My Favorite XLR Microphones
LAST UPDATED: 2020 MAY 13
Here are a couple of my favorite XLR microphones that I have tested. There are plenty more microphones that I have not reviewed or used, and I’m sure there are some that can be added to this list, but I am only adding stuff based on my experiences.
DYNAMIC MICROPHONES
BEHRINGER XM8500
Is this the best sounding microphone? No. But is it insanely good considering the price? Yes. This is the cheapest mic on the list, and if you’re just looking to get started recording a podcast, this is a GREAT starting option. It sounds awesome and most audience members won’t be able to tell you’re using a mic that costs less than $30.
Buy it on Amazon: https://geni.us/xm8500
Buy it on Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/bXb7k
SE ELECTRONICS V7
This is a real sleeper dynamic microphone in my opinion. For an affordable price it offers a very smooth tone, and a super cardioid polar pattern to help improve background noise rejection from the side.
Buy it on Amazon: https://geni.us/sEv7
Buy it on Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/oMROg
BEYERDYNAMIC M201TG
This is another sleeper microphone. It is technically an “instrument” microphone, but it has been used on radio by the BBC, and I can see why. The sound is outstanding, warm, and smooth. If you want to know a super awesome secret, the Shure A81WS windscreen fits PERFECTLY on this microphone and will remove any possibility of plosives.
Buy it on Amazon: https://geni.us/M201
Buy it on Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/W5XN3
SHURE SM7b
This is/was my daily driver microphone for nearly 5 years (more on that later). I love the sound of this thing as it offers a warm and smooth sound, albeit a little bit on the dark side. It also requires a LOT of gain, so keep that in mind if you’re considering this.
Buy it on Amazon: https://geni.us/shuresm7b
Buy it on Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/MOn5o
ELECTRO VOICE RE20
This my not be the first dynamic mic I grab, but it is an industry standard for a reason. It sounds great. It has a relatively neutral tone, with a few minor dips in the mids, and it also has Variable D technology to help reduce the variance in tone due to the proximity effect.
Buy it on Amazon: https://geni.us/re20
Buy it on Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/9kGA3
CONDENSER MICROPHONES
NEAT KING BEE
For $100 - $130, this mic is insane. It sounds far better than it has any right to for the price. It has a crisp top end and a robust low end and sounds great for spoken word, singing, acoustic, and electric guitar.
Amazon: https://geni.us/kingbee
Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/KbKXa
RODE NT1
This is another one of my all time favorite microphones. It offers a very neutral sound in comparison to most other mics on the market, it has a very low self noise, and it’s a stellar all rounder option if you’re looking to get into recording music or voice overs.
Buy it on Amazon: https://geni.us/rodent1
Buy it on Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/495rn
SE ELECTRONICS SE4400A
This mic is amazing! The design is clearly influenced by the AKGC414, but the tone is far different. On cardioid, this mic is flat from 50hz - 5kHz and then you have a 1.5dB boost in the treble and air. Nothing too aggressive, but good god does this thing sound good. It also has multiple polar patterns in case you want to use them for room mics or anything of the sort. This would be an absolute work horse in a studio.
Buy it on Amazon: https://geni.us/se4400a
Buy it on Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/2DkdD
WARM AUDIO WA-87
What the hell. How is this so good!? This mic is a clone of the U87, and unfortunately I don’t have a vintage U87 to compare it to. However, comparing it to the newer U87 Ai, the sound is rather different, but I really enjoy the sound of the WA87. It has somewhat midforward sound but one of the smoothest sounding mics I’ve heard. It does get a bit unpleasant on electric guitar towards the upper end of the neck, but as a vocal or acoustic guitar mic, it’s amazing.
Buy the Warm Audio WA-87
Amazon: https://geni.us/wa87
Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/yMPJB
NEUMANN KMS 105
Neumann is mainly known for their large diaphragm condenser mics, but they also make incredible handheld condenser mics and if I were on stage and had the budget for a $700 mic, I would absolutely pick the KMS105. Also if I was traveling for a podcast and needed a mic for the road, I’d grab this. It has taken the place of my SM58 and M201TG as travel mic.
Buy the KMS105 on Amazon: https://geni.us/kms105
Buy the KMS105 on Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/MML7n
AUSTRIAN AUDIO OC18 / OC818
Austrian Audio is technically the new kid on the block as the company was founded in 2017, however, it was founded by ex-AKG engineers. This microphone quickly became one of my all time favorites. The sound is well balanced while offering a tight and controlled low end, a neutral mid section, and detailed top end that maintains a beautiful smooth tone. If you need just a cardioid mic, the OC18 is a great option, but if you want dual capsule outputs and remote control capabilities, the OC818 is the route to go. This is an instant classic and I am blown away by it.
Buy the OC818 on Amazon: https://geni.us/oc818
Buy the OC818 on Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/xMEnv
Buy the OC18 on Amazon: https://geni.us/oc18
Buy the OC818 on Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/j9A5P
TOWNSEND LABS SPHERE L22
The L22 from Townsend Labs is almost like a mix of a digital and an XLR mic, but not really. It is a dual XLR output mic that you run into your interface and through a plugin it allows you to model classic microphones that are prohibitively expensive like an M49, and C800G, etc. And it is insanely powerful because of that. The mic has a low self noise, a healthy output, and the models on this thing are great. If you want a really awesome and versatile tool in your mic locker, this is what I’d go for at the $1500 price point.
Buy it on Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/7AYRV
NEUMANN U87 Ai
This is “the” voice over microphone. It’s what you’ll see in studios all around the world, and it sounds awesome. I have not done a full review of this microphone yet, but have heard from many people that it’s the best my voice has sounded. It offers a neutral mid section and a treble and air boost to open it up. It is very unforgiving of your room, and your voice though. This will capture all the echo of your room, and every detail of your voice.
Buy it on Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/9kGM5
SHOTGUN MICROPHONES
AUDIO TECHNICA AT875R
If you’re looking for an entry level shotgun microphone for voice over, this thing sounds incredible. It has plenty of detail to make sure you're intelligible, but the proximity effect can add some nice bass so you sound authoritative. Also for youtube videos, it works great at about 1 foot overhead.
Buy it on Amazon: https://geni.us/at875r
Buy it on Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/9kGze
RODE NTG3
This is another mic that I have been told is one of the best my voice has ever sounded. This is not a “neutral” sounding mic in my opinion, it has an accentuated low end, which helps maintain some power as you get farther off the microphone. But if you’re like me and have a wimpy voice, it can do some heavy lifting to help your voice sound a bit fuller while using it for voice over applications.
Buy it on Amazon: https://geni.us/ntg3
Buy it on Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/PxjV6
SENNHEISER MKH416
This is another industry standard microphone and it sounds phenomenal. It leans on the bright side which can help with spoken word intelligibility, ensuring every bit of your pronunciation is heard, and it also can be beefened up by getting right on top of the mic to offset some of that high boost.
Buy it on Amazon: https://geni.us/mkh4161
Buy it on Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/agRAj