboard for quick gain adjustments, monitor mixing, and headphone volume, complete with a tap-to-mute button and some rather shiny RGB lighting. There's also an onboard high-pass filter, which should cut out unwanted low-frequency background noises for a cleaner capture.

Both XLR and USB Type-C connections are supported, so this really seems like HyperX taking a swing at the ultra-premium microphone market. There are some big fish swimming in those waters, though, and it does make me question whether potential customers will go for a gaming-branded mic over something more established, like Shure's alternatives. It also looks a bit... fiddly. Unlike the SoloCast 2, simplicity doesn't appear to have been high on the priority list here.

Pricing is key, and HP has been in touch to confirm that the SoloCast 2 will retail for $60, while the FlipCast will be $230. That's a pretty good price for the SoloCast 2 at least, although the FlipCast will have to work pretty hard to justify all that moolah, in my opinion. Still, if it's a genuine competitor to the likes of Shure, perhaps that pricing will make sense under review.

The Amazon Basics mic is often available for a mere $25, and while the Shure MV7+ is even pricier than the HyperX at $279, it's also one of the best close-up mics I've ever heard. It looks like I'll have my hands full with new microphones to test in the coming months—and I'll be keen to see what both of these beasties are capable of when I hook them into my machine.

One of the joys of writing our Budget or bust feature is the possibility of stumbling across a diamond in the rough, and that's exactly what's happened to me recently. I've been testing the Amazon Basics USB Condenser Microphone of late, and I can now confirm that it's a brilliant little audio-grabber for a mere $26/£23.

That's right, $26. That makes the weeny Amazon unit less than the price of takeout for two, and after my time with it, I reckon it's worth at least twice as much. I've just added it in as our new pick for the best budget gaming microphone, and if you'll allow me to expound, I'll tell you exactly why.

For a start, it delivers everything you need, nothing you don't. I was expecting a flimsy chassis, nasty materials, and a stand that flops around like a dead fish for this sort of cash, and absolutely none of those expectations were met. The little Basics mic feels remarkably well-built, and I'd put good money on it lasting for years.

Then there's the sound. While I wouldn't go as far as to call the Basics a studio-grade mic, it's genuinely excellent at picking up and reproducing your voice at a distance. You don't get any gain controls here (just a well-placed mute button with an LED indicator), but in practice, you don't really need them.

Shove it on your desk at a reasonable distance, and the little Amazon unit will pick you up just fine. Which is just as well, really, as the cable's a bit short. Nothing's perfect, I'm afraid, so you'll need to go digging around in the cupboards for a spare one if your PC is a floor-dwelling machine.

But what's not "just fine" is the audio quality. Sure, it's not the sort of rich, super-shiny audio capture that'll have audiophiles falling head over heels, but the Amazon USB mic records a fantastically clear, surprisingly rounded tone, especially for a microphone this attractively priced.

I'm used to the idea that ultra-budget audio gear is rubbish, because let's face it, it often is. The Amazon mic has shown me the error of my ways, though, and manages to capture a tone so thoroughly decent-sounding, if you'd told me it came from an $80-$100 unit, I would have absolutely believed you.

Above: The Amazon Basics USB Condenser Microphone recorded in a desktop position, from a reasonable distance away.

Again, it's not the best thing I've ever heard. But for $26? That sound quality is remarkable, I think you'll agree.

There is one more drawback to make note of, and it's a fairly big one: you don't get any software to play with. That means no noise cancelling, and being a condenser mic, that's a bit of a shame. Condenser units will pick up unwanted noises in the immediate vicinity, although it must be said that the Basic's cardioid pattern does seem to have well-judged limits, so it's not particularly noise-prone overall.

Other than that? It's a bit of a superstar. While those of you looking for a more professional sound will be better suited by one of our other best gaming microphone picks below, if all you need are the basics, and the basics done well, then the, err, Amazon Basics is probably for you.

Quick list

• Best overall: Shure MV6 USB Gaming Microphone
• Best budget: Amazon Basics USB Condenser Microphone
• Best mid-range: NZXT Capsule Elite
• Best USB bundle: Sennheiser Profile Streaming Set
• Best looking: HyperX Quadcast S
• Best podcasting: Shure MV7+
• Best streaming: SteelSeries Alias Pro
• Best headset mic: Audio-Technica ATH-M50xSTS StreamSet

The best gaming microphone

There's a lot to be said for the simple things in life. For a start, they're often cheap—and hardware doesn't come much cheaper than this Amazon Basics USB condenser microphone. You can pick up one of these teeny-tiny little units for a mere $26/£23 at Amazon, although it must be said, that's the sort of price that makes me eye any piece of audio gear with suspicion.

Opening the packaging, however, reveals a surprisingly sturdy little microphone. While the chassis and stand might be plastic, it's of the thick, matte-textured variety that immediately makes me feel like I'm handling a well-built product. The grille is metal, the weight is reassuring, and the plastic ball joint in the base of the stand stays in position when you tilt it over.

Speaking of which, I find that design choice to be a little bizarre. Desktop microphones often tilt at the top of the pole, rather than the base, although I can't deny that the little Basics unit cocking its snoot at you from a jaunty angle makes for a cute addition to your desk. Still, even at its maximum angle, the Basics remains immune to falling over on a flat surface, despite the weight at the top of its frame.

Perhaps this explains the lower ball-joint dealio, and lends to the feeling that this mic has had much more thought put into its construction than you might expect for the price. Strap in here, folks: I think I sense a theme.

Being an Amazon Basics unit, you've probably deduced that you don't get many extras for your cash. Here you receive a microphone, a stand to screw it to, and a USB Type-C to Type-A cable that's ever so slightly too short—although for what it's worth, it did make it to the back of my desk-height PC.

If you keep your machine further away (or on the floor), you'll probably want to factor a longer cable into the equation to make it reach. This cable likes to kink, too, and isn't quite of the same quality as the rest of the setup.

The software features are… non-existent, actually. No software means no noise cancelling, and that always makes me raise an eyebrow when it comes to condenser microphones. Unlike dynamic mics, condenser models have a wider range of capture, which makes them prone to picking up a lot of unwanted noise. However, it also makes them well-suited to picking up vocals from a distance.

Which the little Amazon mic does admirably. I was genuinely impressed when I performed my first audio test with this mic, and it's been impressing me in a similar fashion ever since. It picks up well from a desktop position, and the vocal tone it captures is surprisingly rounded and clear for such a cheap capsule. It's not too noise-prone either, although you can definitely hear an ever-so-slight hiss from my laptop fans in the background.

Above: The Amazon Basics USB condenser microphone recorded from a desktop position.

Sure, the audio doesn't have the golden, "studio-like" quality you might expect from a really good (and likely, quite expensive) unit from the likes of Shure, but then this really isn't the little Basic's market. This is a mic designed to capture clear, rounded vocals from your desktop for an absolutely minimal outlay, and it's brilliant at it. It records at a 48 kHz 16-bit sample rate, which is realistically all you need to capture good sound. Sure, 24-bit would be nice, but it's really unnecessary for most users—and the Basics proves that principle in one fell swoop.

Like most condenser mics, it's going to capture more richness from your tone the closer you bring it to your lips. The Basics facilitates this by going one step further and allowing you to screw it into any boom arm with a 5/8-inch thread, which is pretty much all of them.

That means you can get it close up for podcast-like audio, and while it does get a little plosive if you bring it really close (a foam pop-filter would work wonders here), I'd say you could absolutely use this as a budget streaming mic. As long as you were careful with your distancing, of course.

Above: The Amazon Basics USB condenser microphone recorded close up, attached to a boom arm.

Plus, it's got a mute button on the front, which is downright handy if you plan on livestreaming your vocal musings to the internet. You'd be surprised how many budget mics omit this feature from the specs sheet (like the otherwise brilliant Razer Seiren Mini), but it's a positive, clicky affair with a little LED to tell you when you're on and when you're muted. Everything it needs to be, nothing less. Like the rest of this microphone, now I come to think of it.

The rubber base of the stand means it's fairly shock resistant, too, and unless you give it a right ol' bashing, the mic itself doesn't do that horribly-cheap thing of letting its outer frame ring through the capsule if you accidentally give it a tap. It'll capture a bump, sure, but it shouldn't have your listeners throwing their gaming headsets off in disgust.

So, I ask myself, what more do you need in a microphone than this? Well, the aforementioned noise-cancelling features would be nice. Perhaps some RGB-lit design touches would make it look nicer on a stream, and while the audio capture is excellent for the money, a more expensive microphone will make your vocals sound, well, more expensive, for lack of a better term.

I don't think the Amazon Basics mic is going to get much use in professional recording studios, naturally, but on your desk? I can't think of anything better for the cash.

Or anywhere near it, if I'm honest. It's genuinely remarkable that this $26 mic performs as well as it does, and it's a great example of the "keep it simple, stupid" design philosophy of which I am so fond. It's as plug-and-play as you like, feels like it will last for years, and sounds good enough to use pretty much anywhere you'd like to capture your vocal tones for all to hear.

Which makes it my new favourite budget gaming microphone, too. So if you'll excuse me, I've got the best gaming microphone guide to update. Join me over there to see all your other options, won't you?

Your voice deserves better audio. Or at least, the people who listen to you deserve to hear you in your full, rich tones, not through a tinny default mic that is secretly driving your friends bananas.

Luckily for you, unless you've already invested in one of the best gaming microphones, I'm pretty sure I can beat whatever you're currently using with one of the five mics I've found in the Amazon Prime Day sales below.

👉Shop all the early Prime Day deals on Amazon👈

Whether you're looking for a desktop unit on the cheap that's much, much better than your webcam mic (and probably your headset mic, too), or you're thinking about finally starting that podcast, I've found something that will suit.

Oh, and if you're considering making the big, brave jump into streaming? Check out option five. It's definitely worth checking out with this heavy of a discount, and that's an Andy Edser Promise^TM.

Quick links

• Razer Seiren V3 Mini | $50 at Amazon
• NZXT Capsule Elite | $70 at Amazon
• HyperX Quadcast | $80 at Amazon
• SteelSeries Alias | $153 at Amazon
• SteelSeries Alias Pro | $236 at Amazon

Razer Seiren V3 Mini

Let's start things off with a miniature marvel—the Razer Seiren V3, err, Mini. We love the original version of this particular mic, but retailers are beginning to run out of stock, so the newer model is the place to be.

It's got tap-to-mute functionality, a 20 to 20,000 Hz condenser capsule, a built-in shock absorber, and handsome good looks. That's about it for the specs sheet—but let's be honest, if all you want is something to make you sound good in your next meeting, that's pretty much all you need. And for $50? It's a downright bargain, if you ask me.

But what about streaming? Well, you'll find more quality capsules better suited to the task further down my list. Still, you can unscrew this mic from its tilting base and attach it to a boom arm close up, which means it will do the job on a budget just fine. You won't get any noise-suppression software, though, which is a slight fly in an otherwise excellent ointment.

NZXT Capsule Elite

It might be tempting to think that the Razer above is all you really need in a desktop microphone, and therefore you don't need to spend more than $50. One thing it lacks, however, is noise cancellation, and that's a bit of a downside given that condenser mics pick up audio (including the unwanted stuff) from a wide range.

Enter, the NZXT Capsule Elite, currently selling for $70 at Amazon. Available in white and black colorways, this retro-looking desktop condenser mic captures a remarkably rich tone from a distance—all the while taking out the nasty, unwanted noises from its capture with the mercifully easy-to-use software suite.

With 24-bit depth and a 192 kHz sample rate, the NZXT is well-equipped in the hardware stakes—but it's the software that really makes it sing. The EQ is easy to implement, meaning you can tweak your vocals to make you sound like, well, you. Or perhaps even better, if that's your thing.

Oh, and there's a smattering of RGB lighting on the rear, too. So, handsome retro-like good looks, easy software, nice vocal capture. That's a good mic right there, I tell you what.

HyperX Quadcast

Ah, the HyperX QuadCast. What would a gaming microphone roundup be without one. Yep, this mic's been around for a while, but for very good reason—it's pretty excellent for the cash, especially when it drops to $80.

This is a large-and-in-charge gaming mic, as if the red coloring didn't give it away. Yep, this is one for the streamers, or those of you that want to stand out the next time you chat to Cathy in HR. It'll capture fine at a distance, but what it really loves is being close-up, so it's ideal to use with a boom arm on your next Escape from Tarkov stream. Or whatever the kids are recording themselves doing these days.

I'm old, aren't I? No matter. The QuadCast doesn't come with any noise suppression software, unfortunately, but it does have a mahoosive foam pop filter that works extremely well, and you can switch the polar patterns around to record multiple speakers at once. Thinking of starting that podcast, but low on funds? The HyperX will do you nicely.

SteelSeries Alias

I had a problem with the SteelSeries Alias when I reviewed it many moons ago—it was too expensive. Well, it's still pretty pricey. But for $153 at Amazon right now, I'd say it's an excellent shout, especially when you factor in all the refinement you get for your cash.

This is a pill-shaped mic with a springy shock absorber system, miniaturised. The Alias takes up very little room on your desk, yet captures from a distance admirably thanks to a surprisingly large 25 mm capsule.

Plus, SteelSeries' Sonar software (all the esses, why?) has AI-enhanced noise cancellation to play with. And it's good. Very good! Thank the heavens for the magic of AI, ey? Said someone at some point, I'm sure.

Yes, you're spending up a bit with this particular mic, but it's such a robust, lovely-looking thing with an excellent feature set, I'd say it's just about worth the extra. One for those who want a bit of luxury in their gaming mic experience, perhaps, but the sound capture is still definitely worth writing home about.

SteelSeries Alias Pro

And finally, here's a huge discount on a piece of gear I use regularly. The SteelSeries Alias Pro kit gives you an XLR version of the excellent mic above, but also comes with a stream mixer preamp with 48 V phantom power, two programmable dials, and two RGB-lit buttons to assign to important functions, like muting and making the tea.

Okay, it can't do one of those things. But otherwise, the mini mixer you get here is actually surprisingly powerful, so I keep it around as an easy-to-use, desk friendly preamp to test out other microphones with.

Should you be streaming inclined, this set makes it remarkably easy to sort out your inputs and outputs via the mixer interfacing with SteelSeries Sonar, and anything that takes some of the headache out of that experience is worth its weight in gold. Especially when you can save $134 at Amazon on the whole thing right now.

One thing I would suggest, though—if you're buying one of these, get yourself a cheap microphone arm to really make the most of that capsule. SteelSeries will sell you one, but it's a bit expensive for what it is, whereas something cheap but perfectly decent like this Tonor unit for just over $27 will do the job just as well.

And then, well, that's it. You're set up to become a streaming megastar, with the only additions left being talent, personality, and a stream-friendly face you can use to gurn at a good webcam. None of which I possess. Still, I can roundup mic deals like a good 'un, can't I?

I'm not a podcaster, but these days it feels like only a matter of time. When I hop onto a Discord call with my buds and I really start to get into the latest tech nonsense I've stumbled across that week, my pals often comment (with love), 'I've been looking forward to another podcast episode from Jess.' Trust your friends to indulge your worst motor mouth impulses—at least I've found an excellent microphone deal that'll ensure I'm beaming into the chat loud and clear.

The Alias from SteelSeries not only looks great, but also offers a level of performance that would easily earn it a centre stage spot on my messy desk. Andy was similarly enthusiastic about it in his SteelSeries Alias review, though he dinged it on the grounds of its decidedly pricey MSRP of $180. Well, here's something worth shouting about: You can get this snazzy streaming microphone right now for much less, at just $107 from Amazon.

