With a 44KHz sample rate and 16-bit depth, it falls in line with the specs of most other mics on the market, offering CD-quality audio as the audio signal is converted to digital. When recording spoken vocals, it has a warmth and clarity when you're right up to the diaphragm, and doesn't start to sound roomy until you're about four feet away. This is a medium-diaphragm condenser with just a cardioid polar pattern available, so It's designed as an all-rounder, and performs wonderfully as such. What's more, it's got some skin in the game the first version (sans '+') was released in 2017 with a slightly more modest spec sheet and a lack of headphone monitoring, so what this latest model represents is a refinement of a mic that already garnered a decent reputation.įixed-charge back plate, permanently polarized Priced at £120/$150 at time of review (or $199 for the podcasting pack), the AT2020USB+ slots into a bustling market where the Blue Yeti, Razer Seiren, HyperX Quadcast and our personal favorite, the Beyerdynamic Fox, already reside. That's not a deal-breaker, though, since pop shields are at least cheap to buy separately. Nearly everything, at least: There's no pop shield included with the AT2020USB+, even in the more expensive podcasting pack bundle, which also includes a pair of headphones and a boom arm. That is to say, this is a well-put-together package that comprises everything you might reasonably need for recording vocals or instruments in a streaming or home recording setup. Audio-Technica AT2020USB+ Cardioid Condenser Mic ( (Image credit: Tom's Hardware))īut if you're a streamer, gamer, or podcast creator, how much do you really need from your mic? And how much is just there to pad the specs sheets? Well, in the Audio-Technica AT2020USB+'s case, it takes its cues from seminal early noughties pop-punk album All Killer No Filler, from Sum 41, while delivering tones that are definitely easier on the ear than Deryck Whibley's vocal performances.

At2020 mic drivers