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I Reviewed 47 Mics — Here's What I Actually Recommend

Brandon | Darkened Cyrus

6,307 views

I've reviewed 47 microphones on this channel. That's 1.9 million views
worth of testing. In this video I'm breaking it all down — my actual
favorite, the ones I'd never buy again, and the microphones I'd recommend
to anyone starting out or upgrading their setup.

No brand deals influenced this list. Just honest takes from someone
who's had every one of these in front of their face.

The most important mic tip I can give you has nothing to do with which
microphone you buy — and I'll share it before anything else.

———

🎙️ MICROPHONES MENTIONED (affiliate links):
• Shure SM7B — https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002E4Z8M?...
• FiFine K688 — https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B8SNVK5K?...
• FiFine AM8 — https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C74G9RLH?...
• Elgato Wave 3 Mk II — https://elgato.sjv.io/aN1BOW
• Lewitt Ray — https://amzn.to/442cr6h
• K669D (Best $30 Mic) — https://amzn.to/4eluyZZ

📋 FULL MIC REVIEW PLAYLIST: Microphone Reviews

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Timestamps:
0:00 I’ve Reviewed 47 Microphones (Why This Matters)
0:20 What This Video Will Cover
0:45 Why Audio Matters More Than Video
1:20 The #1 Mistake (Mic Placement)
2:20 Cheap vs Expensive Mics (Does Price Matter?)
3:10 My Favorite Microphone (Shure SM7B)
4:20 Why It’s NOT Worth It for Most People
5:10 Worst Microphone I’ve Ever Used
6:10 Another Mic to Avoid (Joby Wavo Pod)
7:00 Budget Mics That Actually Sound Good
8:10 The FIFINE K688 & AM8 (Best Value Picks)
9:30 Best Feature-Packed Microphones
10:00 Lewitt Ray (Auto Gain Mic Explained)
11:10 Elgato Wave 3 Mark II (Best Overall Pick)
12:10 Best $30 Microphone (Hidden Gem)
13:00 What You Should Buy (Final Advice)
13:40 What Tutorials Do You Want Next?
14:00 Outro

20 Comments

@edenfromcamo 5 months ago

your sound tests, objectivity and feature explanations have been so educational!! keep up the awesome work

@UrbaNSpiel 2 months ago

Thanks for reviewing 😮 👌

@robbanoh 3 months ago

This is pure instanity! Damn! Hats off 👌

@KickTheTiresAndLightTheFires 5 months ago

Hey Pokemon!!! Nice!! Good video man!!

@JDMakesPlays 5 months ago

Informative video as always! What do you think of the Audio Technica AT40 USB?

@IrisFifine 4 months ago

Good job👍

@lucjanborkowski6328 5 months ago

The SM7B has always sounded boomy to me, which is also evident in your voice. I use the underrated Rode Broadcaster, which sounds as natural as possible. It doesn't have that excess bass and is brighter than the SM7B, but within reason. The Rode Broadcaster sounds instantly ready, just as a voice should, so it doesn't require any post-production like the SM7B.

@TheGeekGauntletPodcast 5 months ago

I don’t like Elgato so I went with the Rodecaster Pro 2 and Duo. I would like to get your thoughts on those units.

@sachyymandayaa 1 month ago

Thank you for the video but here is what I think.

so I'm a Simple person who sometimes create a video with phone not with the intention of become a famous social media influence or anything but instead of using the phone I decided to try out a mic which is giving me some edge and adding more quality to the content that I create So my suggestion is maybe you can curate a playlist for those who are in different stages

For example for a person who have no prior experience recording from a microphone and then you can add on like how to improve the quality of the audio doing any changes to the your room or anything else that matters and then you can add another video or a playlist where you have your first microphone and you want to improve the quality and tweak with the features of the microphone things like that

@o0Undead0o777 2 months ago

So MY video request is {as a noob to livestreaming} which one of the boards that have all the buttons on em and they each do different things... which to buy AND how to program and use it for lets say Tick Tock/ YT/ etc

@SwayingLeaves302 4 months ago

As a first time viewer, a bit hard to follow- I watched with the intent to get some good info on a variety of mics but a good amount of info on the top reccomended mics- You've mentioned in the past you've spoken poorly about the Shurt Sm7B but it's one of your favourites- would of loved an elaboration (main mic I'm considering atm) seemed it was mainly the price point as why you don't like it- also the video comparing the shure and fifine I couldn't find

@LucasIndig0 1 month ago

2:25 - behold, dog

@TheAgingWellPodcast 5 months ago

Have you reviewed the 512 Audio Limelight? I have loved my K669D and for sound and form (I can't find anything that small and sturdy), but recently bought a Limelight for $50to try. I can't tell which sounds better (or worse).

@Bruhndun 5 months ago

Hello Great Video! I actually purchased a Fifine Am8 after watching your review video on it. I was wondering if you knew a better way to control the gain? I have it paired with the fifine Sc8 audio mixer and it seems very loud in obs recordings.

@broscautanualexandru9137 3 months ago

Hey Brandon! i wanted to ask what microphone you personally use?

@autumnsauce 3 months ago

Genuine question, what would you recommend for an intermediate microphone? So I started out with the Audio-Technica AT-2020, which I absolutely loved, but I didn't know at the time how Condenser microphones necessarily worked, and I thought that was just due to maybe my poor interface or, you know. But I honestly loved it. I just don't know, it doesn't work for me because my recording studio is my office, which is partially untreated.

Then I swapped over to the Shure SM7B, which I like, but I can't stand how quiet it is. Even with the inline cloud lifter, it's insanely quiet, and turning it up simply just picks up more noise, primarily from my computer, which I have to keep the fans on pretty high.

So I'm not sure if getting a plugin would be better. I'm not the biggest fan of them only because I do voice acting like freelance work and I've noticed a lot of noise reduction can process my voice too much. Honestly, the DJI Mini that I got for when I'm on the road sounds the best out of all of them. But I was curious if there were either fixes in maybe interfaces or if there's maybe a better microphone that could fit my needs. Because right now I have a very simple interface, which is the ID4 from Audient. Which was my first interface I've had for about seven years.

@mktekno1772 5 months ago

What are your thoughts on the Hyper X Flipcast?

@mightyscoobidie 5 months ago

Is the HyperX flipcast considered subpar vs other high end mics ?

@rolandoreo4035 4 months ago

I've been deciding between Fifine K688 and AM8, because I've watched videos where it says the AM8 has better sound quality than Fifine K688 but then the videos say people can only hear the AM8 when u are speaking right next to the mic (3 inches away). Im just wondering on which one I should get because I usually speak to my mic about 6-7 inches away and I want people to be able to hear me.

@CH1CKENM4N 4 months ago

Have you tried maono's microphones? I hear they have some pretty good audio quality for their price and since I'm in the process of picking one to buy do you think the fifine am8 or the pd300x is a better choice?