Now, to be clear, this isn't the Steelseries Alias Pro, which is not only just as snazzy but way more expensive (it's also our top pick for streaming in our best microphone for gaming guide). Yes, the Pro gives you almost studio-level sound capture, but the definitely-not-Pro SteelSeries Alias still offers decent sound capture even at a distance, plus a bit of that new-fangled AI sound cancelling that actually works well for well under half the MSRP of the Pro.

That said, you can also pick up the Pro for only $168 from Amazon right now. Unfortunately, this saving is at least a little arguable, as Andy notes in his review that you really need the Boom Arm to get the absolute most out of it. How much is the Boom Arm, you ask? 'A definitely not discounted $99 on top of everything else, please and thank you,' says the austere and wholly unsympathetic robo-voice of Amazon—if I had to guess.

As much as I am prone to podcasting and streaming-themed delusions of grandeur, even I can see the way pricier Pro is kind of overkill for me and my fast-talking about tech to an audience of maybe five on a good day. The SteelSeries Alias, on the other hand, offers a value proposition that makes much more sense at only a little over 100 bucks. For that price, you get a smart-looking microphone that you can comfortably place in frame for a video call at your day job.

The microphone's front-facing controls allow you to mute yourself at the touch of a button, or adjust headphone gain at the twiddle of a pleasantly robust-feeling knob. There's another similarly solid gain adjustment dial in the back, too, alongside the 3.5mm audio jack and the USB-C port. What I particularly enjoy, though, is that when muted, the microphone shines a big red LED 'X' through its front-facing fabric. No more awkward moments of 'Babes, I really appreciate the enthusiastic energy of your gesticulations—but you are muted.'

If you, too, are like me and often easily foiled by a single button press, you may be heartened to hear that the Steelseries Sonar audio software is actually very easy to use. Andy sung its praises in his review, highlighting the intuitive drag-and-drop interface for handling outputs and inputs.

Andy also wrote, "The software performed a quick and accurate setup on first boot that recognised all of my plugged in audio gear immediately, and quickly configured everything hardware-wise with minimal prompting. The fact that this worked as well as it did struck me as a minor miracle, as up until this point I was unaware that any audio configurators existed that didn't require at least a few minutes of messing around and some colourful language to get everything working the way you intended it to."

The awful podcast devil on my shoulder is getting more powerful by the paragraph, I swear. "Sure, you've got a face for radio," they say, "But a lateral move from podcasting isn't impossible—let's talk when you find a good deal on webcams and stream lights."

Streaming is more popular than it's ever been, and that means manufacturers are clamouring to release streaming-suitable microphones into a market that's starting to feel rather crowded. From cheap and cheerful desktop condenser mics to close-up dynamic wonders, if you'd like to capture your gaming-induced yelps and squeals for the world to hear (or perhaps some sombre narration), you're somewhat spoilt for choice.

The Nacon Rig M2 Streamstar is the latest microphone addition vying for your hard-earned cash. It's presented as a desktop microphone complete with screw-on stand, but as a streaming mic you can attach it to a boom arm to get up close and personal. It's also got a magnetic rear backplate with R-I-G written on it in bold white letters, which Nacon says you can swap out with a custom plate if you get one printed with your particular logo.

Self-promotion is important in the streaming game, after all. Anyway, it's $130, and that puts it in the upper mid-range of the streaming microphone market—and only $19 cheaper than our best microphone for gaming pick, the Shure MV6. That's a seriously impressive mic, so the Nacon unit has its work cut out for it right from the start.

The Streamstar is a fairly innocuous-looking device, resembling an all-black deck of playing cards tilted up on its side when attached to the included stand. On paper it's also got some impressive specs, including 24-bit audio capture with a 192 Hz sampling rate. On the front are two dials, one for gain adjustment and one for monitor volume. Underneath is a 3.5 mm aux output for headphone monitoring, and a USB Type-C connection, with an included USB Type-A to Type-C cable.

You might think you'd need to install some included software before you get going with the Streamstar, but there isn't any. Nope, the quick start guide tells you to assemble the stand, plug the cable in, and then set the sample rate in the Windows audio settings. I appreciate simplicity, but there's something about the whole experience here that feels barebones right from the start.

That's not helped by the front-mounted controls. This is going to sound like a silly thing to point out, but while the microphone and stand feel of… passable quality, the front dials wobble like they're not quite connected properly. It's been a while since a dial made me grimace, but here we are.

Whether that matters to you largely depends on how often you'll use them, but as you'll see later on, the gain dial becomes rather important. Said gain dial is the lower of the two, and is ringed in white light when the microphone is live, and red when it's clicked in to mute. The click itself feels fairly sturdy, so plus points there.

A stand-out feature of the Streamstar is Bluetooth monitoring. In essence, you can pair a set of earbuds to the mic itself for live audio monitoring, free from the burden of cables, by long-pressing the top dial.

Or at least, that's how it's supposed to work. I tried connecting a pair of Sennheiser Bluetooth earbuds to the mic, but the instructions are very basic and it required a fair bit of fiddling around, pairing and unpairing, before I got a usable result.

Some software interjection would really help here. A simple app that allows you to see which devices are paired to the mic—and which inputs and outputs are being used at any one time—would make things a lot more straightforward, rather than relying on the arcane Windows audio settings page. Still, after much cursing, a reliable input and output was achieved.

Time to see whether those specs translate to great audio. I first recorded my voice with the Streamstar in a desktop position at a mere six inches away with a reasonable amount of gain, and immediately thought I'd screwed up a recording setting, as the Audacity waveform barely moved in response. Cranking the gain to maximum, however, resulted in this:

The vocal tone itself is perfectly decent, but the clip above is me speaking forcefully, at maximum gain, with the mic placed in front of my keyboard. A desktop mic would generally sit further back than this, but move it to a less obtrusive position and your voice disappears into the distance even with the gain cranked to high heaven. Back it down, and the Streamstar struggles to capture your voice at a decent volume over the background noise.

Speaking of which, what you'll also notice is a fair amount of hiss even though I recorded these clips in a dead quiet room. The Streamstar's 16 mm electret condenser has a tendency to highlight every sound it can pick up except your voice when used with the included stand, meaning that noise cancellation is near essential. Except it doesn't come with any, which strikes me as something of a fatal flaw.

Undeterred, I recorded a clip with the mic attached to a boom arm directly in front of me, but with my mouth slightly off to the side, (an old-school microphone technique that tends to work wonders), and managed a better result—at least in terms of gain:

While I'm certainly used to the idea of microphones sounding better the closer they are to your face, this is the first condenser mic I've used where I'd consider a close-mic position pretty much essential. Get the Streamstar up close, and it manages to capture a warm tone that would be perfectly usable for streaming.

However, it's still a little noisy. More than that, in a close position the Streamstar is quite plosive-prone, meaning "puh" and "buh" tones have a tendency to get blown out, even when speaking off to the side. You can hear this in the clip above, particularly as I say the "p" in "lockpick". Many streamers lack proper microphone technique and speak directly into the front of the mic at close range, and that's a recipe for audio disaster with this particular unit, given the lack of software help.

What this means in practice is you're likely going to be adjusting the gain on a regular basis to minimise unwanted audio nasties—which means wrestling with volume and background hiss/plosive issues until you force them into an uneasy standoff using a wobbly dial. That's the sort of compromise you'd normally have to make with a cheap microphone, but at $130, cheap this ain't.

I really can't get on with the Streamstar, much as I have tried. It looks like a streamer-worthy microphone on paper, and the Bluetooth monitoring feature is a lovely idea, but in practice, it's got far too many flaws. It's too quiet to use in a standard desktop position without excessive background noise, it's plosive-prone in a close-up position, and crucially, it's missing any software help to rectify either issue.

Plus, the materials are so-so, the dials feel wobbly, and there's nothing about it that suggests to me that it's a $100+ product. When you can pick up a Razer Seiren Mini for a mere $50 (or even less, as it regularly goes on sale) and it performs as well as it does for such a minimal sum, I really don't see why you'd pay more than double for the Streamstar.

The Razer also lacks noise cancellation, but it has no problem picking up vocals at a reasonable volume from a traditional desktop position without pegging the gain to the maximum.

Or you could spend $19 more than the Streamstar and opt for the Shure MV6. It's much more obtrusive, but it's an excellent mic that picks up well both close up and at a distance. It also comes with powerful noise cancelling software, meaning you can remove background noise with a single slider, and it's built like the proverbial tank to boot.

There are many USB microphones on the market for streamers to choose from, and while the Streamstar looks great on paper, in practice, it fails to deliver the smooth audio experience achieved by many of its rivals. It's a fiddly, fussy mic with questionable materials, and for $130, I really do expect more than this. A bit of a swing and a miss, I'm afraid.

The HyperX Quadcast S is one of the best microphones for gaming. Mics designed especially for gamers have flourished over the last decade: it used to be that you'd just use a Shure like everyone else, but gamers must have their own fancy things, and now the likes or Razer, SteelSeries and HyperX are releasing purpose-built affairs.

As far as fancy gamer-centric things go, HyperX's Quadcast S is exemplary. It's the best looking gaming mic you can get, with really clever RGB implementation. You see these things pop up a fair bit in Twitch streams, but they're just as suitable for people who like their gaming space to look really nice.

In addition to the RGB, which is fully customisable using HyperX's Ngenuity software, the mic has all the practical features you could want in this price range, including tap-to-mute, a built-in shockmount, and—don't forget!—brilliant sound. It's usually a pricey affair at AU$299, but Amazon is currently offering a very tempting 33% discount, bringing the price down by a full AU$100 to AU$199.

The Quadcast S has been cheaper on Amazon before: it went for as little as AU$156.75 last June, but that was an extremely rare discount. The current AU$199 is the best price we've seen on this model since June 2024.

The discount is part of Amazon's Big Smile sale, which runs this week. Another highlight, for me at least, is the Corsair K70 RGB Pro, which is going for AU$160.65 down from AU$249. I'm using it to type this very story, and can confirm that it's well worth that discounted price.

If you've ever tried to build a small PC rig, you're probably used to paying more for less when it comes to gaming tech. However, the Razer Seiren Mini is not only adorably cute but one of the best budget mics out there, and even better with a tidy discount on it.

For just $33 at Amazon right now, you can pick up the black Razer Seiren Mini for $17 off its original price of $50. The V3 Mini, its upgrade, is also on sale for around $42, but the main extras are a tap-to-mute sensor on the top and Type-C connectivity in the mic itself. Given that I went for the cheaper of the two just a few months ago, you can see where my money would be going.

Almost five years after its initial inclusion, the Razer Seiren Mini is still the best budget option in our roundup of the best gaming mics, and this is a testament not only to its sound quality but also its great price point. At its full price of $50, it's still an excellent choice.

In my time with it so far, I've been not only impressed by its sound quality but also how easy it is to get set up and ready to go. This one doesn't work with Synapse, Razer's software, which is honestly fine as it's great out of the box. It does, however, use a micro USB, which can be a bit of a pain as I can't easily unplug my mic and plug in my keyboard with the same cable for a quick charge. Generally speaking, though, this mic is so light and cute that you will likely have it constantly plugged in and ready to go.

If you want to hear the microphone's recording quality, we have a handy little Soundcloud link below showing it off.

The Seiren Mini can be unscrewed from its flat base to hook into mic arms to hover over your desk, but the included base also has plenty of wiggle room in case you want to angle it for any reason.

Available at its lowest ever price, the only major considerations I'd make before buying a mic like this are:

• Do you plan on buying a more expensive mic in the future?
• Will the proprietary micro USB cable annoy you?
• Will you regret picking the black model over the pink one?

If the answer to all of the above is no, I couldn't recommend the Razer Seiren Mini enough.

It isn't just mice and keyboards that have received the Elite treatment with NZXT's latest run of peripherals, as the brand-new Capsule Elite microphone proves. This is another market sector that's seen quite the explosion in terms of products in the last couple of years with the likes of the Logitech Yeti GX and the SteelSeries Alias being competitive options in the USB sector in the $150/£150 price range.

Yet, with the new Capsule Elite, NZXT seems to be offering pretty much an identical feature set to the competition alongside a smart design, highly adjustable stand and higher bitrate recordings for just $90/£85/€100. That sounds too good to be true, doesn't it?

Well, I'm here to tell you that it isn't. The Capsule Elite is an excellent USB microphone. I could just end the review there, really, but my editor would likely kill me if I did, so let me explain why.

The fact is that NZXT's latest microphone offers rich and full-bodied pickup as you'll hear from the sample audio with pleasant depth and clarity. It's a surefire cut above a lot of headset microphones from options that are well into double figures, while also taking it to those more expensive choices from Logitech and SteelSeries. I'm mightily impressed with the Capsule Elite right out of the gate.

You don't get the flexibility of other polar patterns, as the likes of the Blue Yeti and HyperX Quadcast S provide, but for solo recordings, the Capsule Elite's cardioid option will definitely suffice.

It's not only ideal for voices, but it also means that the noise rejection is second to none. This is because the pickup pattern is designed to pick up audio from the front while rejecting it from the back and sides. In testing it with a series of recordings while playing music at a reasonable volume from speakers behind the Capsule Elite, it was only my voice that came through loud and clear. Of course, turning the music up too loud did allow some of AC/DC's Heatseeker to come through, but it wasn't much at all. Even picking out a deliberately loud mechanical keyboard and putting it a few inches from the microphone didn't phase it.

Listen to the microphone test below:

Connectivity is handled with a simple USB-C to USB-A cable, and I had no trouble plugging into either my main Windows gaming PC or my MacBook Pro (with a USB-A to USB-C adapter) and it was recognised instantly. From there on, select it as your main input device and you're good to go.

For the most part, the Capsule Elite is a doddle to set up, what with that plug-and-play connectivity and whatnot. The only trouble I had was in physically setting it up on the included stand in the box. It intriguingly uses a similar system to a lot of monitors with a base that screws into the shaft that the mic sits on, which proved to be a bit of a pain for a ham-fisted idiot like me. You have to line up a couple of nibs on the shaft and base, and then screw it in from the bottom. The problem for me was keeping both parts level so the microphone was straight and true when I turned it over and placed it on my desk.

The issue is that the stand isn't straight. I checked the product imagery against my best efforts, and the stand slants inwards. With this in mind, the stand is entirely metal and is sturdy once screwed into its threaded mount. I definitely didn't feel like the Capsule Elite was going to keel over at any given moment. You can also put the mic on a standard thread boom arm if you wish to avoid the stand shenanigans altogether.

While the stand is metal, the microphone body is plastic, which is perhaps where NZXT has been able to cut some costs down against rivals from Logitech and SteelSeries. It looks fetching in the white and silver colourway I have here, although you can also get it in black if you want something more conventional.

The actual body is also quite tall, reminding me of the Elgato Wave 3 with its flat, rectangular profile. The front portion comes with a large NZXT logo and a gain dial that also doubles up as a mute button when pressed. Above that is a small strip, which doubles as an indicator for both the microphone gain and the monitoring volume, as controlled by the wheel on the mic's right-hand side.

Handily, the indicator changes colour depending on what's being done—when the mic is muted, it's red; when the gain is changed, it's purple; and the monitoring volume is green. The gain wheel has some pleasant resistance to it, which is absent on the monitoring volume wheel, oddly.

On the rear, there are two ports—a USB-C for connectivity, and a 3.5mm audio jack for on-board monitoring. You also get a small light strip at the top, which is addressable in NZXT's CAM software. Here, you can also perform a mic test, adjust gain, EQ levels and sidetone, and fiddle with more advanced settings such as the compressor, noise suppression and high pass filter. It's all presented very cleanly and is simple to use.

