Streaming/Gaming Microphone Review– Test and Comparison 2021
You’ve probably heard it before, but whether it’s creating a YouTube channel or a Twitch account, there are a few key points to look at to get subscribers. This includes the quality of the project/originality, the quality of the image, and the sound. Of course, the most important thing is the project itself. But when you are here you need to have that in mind.
Today you need to remember that the quality of the sound comes before the picture. No need for 4K, you can also find a lot of videos that run pretty much on the web with poor image quality. On the other hand, if the sound irritates the ears or is uncomfortable, then it will grow back immediately. Choosing a bad microphone is therefore the best way to scare viewers away, despite a quality recording. Whether for a simple video or a recording or live accessory, the most important accessory is the microphone to provide a super comfortable sound.
Comparison of the best gaming/streaming microphone
Whether tone, frequency, support, or simply price, a microphone is carefully selected according to various criteria. We reviewed the ideal microphones with their advantages, disadvantages as well as some tips to know about each of them.
Blue Yeti USB Mic – A reference microphone for Streamers / YouTubers
How do you do a gaming microphone review without mentioning the Blue Yeti Blue Microphone? The Blue Yeti microphone is used by many streamers and is often used in YouTubers as well as in various professional interviews. Ideal for recording and streaming, it is a very talented microphone offering excellent sound quality while remaining affordable. Designed to be firm. The main disadvantage (there is one) to this desktop microphone will remain that the foam padding remains inefficient, allowing the background noise such as the sound of the keyboard and mouse.
In our opinion, the Blue Yeti is an excellent microphone to start gaming on a minimum budget. With an excellent price-performance ratio, it offers a very good sound and holds a very valuable versatility with Cardioid/Omni/Figure-8/Stereo patterns. As proof, it has received the THX certification thanks to its high sound quality.
Blue Snowball USB Mic – The best microphones with a stand
The Blue Snowball, thanks to its small size and adjustable height, is a great option for those who have a limited budget and cannot purchase Blue Yeti. With a custom condenser capsule, the Blue Snowball is a microphone that records your voice clearly and the most economical and transportable gaming microphone. Easy to install because no driver is necessary, the Snowball and a microphone are nice to have in your pocket. However, the Snowball is a microphone that, depending on the situation, remains very limited in terms of adaptability and does not have an anti-pop filter.
As always with Blue, the Snowball is a microphone with a very good price-performance ratio. It is not for nothing that it has great success with novice YouTubers: it offers a sound quite acceptable and cheap. So it is for us, the top of the pickups when we are on a budget and we want to start cheaply. If you have a little extra budget, we still recommend the Yeti microphone, which remains the best for the moment.
Rode NT-USB Versatile Studio – The ultra-high-end for esports/gaming
In direct competition with the Blue Yeti, the Rode NT USB today offers, one can say, a better sound quality. The Rode NT USB imitates the design of studio microphones and offers an affordable price that makes it even more attractive. The anti-pop filter is also fitted directly with the Rode microphone. The main disadvantage of the Rode NT microphone is that it has only one polar pattern: cardioids. While this is the position we use 99% of the time, it will limit you when it comes to being able to vary your stream. After all, Rode claims to offer a studio sound with no studio budget and it has to be said that they are doing pretty well so far.
Although the Rode microphone sounds better than the Blue Yeti, it’s still less versatile. The Rode is a great better mic to see if you’re sure to stay on cardioid (just use the mic to stream video games with a view of the PC). In particular, we recommend that you equip yourself with a microphone boom to enjoy a better grip and position.
Razer Seiren Elite USB Streaming Microphone – The best dynamic USB microphone
One of the best microphones for gaming, the Razer Seiren Elite has a unique dynamic capsule that minimizes interference and delivers a realistic voice. The built-in high-pass filter can block small vibrations and thus limit external noises such as hard drives, keyboards, mice, etc. The Razer Seiren Elite is a gaming microphone that guarantees a minimum of interference and enables clear and warm sound, ideal for streaming. The muted function is a particularly useful bonus when you leave for a few minutes.
We are entering into high-end microphones here. And especially when it comes to streaming, Razer is a brand that clearly has a say. Today it is one of the best microphones for streaming: robust, adaptable and offers great sound quality. That’s your gaming microphone choice if you want to become pro into streaming and give viewers the best possible experience.
The best headsets for gaming
Logitech G Pro Gaming Headset – The most economical
At a very accessible price, the Logitech G Pro tries to provide access to a comfortable headset as well as a gaming microphone of very good quality. Adjustable and the pressure points are evenly spaced to keep you in good comfort throughout the game session. The quality of the microphone is its strong point, the Logitech G Pro produces a clear voice with a respected timbre, it captures the voices better than the HyperX Cloud Alpha. However, audio is its weak point with unnatural sound return and a feeling of isolation from some audio sources.
At this price range, a headset microphone can’t be perfect, far from it! However, the Logitech G Pro has the advantage of offering a perfectly acceptable sound at a low price. This is a very economical option in the sense that it will handle both audio and the microphone.
HyperX Cloud Alpha – The best value for money
The HyperX Cloud Alpha headset has been a reference among gamers for many years, offering comfort and great sound quality. With a memory-shaped foam and leatherette material, lightweight HyperX Cloud Alpha allows long game sessions without having a headache at the end. As for the sound, because that’s why we’re at the base, The HyperX Cloud Alpha respects the timbre of the voice and manages to reconstruct it in a very clear and natural way. Its main flaw can be its insufficient sensitivity, sometimes mistaking our voice as background noise. To mention one small advantage that this microphone cannot neglect: the cable is detachable, just like the microphone.
