Best for Most

amazon.com

target

pcmag.com

walmart

Upgrade Pick

powerreviews

TechGearLab

If you're a back-to-basics person, the Audio-Technica AT2005USB might be for you. This mic is our  budget option. With only a volume control toggle wheel and an on/off switch, a traditional microphone look and a simple pleather carrying case, the Audio-Technica AT2005USB is perfect for people who are looking to up the production value of their work-from-home setup without any fluff.
This mic's features are pretty scant. The included microphone stand is lightweight, requires assembly, is a pretty tight fit and is relatively difficult to adjust. The Audio-Technica AT2005USB sports no directional pattern adjustment and none of its own software. The sound quality was a bit flat, not the best for music, but was clean and neutral, making it fine for voice calls. This just-the-essentials option curiously and delightfully supports an XLR connection, meaning that it will play well with mixers and offers audio utility far beyond that which just a USB connection would allow. 

If you're a back-to-basics person, the Audio-Technica AT2005USB might be for you. This mic is our budget option. With only a volume control toggle wheel and an on/off switch, a traditional microphone look, and simple pleather carrying case, the Audio-Technica AT2005USB is perfect for people who are looking to up the production value of their work-from-home setup without any fluff.
This mic's features are pretty scant. The included microphone stand is lightweight, requires assembly, is a pretty tight fit, and is relatively difficult to adjust. The Audio-Technica AT2005USB sports no directional pattern adjustment and none of its own software. The sound quality was a bit flat, not the best for music, but was clean and neutral, making it fine for voice calls. This just-the-essentials option curiously and delightfully supports an XLR connection, meaning that it will play well with mixers and offers audio utility far beyond that which just a USB connection would allow. 

Budget Pick

bazaarvoice

notebookcheck.net

The Blue Yeti X blew us away with its clean and clear sound quality, even during a Zoom Video call. With retro-type styling that is consistent with the Blue Yeti brand, it sports a mic screen with a distinct tapered look. Its clean and shiny base gives the X a professional and high quality aesthetic that looks far more expensive than its relatively reasonable price tag suggests. The X was top-scoring in sound quality, recording clean, full-sounding bass when tested with music. Its clear metering visual, lighted directional pattern and easy mode-changing make the Blue Yeti X's user interface simple and intuitive.
Unfortunately, the Blue Yeti X's outstanding sound quality routinely picked up plosives on the breath during testing, so you're probably going to want to utilize a pop filter with this mic. Although it's one of the larger microphones on this list, the Blue Yeti X does not come with a carrying case. However, the quality foam packaging it comes in means you're probably fine transporting the microphone in its own box. The X features four distinct directionality options, which makes it ideal for a variety of uses. Whether you need to go bidirectional while recording a podcast with another person or stereo to record more immersive sound like ASMR, the Blue Yeti X is a great overall pick for whatever you intend to create.

The shine of gunmetal blue you gleam while unboxing means this is the iconic original: the Blue Yeti. This classic model scored second overall in our testing with a price tag indicative of its accessibility. The Blue Yeti is heavy and sturdy with a stand that enables you to adjust and tighten your mic to any angle, even flipping it upside down to become more compact for transport. The Yeti also supports alternative stand capability with threads to mount onto any standard stand or boom. Its simple and intuitive gain and volume control, along with easy switching between four polar patterns, make the Blue Yeti ideal to start working right out of the box.
The enticing value and ease-of-use do come with some drawbacks. The music we recorded was fairly echoey sounding with some fuzziness. While voice recording was significantly brighter, it was still a bit distant and echoed. However, the gain and volume control is consistently strong and responsive, and the Blue Yeti allowed for loud and clear discussion over Zoom calls. Overall, its ease-of-use, convenience and features make the Blue Yeti a solid choice for an attainable price. 

Completing the Blue Yeti Trifecta is the Blue Yeti Nano, a great pick for anybody whose priority is maximizing sound quality per dollar spent. This mic was one of the top scorers in our sound quality metric, retaining a strong and clear bass that penetrated any fuzzy echoes. During a Zoom call test, the Blue Yeti Nano was clear, free of static and a definite upgrade from a standard headset mic. 
However, be forewarned that you will miss some of the features available in the other products in Blue Yeti's catalog. Unlike its beefier brothers, the Nano does not support four polar directional patterns. Instead, you will have only cardioid and omnidirectional options. So, to record a conversation with multiple people or need rich immersive sound of ASMR, you may want to look elsewhere. If you're just looking to enhance the quality of your streams or conference calls without too intense an investment, however, the Nano is the mic for you. 