For $90/£85/€100, the NZXT Capsule Elite certainly takes it to more expensive options from other manufacturers with its rich audio quality and excellent noise suppression. It also comes with convenient software control and handy on-board features. Where the other options come up trumps is with slightly better build quality, but the nuts and bolts of what's here prove just how excellent the Capsule Elite is for the price.

I'm forever espousing the benefits of a good microphone. It's one of those things that you don't think you need until you try one for yourself, or hear an awful one over voice chat and realise what a terrible curse bad audio is on the people that have to listen to you on the daily.

Many microphones have passed our desks this year, and many have failed to meet the mark. But a precious few have stood head and shoulders above the rest, so we've gathered together the top three, thrown them into the ring, and let them bash their little pop-filters against each other until a clear winner remains.

First across the ropes are two exceptionally good units from Shure, a tried and tested name in the audio world that's made serious inroads into gaming and streaming mics this year. The Shure MV6 is a desktop mic with a difference, thanks to its excellent capture at range, solid build quality, and a mini mic stand that looks like it came straight off the stage at your local venue.

Then there's the Shure MV7+, a refinement of a classic that leaves just about all other podcast microphones in the dust. It's a multi-talented marvel, however, and makes a compelling case for itself as a podcast mic, a streaming mic, or really any other vocal-capturing duties you can think of. Point it at its target and off it goes, swinging for the rafters.

But what's this? A SteelSeries usurper? Yep, the SteelSeries Alias Pro kit includes a great mic, but it's the whole package that makes this a worthy contender for the crown. It's got a powerful preamp hidden in its Stream Mixer interface, along with programmable dials and buttons that really do make capturing and streaming audio simple.

So who will triumph? Cast your eyes over our contenders below.

Best microphone 2024: the nominees

The winner of the PC Gamer Hardware Award for the best microphone of 2024 will be announced on New Year's Eve. Sounds like fun, doesn't it? Make sure you check in with us then to find out the eventual result.

Streaming, podcasting, and using your PC as a production studio can be really, really complicated. Or very, very easy. That all depends on what equipment you buy, and it's easy to get bogged down in a minefield of choices this Black Friday.

Have no fear! Like the world's nerdiest superhero, I'm sweeping in with my cape of 20 years of audio and production engineering experience to tell you exactly what equipment you should be buying to make your streaming dreams come true.

👉 We're curating the best Black Friday PC gaming deals right here 👈

With the Black Friday sales well underway, now's the perfect time to equip your PC with everything it needs to capture your lovely visage, dulcet tones, and sweet gameplay chops with aplomb.

Let's have a look at my top picks for Black Friday streaming equipment deals, shall we?

Quick links

• Budget microphone: Razer Seiren V3 Mini | $50 @ Amazon
• Mid-range microphone: HyperX Quadcast S | $119 @ Amazon
• High-end microphone: Shure MV7+ | $249 @ Amazon

• Budget webcam: Logitech C920x | $45 @ Newegg
• Mid-range webcam: Razer Kiyo Pro | $95 @ Amazon
• High-end webcam: Elgato Facecam MK.2 | $120 @ Amazon

• Key light set: Neewer key light 2-pack | $91 @ Amazon
• Wall lights: Govee Gaming Wall Light | $80 @ Amazon

• Microphone & stream mixer kit: SteelSeries Alias Pro | $250 @ Amazon

1. A great microphone

First up, you're going to want a great microphone to capture some sound. Even if your streaming adventures amount to nothing more than an OBS recording of your gameplay with a voiceover (and plenty of streamers and content creators do very well with nothing but that), you're going to want to make sure your audio game is on point.

I've put together three stunning microphone options here, from budget all the way through to studio-level, to ensure your audio is as good as it can possibly be.

Black Friday budget microphone deal

If you're on a tight budget, there's no better recommendation I can think of than the Razer Seiren V3 Mini. Don't let its small size and discount price put you off—this desktop mic captures excellent audio quality, looks great, and takes up very little room on your desk, leaving plenty of space for the most important thing in shot. That's you, that is.

Black Friday mid-range microphone deal

I reckon this QuadCast S is a truly excellent choice for any streamer. It's a crispy-yet-warm audio capturing machine, with an integrated pop-filter that removes any worries about plosives (blown out "puh" and "buh" noises that can really ruin your vibes, man). It also lights up with a dazzling display of RGB that looks great on cam.

Black Friday high-end microphone deal

This is simply my favorite vocal capture microphone right now, and our top pick for the best microphone for podcasting. That means it's perfect for streaming too, although you will have to buy a boom arm (I'm a big fan of Tonor arms, for reference) in order to get it close enough to your face to use it as its best.

It's a mean, audio capturing machine and ultra-simple to use. Install the Shure Motive Mix software, plug it in, and off it goes capturing the best sound this side of a professional studio setup.

2. A webcam with image quality to spare

Should you wish to show your beautiful visage on camera, you'll be wanting something that can capture your roguish good-looks with the minimum of fuss.

Great webcams can be expensive, but it's still possible to pick up budget models that'll do just fine, particularly if you plan on shrinking yourself down to a small fraction of the video while you show gameplay footage.

If you're planning on plenty of shots of just you, or perhaps something like unboxing content, then you'll need something a bit more igh-end. Luckily, I've found three great deals on three great webcams, perfectly suited to each price range.

Black Friday budget webcam deal

If you're just starting out, and especially if you plan on only using your webcam for a picture-in-picture spot on a gameplay stream, then any variation of the Logitech C920 will do you just fine. We recommend the Streamplify Cam as our best budget pick for streamers but it's currently hard to find in the US, so this Logitech wins out for its sheer price/performance combo.

It's never going to blow you away with its image quality, but it's an ultra-reliable stalwart sitting atop many a monitor across the world, and this version even comes with a flip-down privacy shield. After all, it's easy to forget that you're still live, so a real-world backup is a nice thing to have, ey?

Black Friday mid-range webcam deal

You may have noticed that many streamers sit in dark rooms, with lots of neon lights to make everything look all glow-y and gamer-chic. That's a good move aesthetically (and we have some lights down below that would suit), but it means you'll need a camera that's better at low light capture than most.

Enter, the Razer Kiyo Pro. In our review we found it was easily the best webcam for dealing with low-light conditions we've ever tested, and it's under half its MSRP right now at Amazon. The auto-focus is a bit fiddly, but it's a streamer-friendly cam that deals with challenging lighting far better than the rest.

Black Friday high-end webcam deal

Our best webcam recommendation is the Elgato Facecam MK.2, so I'll leave it there and just tell you to buy it while it's on discount. Nah, just kidding, you need more, don't you? Well, it records uncompressed video at 1080p 60 fps, which means you get image quality that surpasses any other cam at this price point.

In our review we discovered that it's also got an excellent HDR mode, which is something of a boon. Plus, it's relatively small and discreet while still outperforming much larger models, and the software is truly outstanding, which makes setting it up so much easier than many of its competitors. And at this price? A pretty easy decision, if you ask me.

3. Lights, camera, action

So you've got the audio sorted, your new cam is winging its way to you—now you just need to work on your lighting.

Yep, it's important. If you simply rely on the blazing light of your screen or the odd desk lamp in the background, chances are you're still going to look a bit amateurish, and that's not the goal here. We want you and your recording space to look its very best, so here's a couple of recommendations that should light you up in the way you deserve.

Black Friday key light deal

Key lights are simply the best way of making sure you look great on camera, and there are plenty of different ways you can use them to show you at your prettiest. What you really want here then are options, and this double-bubble kit gives you everything you need to get started.

With lights, stands, power plugs and a carry bag all included, what you've got here is a complete package that isn't just for your streaming setup—you can use it for product reviews, location shoots, and anything else you can think of in the wide world of video production. Think of them as an investment you'll use for years, and you won't go far wrong.

Black Friday wall light deal

Ah, so you want that streamer glow then, ey? I don't blame you. It's become the de facto look for streamers to bathe their respective shooting spaces in purples, blues and greens, and that's exactly what this wall light set provides.

We were so impressed with it, we placed it as our top wall light recommendation in our best desk lighting guide. That's high praise indeed, and with $40 off you can save a tidy sum to put towards some of the streaming gear above while still surrounding yourself in a comforting neon glow.

4. A wildcard audio and stream control setup

Controlling all your inputs and outputs on the fly can be a bit of a nightmare, so I'd be remiss if I didn't point out this SteelSeries Alias Pro kit that makes streaming audio about as easy as it gets.

Not only do you get an excellent microphone that can compete with some of the better models we've tested, but a Stream Mixer that allows you to assign custom controls while acting as a powerful preamp.

SteelSeries' Sonar software (all the ess sounds, all at once) is remarkably good at simplifying down complicated audio controls into single sliders, and its drag and drop functionality makes juggling all your various configs much simpler than they otherwise would be.

Plus, its built-in Sonar AI-noise cancelling plugin is genuinely good at removing background noise. Of course, you'll still need a webcam and some lights, and its still very pricey even with this discount.

But if all the fiddly bits of audio streaming are making you pull your hair out with frustration, this setup does its darndest to keep things serene—allowing you to focus on the subtle art of performance rather than losing yourself in the settings menus.

👉Check out all the Amazon Black Friday PC gaming deals right here👈

When I saw the original Shure MV7 was being discontinued, I felt a genuine pang in my gut. That sounds like an odd reaction to a microphone being removed from sale, I know—but when you use something day in and day out for years that's genuinely brilliant, it becomes like an old friend.

I needn't have worried though, because when I reviewed its replacement, the Shure MV7+ Podcast Microphone, I discovered it was even better. I've just spotted it for $249 at Amazon, and while it might be a slim discount, a $30 saving on a mic that's only been out for the best part of six months is still worth shouting about.

Particularly one as brilliant as this. Professional-sounding audio is supposed to be difficult, but the Shure MV7+ has a magnificent party trick up its sleeve. Thanks to some mercifully straightforward software, the MV7+ is about as plug-and-play as it gets—and that shot it straight into first position as our best microphone for podcasts recommendation.

Noise cancellation? On by default, and excellent at what it does. Gain levels? Auto-adjusted out of the box, meaning you can move around in front of it and it'll keep you sounding as consistent as possible. Plosives? Eliminated, thanks to a Digital Popper Stopper (gosh, I even love typing those words, never mind saying them) and a chonky foam surround that keeps everything sounding svelte.

What about EQ? Reduced to a single slider, and excellent at what it does. Keep it in the middle for a natural, crisp sound, pull it over to dark for a hot-radio kinda vibe, or push it in the opposite direction for extra clarity. 

Ordinarily, I'd hate overly simplified controls on a mic. But here, Shure has taken all its many, many years of audio capturing know-how and reduced it to its bare essentials—and as a result, anyone can get a superb sound out of this truly stonkingly good microphone.

Drawbacks? Well, it doesn't come with a stand. Given that this is for those looking for ultimate audio quality, I'd highly recommend buying a cheap boom arm to get it nice and close to your laughing gear (that's British for mouth) to capture the best results. Thankfully, your options here are legion, as the Shure MV7+ should screw into a standard fitting with no issues at all.

Personally, I'm a fan of this Tonor model but feel free to shop around. Anyway, once you've hooked it onto a mount and placed it somewhere near your face, all you need to do is press record. The Shure will take care of the rest, leaving you free to do what you do best and ramble on about whatever it is you'd like the rest of the world to hear.

It's a fantastic bit of kit, this Magic Mic, and one that I recommend to anyone who'll listen. Now go forth, my friends, and capture vocal audio that sounds spectacular.

Attack of the Daleks? Nope, just two brilliant microphones, side by side. We review a lot of gaming microphones, podcast mics, and everything audio-capturing in-between, and these two HyperX units have impressed us for some time now. Right now they're both on offer for Prime Day, but which one to pick?

• We're tracking all the October Prime Day PC gaming deals right here!

I've found them both on discount at Amazon, and at these prices I reckon they're both great buys. The real question is whether plain ol' red is good enough for you, or whether you crave flashy lighting effects to give your setup some RGB spice?

Quick links

• HyperX QuadCast - $139.99 $85.49 at Amazon (save $54.50)
• HyperX QuadCast S - $159.99 $113.96 at Amazon (save $46.03)

HyperX QuadCast

If all you want in your next microphone purchase is something reliable, fully-featured, great-sounding and, err, red, then the HyperX QuadCast is for you. It's a USB microphone with four polar patterns to choose from (stereo, omnidirectional, cardioid, bidirectional), meaning that you've got the flexibility of recording yourself, two speakers, or an entire room should you so choose.

There's also a handy gain adjustment knob, tap-to-mute functionality, and an anti-vibration shock mount to prevent bumps and taps showing up as ugly noises on your audio. All in all it's a very well-featured mic, and I haven't even got to the actual sound yet.

This particular HyperX mic is clear and distinct in its tone, and it's capable of picking up and reproducing quite a bit of volume, so that gain knob will come in handy. Still, it's not the shy and retiring type, and that color choice reflects that principle nicely. Currently available for just over $50 off at Amazon, it's a pretty decent discount on a very good mic.

It's a mic that likes to stand out from the crowd. But if you really want to dazzle on your next stream, how about its much flashier sibling?

HyperX QuadCast S

So, headline specs here: This is a USB microphone with four polar patterns (stereo, omnidirectional, cardioid, bidirectional), a handy gain adjustment knob, tap-to-mute, and...deja vu? Yep, the HyperX QuadCast S is virtually the same mic, just with some RBG effects. And while it might seem silly paying a fair bit extra just for some lighting, the QuadCast S really does stand out from the crowd.

Y'see, microphones like this will do fine at a distance, but they'll sound really good on a boom arm close up. And, that being the case, if you do decide to mount either the QuadCast or the QuadCast S on an arm (both feature the correct socket to do so, by the way) then you'll likely be getting it in shot with a webcam.

That means looks matter—and while the original QuadCast certainly looks striking in red, the QuadCast S is capable of dazzling thanks to its adjustable RGB. It's genuinely quite mesmerising, and if you're thinking about dipping your toes into the streaming waters, this is a mic that's sure to make your visuals stand out. That's why we've chosen it as our best looking gaming microphone, and anyone who's seen one in action will likely agree.

And for $114 at Amazon? Well, it might be a fair bit more expensive than the regular QuadCast, but really whether that price difference is worth it is up to you. One things for certain though—the QuadCast S has substance and style, and that can be a rare combo in a microphone.

Both are worthy mic choices to grace anyone's desk at full price, but for this sort of money I reckon they're even better buys. The choice is yours, dear Reader. To RGB, or not to RGB?

When I found out Shure was discontinuing the Shure MV7 Podcast microphone, I felt a genuine twinge in my stomach. Y'see, I've been using two of the big beasties for vocal audio capture for years, and they've become like old friends. Slightly unwieldy perhaps, but as plug and play microphones, they were unparalleled. 

It wasn't just me that thought so, either—until recently, the Shure MV7 topped our best microphone for gaming guide, only to be replaced by the excellent Shure MV6, thanks to its more gamer-friendly sizing and desktop placement options. Now the Shure MV7+ is here, and at first glance not a whole lot seems to have changed.

That's until you put it side by side with the original MV7. The MV7+ is longer, thanks to a more substantial foam filter. The slightly fiddly touch panel controls are also now reduced to a single LED strip acting as a touch to mute button by default. Other than that though, the Shure MV7+ looks and feels just as good as the original did.

It'd better feel like the bee's knees, given the price. You can get a lot of great gaming microphones for under the $200 mark, but Shure will sell you an MV7+ for $279/£269. That's chump change for studio grade vocal mics, but for your average buyer that's still a lot to pay for something that really only does one job.