As expected, we fall into a sound quality that is much lower than the walking microphones. But the HyperX Cloud Alpha is, in our opinion, the reference headset if you can’t afford to take apart a desktop gaming microphone and headphones. It offers an excellent balance between comfort/sound quality, which makes these headphones one of the most cost-effective in terms of value for money.
SteelSeries Arctis 7 – The best wireless gaming headset
With better build quality than previous models, this Steelseries headset pickup offers excellent comfort for small and medium-sized heads. Its design, limiting comfort for large sizes. It’s wireless, self-contained for up to 24 hours, and has a great range. But what about the microphone to use as a gaming microphone? Steelseries managed to provide a very good two-way microphone, understandably transcribe the voice, and cancel the background noise. Again, the sound is not the strength of the majority of headset microphones reviewed here.
The Steelseries Artis 7 is not a favorite gaming microphone for us. Although it provides good comfort and acceptable sound, the sound quality remains minimal and very limited to make a stream. In terms of gaming microphones, we wouldn’t hesitate to switch to the HyperX Cloud Alpha, which offers much better quality.
Razer Nari Ultimate Wireless 7.1 Surround Sound Gaming Headset – The reference in headsets gaming
What makes the Razer Nari Ultimate unique is its new technology for haptic feedback. And yes, it does emit vibrations at low frequencies that allow you to become even more focused on the video game. What could be nicer than a little horror game with it? With great audio quality, the Razer Nari Ultimate will be at the forefront for listening to music or movies. Comfort remains present with soft earbuds and an evenly distributed weight. However, this is not ideal for streaming as the gaming microphone.
The Razer Nari Ultimate is a very good headset that offers a unique gaming experience. However, and if you are serious about betting on Twitch or wanting to do a live stream with it, no not recommended for this price range. For a much better stream, we recommend that you opt for the Steelseries Arctis Pro or simply a Rode NT USB with headphones.
SteelSeries Arctis Pro High Fidelity Gaming Headset – The ultra-high-end for esports/gaming
With a super simple and customizable design, the Steelseries Arctis Pro is a comfortable gaming headset. With a steel headband and aluminum alloy hangers increase durability, the helmet offers well-distributed pressure points and soft pads for maximum comfort. Much better than the Arctis 7 in terms of bass, this one can be perfected in terms of media, but still offers very good audio, especially for gaming. As a gaming microphone, there is no need to say we are going a notch up with a microphone offering a clear voice, clear and without saturation that reflects reality at best.
The Steelseries Arctis Pro is a high-end headset microphone of excellent quality that does the trick when streaming twitch or e-sports. It’s a winning combo, but it does ask for a price. It all depends on everyone’s preferences and needs, a Steelseries Arctis Pro or a Blue Yeti microphone accompanied by a headset that specializes in audio?
How do you choose your gaming microphone for streaming?
Sound quality
Sound quality is probably the most important consideration when choosing your gaming microphone. Today, the most suitable pattern in front of the screen is the cardioid, which you will likely be using 99% of the time. The microphone then only picks up the sound that is in front of the microphone. However, depending on the situation (e.g. with several people at one table), other models such as bilateral or omnidirectional can be useful. In addition to the sound quality, the sensitivity of the microphone is also taken into account. Will it record the mouse clicks or the keys on the keyboard? This is a point that can be uncomfortable for viewers in the long run and will affect the quality of life.
Tips: Particularly, microphones with stands usually offer better sound quality than headsets.
The adaptability of the microphone
When it comes to furnishing the office, we all have different needs. It is therefore important that it can adapt to different situations and attitudes. A microphone needs to be 4 inches from your mouth, likely not appropriate for your current setup, and will be difficult to place on many desks. In short, it is necessary to consider the adaptability of the microphone. Whether with a stand or a microphone boom, it must be able to position itself so that it can comfortably play live while providing quality sound.
The price of the gaming microphone
And finally, an important and vital element: The price. In general, we will advise and mention the microphones that we believe are the best value for money. The ultimate goal: to get the most suitable microphone at a lower price. As far as streaming goes, we recommend that you budget for at least 100 dollars, ideally. What for? Well, because the sound is again a very important criterion for making streams pleasant to follow.
How does a microphone work? The microphone types
There are two main types of microphones, dynamic microphones, and condenser microphones. Whether it is one or the other, they are being equipped with technology to convert sound into electrical energy. But what are the differences between these two types of microphones? Which microphone should you choose for easy streaming?
Dynamic microphones
Like speakers, a dynamic microphone has a metal diaphragm and coil. In contrast to the loudspeakers, however, it is the sound pressure that moves the membrane and creates a flow of electricity. These microphones, which work without external batteries or power supplies, are known for their robustness and reliability.
Condenser microphones
The capacitor, which consists of a capacitor connected to a fixed electrode and a small membrane, also works under sound pressure. The sound pressure will then make a change in the electrical strength. In general, condenser microphones are preferred because of their higher frequencies (the speed at which sound is emitted between the microphone and the computer) and better clarity of sound. There are two types of condenser microphones:
- The Polarized Condenser Microphone – Widely used in studios by sound professionals.
- The electric condenser microphone – Widely used for broadcast and recording thanks to its great performance.
Recap: Best microphone for streaming/gaming
We’re not going to lie to each other, there are a lot of microphones. However, not all of them offer the quality of sound and comfort that justify their high price. After a long analysis, here are some of the best gaming microphones for stream right now.
