The best cheap streaming and gaming microphones
The cheapest mics usually sound just as good as the more expensive ones. Gone are the days of barely audible audio whispered through Ventrilo. Today, you can grab a $50 mic, plug it into your laptop, and record a great-sounding podcast that will surprise your listeners. Over the past few years, popular microphone manufacturers have offered budget-friendly configurations for gaming, recording, and streaming that sound great.
So how does a $40 mic compete with some of the best mics that cost upwards of $300? Cheaper microphones sound great, but even the most basic features are stripped away in order to keep costs low. There’s no such thing as volume, gain controls or even a mute button visible on the mic, which would require you to make any audio adjustments via third-party software like OBS or Xsplit.
Despite being cheaper, that doesn’t change the way we test these mics. We’re still following the same testing criteria as more expensive microphones; all we’ve done is add $100 to the top budget. We’re still looking for great sound, form factor, usability and build quality.
The best cheap streaming and gaming microphones
(Image credit: HyperX)
best-sounding budget microphone
Specification
Polar Pattern: Cardioid
Connectivity: USB
Recording sample rate: 48kHz
Frequency Response: 20–20,000Hz
Features: Click to mute sensor
Today’s Deals
Reason for purchase
+
Sound almost identical to QuadCast microphones
+
great price
+
Portable Design
reasons to avoid
–
Limited feature set
–
less flashy
The HyperX SoloCast is an affordable microphone that sounds as good or better than a mic for double the price. It’s not quite as flashy as HyperX’s other microphone offerings, and I’m not going to lie; I miss the RGB lighting. However, the sound quality of this mic is incredible, and it’s only $60. By getting in at this price, it makes up for the loss in some quality of life.
While the JLab Audio Talk GO and Razer Seiren Mini (opens in a new tab) also offer great sound, the HyperX SoloCast remains the king of budget mics, giving us the audio chops of its own pricier QuadCast S sibling , but at a fraction of the price.
Read our full HyperX SoloCast review (opens in a new tab).
Image 1 of 1 (Image credit: RAZER)
The best looking budget microphones
Specification
Polar Pattern: Supercardioid
Connectivity: USB
Recording sample rate: 48kHz
Frequency Response: 20–20,000Hz
Features: Click to mute sensor
Reason for purchase
+
pill shape design
+
huge sound
reasons to avoid
–
no mute button
–
Proprietary Micro USB
The Razer Seiren Mini is one of the most annoyingly cute pieces of hardware I’ve ever seen. I immediately wanted to put it on my desk. Its sleek pill-shaped design and color variety give the Mini a personality that some of our other picks on this list lack. It sounds incredible to start.
Remember how we mentioned earlier that some of these microphones have to sacrifice some functionality? Yes, the Seiren Mini gave up pretty much everything. Some people won’t care because you can get a killer mic for $50. Meanwhile, a few others won’t forget the fact that there’s no mute button.
Read our full Razer Seiren Mini review (opens in a new tab).
Image 1 of 3 (Image source: Blue)Image 2 of 3 (Image source: Blue)Image 3 of 3 (Image source: Blue)
3. Blue Yeti Nano
The Best Budget Microphones That Are Feature-Rich
Specification
Polar Patterns: Cardioid, Omnidirectional
Connectivity: USB
Recording sample rate: 48kHz
Frequency Response: 20–20,000Hz
Features: Zero-latency monitoring, mute and headphone volume control
Reason for purchase
+
very small and light
+
easy to use
+
great sound
reasons to avoid
–
“Budget” microphones are relatively expensive
This miniature version of the classic Blue Yeti is perfect for those just starting out with streaming. For under $100, it has excellent sound quality. At the same time, its small size and lightweight metal construction make it easy to transport (which is at least 40% smaller than its larger cousin). The Yeti Nano is the most “expensive” budget mic on the list, but offers more functionality than cheaper mics.
Its 24-bit, 48kHz recording sample rate is also noticeable. Audio from the Nano and the original Yeti shows the former has a clear advantage. It only has two polar patterns (cardioid and omni), but the Yeti Nano makes up for it with everything else.
Image 1 of 2 (Image source: jLAB AUDIO) Image 2 of 2 (Image source: JLAB)
Best Budget Microphones for Beginners
Specification
Polar Patterns: Cardioid, Omnidirectional
Connectivity: USB
Recording sample rate: 96kHz
Frequency Response: 20–20,000Hz
Features: Tripod
Today’s Deals
Reason for purchase
+
good starter microphone
+
Subtle RGB
+
Portable Design
The JLab Audio Talk GO is excellent, offering a decent-sounding microphone for podcasting and streaming on a budget. The Talk GO’s small size and matching stand are perfect for anyone looking for a mic that’s easy to carry and doesn’t take up desk space.
Even though the GO only has a pair of capacitors, my sound is still better than expected, albeit a little tinier than I’d like. You probably won’t be recording your next hit on this mic, but it’s great if you dip your toes into the entire streaming or podcast scene.