That being said, given the MV6 has properly introduced Shure into the world of USB gaming microphones, the MV7+ now strikes as something more purposeful. This is a podcast and creator microphone through and through, with none of the MV6's gamer-friendly green accents. It's a subtle, handsome looking device, designed to look professional on a stream or in a recording studio.

Not that it doesn't have a certain RBG-lit charm of its own. The top-mounted light strip can be adjusted to a variety of colours, used as a gain indicator, or set to a subtle pulsing effect should you so wish. All of this is done through Shure's Motive Mix software, which instantly detects the mic via USB and activates all the software bells and whistles by default.

Ordinarily, I'd be against audio software leaping in and turning all the settings on before I'd had a chance to fiddle with them. Still, after my experiences reviewing the MV6, I already knew Shure's software was very good at finding a great default sound all by itself. So I booted up Audacity, and recorded a vocal test clip.

This is my first recording, out of the box, with absolutely no tweaking of the settings.

I am an interminable fiddler, particularly when it comes to audio. I'll spend hours tweaking EQ's, stacking VST plugins, and shaping sound backwards and forwards until I end up chasing my own tail and resigning to whatever Frankenstein's monster of a mix I've come up with. And listening to that first result, with zero tweaking on my part? I really don't think it needs much else. 

It captures exactly the sort of vocal you'll be looking for if you want a studio-style sound, without any of the headache-inducing back and forth with the audio settings.

Enabled by default is Auto Gain Levelling, which ensures the volume stays consistent, along with a Real-time Denoiser (noise reduction, for the rest of us). I found it a little over-aggressive on the MV6, but the MV7+ has much less of an issue picking up any background noise to be stamped on in the first place. There's also a Digital Popper Stopper to minimise plosives, which are unwanted distortions to percussive vocal noises like "puhs" and "buhs". Something, in fact, that the OG MV7 was quite prone to.

Not only is there a digital effect here to minimise it, but that longer foam tip creates a bit more distance between your mouth and the microphone itself. Basically, the plosives are gone, and that's about the only thing I'd really criticise the MV7 for.

That, and the fact it didn't come with a stand by default, which is also the case here. You can include a desktop unit for an extra $10, but really what the MV7+ is designed for is to be mounted to a boom arm and brought up close, which is how I recorded the clip above. If you watch professionally produced podcasts, or even streamers with a bit of budget to spare, you'll notice that they'll often have a really good microphone right up in their faces to capture the richest sounding audio—and that's exactly where the MV7+ likes to be.

Except it's just, well, better at it than anything else I could name south of $500—with the exception of one. That's the Shure SM7db, available for $499, which is the latest version of a mic that, over the years, has become one of the default recommendations for studio-grade vocal capture.

I'm not going to say the Shure MV7+ is better than the Shure SM7db, because it isn't. But it captures a genuinely comparable audio quality, with a similarly rich tone and crispy highlights, for near-enough half the price. And that, if you ask me, is a pretty impressive trick.

You can also use the included XLR connection to drive the MV7+ via a separate mixer, or plug it right into a suitably-powered console—but given the results here with a USB connection, I'd say most will never need to. Still, one of the best things about the MV7 was its flexibility, and it's still here in spades.

What this mic is, at its core, is an improvement on a classic. It's not revolutionary, or game-changing, because the game didn't really need to be changed. All Shure needed to do was fix the MV7's plosive problem, sharpen up the software suite, and double down on all the things that made that microphone brilliant. And that's exactly what it's done.

Would I recommend the MV7+ as the best microphone for gamers, full stop? Nope, that'd still be the MV6, by virtue of the fact that most won't want to get a substantial mic right in front of them to capture great audio. And the MV7+, while still capable of being used from a desktop position, isn't making the most of its strengths there. The MV6 is cheaper, less obtrusive, and doesn't need an arm to show it off at its best.

But if you want to elevate your audio to the next level, get serious about streaming, or record a podcast that sounds like you were sitting in a studio rather than your spare room, this is the microphone to buy. It makes studio-quality sound easy to achieve, looks good doing it, and will likely last a lifetime.

My MV7's have been dropped down stairs, thrown in the back of vans, drenched in beer and banged against walls. They still work as brilliantly as the day I got them out the box, and there's nothing about the build quality of the MV7+ that suggests anything's changed. Shure gear is known for its reliability, and this seems like yet another product destined to keep going, and going.

Yes, $279 is a lot of money for a mic. But given the results here, if you care about your audio, I'd say it was actually a reasonable price of entry. The MV6 might have the desktop audio chops covered, but if you want to take things to the next level, the MV7+ is where you want to be.

If there's a brand more associated with high-quality audio capture than Shure, I can't think of one. Should you find yourself in a recording studio, or watching a live band at a local venue, a quick look at the microphones will almost certainly reveal a Shure model or two somewhere in the lineup. We've been rating the Shure MV7 as our best microphone for gaming for some time now, and it's one that I've had several years of experience using for all sorts of vocal recording.

Now there's a new kid on the block. The Shure MV6 is the company's first attempt at a dedicated USB gaming microphone and, as if to prove it, they've festooned the outer chassis with a lime green ring underneath the foam and stuck a big green capacitive button on the top for quick muting. Yours for $149/£129, significantly cheaper than the $250 asking price for the MV7, which has sadly been discontinued in favour of the MV7+.

Other than the gamer-friendly green accents it's a pretty straightforward-looking device, and quite a bit smaller than the MV7 of old. That was a mic that required either a boom arm mount or a separately sold desk stand to hold it aloft. Here though, you get a proper desk stand as standard—and quite the chunky thing it is, too.

The footprint here is a little large for a desktop device, but at least that means it won't be going anywhere. It's properly weighty and overbuilt, so there's no wobbling to worry about on an even surface. It reminds me of a miniature live mic stand, the sort that Steven Tyler might attach scarves to and throw around if he was a mere foot tall. You can enjoy that mental image for free, if you like. I have.

Anyway, I digress. The real headline news here is Shure is claiming it's taken all of its microphone knowledge and shrunk it down into a USB gaming mic. This is a dynamic unit, which should give it more of a focused sound compared to traditional condenser microphones. The downside is that dynamic mics can be sensitive to poor mic technique, like shifting your speaking position or constantly adjusting your distance.

To address this, Shure makes use of an Auto Level Mode within its Motive Mix software suite. This intelligently adjusts the gain in real-time to give a consistent volume of sound, jumping in to lower the gain setting if you suddenly yell, and boosting it if you begin to drift away from the microphone or shift in your seat. While Auto Levelling is nothing new to those familiar with VST plugins, building a decent version of it into the software and activating it by default is a smart move when giving us unwashed gamers a dynamic mic to play with.

Upon plugging in the mic with an included USB Type-C cable and opening the software, you're greeted with a quick tutorial on how best to use it, with a suggestion to keep the capsule six to 12 inches from your mouth for best results. Good advice for most mics I'd say, to get the richest, most focussed sound—especially a dynamic one. Still, it's a little more difficult here to achieve than most, depending on your setup, as the cable is only 100 cm long.

Even if your PC is up on your desktop like mine, that's still not a lot of cable length for positioning options. A bit of a naughty niggle, that, although most of us will likely have a longer cable sitting in a desk drawer somewhere.

Thankfully, however, that Auto Level adjustment works brilliantly. While you'll always get the best vocal results with a mic like this close up, you can put it at a fair distance and still get a clear and distinctive sound. I tried to catch it out in a variety of ways, but it's pretty instantaneous to react—meaning you don't have to cosy up to the foam like a pro podcaster to get a good result out of it.

Speaking of close up, if you do choose to move the microphone nearer to your mouth to get a rich, warm result, you'll find it's much less prone to plosives than previous models. The MV7 is a glorious, wonderful microphone, but it does have a tendency to blow out "puh" and "buh" sounds when you put it near your lips. Here the MV6 employs another software trick, the charmingly-named Digital Popper Stopper. Again, it's enabled by default and does an excellent job of stopping percussive sounds from overpowering the rest of the audio.

There's also built-in noise reduction, something I'd suggest is a must-have for any desktop mic, even a dynamic one that's less prone to picking up background noise. It's very powerful, but I'd say that if anything it's a little too aggressive for my liking. Any noise reduction turned up to a sufficient level can introduce a slightly washy, warbly quality to certain vocal tones, and here it's occasionally perceptible.

There's no slider adjustment, just an on or off setting, which makes it a bit of a blunt instrument. That being said, it does cut down on ambient room noise considerably.

What does have a slider, however, is the tone adjustment. This is essentially an EQ setting that ranges from Dark, through to Natural, and then up to Bright. By default, it sits in the middle at Natural, which is where most will likely keep it, although as a fan of a "hot radio" kind of sound I like to edge it towards Dark to richen up the tone.

Speaking of tone, the quality of the vocal capture here is brilliant. While you'll still want something like the Shure MV7 up close if you're recording podcast audio, audiobook content or anything truly "professional sounding", the sound quality that the MV6 is capable of capturing from a desktop position is genuinely impressive. It'll definitely boost your audio quality at your next meeting compared to anything lesser, and as a gaming mic, I'd say it does a much better job of preserving your vocal tone while rejecting unwanted noises compared to most desktop units, thanks to that software help.

It's also a breeze to use. The Motiv Mix software is mercifully straightforward, with a built-in soundcheck feature to let you adjust gain levels and record a quick clip of yourself with the various settings to find the right sound for you. The mic itself is also pretty unobtrusive as an object on your desk, even with those lime green accents, so it should blend into the background as a good desktop mic should.

That sizable base at the bottom of the stand does give me pause, though. It's solid as a rock, and immune to being tipped over, but it does take up a fair bit of room if you want to get the mic as close as Shure suggests. Still, it doesn't wobble, and feels like it could be used as an impromptu weapon in a zombie-based emergency if needed, so plus points there.

The real question is, should you buy an MV6 over an MV7 if you're in the market for a USB gaming microphone? Well, if you're leaving it on your desktop, thanks to that included stand, the ease of use, and the less obtrusive form factor, I'd say yes. It's also cheaper, and the top-mounted capacitive mute button is a handy extra feature.

If you're really looking for the top-end of audio quality though, and don't mind getting a large mic up in your face to do so, I'd still go for the MV7 as the better pick overall. It's a clumsier, chunkier beast, but it's also got a slightly warmer, crispier quality to it that I couldn't quite replicate with the MV6, even getting it up close with a boom arm. The MV7 also has an XLR connection, making it just as at home in a professional studio as it is with a standard PC.

To be honest, though, that's me getting all audio nerdy and looking for things that others will likely never notice, and picking out details that most gamers really shouldn't care about. It's still fairly pricey, I suppose, and both the Audio-Technica AT2020USB+ and the Razer Seiren Mini are fine options for substantially less cash, but both pale in comparison to the quality—in terms of build, vocal capture and features—of the MV6. The SteelSeries Alias is also worth a look if you want a mic that really minimises desktop space with good distance capture, but it's more expensive than the Shure, and the sound quality can't quite match it.

The bottom line is this: What Shure has made here is a mic that's built like a tank, can be used comfortably at a reasonable distance, and is significantly cheaper than the MV7—all while minimising most of the issues you get with traditional desktop microphones. And that's quite an impressive thing. Just give us a longer cable next time, ey Shure?

The Elgato Wave Neo is the newest mic out of the streaming kit company, following a legacy of very good microphones like the much beloved Wave 3 and Wave DX. While the Wave brand has a strong rep of quality mics, the Neo lineup is aiming to deliver more affordable and simple solutions. 

In that vein, the Wave Neo costs $90 USD, making it the cheapest Wave mic to date, but it does make some sacrifices to get to that point.

With the Neo lineup we are greeted by the thoughtful recycled cardboard box that contains only what you need. In this package you get a braided USB Type-C  (device side) to Type-A cable, a mic stand complete with some cable management, and the Wave 3 itself. The mic is rocking a pop filter natively. 

It really is everything you need to get started and have solid spoken audio recording right out of the box.

The included stand is quite good, but admittedly a little weird. It has a solid circular base with an 8 cm diameter and standard ¼ screw connector accessible underneath. The first half of the pole screws in simply, and has a cable grip at the back to keep things inline. The second half is attached to the mic via another smaller screw connector, offset to the side. It slides straight into the first pole using a solid inner metal piece for strength and a tabbed connector. If it sounds confusing, it can actually only go together one way, so it's not so bad.

The stand brings it to a height that's perfect for talking into, but it doesn't lock in a way that stops it from being lifted out. You may learn this the hard way if, like me, you pick up your mic and have that solid base fall right on your foot. At least  there are a tonne of ways to mount this mic, whether or not you use the included kit. 

The Wave Neo mic can be pivoted backwards and forwards on various angles and will hold that position nicely. On the back you have an aux port for monitoring your audio and the recessed USB Type-C port which the braided cable is designed to fit into. You could use any Type-C cable if you prefer, though. The front is where the condenser mic is designed to be spoken into and it sports one of the largest and brightest capacitive touch mute LED I have ever seen—but we'll get to that in a bit.

Generally, and especially for the price, voice recording is quite good. If your environment is quiet enough you should be able to plug this mic in and straight away have really decent voice recording capabilities. The sound isn't quite as crisp and punchy as something like the Wave 3 but it's warm and clear, which is what many will likely be after for streams, gaming sessions, or meetings. 

It even works straight away plugged in to other devices like my phone, which is a nice surprise. With no controls other than mute on the mic itself, if you need anything dialled in or want to make changes you're out of luck without introducing some software, however.

The Neo works with the Wave link software, which is excellent. Because my room has a lot of low computer fan noise and these are reasonably sensitive mics, it can be a huge problem. Instead, I was able to go in here and just turn the gain down enough so it wouldn't pick that up. Of course you've also got plugins like Elgato's own noise removal, if you need more help there, and as a plus it will let you keep the gain up for louder recordings. This all works well with Elgato's Stream Deck too, which can help mitigate some of the lack of controls on the Neo itself.

So back to that blinding LED mute sensor. It's so big and bright that when Elgato's Wave Link Software gave me the option to turn down the brightness I was relieved. Yetthis ended up biting me in the aux. 

When dim, the button is a bit less noticeable, so I didn't realise I had been accidentally muting myself while recording until I thought I was done. I still didn't know how I was muting myself, so I did some tests on the sensor. Turns out, it's a fair bit larger than the LED panel so it's easy to touch and unknowingly set off even when you think you shouldn't be near it. 

In a later recording I kept my hands away from the mic and still got muted out of nowhere and I just couldn't figure out what I was doing. After a bit more testing I realised that braided cables with power running can set it off if they rub over it, including its own. Even after doing my best to remove hazards, I have had this device mute when I'm not really even sure of the cause. The sheer size of the mute sensor feels like an oversight but that it's so easy to set off is a bit devastating on this device. 

It's also the main reason I wouldn't really recommend this mic to streamers or content creators. Finding out you've accidentally muted yourself mid stream and no one noticed or just didn't bother to tell you is the worst. This mic treats me like I'm a 12 year old boy in an Xbox Live lobby at least once a day. Plus it just lacks some of the crispness and definition as well as the on-device controls of its older brother, the Wave 3.

The Wave 3 that goes on sale fairly regularly for around $120 USD, by the way.

The $90 Neo is much better positioned for meetings or calls thanks to its easy setup. You're also more likely to realise quickly that you're on mute during a meeting. 

Elgato's Wave Neo is a really solid sounding mic for the price that will bring a touch of warmth to your content, but in terms of recording quality it's not kicking out our top budget or even top mid range mic choices any time soon. If the convenience of the Neo has you sold, I'd just make sure to leave that mute LED nice and blinding.

A good microphone is, to me at least, a criminally underrated bit of kit. After all, a great mic is the difference between sounding fantastic on your next podcast, stream or meeting—or sounding like you're trapped down a drainpipe with several angry cats.

