Recently I wanted to upgrade my microphone setup, because I found that audio recordings on my AirPods Pro were good, but not great.

AirPods Pro

I absolutely love the AirPods Pro.

Best purchase I have ever made.

I use these more than any other device, in more flexible settings (home, gym, outdoors, shopping, work, etc) and pairs very nicely with Apple Watch when out-and-about.

I probably use these for more than 6 hours every day. They last, they’re very portable, easy to run with, great for video conferencing, and more.

But when I wanted to record some tutorial videos, I had two problems:

• AirPods Pro don’t look great on professional recordings – it is now symbolic of a conversations like videoconferencing or calls, not for broadcasting
• AirPods have good cancellation, but still pickup pop noise and background hissing, and a bit of echoing

Blue Yeti USB Microphone

When I bought the Blue Yeti, I knew I was getting a quality device.

I’m certain it’s not the best, but very good value for money.

Something like this also has a timeless design, and looks great on my desk.

It’s beautiful.

I bought this for about $240 from EB Games, because JB Hifi were out of stock. Then an hour later, when I was buying an adaptor from Officeworks, I noticed it was listed for $190 – a big price difference. A big profit margin?

However, compared to the internal microphone in MacBook Pro 2017, it’s a significantly better recording quality.

I’m looking forward to using this with video conferencing and giving my ears a rest from always using AirPods Pro.

Pros

• Solid, portable solution
• USB Powered, no external power necessary
• Can connect with iPhone via the USB to Lighting Camera connector
• Several options for recoding and gain control
• 3.5mm headphone out for live monitoring

Cons

• Doesn’t have a USB-C connector, may age quickly
• The red ‘mute’ button is always on, and blinks/flashes when muted which is slightly poor user experience, but it would be rare that I would use this