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"Can you hear me?" "You're really quiet" "What was that you said?" These phrases may be all too familiar if you regularly attend Zoom meetings for work. Some of it might be internet issues, but a lot of it is down to the microphones being used. If you're still the built-in microphone on your laptop for video conferencing, you're likely contributing to the excessive background noise and audio quality issues during meetings. We found the best microphones for Zoom, according to the CNET staff who use them.
Investing in an external microphone can help you upgrade your sound quality for Zoom meetings, so that your coworkers can properly hear you. Even relatively cheap USB microphones can make a huge difference in terms of clarity, so you don't necessarily have to spend a ton of money to get a good microphone.
Here at CNET, we've been working in a hybrid model since before the pandemic, so we've got our favorite microphones already in the bag. Here are some of the microphones we use every day when on Zoom calls. While you're at it, consider upgrading your remote work setup with one of the best webcams on our list.
I've tried all kinds of Bluetooth single-sided headsets with boom microphones and none of them sound very good. Corded headsets really excel for Zoom, and how far do you really need to walk away from a video call anyway? The Sennheiser SC635 is a premium corded headset available in either 1/8-inch plug or USB versions -- I use the former for the best audio quality. Skip the wireless earbuds, they put microphones on the sides of your head, too far from the hole where the words come from.
-- Brian Cooley
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Steel Series is best known for its gaming gear, but did you know it makes excellent mics too? The Alias is a dark grey pill-shaped microphone that works well with a stand. I found it worked best on a boom, though. The sound quality is excellent. If you plug your headphones in, you can use the monitoring feature to hear yourself as well as your team. It has a simple touch mute button that shows you a big red X so you know you're on mute. There's also some cool lighting underneath because at heart it's a gamer.
I love the Alias, and it's my current favorite standalone mic for Zoom calls.
Not all conference calls involve sitting down in front of a laptop. Sometimes you're the person giving a presentation and you need a little freedom of movement. A Lavalier mic connects to your collar and wirelessly streams to a small control unit attached to your laptop.
The Lark Max comes with two mics, with noise cancellation and a controller unit that'll easily connect to your iPhone, Android or laptop (via USB-C). The sound quality is excellent, though you'll need to speak a little louder than with a desk mic. The drop in volume is well worth it to have the freedom of movement and the sound quality you get from the Lark Max. As an added bonus, the case also charges the mics and controller so you'll have them ready to go when you need them.
I've been using my Blue Yeti microphone for quite a while now and have loved every second of it. Mine sits on a no-name arm that I picked up from Amazon as I was reorganizing my desk, and that's actually made it even more useful for me. There's a volume knob and mute button on the front of it so I can easily mute myself on a call without reaching for a software feature on my Mac.
The quality has been great and it's never given me an issue. I wish that it used USB-C instead of Micro-USB, but since it's something I leave plugged in all the time and don't really fuss with, I'm not overly worried about that.
-- Jared DiPane
While not specifically a microphone, the AirPods by Apple is a great way to take Zoom calls. I normally have a giant microphone in front of my face for large meetings, but when you're having a small meeting that's more personal, a set of AirPods is more than enough. Most people already have a set of AirPods if they own an Apple phone, so why spend extra money if you don't have to?
-- James Bricknell
I wish I used my Yeti Blue microphone more, but my Razer Kiyo webcam has been my workhorse mic throughout the pandemic. That's mostly because the Blue is too good, picking up clacky keystrokes from where it sits over my mechanical keyboard, while the Kiyo just gets my voice from its perch above my monitor.
That's not a dig at the Kiyo itself, which is better than internal microphones and most headphones. It's a convenient all-in-one, and, given how annoying it is to switch between microphones on the half-dozen video chat platforms I use, it's nice to have a reliable mic always plugged in and ready.
-- David Lumb
I need one mic for Zoom calls, for podcasting, for presenting videos and for doing voice-over work and the beautiful audio quality of the Shure MV7 provides all of that. But unlike a lot of professional condenser mics, it connects via USB straight into my computer so I don't have to mess about with audio interfaces or any of that nonsense. It's totally just plug-and-play, making it simple to get professional-quality recordings.
-- Andrew Lanxon