• We're curating the best Prime Day PC gaming deals right here.

The best microphones used to be somewhat expensive affairs, with XLR mixers and cables a plenty needed to get a great sound. No longer! You can now pick up a great, easy to use microphone for extremely reasonable money. And the Amazon Prime Day sales means its a great time to buy yourself that audio upgrade for cheap.

But which to buy? If only someone who's used a load of them could guide you through all the options, making sure you...oh. Look who's just turned up.

Hello. Here are my top three picks for the best Prime Day microphone deals. Strap in folks. Let's get us some audio.

Quick links

• Razer Seiren Mini| $39 @ Amazon (save $11)
• HyperX QuadCast S | $109 @ Amazon (save $51)
• Shure MV7 | $249 @ Amazon (save $62)

Razer Seiren Mini

This isn't just the cheapest microphone on this list—it's the cutest, too. But before you think that it's simply just a toy, know this: this little mic is capable of capturing brilliant sound. That's it. Pretty much all it does, and that's more than alright by me.

There are some concessions made to budget, of course. There's no dedicated mute button, and the cable is rather frustratingly a Razer proprietary model, meaning you'll have to buy one off Razer if it breaks. But otherwise, this microphone is practically the definition of cheap and cheerful.

With a supercardioid pickup pattern and a 14 mm condenser capsule, this little mic plugs in to your machine via USB and captures warm, yet accurate audio primarily from whatever is in front of it. In this case, of course, you. For $39 at Amazon right now, you get a great, small, good-looking little mic that does the job, and does it very well, as we found in our review. 

Plus it looks like a boiled egg in an egg cup. Come on, what more do you want than that?

HyperX QuadCast S

Sometimes, looks are important. If you want your mic to be in frame, or simply to look pleasing on your desk or attached to a boom arm, it's got to be the HyperX QuadCast S, currently available for a smidge over $109 at Amazon.

It's not just a looker, however. It's got a built in pop-filter that works very well (saving you the indignity of speaking into a cheap clip-on one), a top-mounted capacitive mute button that shuts off your vocals with the gentlest of taps, and has switchable polar patterns for multiple speaking options. Yep, you can record just you, or several speakers with just one mic.

The Ngenuity software that comes with is unfortunately a bit basic, but it gets the job done. The best thing about this mic, though (as we found in our review) is that it picks up vocal audio brilliantly, with quite a lot of volume. You can tweak that down with the gain controls, and you'll probably want to so you don't overpower other people in a meeting, but let it not be said that this mic is shy.

It captures bold, crisp audio, this mic, and makes a real visual statement doing it. Or you could turn all the flashy lights off, and have a brilliant microphone for under $110. You do you.

Shure MV7

Forgive me if I get a little misty-eyed here, but I love this microphone. Sad, but true. Y'see, it looks to be gradually being phased out by the new Shure MV7+. We haven't had a chance to get our hands on one of those yet, but what I can tell you with absolute authority is that it'll have to work damned hard to do anything better than the original.

Not only is this mic our top pick for best overall microphone, but I personally own two of them, and have used them for years of recording podcasts and vocal audio. I can attest to this mic's exceptional sound quality, build, and ease of use more than almost any other piece of equipment I own.

My two units, despite being thrown in backpacks, dropped down stairs, and placed in front of all sorts of folks, have never let me down. Not once. More than that, they pick up gloriously warm, rounded, yet crisp vocal audio better than some very expensive mics I can name. With both USB and XLR connections on tap, these two ragamuffins have been just as suited to studio work as they have sitting on my desk.

Oh, about that. You'll need a boom arm, or a desk stand, as for some reason Shure doesn't provide one as standard. Beyond that though, this mic is simply exceptional at what it does, and sounds truly brilliant. A bit plosive prone in front of loud speakers, perhaps. Otherwise, virtually flawless. Don't just take my word for it either. Our review says much the same.

If you'll excuse me, you'll find me cradling my two models in the corner and telling them it's all going to be ok. Given that they're still $249 on discount at Amazon, you may be thinking that's a lot of money to spend on an older mic. But let me tell you, I paid more for mine per unit, and haven't regretted it once.

I'm keeping mine forever. If you want the best mic I've ever used, well, you'll find it here—for hopefully a little while longer.

As someone that's spent a good portion of my life tangled up in XLR cables, I'll be the first to tell you that setting up audio gear can be a fiddly endeavour. If you're not inclined to get down and dirty with all the intricacies of a pro audio setup—yet still fancy capturing quality sound for streaming, podcasts and more—then this SteelSeries kit makes things about as painless as they can be.

Currently available at a touch over $237 for Amazon Prime Members (and $250 for those without a membership) as part of the Prime Day sales, the SteelSeries Alias Pro kit has almost everything you need to get going. For much less fuss than you might expect, too.

I reviewed the Alias Pro kit at the start of this year, and came away very impressed with the package as a whole. The pill-shaped microphone, unlike the regular SteelSeries Alias, ditches internal amplification for an XLR port, through which it links to a very compact Stream Mixer that acts as both a preamp and a streaming controller.

On the front of that little unit are two RGB-lit soft-touch configurable buttons for things like muting and input switching, along with a dedicated gain dial and a much larger configurable dial for all sorts of uses. This can all be adjusted to your hearts content in SteelSeries' Sonar audio suite, and it's that integration that really makes things as simple as they can be here.

Once the mic's been hooked up and the Stream Mixer connected, Sonar performs a small miracle, auto-detecting your input and output devices and making it easy to sort them out onto various faders. Traditionally complex things like compressors and noise reduction are reduced down to single sliders, which is ordinarily the sort of thing that'd annoy me greatly as an over-simplification.

• We're curating the best Prime Day PC gaming deals right here.

However, the neat trick here is that they're all configured very well to begin with, meaning you just have to choose how much you need. Want less background noise? Turn up the AI-enhanced (groan) ClearCast noise reduction with a single slider.

Compression? Fuggedabout it, just bump it up a bit and hear the results.

There's one thing missing from this kit, however, and its a big one: a boom arm. That excellent capsule combined with the powerful preamp really shines when it's positioned up close to your mouth, and you'll really need an adjustable arm to get the most out of it.

SteelSeries will sell you one of its own for $99, but in all honesty, it's more than a little overpriced for what it is. Thankfully, the socket and included adaptors on the back of the mic will fit most arms, so something like this InnoGear model for just over $37 (again, Prime Member price, $50 otherwise) should do just as good a job for much less.

After that? You're sorted. The Alias Pro kit is capable of making excellent vocal audio streaming easy to achieve with just a few clicks, and for that it's earned its spot as the best microphone for streaming in our best microphone guide. And at this price? I'd say it's a better shout than ever.

The new Asus ROG Carnyx marks the company's entry into the hugely competitive streaming microphone industry. On paper, it has everything the discerning streamer needs; beautiful, all-metal design, USB connectivity, 24-bit audio, studio-grade 25mm condenser with a high-pass filter, internal pop filter, sidetone and of course, Aura Sync RGB lighting for the camera.

All these goodies will set you back $180 (£170, AU$311). That's a little more than the good old HyperX QuadCast S and the Blue Yeti GX that also boasts RGB. However, there's a lot more to a good mic than just specs and, after a couple of weeks of using the ROG Carnyx, I'm left feeling a little shortchanged.

Let's start with the design of the thing which is no doubt one of the most striking gaming microphones I've seen yet, and a perfect showpiece on any live stream. The solid metal tube sits in an interestingly angled desk stand with elastic suspension cables, and that isolates external vibrations to the mic. The top half has machined triangular grills that expose the RGB lighting and, of course, allow sound to pass through to the condenser. Behind that are foam and mesh layers to prevent unwanted plosives.

There's a single, multi-functional dial on the front that controls gain, headset volume, and can also be used to toggle the built-in high-pass filter. Around the back of the microphone, you'll find the USB Type-C port and 3.5mm headphone jack so you can listen to the mic as you speak. On the top of the mic is a touchpad to mute the mic, which then glows a warm red to let you know it's muted. Touch and hold it will turn the RGB lighting on or off, too.

The desk stand for the Carnyx is solid and rigid, keeping the mic exactly where you want it to be. It allows you to tilt the microphone maybe 30-degrees. I like the base of the stand which is a triangular metal piece with tasteful grooves that highlight the ROG logo depending on the angle you look at. 

You aren't beholden to the desk stand though; a single screw unlocks the triangle base so you can attach the rest of the mic to a boom arm. The Carnyx uses a 3/8-inch thread which is common to a variety of boom arms.

Inside the Carnyx is a studio-grade, 25mm condenser capsule designed to improve low-frequency performance and deliver richer, warmer vocal tones. Combined with a lossless audio bitrate of 24-bit and 192kHz, the Carnyx can sound really good.

The microphone also uses a cardioid polar pattern, so as long as it's in front of you, and preferably less than five inches from your mouth, you will sound hella sexy.

I've recorded a sample of the difference proximity makes to the mic's quality and it is obvious to me that despite the lovely desk stand, the intended use case is a boom arm to get the mic as close to your face and in the camera frame as possible. I messed around with the gain levels while using the desk stand but couldn't get anywhere near the warmth and depth of vocals as when the mic was close to my mouth.

Having the Carnyx in its desk stand positioned at a reasonable foot distance would result in much lower audio volume—that's just physics. However, pushing the gain higher to get things louder introduces significant background hiss as well as other unwanted ambient noises. The high-pass filter never fully helps things much. Whether I sat the microphone close to my gaming rig or closer to my mouth, it always picked up the fan hum from my PC.

Lowering the gain helps much more than the high-pass filter but further necessitates proximity to your mouth for solid audio. Thankfully, there's also a noise-gate but being a fairly soft-spoken fella with a relatively quiet home (most of the time), I didn't need it much.

Now, while you can adjust the basics directly on the mic using the dial, you'll need Armoury Crate to really dial things in. In here, you can adjust volume, bitrate, noise gate, Perfect voice and an equalizer with three presets; Natural, Dark and Bright. I prefer the natural and dark, but it all depends on your voice and your own preference.

One issue I have with the physical control on the Carnyx is that you don't get any sort of feedback to acknowledge your changes. Turning the dial doesn't use the RGB to indicate gain or volume levels, which can be frustrating.

At the end of the day, the ROG Carnyx is a good first attempt by Asus though not quite groundbreaking. It's a handsome microphone that any RGB-loving game streamer would be happy to have in their setup and it can sound good if you set it up correctly.

But at close to $200, the Carnyx is far from the best microphone money can buy. Simpler microphones without the fancy RGB can deliver the goods for less money. Unless you are particularly sold on the aesthetic or Asus Aura Sync ecosystem, this wouldn't be my first choice. That said, I look forward to future iterations of the ROG Carnyx.

Desktop condenser mics, if you think about it, have to do quite a difficult job. From a reasonable distance, a microphone is expected to sit on your desk—likely near to a PC with fan noise and other interference-emitting devices—and pick up a good vocal signal, while hopefully rejecting as much unwanted noise as is reasonable. And, let's face it, it'd be nice if it looked good while it was doing it, too.

The Razer Seiren V3 Chroma has the last part down at the very least. Pulling it from its packaging reveals a handsome, pill-shaped device with a screw-in base and a matte finish that looks suitably professional. It's tiltable on its stand thanks to two nicely knurled side mounted knobs, and features just the one solitary dial at first glance.

Oi, who's gone and nicked all me controls then, you may well think, or at least I did as a previous near-London resident.

A closer inspection reveals that at the very top of the device is a hidden touch control for muting and other functions. Besides that, there's just a small USB Type-C connector around the back and a 3.5mm jack for headphone output. Minimalist, this little mic, although it feels and looks rather good doing it.

All that minimalism, however, goes away the second you plug it in. The Seiren V3 treats you to a frankly blazing display of colours on first connection, all emitted from underneath the holes of its substantial grille.

This is likely going to be a love it or hate it affair from the off, but personally as a fan of a bit of RGB illumination I did enjoy the effect, although at default settings it is surprisingly bright. Time to install the Razer Synapse software then, and get to grips with the options.

After a bit of update wrangling (and a required reboot, I might add) to get Synapse to behave itself and log me in reliably—and this isn't my first rodeo, messing around with Synapse and its tendency to be fiddly—you are eventually greeted with a mic menu screen that at first glance is blissfully easy to use. 

There are sliders for microphone and headphone gain, dropdown menus to choose between two different functions for the front dial (microphone volume and headphone volume, if you were wondering) and options to configure that aforementioned top-mounted touch control.

Here you can configure the extra tap functions. One tap on the top mutes the mic and turns it an attractive shade of red, which should make it blissfully easy to tell if you've accidentally cut the audio on the mic itself on your next remote meeting. Two or three taps can be configured in a variety of ways, including cycling the Chroma RGB effects, turning them off entirely, or even using them as an audio meter.

I tried the latter, but disabled it very quickly. The RGB flashes on and off when it picks up a suitably loud signal, including the clacking of a mechanical keyboard, which means while writing this review I was subject to a series of eye-searing flashes with the setting on. A gradual flow of lighting from subtle green to stronger tones to indicate signal strength would be much easier on the eyes, but alas, I couldn't find an option for it

If you find the RGB LEDs in general to be on the strong side, flipping over to the lighting menu gives your a plethora of other options, including a much-needed slider to turn it down to something more reasonable, or even off entirely. Here I configured the Seiren V3 to deliver some pleasing, ever changing glows that would likely look good on your next stream cam. Ahhh. Much more soothing.

Anyway, enough about the pretty lights. Time for some audio tests, and for this I booted up Audacity, set the gain to something reasonable, and recorded some audio test clips you can find below:

You may notice that there's some background noise, including a distinct buzz with a little hiss, on a relatively low gain setting of 30 out of 100. I find it particularly obvious in 'dead air' sections like the two to three seconds at the end of the clip. I tried it in different USB ports and at different distances to try and figure out where it might be coming from on my otherwise quiet setup, but with no joy. I've recorded a fair few microphones from this system and in this room with no such issues, but it seems the Seiren V3 Chroma likes to add a bit of unwanted (and as best as I can tell, non-existent) background noise.

Searching around the settings for a software solution, again I thought I might be missing something. There's a high pass filter, which I had engaged, a digital gain limiter and auto gain control, but no actual noise suppression, reduction or noise gate option.

Not only that, but there's no adjustable EQ either. Luckily enough, as you can hear in the test clips, the little Razer does deliver a fairly warm, round rendition of your vocals on default settings, which is reasonably pleasant. It'd be nice to be able to tweak it, but in all honesty the depth of sound is pretty decent by default, so a mark in its favour there.

However, it did have a little bit of a low input at even a relatively close range, even when pushing my dull baritone up to volumes that I would consider slightly obnoxious. Of course, you can turn up the gain to compensate, but without a proper noise suppressor this only makes the background noise worse, so I ended up putting the mic closer to me than I normally would to minimise it.

Of course, the closer you have a microphone to you, the better it's able to pick up your vocals, but given the need to boost the gain here and the lack of ability to properly tame unwanted noise, I found this limited where I could place the mic on my desk in order to get acceptable audio.

You could mount it on a boom arm to get it away from unwanted audio sources and nearer to your mouth for lower gain usage, and facility is provided for that via the socket that screws into the bottom of the base. However, for its primary purpose of sitting on your desk in its mount, looking pretty and capturing good audio, the Razer likes to get up close and personal to properly perform.

Where the software does shine, however, is the Stream Mixer settings. Here you can configure your inputs and outputs and your playback mix very easily thanks to some straightforward drop down menus, complete with an option to open Windows very own audio settings from within the app. That's a nice touch, and other audio software suites would do well to emulate it.

