Looking For The Best Condenser Mics Under $200?
Here’s a look at our favorites, including our top pick – the MXL 770 Cardioid Condenser Microphone.
Whether you are a professional musician or an amateur who loves to perform, the right equipment can make a huge difference in how well you play and how much enjoyment you derive from your favorite type of music. It does not matter if you have been playing for a year or a decade – without a solid condenser mic in your gear bag, your performance could suffer.
You need a great condenser mic to enhance your sound and make your performances as good as they can be, but you do not want to spend a fortune to get one. The good news is that there are a number of excellent condenser mics for less than $200, and here are 5 of our favorites.
What to Look for in a Condenser Mic Under $200:
- Quality: Make sure the mic you buy is high quality, with enough clarity to record exactly what you need every time. Every mic on our list meets this quality standard.
- Price: Make sure you get an affordable mic, also it’s important that the mic is durable and able to withstand the occasional mic drop.
- Style: It may seem like a trivial feature, but you’ll want to get a mic that matches the sound you’re going for. There are great mics out there that are designed in a retro fashion, I’d advise picking one of these up if you’re the nostalgic type because they’re that cool. The Bluebird Cardioid mic below is a good example of retro design.
MXL 770 Cardioid Condenser Microphone
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The MXL 770 Cardioid Condenser Microphone is one of the best, and one of the most affordable, condenser mics on the market today. With a list price of just $75 and a 4.6 out of 5 star rating on Amazon, this condenser mic packs a lot of value into a small package.
The MXL 770 Cardioid Condenser Microphone includes a number of features typically found on much higher priced entries, starting with its gold-sputtered 6-micron diaphragm, designed to reduce distortion and produce true sound. This great low-priced condenser mic also features a FET preamp with balanced output, a switchable bass cut with 10dB pad and even a shock mount and sturdy carrying case. This is truly one of the best values in the condenser mic marketplace.
What Users Are Saying:
- Great value!
- Extremely affordable
- Excellent clarity
- Only $75
Audio-Technica AT2020 Cardioid Condenser Studio Microphone
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The Audio-Technica AT2020 Cardioid Condenser Studio Microphone is also a low-priced entry, with a price point of just under $90 and an average Amazon rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars. This great condenser mic also packs a lot of high-end features into a low-priced package, making it an excellent value for the money.
The long list of features on the Audio-Technica AT2020 Cardioid Condenser Studio Microphone starts with its high SPL handling ability and its wide dynamic range for extra versatility. This excellent value-priced condenser mic also features a low-mass diaphragm for better frequency response, something that both professional and amateur musicians are sure to appreciate.
What Users Are Saying:
- Good volume when recording
- Extremely versatile for recording any sound
- Only $90
Blue Microphones Bluebird Cardioid Condenser Microphone
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At $179.99, the Blue Microphones Bluebird Cardioid Condenser Microphone is one of the highest priced condenser mics on our list, but it is also one of the most impressive. With a long list of features and a professional design, the Blue Microphones Bluebird Cardioid Condenser Microphone is clearly aimed at the serious musician market.
The long list of benefits the Blue Microphones Bluebird Cardioid Condenser Microphone has to offer starts with Blue’s famous design, and the cutting-edge appearance of this professional-quality condenser mic is evident even from a distance. The Blue Microphones Bluebird Cardioid Condenser Microphone also features the CDardioid polar pattern, along with a professional-grade Class A discrete amplifier circuit for faithful sound reproduction. The condenser mic also includes a pop filter and shock mount, so it can go from the box to the stage with ease.
What Users Are Saying:
- Love the retro design
- More expensive than other mics at $179
- Extremely well built with excellent sound quality
Neewer NW-800 Professional Studio Broadcasting & Recording Microphone
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The Neewer NW-800 Professional Studio Broadcasting & Recording Microphone is also an excellent value for the money, and its average 3.9 out of 5 star rating on Amazon is pretty impressive. At less than $23, this microphone will not break the bank, but it is an excellent value for the money.
This excellent condenser mic comes complete with the NW-800 professional condenser mic, a shock mount, a ball-type anti-wind foam cap and even a microphone power cable. That means you can go from the box to the stage in a matter of minutes, giving you one less thing to worry about.
The Neewer NW-800 Professional Studio Broadcasting & Recording Microphone also includes a long list of features and benefits, including a shock mount with excellent noise reduction capabilities and a foam cap to eliminate wind noise and reproduce sound more effectively.
What Users Are Saying:
- Affordable mic, only $23
- Gets the job done for less
- Great for recording podcasts
CAD U37 USB Studio Condenser Recording Microphone
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With a list price of less than $42 and an average Amazon rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars, it is clear that the CAD U37 USB Studio Condenser Recording Microphone is one of the best values on the market. This low-priced but high-quality condenser mic packs a lot of value into a small footprint, making it a great choice for amateur and professional musicians alike.
The long list of features and benefits the CAD U37 USB Studio Condenser Recording Microphone has to offer starts with a large condenser mic element for warmer and richer recordings and excellent sound capacity. This low-priced condenser mic also comes with the popular Cardiooid pickup pattern for reduced background noise and better isolation of the main sound source.
Other features include a 10dB overload protection switch to reduce distortion in noisy conditions and a bass-reduction switch to keep room noise to a minimum. If you are looking for a condenser mic that will not break the bank, the CAD U37 USB Studio Condenser Recording Microphone is an excellent choice.
What Users Are Saying:
- Great value!
- Extremely affordable
- Great for recording vocals or podcasts
Takeaways
No matter what kind of music you play or where you play it, you want to have the best equipment you can afford. The fact that there are so many excellent condenser mics for less than $200 means you can get a great one and still have plenty of funds left over for guitars, amps and other essentials.
I started Music Store Central with one simple goal, to help answer all the questions that I know other musicians have. I wanted to make buying new instruments and gear for your passion completely effortless.