tom's Hardware

The venerable Blue Yeti was there at the birth of the streaming boom, and it&rsquo;s still a ubiquitous desktop feature on Twitch. And with good reason. It&rsquo;s just about the easiest mic to use on the market and really excels when picking up a single vocal signal at a time.
Logitech&rsquo;s Blue Yeti is built to a very high standard and will stay where you angle it on its weighty stand. The design of that stand, along with the understated, retro aesthetic of the mic capsule itself, makes this the most stylish USB microphone, and that&rsquo;s important when you&rsquo;re streaming yourself for an audience of judging eyes. If you really love RGB and want to sync all your peripherals up to the beat of the same light show, though, consider Razer&rsquo;s Seiren series instead.
The controls couldn&rsquo;t be easier to use while you&rsquo;re streaming. A single volume control and a mute button on the front of the mic are all you get, and for the intended purpose that&rsquo;s all you really need. You&rsquo;re never going to accidentally hit the wrong thing mid-stream.
The Blue Yeti&rsquo;s four polar patterns also give it great versatility, so if you venture out into music recording or podcasting, you&rsquo;re not limited by a single cardioid pickup pattern.

cnet.com

techradar.com

While the Blue Yeti above is the best gaming microphone for streamers, the Yeti X kicks things up a notch in terms of performance, features and price. Those who already own a Yeti don&rsquo;t have a pressing need to upgrade; however, if you&rsquo;re in the market for a new desktop microphone and have the budget, the Yeti X is a versatile option with fantastic audio performance. Although it somewhat comes at a premium, the Yeti X is still a lot cheaper than most multi-polar pattern studio mics. 
A greater number of condenser capsules brings smoother sound with better sensitivity compared to the standard Yeti. Beyond the specs, we also noticed an improvement in recording quality when compared to the Yeti. Our testing found that the Yeti X could articulate a wider dynamic range that sounded a bit fuller. 
Another nifty upgrade the Yeti X provides is a dial that swaps between cardioid, bidirectional, omnidirectional and stereo polar patterns. The joy here is this dial is just plain easy to turn and much more so than the Yeti. However, we wished the Yeti X&rsquo;s dials felt more premium for this price.
If you're willing to spend a little extra, there's also the Blue Yeti X World of Warcraft Edition. Currently going for $50 extra (opens in new tab), It brings a new look, plus voice modulation to make you sound like characters from the Warcraft games, including Shadowlands. 
Read: Blue Yeti X review

The Blue Mic Yeti X blew us away with its clean and clear sound quality, even during a Zoom Video call. With retro-type styling that is consistent with the Blue Yeti brand, it sports a mic screen with a distinct tapered look. Its clean and shiny base gives the X a professional and high-quality aesthetic that looks far more expensive than its relatively reasonable price tag suggests. The X was top-scoring in sound quality, recording clean, full-sounding bass when tested with music. Its clear metering visual, lighted directional pattern, and easy mode-changing make the Blue Yeti X's user interface simple and intuitive.
Unfortunately, the Blue Yeti X's outstanding sound quality routinely picked up plosives on the breath during testing, so you're probably going to want to utilize a pop filter with this mic. Although it's one of the larger microphones on this list, the Blue Yeti X does not come with a carrying case. However, the quality foam packaging it comes in means you're probably fine transporting the microphone in its own box. The X features four distinct directionality options, which makes it ideal for a variety of uses. Whether you need to go bidirectional while recording a podcast with another person or stereo to record more immersive sound like ASMR, the Blue Yeti X is a great overall pick for whatever you intend to create.

The shine of gunmetal blue you gleam while unboxing means this is the iconic original: the Blue Mic Yeti. This classic model scored second overall in our testing with a price tag indicative of its accessibility. The Blue Yeti is heavy and sturdy with a stand that enables you to adjust and tighten your mic to any angle, even flipping it upside down to become more compact for transport. The Yeti also supports alternative stand capability with threads to mount onto any standard stand or boom. Its simple and intuitive gain and volume control, along with easy switching between four polar patterns, make the Blue Yeti ideal to start working right out of the box.
However, the enticing value and ease of use come with some drawbacks. The music we recorded was fairly echoey sounding with some fuzziness. While voice recording was significantly brighter, it was still a bit distant and echoed. However, the gain and volume control is consistently strong and responsive, and the Blue Yeti allowed for loud and clear discussion over Zoom calls. Overall, its ease of use, convenience, and features make the Blue Yeti a solid choice for an attainable price. 

Completing the Blue Yeti Trifecta is the Blue Mic Yeti Nano, a great pick for anybody whose priority is maximizing sound quality per dollar spent. This mic was one of the top scorers in our sound quality metric, retaining a strong and clear bass that penetrated any fuzzy echoes. During a Zoom call test, the Blue Yeti Nano was clear, free of static, and a definite upgrade from a standard headset mic. 
However, be forewarned that you will miss some of the features available in the other products in Blue Yeti's catalog. Unlike its beefier brothers, the Nano does not support four polar directional patterns. Instead, you will have only cardioid and omnidirectional options. So, to record a conversation with multiple people or need rich immersive sound of ASMR, you may want to look elsewhere. If you're just looking to enhance the quality of your streams or conference calls without too intense an investment, however, the Nano is the mic for you. 

USB Microphone Comparison