While the Razer Seiren V3 Chroma is a very pretty thing, and is definitely capable of picking up a useable audio signal, its tendency to rely on higher gain settings in combination with a lack of software to tame them means it's a bit of a wild horse without the appropriate reins. 

You could, of course, make use of a third-party plugin for noise suppression duties, but given that this mic is marketed on the box as a plug and play audio device "for fuss-free setup" and comes in at a substantial price, you'd hope that it would come with a workable solution already built-in, and well, it doesn't.

That being said, it's not the only mic in a similar price range that's a little bit lacking on the software noise-reduction features, including the similarly light-up HyperX Quadcast S that currently takes the "best looking" spot on our list of the best microphones for gaming.

However, the HyperX also comes with a fancy elasticated shockmount and a range of directional patterns to pick from, and while the Razer professes to have a built-in shock absorber I still found it prone to picking up desk taps and clunks relatively easily, especially as I had to place it close to my keyboard to minimise the background noise.

If you don't mind skipping the RGB lighting, you could also pick up an Audio-Technica AT2020USB+ for around half the money. It skimps out on audio software entirely, but it also provides a lovely rounded-yet-crisp sound, and if that's all you're after and you don't mind adding some third-party solutions of your own then it's difficult to see why you'd go for the Razer instead, unless you really are sold on the smaller form factor and the very shiny lights.

It likes being the centre of attention, this little mic, but while the Stream Mixer settings are great and the aesthetics are pleasing, it really could do with some decent noise reduction to help clean up its act.

To some, audio quality matters little, beyond something that isn't objectively awful to listen to. If all you want is something that sounds good enough to pass without comment in your next Discord chat or remote meeting, there are plenty of microphones that'll do the job just fine.

When you're looking to take things to a more professional sounding level however, perhaps for your next stream or podcast, then things can get very complicated, very quickly. Suddenly you're in a world of polar patterns, XLR cables, pre-amp adjustments, compression sliders and all sorts of terminology that can make your head spin, and that's before you plug in your first cable.

SteelSeries reckons it has the answer. Enter, the SteelSeries Alias Pro, the companion microphone to the regular SteelSeries Alias. With an MSRP of $330/£320 it's playing with some big names, as our current favourite gaming microphone, the Shure MV7, comes in at a similar price range. Better be good then, ey?

Unlike its little brother, the Pro version ditches the front mounted controls and the internal amplification for a separate mains powered XLR control and amp unit called the Stream Mixer, which features two rear mounted USB Type-C ports complete with two Type-C to Type-A cables, a dedicated line-out, and a rear XLR connection, also with included cable. 

All this connectivity is designed to allow you to use the Stream Mixer to interface with multiple inputs and outputs, including two PCs at once for those streaming and recording on separate systems, along with XLR connectivity that allows you to connect to a separate mixer or use a different XLR based mic altogether. 

48V phantom power is included, meaning the preamp here should have no problem powering other XLR mics from another manufacturer should you wish to use the Stream Mixer with something other than what's included here. 

Beyond all those extra connectivity options, the Stream Mixer is a compact and well-built little interface with two RGB-rimmed buttons, and two dials. The left button acts as a dedicated mic mute, while the right can be assigned to various functions within the software.

As for those dials, the smaller of the two is dedicated to gain adjustment, while the larger can be programmed for all sorts of uses, including volume adjustment or adjusting specific fader. Unlike the standard Alias with its built in lights, for the Pro the LED ring around the gain knob acts as a meter, so red for clipping, yellow for near, and green for within usual range, and the two buttons also change colour when pressed so you can easily tell when you're muted.

Just like the regular Alias, the Alias Pro makes use of the excellent Sonar audio interface software, which once again recognised my connected input and output devices with the minimal amount of fuss. It had no problem distinguishing and identifying two PCs connected to the interface, meaning if you were looking to setup a separate laptop for streaming, the Stream Mixer has you covered with the minimum of hassle.

There's a lot of customisation here within the software if you want it, including RGB lighting setups and dial customisation. When it comes to the audio features, the ClearCast AI noise cancellation is of particular note, as it helped me tame the increased gain provided by the preamp while still keeping a good signal level, along with a simple but powerful compressor reduced to a single slider and an easy to use EQ with some well thought out presets.

In a desktop position using the included mount, it didn't take long before I had a sound very similar to the regular Alias, as they both make use of a 1-inch/25mm capsule with a 50Hz to 20kHz cardioid pick up pattern that has no problem capturing good quality audio at a reasonable range.

However, SteelSeries also provided me with one of its Alias Boom Arms to play with, currently priced at just under $100/£80, and it's here that the Alias Pro came into its own. In a close mic position it really didn't take me long to get an excellent result.

It's not that the Alias Pro is bad at distance recording compared to its little brother, in fact far from it. However, when pairing it with the boom arm to bring it close up and experimenting with the Sonar EQ, suddenly the qualities of that external preamp came into sharp relief. 

I recorded a few clips of both the Alias Pro on its desk mount and in a close mic configuration on the boom arm, and a reference clip of a microphone I know very well, the Shure MV7, also on a boom arm at an identical distance.

I left the Shure unprocessed and raw as a baseline (bear in mind, when you buy one, all you get is the mic and some relatively blunt software), whereas the Alias on the boom arm is using the Sonar EQ, noise reduction and compression.

Thanks to that preamp, a closer configuration and the flexibility of the Sonar software, the Alias Pro is capable of a very warm yet still detailed sound that'd be perfect for a podcast or audiobook recording, and great for a professional sounding stream. 

Of course, the Shure MV7 is capable of a similar tone when EQ'd and processed, but bear in mind you'd need to do a fair bit of fiddling with some plugins to make that happen, whereas the Sonar software and Stream Mix interface included here makes it easy.

You're going to want a boom arm like the Alias version I used here for the best results though, and that gets expensive pretty quickly. For what its worth, while the SteelSeries Boom Arm is high-quality and robust, I would be tempted to buy a cheaper arm and save a bit of cash as there are plenty of options on the market that do the same job for less, and the screw-in socket on the back of the microphone itself is a default size that should connect to most of them.

For comparison, a Shure MV7 in combination with a decent audio interface/preamp, some plugins and a suitable arm will cost you similar money to the SteelSeries Pro and corresponding arm, and many might prefer to lean towards the Shure brand when it comes to spending that much cash on a studio-like audio setup, no matter how much fiddling you'd need to do.

Still, where the SteelSeries Alias Pro really makes sense is as a leaping off point into the realms of studio sound. The versatility of the preamp, the power of the flexible yet easy to understand software and the qualities of that capsule come shining through with very little messing around, meaning that you can get the sort of audio normally reserved for professional setups quickly and easily.

That's something of an impressive feat. Good audio is subjective, of course, but I can't deny that with the SteelSeries Pro in front of you, a great result is tantalisingly close with just a few simple steps. Beyond that, the customisation is there to set up the Stream Mixer with just about every input and output you can think of, dialled in to its easy to use controls. It just makes the experience much, much smoother than a regular studio setup, and for that, I have to tip my hat.

I reckon when it comes to pure sonic chops from the mic itself, the Shure MV7 still just about has it, but honestly, the Alias Pro's preamp makes it a surprisingly close run thing.

Yep, it's still pricey. But for studio-like sound with much less hassle, I reckon it's worth it. Quality audio gear often costs, it's true, but here you can at least ditch the usual audio headaches and get on with the business of capturing great sound with ease.

Audio gear, including some of the best microphones, can be bulky pieces of equipment to accommodate on your desk. As someone that's become intimately familiar with the downsides of working within a limited amount of space, it can become tempting to think that it's easier to use a (usually lesser) headset mic over a standalone unit, even if it means sacrificing some audio quality for your next meeting or stream.

However, SteelSeries' Alias microphone aims to pack everything a gamer might want in a mic in a compact setup, even going as far as to say it's the first mic "truly designed for gaming". With an MSRP of $180/£180, it certainly has a premium price tag attached, but first impressions out of the box does reveal a premium looking product to match.

Nestled inside a small but well-constructed shock mount, the slim chassis and narrow but still substantial looking microphone design makes for a good-looking addition to your setup, and quickly managed to tuck itself amongst my overcrowded desk without making things feel any more cluttered than they already are. 

At 720g with the included desk stand it treads the line between feeling weighty enough to assure you it's a premium piece of gear, without being heavy or cumbersome to move around.  

More than that, the metal construction and anodized finish looks reassuringly professional, which means that if you had it in shot for a conference call it's unlikely to stand out. Given its size though, it's easy enough to hide if you don't want it making an appearance. Built into the front face of the mic is a lozenge-shaped control interface with a mute button and headphone gain dial, which is nicely dampened and satisfying to turn. 

It might sound strange to some, but having used audio gear with plastic-y, wobbly control interfaces and dials that feel more like they should control children's toys instead of professional equipment, a nice-feeling dial or two really does make a difference to how you perceive your new bit of kit. 

Gain adjustment is handled by another excellent feeling dial on the rear, which although a little fiddly at first makes sense. Adjusting gain levels is usually more of a setup thing than something you're likely to be doing on the regular, and given the ease at which the unit can be moved around I didn't find reaching around the back to adjust the gain all that much of a hassle. 

Also around the back is a 3.5mm audio jack for headphone monitoring, which keeps it out of the way but might be a bit of a pain if you're planning on plugging and unplugging your headphones often.

The included USB-C to USB-A cable threads through the stand to its port on the rear, and once it's connected there's a hidden RGB light under the mic chassis that projects a discrete glow onto the stand beneath. 

Speaking of lights, the Alias hides its LED indicators beneath the fabric mic cover so the gain level shines through only when it's picking up audio, and those same LEDs also display a large red "X" when the unit is muted. That's a nice touch, as trying to figure out which mute setting you've accidentally left on mid-meeting or recording session can be a panic-inducing moment, so at least you'll be sure if the microphone itself is muted or not.

Using SteelSeries' Sonar audio software I was able to quickly set up to record and stream to various other applications with ease, thanks to its intuitive drag and drop system for handling inputs and outputs. This was made especially easy since the software performed a quick and accurate setup on first boot that recognised all of my plugged in audio gear immediately, and quickly configured everything hardware-wise with minimal prompting.

The fact that this worked as well as it did struck me as a minor miracle, as up until this point I was unaware that any audio configurators existed that didn't require at least a few minutes of messing around and some colourful language to get everything working the way you intended it to.

The software also includes an adjustable equaliser with a variety of useful presets, a compressor and a noise suppressor, and as someone who's used to the intricacies of various audio interfaces I was impressed by how straightforward the whole process was. Audio set up can be notoriously fiddly, but Sonar lays things out in an easy to understand and intuitive way with all the adjustment you could reasonably need, without a barrage of settings you probably don't.

When it comes to sound, the Alias makes use of a 1-inch/25mm capsule, which for reference is much larger than something like the 14mm capsule you'd find in the Blue Yeti, while frequency response ranges from 50Hz to 20kHz in a single cardioid pickup pattern with a max SPL of 120 dB. Impressive stuff on paper, but what about the audio itself?

First impressions were good, as there's a decent level of fidelity here even when the mic is a reasonable distance away. That large capsule mean that low-end frequencies and mids keep their heft, trebles are clear without becoming harsh, and overall there's a good depth to the tone.

A fair bit of background noise from my fans can be heard when the audio is raw, but listen to the clips below, one raw and one with the EQ, compressor and ClearCast AI noise reduction turned on, and hear how much more focussed the sound becomes.

I'll be honest and say that even with the software's help the audio isn't as crispy and clear as some of the comparisons above, but given it's a condenser unit sitting at a reasonable distance, the fact it achieved a decent level of richness while maintaining good clarity was impressive. Some cheaper mics can lean towards sounding tinny, whereas if anything the Alias leans towards a slightly fuller tone.

Playing around with the EQ presets yielded a variety of useful options, and I found that they were well-labelled for their particular purposes, with the "balanced" preset (used in the processed clip above) providing the most, you guessed it, balanced and clear sound.

The noise-suppressor here is SteelSeries' AI-enhanced ClearCast, and I found it was remarkably good at discerning between my voice and unwanted background noise, and I didn't have to turn it up very high to get a good result. Like all noise-reduction software it can get a little over-zealous and robotic sounding at higher settings, but when kept at a reasonable setting I found it worked very well for its purpose.

If you're looking for something that can stand on your desk with minimal footprint and capture good audio for gaming, meetings and more without any fuss, then the standard Alias makes a lot of sense. Thanks to the power and ease of use of the Sonar software it's a set and forget sort of setup, all wrapped up in a neat and unobtrusive package.

That being said, when listening back to my sound samples in comparison to mics that we've already tested like the HyperX Quadcast X or the Sennheiser Profile Streaming Set it does make me wonder whether the regular Alias does enough to justify that $180 price tag.

It certainly sounds decent and the build quality is impressive, but there's just no getting around the fact that it's a lot of money for a single mic with no extras, even if the results are good and the software is very impressive. Spend a bit more and you could be in premium audio territory with the likes of the Shure MV7, whereas the Razer Seiren Mini at $50 gets similar audio results, albeit without the fancy lighting and premium finish.

Regardless, although the Alias is a somewhat pricey affair, its performance, build quality and ease of use does stack up to make a compelling package. What you end up with here is a compact mic that you can stick in a corner of your desk, crank up the noise cancelling, and forget about.

Perhaps its peace of mind you're buying with the Alias. No fuss, no hassles, just a solidly built, good looking bit of kit that does what it says it will, and for that matter, does it well.

Audacity has become the absolute go-to recommendation when it comes to free audio recording software for your PC, and while it's an easy program to start recording with, the built in noise reduction in particular has always been a bit of a bugbear of mine. It's often prone to introducing a lot of digital artifacts into the signal in an effort to get rid of background noise, so when I heard that there was now a new free suite of AI tools based on OpenVINO, including an AI noise suppressor to play with, I had to give them a try.

OpenVINO is an open-source toolkit that's built for running machine learning on Intel desktop and cloud platforms, and these tools have been built by Intel within the platform for Audacity (via CDM). 

Beyond the AI noise suppression tool for podcasts, there's also a "Music Generation" tool designed to generate music from a prompt, or based on existing music, and also a "Music Style Remix" feature that can split a song into its component parts.

It's the noise suppressor in particular that caught my interest as I've had some previous experience engineering a podcast or two, and I always sought to use expensive VST plugins for background noise removal, as the Audacity default effect can be a bit of a blunt object. It's not awful by any means, but it often introduces digital "wash" into your vocal recordings that can be tiring to listen to.

With that in mind, I downloaded the new tools from Github and got to testing. Grabbing the nearest cardioid condenser mic to hand, I first recorded a test clip in Audacity with a noisy background, in this case my PC fans and a large, open and echo-prone room with a window facing out onto the street. 

I then recorded another clip, and post-processed it with Audacity's built in noise reduction used at a high enough setting that the background noise was removed, before recording a final test clip and trying out the AI tool to see how it compared, and you can hear my results below.

Hmm. While the AI tool can absolutely remove background noise well, I'm not a particularly big fan of what its done to the overall tone of my voice. Listening to the Audacity noise-reduced clip side by side, while you can definitely hear more of that undesirable robotic-sounding wash it has at least kept some clarity in my dulcit tones, whereas the AI tool has made things a little muddy.

There's very little tweaking available for the OpenVINO noise suppressor as things stand, as it only currently has one noise suppression model included and no factory presets or sliders, so for the purposes of this test I had to run with the default settings provided. There is the option to import user presets, so I imagine it's a watch this space to see what the community might do with it.

Still, the noise reduction itself is impressive at least, and it processed relatively quickly on my CPU, although it has to be said that the built-in Audacity tool is still quicker, by which I mean, near instantaneous on such a short clip. 

