Audio-Technica ATR2500x-USB Cardioid Condenser Microphone (ATR Series)

I bought this mic because I needed to upgrade my virtual meeting equipment for work from home. I have a Mac as my work computer so I did not want to have to mess with software to install with an external mic. I hooked this thing up and it worked right away without any issues. Coworkers say it sounds good and the background settings on google meet digitally erase this mic so I can have it sitting on the stand relatively near me and it will not show up on the video. I only have 1 real complaint about this and that is about the added attachment to connect this to an arm. The joint that holds the adjustable circle thing (where you attach the mic) does not seem to hold the weight of the mic very well. It has a screw to hold this part together, but It seems more of just that rather than to tighten things in place. As a result, I tried connecting this to a specific arm and the mic would just flop to a horrible angle. The arm I got probably isn't the best for this type of thing, but it was 30.00 so I figured I would give it a shot. Out side of that, I would recommend this mic for work from home use if you do not want to mess with software to go with it.

I use this for calls and chat, and it's easy to switch between devices since it works out of the box over USB. Compared to similarly priced USB condenser mics like the Blue snowball and yeti, it has in my opinion vastly better clarity without sacrificing bass frequencies. It's still easy to listen to out of the box, as it's not too bright. Seeing as it's a condenser mic, it's very important to "invest" in a cheap mic stand to position it correctly. The included stand is too short to get the best quality, but I at the price I really only expected to get the mic.

A USB mic should do what its supposed to do - capture sound. But the best ones work so well - you should never know it exists. Im not a content creator or someone who needs to show expensive mic setup on their video. I just need a mic that can work on my MS Teams calls and Zoom Calls. Audio Technica is a known brand and the Cardioid technology helps in removing background noise from your voice. If you are someone that works from home and has to do a lot of presentations on Zoom/Teams, your listeners will appreciate this a lot. Especially when you are speaking, you dont want the lawn mower, trash pickup truck beep, teenager slamming their doors to be heard on the call! Even worse when you are trying to convince a customer or your boss! Dont waste your money in random chinese products and just get this. One additional feature is the audio jack on this mic. There are times where I dont want others to hear my call, just plug my headset to this jack instead of fiddling with computer!! One feature I really wish this mic had - Mute button on the mic!! Still best value for money. Please ensure you plug the USB-C cable tight otherwise you will see this mic constantly dropping off connection. Its not the mic issue, its the cable not being tight. If it still happens, try rotating the usb-c head, that works. I know! Trust me, it works!

Easily the best USB mic for about $50. Clear vocals and nice instrumental recording. Had a defective unit but seller replaced immediately. USB port is at the bottom and may break if bent to aggressively. All around great mic, especially for a condenser without an isolation cage.

1/6/2022 update. Mic having major issues. Best description, imagine hanging a microphone out your car window while driving and trying to record that audio. Going to attempt repairing it, probably just going to chunk it in the trash and find something else. --- 8/14/2020 update. I had mentioned before that there was a little piece of wire sticking out of the side of the screen on my mic. This was causing some fun grounding issues. I ended up disassembling the mic (rip warranty!), and found it connected to nothing, so I cut it off. This did fix the issue, however not completely. If I touched the body of the mic, the buzzing would come back. What I did discover is that grounding my computer case better helped. So I was able to get this issue resolved on my own. The quality issue is a tad annoying, but things happened, and it was an easy fix. Because of this, I have updated my rating. If you find yourself having the same issue, an easy way to check is to touch a metal part of your computer case, and record. If the buzzing goes away, it's a ground issue. Literally just tape a wire to the case, and to anything else that is metal. --- I'll keep this short since a lot of over reviews touch on the pros and cons of this mic. I didn't have any problems with the included mic stand, mainly cause I'm not using it. I immediately used the mic stand adapter, and installed this on my desk stand which is working well. I did have some big issues with sound right out of the box that took me a bit of time to sort. I believe it was just a defect with the particular model I got, but I wanted to post up what I found to be the problem, and how I fixed it in case anyone else has the same issue. Out of the box, I was getting a low hum. I figured this might have been something on my desk causing it, so I used foam on the mic stand, and under my PC which is also on the desk, but it didn't fix the problem. I also tried several different cables, and it was still there. Grabbing and moving the mic around, I discovered that the hum would either get worse or better. What I did end up finding to be the problem was on the back of the mic, a little tiny piece of metal wire that looks like it's part of the mic grill, sticking out. When I moved that around with my finger, the hum would either get god awful, or go away entirely. I ended up pushing it all the way in, and the hum went away completely. I'm not sure if it was causing some kind of grounding issue or a short, but I've included a pic with this review. If you get this model, and have the same issues, try that. I dropped down to a 4 star review because of that issue, but since it's working now, I will say the quality of this mic is great. But Audio-Technica needs to QA their stuff a bit better. If the hum does come back, I'll see if I can get a replacement.

This was the perfect microphone to replace my AT2020 which had recently worn out at the time of purchase. AudioTechnica are one of the best.

Sound capture pattern is cardioid only. Very cheap tripod; so bad and so flimsy that it feels like a throwaway. Maybe Audio Technica is cutting corners here with the assumption that you have your own stand or boom. If you intend to use the included tripod…forget it. On the plus side, they include a separate threaded mounting ring. The volume buttons on the front would be better as a dial/knob to avoid all the click-click-clicking to raise/lower headphone volume. There is no Gain control on the mic; you must rely on your computer system’s controls, which is OK I guess but not as flexible. Lastly, the USB-C connector would not fit all the way into the mic (see 2:35 mark in video). The mic worked, but it’s disconcerting.

I bought this mike based on strong positive reviews, to use when participating in singing groups and meetings via Zoom. I was attracted by the fact that the product is optimized for use in recording podcasts. I have been very satisfied with this mike. I like tech that's simple to use. This mike plugs directly into my computer via the USB port. It has a standard jack on it that fits my Apple earbuds and the earphones I use for listening to music. the only control on the mike is volume on the earphones. When I jacked it into the USB port my computer shifted from taking input via its internal microphone, to taking input from the new external mike. That was my installation process, yay! I put it on the included mini-tripod, which is simple to use and stable. I've used it for three different singing groups so far and people are telling me my sound quality is the clearest of the group. It's a condenser mike, so it doesn't pick up a lot of background noise, and I don't have to pay much attention to orienting my face to the mike: it seems to pick me up anywhere in view of my laptop screen. A great mike, at a reasonable price.