I have tested several different microphones from JLab Audio. Given its history in affordable audio, there’s no question that the Talk GO is a USB microphone that impresses me more than its more expensive counterparts, the Talk and Talk Pro. The Talk GO is an affordable microphone that doesn’t sound cheap.
Read our review of JLab Talk GO (opens in a new tab).
Image 1 of 3 (Image credit: RODE) Image 2 of 3 (Image credit: RODE) Image 3 of 3 (Image credit: RODE)
The best microphones for entry-level content creators
Specification
Polar Pattern: Cardioid
Connectivity: USB
Recording sample rate: 48kHz
Frequency Response: 20–20,000Hz
Features: Zero-latency monitoring, mute and headphone volume control
Reason for purchase
+
huge sound
+
Simple and compact design
+
nice software
reasons to avoid
–
Software for NT Mini only
–
pick up background noise
Rhodes makes quality microphones. no problem. The only problem is that its pro audio usually requires some financial investment. The Rode NT-USB Mini Microphone is one of the best sub-$100 microphones you can buy right now.
In addition to sounding incredible, the NT Mini is an easy-to-use microphone that any beginner can use. Simple to say, Rode Connect software is a digital mixer that actually allows up to four NT Minis to be plugged into a computer without skipping any hoops. It follows the same design philosophy as the other mini mics on this list, it’s compact, easy to carry, and most importantly, it looks like a cool piece of technology.
Read our full Rode NT Mini review. (opens in new tab)
Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Future) Image 2 of 2 (Image credit: Future)
6. Audio-Technica AT2020
cheapest XLR microphone
Specification
Polar Pattern: Cardioid
Connectivity: USB
Recording sample rate: 48kHz
Frequency Response: 20–20,000Hz
Features: Headphone volume control
Today’s Deals
Reason for purchase
+
well built
+
for musicians
+
great sound
reasons to avoid
–
Requires USB audio interface
–
a polar pattern
–
Additional $50 for USB models
The Audio-Technica AT2020 is probably the cheapest XLR microphone you can get your hands on right now. Any professional musician will tell you that trying to find a good XLR mic for under $200 is a daunting task. Somehow, Audio-Technica has managed to provide musicians with a great-sounding XLR mic for around $80.
The AT2020 follows the trend of stripping features to reduce cost. There’s no mute button here, but you still have headphone volume, a monitor dial, a swivel threaded stand, and a handy travel bag. Whenever you record yourself with the AT2020, you usually think you’re using a more expensive microphone.
So whether you’re beating the drums or explaining your latest Call of Duty Warzone victory to your favorite audience, the AT2020 is a versatile microphone. Since it’s an XLR microphone, you’ll need to buy an audio interface (opens in a new tab) (which you can find online for as low as $50) to use on your PC. If you don’t mind the audio interface, for an extra $50 you can opt for the AT2020USB+(Opens in a new tab) which as you might guess has a USB interface.
best gaming headset (opens in new tab) | best gaming monitor (opens in new tab) | The best HDMI cables for gaming (opens in new tab)
best computer speakers (opens in new tab) | Best SSDs for Gaming (opens in new tab) | best gaming CPU (opens in new tab)
Budget Microphone FAQs
What is the polarity pattern of the microphone?
Polar mode is how the microphone captures surrounding sounds. These are the most common polar patterns:
Heart-shaped: Recording in front of the microphone. Great for voiceovers, vocals and streaming.
Bidirectional: Capture audio before and after the microphone. Great for one-on-one interviews.
Omnidirectional: Pick up sounds from all directions. Great for round table tops.
stereo: Great for ASMR recordings. YouTube ‘ASMR’ if you want the best example because I can’t do it justice.
Are Gaming Microphones Worth It?
You can always use a mic that sticks out of a gaming headset, but few can match the recording quality of the cheapest gaming mics on this list. If you’re planning on streaming or recording your games, as well as adding your own voice to the mix, you definitely have to make yourself sound better than a weedy headphone mic.
Having a good microphone also means you don’t have to use a gaming headset at all. For audiophiles we like a set of premium headphones with no microphone at all, the desktop-based option is the only way to roll.
What form factor should my microphone be?
It’s not a fashion show, but shape still matters. As far as stand mics go, you’ll be staring at it every time you sit at your desk—connectable mics also need to make sure they’re not too distracting.
The form factor of the microphone also affects its adaptability, as you need to make room for it. We used each microphone in multiple setups on different PCs, keyboards, and monitors to see how they looked and performed in each environment. As a streamer, your microphone is also in the audience’s field of vision, so how it looks is important.
Rounding up today’s best deals
Find more articles in our categories Gaming & News & Anime.
Thanks for visiting we hope our article The best cheap streaming and gaming microphones
, think about share the article on Facebook, pinterest and e-mail with the hashtags ☑️ #cheap #streaming #gaming #microphones ☑️!