You could absolutely EQ the AI clip to gain some clarity and tame some of the muddy notes in those mids, but then that does bring into question why you'd go to the extra effort unless you were really desperate to remove every last trace of background noise possible.

Needs work, I would say. I did attempt to play around with the AI music generation tool to get it to produce something presumably fantastic around the prompt of "PC Gamer Hardware team funk", but alas, no matter how I tweaked I couldn't get it to generate anything but an error message, even when reducing my prompt down to plain old funk, rock or pop. Shame.

Still, these AI tools are free to play with and seemingly still under development, so I wouldn't give it long before they're likely to be much more workable. While we now live in a world where the term "AI" is seemingly bolted on to every new product, something like AI-powered noise removal strikes as a good use of the tech, and given that its for free I'd say it wasn't a bad result.

Still annoyed about the PC Gamer funk failure though. One day we'll get our theme tune. One day soon.

With the continued popularity of streaming, remote-working and voice chat in general, it's no surprise that so many manufacturers are focussing their efforts on creating great microphones, and this year we've had quite a few cross our desks. But when it comes to the best of the best, these three candidates stand out as top contenders for our best microphone award 2023.

We've all been subjected to less than ideal audio quality, whether it's from someone using the built-in mic in their webcam to headset users with crackly headset units placed far too close to their mouths, the results are pretty horrible to listen to. However, each of the candidates here are designed to capture and deliver fantastic, warm and crisp vocal sound to caress your earholes, and would make worthy additions to any audio setup.

However, beyond sound quality and accurate vocal capture what we're really looking for in a great mic is thoughtful design, solid build quality and great compatibility. Each of the microphones below really ticked these boxes in different ways, so it's a tight competition for who takes the top spot.

The Sennheiser Profile Streaming Set makes a compelling case for itself as an all-in-one platform for anyone looking to get into professional sounding audio, with a professional look to match. Meanwhile the Audio-Technica AT2020+ delivers great audio quality for a surprisingly reasonable price, and as for our last pick, the Audio-Technica ATH-M50xSTS StreamSet, well, we even included a headset in the mix. Yep, the mic was that good.

Any of these microphones seems destined for the top spot, so without further ado, here's our breakdown of this year's contenders.

Best microphone 2023: the nominees

The winner of the PC Gamer Hardware Award for the best microphone of 2023 will be announced on New Year's Eve. Sound good? Sorry. Make sure you check in with us then to find out the eventual result.

If you're looking for a fantastic deal on a mic, your best bet is to check out our Black Friday PC gaming deals. If you're determined to have the best microphone for gaming, however, I can tell you that our favourite, the Shure MV7 is currently $224 at Amazon. It's not what I'd technically call a good deal—it's only a 10% price reduction after all. But if you've got your heart set on what we believe to be the best microphone available right now, a discount is still a discount, whether it's got a Black Friday sticker on it or not.

There's no getting away from the premium price of the Shure MV7 microphone, but if you're interested in buying one, it's doubtful you want it just to chat with your friends over Discord a couple of times a week. It comes with a Micro Type-B to USB Type-C and Micro Type-B to USB Type-A cable, giving you options if you ever need to use your phone to record and don't want to risk picking up any background noise. 

• We're curating all the best Black Friday PC gaming deals right here.

A decent mic is often something that we take for granted as gamers. For most of us, they come as part of whichever headset you happen to own, and you might only ever really pay attention to yours if it stops working or if someone on Discord tells you that you "sound funny". 

That said, if you stream or record videos or podcasts, the microphone you use suddenly becomes a lot more important. And while you can absolutely get by with cheaper options when you're starting out, the difference in quality proves that, if you want the best, you will have to pay for it.

If the Shure MV7 is a bit much for your wallet and you decide to go for a cheaper standalone mic, you can always pair it with a Black Friday gaming headset deal to round out your audio set-up. 

• Razer Seiren Mini | USB | $49.99 $34.99
• HyperX Quadcast | USB | $99.99 $89.99
• HyperX QuadCast S | USB | $159.99 $103.99
• Sennheiser Professional Profile set | Mic + boom | USB | $199 $179
• Shure MV7 | USB, XLR | $249.99 $224
• Shure MV7 Tripod kit| USB, XLR | $269 $242

Most headset or webcam mics are a disappointment at best, so a dedicated desktop microphone can be an easy way to hugely improve most setups. Most gamers could benefit from having a better quality mic for multiplayer sessions, and with streaming becoming ever popular, a good mic can be the difference between welcoming viewers or scaring them away. This makes mics a great addition to most setups, and often a great choice for the gamer who has everything else already.

The downside is mics are not the cheapest accessories, often seen as a bit of a luxury rather than a necessity. While there can be some good cheap options, pc microphones are a device where paying a little more can lead to huge gains in quality. Thankfully, Cyber Monday sales can give you the opportunity to pick up a great mic at a fraction of the usual cost.  

We've been scouring the internet to find the best mic deals for all different use cases and price points. Whether you're just wanting clearer calls over coms for multiplayer gaming sessions or are feeling ready to bust onto the streaming scene, there are great options in this list of my favourite Cyber Monday microphone deals currently available. 

• We're curating all the best Cyber Monday PC gaming deals right here.

For those on a budget, I've put the cheapest mic deals worth your time right at the top. I know you haven't got the time to be scrolling with all that hustle. Cheapest doesn't necessarily mean best deal though, so it's worth checking out the whole list to find the best mic for your use and budget.

It's happened pretty much every year since Razer released the Seiren Mini: the standard $50 price gets knocked down to $35. And I love it. I'm not a podcaster, I'm not some ASMR YouTuber, I don't need a Shure MV7 and XLR cabling wrapped around my desktop. What I need is a microphone that sounds good, doesn't require a boom arm for me to headbutt every five minutes, and sounds better than pretty much any headset mic out there.

And the Razer Seiren Mini ticks every single one of those boxes. Oh, and the final thing is I don't want to have to spend a fortune just to be able to chat to my friends clearly, or be heard in meetings when Jacob and Andy are trying to explain the virtues of this Allen key vs. another.

Big tick there, because this is almost throwaway money when it comes to PC gaming gear right now.

• We're curating all the best Black Friday PC gaming deals right here.

The Seiren Mini is impossible to type out accurately reliably, but it's also best picked up at Amazon right now. Newegg does have it for the same price at the moment, but only in one color. The adorable pill-shaped mic is $35 at Amazon, and that's the same whether you want the black, white (Mercury), or pink (Quartz) versions.

Razer has used the same internal components with the miniature mic as it did with the big boi Seiren and that's why it sounds really, really good, despite its budget price. There are obvious compromises though: It has a very rudimentary stand, there is a single green LED on the front to indicate it's powered on, and NO BUTTONS.

That's right, nothing. Nada. Not even a mute or gain control.

Which I actually really like, to be honest. I just want a mic that's going to sit there and pick up my voice. I don't want to have to set the damned thing up in any more in-depth way than plugging it in and setting it the right way up. Battling the audio settings in Windows is a task enough, thank you.

That supercardioid pick up pattern is super effective, and means that if you're sitting directly in front of it, you're pretty much all anyone is going to be able to hear from your end.

If you're the sort who is glad to pull the mic out of any gaming headset you stick on your head—but who also grudgingly acknowledges the need for actual human, vocal communication—the Seiren Mini will outperform all but the most premium of headset microphones. And doesn't require a sound engineer to set up.

There are two new Yeti microphones and neither are made by Blue Microphones. The Yeti Orb and Yeti GX will be available later this month, and both are Logitech G products, marking the beginning of the end for Blue.

Blue Microphones was bought out by Logitech back in 2018 for a grand sum of $117 million. Since then, it's been left relatively untouched by its parent company, occasionally launching the odd special edition Yeti microphone or a compact mic for streamers. That all came to an abrupt end over the summer, however, as Logitech pulled the Blue website, scrubbed the sub-brand from its site, and confirmed that 'Blue' will hereafter only refer to Logitech's audio technologies.

The first hardware to ditch the Blue brand since are new versions of Blue's most famous product: the Yeti.

The Logitech G Yeti GX is a "premium" gaming microphone (it has RGB lighting) and comes in a pod shape with a built-in desk stand. Sort of your Blue Yeti Nano in Logitech G flair. It has a supercardioid pickup pattern to focus on your vocals and less of the background noise, so say Logitech. It also uses what the company calls "Smart Audio Lock", a tool to adjust gain to pickup your voice while limiting unwanted sounds coming through. My previous experience with desk-mounted mics would suggest being careful with whacking your desk if you do keep this thing on its included stand, though it comes with an adapter for a boom arm if you prefer.

The most genuinely interesting bit of this mic, which will appeal to major hardware nerds like me, is the inclusion of a scroll wheel ripped from one of Logitech's gaming mice for the mic's gain control. That does sound quite enjoyable, fair play—maybe this consolidative capitalism thing is alright, after all.

The Yeti GX will set you back $150 in the US, or £149 in the UK.

On the cheaper side of things, there's the Logitech G Yeti Orb. A familiar sight, this looks like an inflated version of the Blue Snowball—one of the first dedicated microphones I ever owned, besides this thing. From the specs sheet, this thing looks a lot like the Snowball, though it comes with RGB now so… we're clearly winning. It's not quite as cheap as the Snowball, the Orb will cost you $60/£60, but it's close enough considering the Snowball has been around for an age. Here's hoping the Orb also similarly drops in price sooner rather than later.

Rounding off the lot, there's a gaming key light. More in Logitech's usual stable, this RGB capable light opts for a dual-sided approach rather than the more traditional flat panel we've seen from Elgato and Razer. It's $150/£150, which means it's still very much in the realm of serious streamer gear, though it'll happily run all day, according to Logitech. 

AVermedia is perhaps more well-known to gamers as the company that makes capture cards that isn't Elgato, but it has been quietly making some really popular streaming gear for a while now.  And now a part of me is annoyed its webcams and microphones didn't appear on my radar until now, because this latest mic is genuinely really, really good. 

The Live Streamer Mic 350 (or the AM350) is AVermedia's latest premium USB condenser mic and aims to bridge the gap between novice to pro streamers and podcasters. It's a significant improvement over the AM310 microphone, offering enhanced features and richer sound, all without needing an expensive audio interface and XLR mic. Though it is worth stating that there are some impressive budget XLR mics available right now, like the Elgato Wave DX.

The AM350 boasts an appealing black all-metal design with a split-cylindrical look that exudes a futuristic vibe. The red-accented trim at the top adds a touch of style without going overboard. However, it took me a moment to realize it actually isn't an RGB light ring. The included stand is stable and well-built, unlike the precariousness of the Audio Technica 2020+ stand. And that means it's reliable enough to produce quality audio without a boom arm. 

On the front of the mic, you'll find gain and mix controls, while the bottom houses a headphone jack, USB Type-C port, and a switch between cardioid and omnidirectional modes. I prefer these sorts of physical knobs and buttons on sound equipment over capacitive buttons. Touch buttons can be finicky during recording like you'll find on the HyperX Quadcast S, or the touch slider on the Shure MV7.

The dual microphone operates in two pickup patterns: cardioid and omni modes. Cardioid, common in USB mics, captures sound directly in front of the AM350, while omni mode picks up sounds from all directions. This is ideal for roundtable discussions with multiple speakers or for creating ASMR content.

Avermedia says the AM350 is the first USB condenser microphone to utilize Dirac for sound optimization—a technology that enhances vocals, similar to what's found in JBL sound systems. This means your voice will sound polished without extensive adjustments on your part.

While the Shure MV7 Podcast microphone remains the top choice, the AM350 certainly holds its ground. As evident from the recording, my voice came through loud (sometimes a touch too loud) and clear, with minimal plosives. However, be mindful of your levels on this mic, as they can spike significantly when you raise your voice. This quality benefits soft-spoken individuals.

The Elgato Wave 3 closely rivals the AM350 regarding sound quality and the Avermedia mic's customization options compare well against the hybrid XLR Shure MV7 microphone.

The Avermedia VibeEngine app is, at best, entirely adequate regarding customization software, though I had a few crashes when playing with the noise reduction settings. Often, I've found it easier to fine-tune the mic using other third-party apps. Fortunately, the AM350 sounds excellent right out of the box, reducing the need for extended time in the app.

The only problem is that the AM350 mic is sold in a kit (which includes the microphone, pop filter, and shock mount), which costs $200. If you want the bundle that includes the boom arm, that'll cost you $380, nearly double the microphone kit's cost. That's a big upfront charge when your existing boom arm will serve you just fine. That said, it's still a quality boom arm, and you won't be disappointed if you decide to drop the coin.

AVermedia did clear up some things about the bundle. The mic will be sold separately for $200, and the kit that includes the shock mount and pop filter is basically a special promotion for the launch. It's still pretty pricey, but the bundle is actually a pretty nice deal. 

Whatever, the Avermedia Streamer Mic 350 is still a well-crafted premium microphone with great sound quality. Its two pickup patterns offer more versatility than other microphones in the $200 price range. While it might not match the sound quality of the very best, it excels in user-friendliness and ease of setup.

Are you ready to embark on your streaming journey? Now is the perfect time to grab some top-notch streaming equipment at discounted prices during Amazon Prime Day. I've carefully curated a selection of my favorite webcams, microphones, and other essential gear to ensure your new ventures go on without a hitch. 

For a webcam, you want one that delivers 1080p output, offers seamless connectivity to your PC, and requires minimal setup. If you have a DSLR camera you'd like to use as a webcam on your PC I recommend getting an external capture card with an HDMI input. 

A high-quality streaming microphone is essential whether you prefer USB connectivity or XLR through an audio interface. Don't worry—I've found affordable options for newbies and seasoned content creators.

In addition, I've included other streaming goodies such as lights, acoustic paneling, and macro pads. These are ideal for those who already have the basic hardware but want to find inexpensive yet meaningful upgrades to enhance their setup and impress their audience.

Here are the prime (pun very intended) streaming gear deals you don't want to miss out on during Prime Day.

• Check out the best Amazon Prime Day PC gaming deals

Amazon is currently offering a fantastic deal on the Shure MV7 podcast microphone, priced at just $199. This is a significant discount from its regular price of $311, making it an excellent opportunity to get your hands on one of the best gaming and podcast mics we've tested in a long time.

The Shure MV7 is a hybrid XLR/USB microphone, allowing you to connect it directly to your PC via USB or use an XLR cable to connect it to an audio interface. Its versatility is one of its standout features, and it provides stellar vocals. 

While the ShurePlus Motiv desktop app provides extensive control options, the microphone requires minimal setup right out of the box. In my review, I highlighted its impressive ability to isolate my voice while effectively filtering background noise from my desktop PC, air conditioner, and other ambient nonsense. 

As a matter of fact, the Shure MV7 is my go-to microphone for everyday use and serves as my trusted companion when I hosted This Week in PC Gaming. I connected it to a  Focusrite Scarlett 2i3 interface using an XLR cable, and the sound quality is outstanding.

It's worth noting that the black version is oddly only discounted to $250, but don't worry; the silver one offers the same outstanding performance and, honestly, looks a lot nicer than the black one, anyway. 

• We're curating all the best Amazon Prime Day PC gaming deals right here.

One crucial tip is maintaining a distance of more than six inches from the microphone to avoid noticeable plosives. Otherwise, using a filter can minimize this issue if you speak up close.

The MV7 does not come with a desk stand, so investing in a boom arm is necessary. I use the Rode PSA1, which costs around $100. It's quiet and has a lot of reach. However, the microphone should fit on most standard boom arms.

