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Whether you’re joining a virtual meeting or video calling your loved ones, sometimes technology lets us down. If you’re tired of shouting into your computer, an external microphone can project your voice loudly and clearly while blocking out background noises. A microphone is also a great tech gift for a fellow remote worker. For clear audio and easy controls, we asked the CNET team what microphones they recommend.
As remote work becomes increasingly commonplace, Zoom and other platforms like Slack have become the main portals through which you interact with your colleagues, managers or reports. With so many of us working hybrid these days, including the staff at CNET, getting the right microphone for your meeting needs has never been more important.
The greater the microphone, the less chance of having a room of people asking you to talk louder or “say that again?” After all, poor audio can ruin a presentation before it’s even started and make it difficult for colleagues to realize what you’re trying to say.
We get it. A solid internet connection and a good webcam are most likely a bigger priority for workers (remote or otherwise), but that doesn’t mean you should sleep on the importance of a good microphone and settle for whatever audio quality comes with your laptop or desktop. A microphone doesn’t need to be pricey either, as even a cheap USB microphone may offer a big improvement without breaking the bank.
Here at CNET, we use various external microphones for our Zoom meetings and video calls, including USB mics, headsets and even earbuds with decent microphone arrays. Whether you are looking to add to your setup for work or looking for a great tech gift for someone who works from home, we’ve rounded up the best picks based on our experience.
I’ve tried all kinds of Bluetooth single-sided headsets with boom microphones and none of them sound very good. Corded headsets really excel for Zoom, and how far do you really need to walk away from a video call anyway? The Sennheiser SC635 is a premium corded headset available in either 1/8-inch plug or USB versions — I use the former for the best audio quality. Skip the wireless earbuds, they put microphones on the sides of your head, too far from the hole where the words come from.
— Brian Cooley
Steel Series is best known for its gaming gear, but did you know it makes excellent mics too? The Alias is a dark grey pill-shaped microphone that works well with a stand. I found it worked best on a boom. The sound quality is excellent. If you plug your headphones in, you can use the monitoring feature to hear yourself as well as your team. It has a simple touch mute button that shows you a big red X so you know you’re on mute. There’s also some cool lighting underneath because, at heart, it’s a gamer.
I love the Alias, and it’s my current favorite standalone mic for Zoom calls.
I’ve been using my Blue Yeti microphone for quite a while now and have loved every second of it. Mine sits on a no-name arm that I picked up from Amazon as I was reorganizing my desk, and that’s actually made it even more useful for me. There’s a volume knob and mute button on the front of it so I can easily mute myself on a call without reaching for a software feature on my Mac.
The quality has been great and it’s never given me an issue. I wish that it used USB-C instead of Micro-USB, but since it’s something I leave plugged in all the time and don’t really fuss with, I’m not overly worried about that.
— Jared DiPane
While not specifically a microphone, the AirPods by Apple is a great way to take Zoom calls. I normally have a giant microphone in front of my face for large meetings, but when you’re having a small Zoom meeting that’s more personal, a set of AirPods is more than enough. Most people already have a set of AirPods if they own an Apple phone, so why spend extra money if you don’t have to?
— James Bricknell
I wish I used my Yeti Blue microphone more, but my Razer Kiyo webcam has been my workhorse mic throughout the pandemic. That’s mostly because the Blue is too good, picking up clacky keystrokes from where it sits over my mechanical keyboard, while the Kiyo just gets my voice from its perch above my monitor.
That’s not a dig at the Kiyo itself, which is better than internal microphones and most headphones. It’s a convenient all-in-one, and, given how annoying it is to switch between microphones on the half-dozen video chat platforms I use, it’s nice to have a reliable mic always plugged in and ready.
— David Lumb
I need one microphone for Zoom calls, for podcasting, for presenting videos and for doing voice-over work and the beautiful audio quality of the Shure MV7 provides all of that. Unlike a lot of professional condenser mics, it connects via USB straight into my computer so I don’t have to mess about with audio interfaces or any of that nonsense. It’s totally just plug-and-play, making it simple to get professional-quality recordings.
— Andrew Lanxon
Not all conference calls involve sitting down in front of a laptop. Sometimes you’re the person giving a presentation and you need a little freedom of movement. A Lavalier mic connects to your collar and wirelessly streams to a small control unit attached to your laptop.
The Lark Max comes with two mics, with noise cancellation and a controller unit that’ll easily connect to your iPhone, Android, or laptop (via USB-C). The sound quality is excellent, although you’ll need to speak a little louder than with a desk mic. The drop in volume is well worth it to have the freedom of movement and the sound quality you get from the Lark Max. As an added bonus, the case also charges the mics and controller so you’ll have them ready to go when you need them.
