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 PromiseTM.
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?
1. Best overall: Shure MV6 USB Gaming Microphone
2. Best budget: Razer Seiren Mini
3. Best mid-range: NZXT Capsule Elite
4. Best USB bundle: Sennheiser Profile Streaming Set
5. Best looking: HyperX Quadcast S
6. Best podcasting: Shure MV7+
7. Best streaming: SteelSeries Alias Pro
8, Best headset mic: Audio-Technica ATH-M50xSTS StreamSet
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