If the $199 price is still beyond your budget, you'll be glad to know that plenty of other affordable options are available during Amazon Prime Day. Numerous budget-friendly choices priced under $100 deliver excellent sound quality, although they lack some quality-of-life features, like a mute button.

When it comes to capturing professional-grade audio, Audio-Technica is renowned for its excellence. And the company hasn't missed a beat when it comes to creating a fantastic microphone for gamers, streamers, and budget-conscious content creators. 

The AT2020USB-XP is a premium microphone that delivers the stellar sound quality you expect from such a legacy and several impressive upgrades for veteran users looking for more control over their voice.

The design of the AT2020USB-XP remains largely unchanged from other AT2020 models, except for a sturdier stand that won't wobble at the slightest breath, unlike the AT2020+ I tested previously. Another welcome change from the AT2020+ is the use of a USB Type-C connection instead of the USB-B input (yuck). You'll find the headphone jack at the back of the microphone, while the front features a touch-sensitive mute button with an LED light indicator and mix control dials.

I was particularly excited to test two new features: automatic gain control and noise reduction, which can be activated using the small buttons beneath the microphone. The onboard digital processing of the microphone does a decent job of maintaining consistent audio levels when your voice volume fluctuates, as you can hear in the sample below. However, it is more effective at amplifying soft voices than reducing the volume of loud ones.

The auto-gain feature can be a real asset for streamers who tend to speak softly and constantly need to crank up their gain. The noise reduction buttons offer three levels of noise reduction, effectively reducing unwanted background noise. 

While the noise reduction successfully eliminated the loud hum of my air conditioner, it wasn't as effective at filtering out keyboard taps and mouse clicks, even at the highest setting. It's nice that no software is involved in making this happen, which is the beauty of this plug-and-play microphone.

I mentioned the stand earlier, and there's a small design element about it that I really appreciate. The bottom of the stand features a slight cut-out for the USB cable, allowing you to run the cable underneath neatly to make everything look more organized. This little detail is a nice touch for someone constantly battling messy cable management.

The microphone's extended frequency response range ensures no subtleties are lost during recording; as you can hear in the sample below, my voice sounds crisp without auto-gain being turned on. The next recording with auto-gain turned on didn't sound as good and basically made me sound way too loud. Again if you speak softly, this might work for you.

While the clip-on pop filter adds a nice visual touch, I'm unsure if it effectively dealt with plosive sounds. Investing in a more professional-grade pop filter might be a wise choice for podcasters or those who do a lot of talking in their recordings.

It's worth noting that the AT2020USB-XP offers only one polar pattern, lacking the versatility of a microphone like the Blue Yeti X, which can accommodate multiple speakers and various situations.

In terms of sound and pricing, the AT2020USB-XP competes with the likes of the HyperX Quadcast S and the Elgato Wave 3. You can hear how it holds up against these two in the sound comparison below.

If I were to nitpick, the other microphones offer more personality with their fun designs, color options, and in the case of the Quadcast S, RGB lighting. However, if you're a streamer who doesn't feature the microphone on camera, this may not be a significant concern, especially considering the exceptional sound quality the AT2020USB-XP delivers.

With its exceptional audio reproduction, capturing the nuances of your voice during a true crime podcast or any other recording endeavor becomes effortless, eliminating the need for excessive post-processing. Not only does the AT2020USB-XP sound great, but it also looks sleek and robust on your desk—It's a visual and auditory delight for only $169.

If you're looking for a new microphone that sounds great and doesn't cost an arm and a leg, Amazon has a great deal on the Audio-Technica AT2020USB+ microphone for only $57. This is the lowest price this microphone has ever been, after a massive price drop from $120 to just $68 in March. 

The AT2020USB+ is Audio-Technica's entry-level unit  in its line of AT2020 USB microphones, which impressed me when I reviewed it last month. Aside from being easy to use, its crisp audio quality is a step ahead of many other sub-$100 microphones. It's no wonder the AT2020USB+ sits as the best cheap microphone for gaming and streaming

$68 was already a fantastic price for this plug-and-play microphone that doesn't need any software installation, so $57 is an especially impressive deal. One thing I really like about it are the  extra features you won't find on many microphones in this price range, like a built-in headphone jack, volume control, and mix control. 

What it doesn't have, which isn't surprising, is a mute button. That sounds silly, but many microphone makers often cut features to keep the price without affecting the recording quality. As much as I love the Razer Seiren Mini, Audio-Technica's mic gives you more versatility and looks less like a toy.

One thing to mention is that the build quality is top-notch, and it comes with a nice little travel pouch. It has a durable metal casing, so you can stuff it in a bag without worrying about it getting scratched or crushed.

My biggest problem with the AT2020USB+ was that it comes with a flimsy tripod that only sometimes sits comfortably on your desk. One option would be to order a decent boom arm that attaches to your desk so you don't have to worry about incidental bumps knocking down your microphone during a live stream. 

It also would be good to get yourself a cheap pop filter since it had some noticeable plosives in my time with it, especially if you're to speak very closely to the microphone. And for some reason, this thing still uses a legacy USB Type-A connection which isn't as common these days as USB Type-C—it still gets the job done, though. 

As budget microphones go, I think it's safe to say that we've pretty much been spoiled with the number of quality mics for less than $100 over the last couple of years. Seemingly every major microphone maker has been trying their hand at creating a budget offering. And now NZXT has taken its flagship Capsule mic and shrunk it down to a nice-looking mini-microphone hoping to join in on the fun.

The Capsule Mini is a small-form-factor USB mic that gives your voice a nice, crisp quality while only costing you $70. The good thing about the Capsule Mini is that it sounds just as good as more pricey mics, but at a fraction of the cost.

Considering it's aimed toward budget users, it's no surprise some features have been stripped to keep costs low. Thankfully, the one thing it's not lacking is solid recording quality. The NZXT continues my recent streak with great-sounding budget microphones.  

I really like that the black-and-white color scheme of the NZXT Capsule made its way to the Capsule Mini; since it has no RGB, it's a nice way to give it personality, and it looks really cool on camera. Though if you want to keep things professional, there is a version of the Mini that's in all black; honestly, I am pretty over all-black PC accessories, aren't you?

The Mini keeps things simple, with just a single volume knob (that acts as a mute when you press it) in the front and a 3.5mm jack on the bottom, and a USB-Type C port. It's mostly a plug-and-play solution, so if you want to mess with mic settings like gain or mix, you're regulated to third-party or its own NZXT Cam software. The Cam software is pretty barebones, and you're better off using something like OBS and XSplit if you really want more in-depth customization for your sound profile.

Below, you can hear how the Capsule Mini sounds against a trio of my favorite sub-$70 microphones; the HyperX Solocast, Razer Seiren Mini, and the Audio Technica AT2020+. The sound is clear and crisp, providing some solid mid-range vocals perfect for podcasting or using as a microphone for video calls.

Interestingly enough, the Capsule Mini pretty much sounds just as good as the Solocast and Seiren Mini, which makes sense since all three are pretty similar spec(c)ed(?), with the Capsule Mini having a slightly wider frequency range. 

You'll hear some pretty noticeable plosives during the test audio, so investing in a pop filter or windscreen would be a really good idea to avoid that issue. When I test mics, I'm usually speaking into them from six inches away, so if you set yours a little further out, you may be able to get away with not needing one. 

My biggest gripe with the Capsule is its all-plastic body doesn't seem built to last, which is a shame because I really dig the overall look of the microphone. At times, it feels flimsy, and I feel it wouldn't survive a trip in my backpack unscathed. And quite frankly, it's surprising considering how sturdy the metal desk stand it comes with is. Usually, it's been the other way around, with bomb-proof microphones coming with these comically meek, wobbly stands. 

When removing it from the desk stand to mount on the boom arm, I also noticed that the desk stand scuffed up the sides of the microphone, leaving ugly black blemishes on the sides of the Capsule Mini. There's no worse feeling in the world that scratching a new piece of gear within the first hour of you using it

For $70, I expected something more durable, like the Audio Technica At2020+, which you can find on sale for less than $60 most days. And that has a nice solid chassis with a metal grille that takes a beating and comes with a nice little travel bag. The Solocast, our favorite budget mic, which has occasionally popped up on sale for as little as $35, has a more sturdy frame for travel. All of which sound roughly the same, if not better. 

NZXT also sent over its Boom Arm Mini, which sells for $70 as well. Installation was easy, and the arm is well constructed. I am a sucker for a boom arm that neatly holds your cables in place and doesn't look like pieces of crooked metal slapped together with a mic at the end. And if you're the type that likes to move around their mic as they speak, it'll play nice with your chaotic movements. More importantly, it's on the smaller side, so it doesn't take up too much space on your desk. 

The NZXT Capsule Mini is a good little mic that takes everything I like about the Capsule microphone and hits it with a shrink ray. However, even as a budget mic, it still feels overpriced at $70, and its less-than-stellar build quality doesn't help its case. 

I get it; there are so many microphones out there, and quite frankly, many of them are pretty good. So honing in on the right one for you could be challenging. The Sennheiser Profile Streaming Set gives you everything you need to start your podcasting or streaming journey with a great-sounding microphone and sturdy boom arm combo for less than $200.

The Profile comes in two packages; the standalone microphone for $129 or the Streaming Set (which we're testing out here) for $199. The latter includes a microphone and a desk-mounted boom arm. The mic is the same in the package, so does it really come down to whether you need a boom arm or not? I'm on team boom because it clears desk space and prevents any incidental bumps and thumps from being picked up on the mic during recording.

The Profile has a sturdy metal casing and a more flashy design than I would expect from Sennheiser. Don't get me wrong, Sennheiser makes some of the best audio gear in the world but some of its designs, especially on its headsets, are a little boring. 

The Profile is sleek and looks good on camera if you're a streamer, especially when mounted on the boom arm. Overall, it's a good design, and I really like that you have an onboard mix, gain, headphone volume controls, and the mute button on the mic. In a time when microphone makers are scaling back features to keep costs down, it's nice to see that Sennheiser has found a way to do both. 

As you can hear below, the Profile has a very warm sound, uh, profile that gives my voice a nice, crisp quality. Perfect if the type of content you create involves much talking or you need to sound like a professional on a work call.  

I added the HyperX Quadcast S and AT2020+ to the playlist since those are the closest competing mics in both sound and price. The Quadcast S handles plosives a touch better than the Profile, though the quality of my voice sounds nicer on the Sennheiser. 

Because of that, you will want to invest in a pop filter to deal with some of the light plosives, which will push the overall price up a little. It's not as bad as on the Audio-Technica AT2020+ as you'll hear below, but still something you'll want to get a handle on. 

On the software front, well, there isn't any. The Profile is a plug-and-play microphone with no accompanying software for tweaking sound. So, if you want to apply filters to your voice or anything fun like that, you'll need to use third-party apps. Since all the controls are on the mic, I'm alright with not having to install another app for my accessories.

The only real problem with the Profile is that it lacks some versatility by only having one polar pattern. Unlike other microphones, such as the Quadcast, I can't plop this down on a table and do an interview on location because a cardioid mic is really only suitable for one person. Anyway, it's not like you could set this on a table because the Profile Streaming Set doesn't come with a desktop stand. In other words, it's a very specific single person use case, and not for moving around with.  

I find it strange that the Streaming Set doesn't include some sort of a desk stand. You're relegated to using your boom arm, though you could buy the stand on its own for $29. The stand-alone Profile, on the other hand does include a stand, so keep that in mind if you're choosing between just the microphone or the boom arm combo.

Unsurprisingly, Sennheiser makes a quality boom arm that's easy to set up. A decent boom could cost well over $100, so getting one for an essential $70 with 3-point locking and a cable guide is a helluva deal and worth picking up if you don't plan on taking your mic anywhere. It should accommodate most desks, too. 

This excellent boom arm will probably last longer than your podcasting career, honestly, and the Sennheiser Profile is does everything a good mic for streamers needs. It's easy to use, and the onboard controls give you much control over your sound.

So there we have it, Sennheiser enters the podcast and streaming space, and shows everyone how it's done. 

As budget microphones go, we've seen a lot of the "less is more" design approach. Companies are stripping out features and making design compromises so their mics can still sound good and sell cheap. Audio-Technica, who is no slouch in the microphone department, is bucking the trend by making a quality mic under $100 without completely stripping it of features you might need. 

The Audio-Technica AT2020USB+ replaces the now discontinued AT2020USB and retails for under $70, putting it on the higher end of the budget microphone price range. It's a cardioid microphone ideal for streaming, podcasting, and day-to-day use at work or ata play in Discord.

It can be confusing because AT has a couple of microphones with the AT2020 designation, such as the AT2020 USB X, the $150 premium USB, and the XLR version of the AT2020 for $100. 

Compared to the budget USB microphone, its metal body is designed to take a beating. If you travel a lot, you don't have to worry about the AT2020+. It does come with a handy travel pouch which is a nice touch and gives it a premium feel whenever you pull it out. 

The mic itself is easy to use. It's plug-and-play; there's no software to install, so you can get to recording fairly quickly. There's even a headphone volume and mix control, a feature you won't find on many sub-$100 offerings. For example, my favorite budget mic, the Razer Seiren Mini, has no extra features. Monitoring and adjusting your mic levels is always really clutch during a live stream without needing to tweak using third-party software. However, I wonder why Audio-Technica went with those controls instead of a mute button or gain controls. 

These extra features are great, but the most important question for any microphone you're potentially buying will always be, "So, how's it sound?" And the AT2020USB+ might be one of the best-sounding mics under $100 I've used in a really long time. 

As you can hear from the sample, my voice is sharp and crisp. It also adds a nice warmth to the vocals, and if you make a lot of content featuring your voice, like podcasting or voiceovers. You're getting a lot for just $70, making it a really good mic if you start with content creation.

I recommend getting a pop filter since my plosives were noticeable in the test recording every time I said something with the letter p in it. 

It being a single condenser microphone makes it less versatile than some of the mics, closer to the $100 price point. If your content involves just and nothing overly complicated logistics-wise, this is still an excellent option for beginners. 

As much as I like the AT2020, its flimsy tripod leaves much to be desired. It never quite sits on the desk and often feels like it's going to tip over with the slightest bump desk bump. Bad mounts are common with microphones at this price range, but considering this isn't Audio-Technica's first USB microphone, it could be a lot better, given its pedigree. 

I also found it strange that it uses USB Type A, which is objectively better and more secure than micro-USB, though I'd rather it USB Type-C since those are a lot more common these days. In a pinch, I bet trying to track down an extra USB Type-A cable will be a lot harder than a USB Type-C any day of the week.

The Audio Technica AT2020USB+ is proof that you can make a quality microphone for less than $100 and find a way to keep it under $100 without stripping features. Despite a really poor tripod stand, this is still one of the best microphones you can buy now.

2022 has been an interesting year for gaming and streaming microphones. This year saw mic makers start to push heavily into the prosumer market with high-quality products aimed at content creators looking to step up their sound game.

XLR microphones sound amazing but require an investment in the form of an audio interface, whereas a USB mic is always the way to go if you want an affordable, easy plug-and-play solution. Though this year seemed like slim pickings as XLR mics started to become more and more popular among even streamers just starting out. 

Either way, we narrowed it down to three of the best gaming microphones of 2022. Of our nominees,  HyperX's debut XLR mic, the Procast, might be the best microphone we've spoken into all year; Elgato's maiden XLR, the Wave DX, is the best value; and the 512 Audio Tempest is one of the better-sounding premium USB mics we've seen. 

But which of those below will be crowned the best microphone of 2022?

Best microphone 2022: the nominees

The winner of the PC Gamer Hardware Award for the best gaming microphone of 2022 will be announced on New Year's Eve. May the best noise maker win.