Microphone Devices
Studio, broadcast, and streaming microphones. Three connection styles dominate: classic XLR (Shure SM7B, Rode PodMic, Shure SM58), pure USB (Blue Yeti X, Elgato Wave:3), and hybrid USB+XLR (Shure MV7+, Rode PodMic USB, Rode NT1 5th Gen) that started shipping in 2023. Most USB mics use a captive Micro-B or USB-C cable; hybrid designs typically expose USB-C on the body alongside a standard XLR output.
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Samson Q2U (USB/XLR Dynamic) (2021)
The Q2U is a handheld dynamic microphone with dual outputs: a USB connection for plugging straight into a computer and a male XLR output for connecting to a traditional mixer or interface, both usable at once. Note the USB connector is the older Mini-B size, not USB-C — so you need a Mini-B cable, not…
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Sennheiser Profile USB (2023)
Sennheiser’s Profile keeps podcast cabling honest: a USB-C port running USB 2.0 full-speed (bus-powered at just 5V/200mA) and a 3.5mm TRS headphone jack with its own volume and mix dials on the body. No XLR, no dongles — one cable to the computer, one to your ears. The Streaming Set adds a boom arm and…
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Shure MV6 (2024)
Shure’s MV6 brings SM7-adjacent looks to a plug-and-play USB gaming mic: one USB-C port (USB 2.0 audio class, bus-powered) and a 3.5mm headphone jack for zero-latency monitoring — that’s the whole I/O story. There’s deliberately no XLR here; if you want both worlds, that’s the MV7+’s job. Ships with a desktop stand and a 1m…
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Shure MV7 (2020)
The Shure MV7 is a dual-output dynamic broadcast microphone built for podcasters and streamers who want both plug-and-play and pro-audio paths. It exposes a USB Micro-B port for direct computer recording and a standard XLR output for an audio interface, and crucially both can run at the same time. A 3.5mm headphone jack provides real-time…
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Shure MV7+ (2024)
The Shure MV7+ is a hybrid USB-C and XLR cardioid dynamic broadcast microphone aimed at podcasters and streamers. The XLR output sends a clean analog signal to a mixer or interface, while the USB-C output streams 24-bit/48 kHz audio with onboard DSP, auto-level mode, and real-time denoising. A 3.5mm headphone jack on the base provides…
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Shure MV7i (2024)
The MV7i is the first dynamic USB microphone with a built-in audio interface, pairing a USB-C digital output to your computer or phone with a combo XLR/quarter-inch input that lets you record a second mic or instrument at the same time. That combo input supplies 60dB of gain and 48V phantom power, so it drives…
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Shure SM58 (1966)
The Shure SM58 is the industry-standard cardioid dynamic vocal microphone used on stages worldwide. It uses a balanced 3-pin XLR output and a built-in spherical pop filter, and its rugged construction handles being dropped onto club floors night after night. Frequency response is tailored for the human voice at 50 Hz – 15 kHz, and…
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Shure SM7B (1973)
The Shure SM7B is the broadcast-standard cardioid dynamic vocal microphone heard on countless podcasts and radio shows. It uses a balanced 3-pin XLR output and needs a microphone preamp with at least 60 dB of clean gain — its low –59 dBV sensitivity is the reason most users pair it with a Cloudlifter or FetHead…
