Blue Microphones Yeti vs. Yeti X: Which Blue podcasting mic do you have to purchase?

Approach earlier than there have been dozens of firms making lots of of USB microphones, Blue Microphones launched the Yeti in 2009 and it held a official declare to being among the many finest USB podcast microphone for a while. With growing competitors, the Blue Yeti needed to evolve, and the newest iteration, the Yeti X, can declare to be extra expressive … for a value. However simply how large is that this era hole? If you happen to’re looking for the very best microphone for no matter your challenge is and also you’ve narrowed it right down to Blue Yeti mics, likelihood is you’re evaluating the traditional to the brand new hotness, so right here’s our Yeti vs. Yeti X primer that can assist you determine.

Is one thing mistaken with the unique Blue Yeti mic? Why one other model?

The Blue Yeti USB microphone ($109.99) was initially launched as a “premium” USB microphone geared toward professional, semi-pro, and aspiring broadcasters, singers, and musicians. At the moment, many USB mics seemed like novelty designs and lacked skilled options and audio high quality of broadcaster requirements just like the Shure SM7B. The Yeti raised the bar for USB microphone high quality and have become one of the fashionable fashions on the planet for years. 

Since then, nonetheless, the USB mic panorama has exploded with skilled choices matching or exceeding the Yeti. Blue has saved tempo by introducing a collection of Yeti USB mics for numerous wants. The sub-$100 Yeti Nano, for instance, is a smaller mic with fewer choices, whereas the $249.99 Yeti Professional provides musician-focused options corresponding to an XLR audio connection and 24-bit/192kHz studio-grade audio decision. 

Whereas these are focused for particular use instances, the $169.99 Yeti X is the closest factor to an up to date and improved model of the unique Blue Yeti USB microphone. The Yeti X improves the audio high quality, updates the design, and provides some further options whereas additionally protecting the identical primary operational and connectivity options because the Yeti. However the unique Yeti remains to be an excellent, user-friendly possibility for a brand new streamer or podcaster who needs a plug-and-play, dependable USB microphone with a confirmed sound. There’s nothing mistaken with the unique, so the pertinent questions for potential consumers are whether or not they need the Yeti X’s further options, and in that case, are they price the additional $60? Let’s focus on …

Yeti vs. Yeti X microphones: What are the variations?

Blue received vital acclaim when it launched the Yeti X in 2020, because the replace provides a little bit bump to every part its best-selling predecessor does. The Yeti X steps up its digital audio decision to 24-bit/48kHz, in comparison with 16-bit/48kHz for the Yeti. In principle, that increased bit depth represents an enormous enhance in captured digital information to extra precisely recreate sounds. In follow, many individuals could not discover the distinction within the audio high quality, and plenty of customers could not even want or use the additional audio decision of their streams, podcasts, and different broadcasts. 

Nevertheless, the Yeti X has one other trick up its sleeve, which is a fourth condenser capsule, in comparison with the Yeti’s three condensers. The condenser capsules in microphones convert sound waves into the mic’s sign, so having 4 as an alternative of three condensers can contribute to larger audio readability. At comparable costs, many different USB mics lately additionally make the most of 4 condensers to seize audio.

Aesthetically, the Yeti X appears to be like sleeker in its design and has shinier ending parts to the microphone and its stand base. The flatter microphone head contributes to the Yeti X’s retro-futuristic enchantment. The Yeti X can be barely smaller than the Yeti however weighs a bit extra; together with the microphone and the stand, the Yeti X weighs 2.8 kilos, in comparison with 2.2 kilos for the Yeti and its stand.

Maybe essentially the most noticeable distinction visible is the multicolor, multifunction LED ring across the Yeti X’s degree encoder/mute button on its entrance. By default, these LEDs present the mic’s enter degree meter in inexperienced, yellow, and pink, so you may see instantly in case your ranges are too sizzling. The encoder additionally controls the degrees for the microphone enter, headphone quantity, and monitoring stability between the mic quantity and laptop quantity. Holding the mute button switches between degree modes and the LEDs present the degrees as you flip the encoder. This Yeti X performance offers you all of your degree controls in entrance, whereas the Yeti has a headphone quantity knob in entrance and a microphone enter degree knob in again. Moreover wanting cooler, the Yeti X’s LED ring offers you the additional monitoring stability operate, which the Yeti doesn’t have.

Lastly, the Yeti X offers you further choices when paired with the included Logitech G Hub desktop software program. Utilizing G Hub you may customise the Yeti X’s LED ring colours, and apply “Blue VO!CE” vocal results, that are EQ settings for treating your voice with presets—together with “Heat and Classic,” “Crisp and Trendy,” and “AM Radio”—or dialing in your individual settings.

Cool, then how are the Yeti and Yeti X comparable?

Each mics are USB-powered and might detach from their stands to be mounted on normal mic stands or growth arms. Detaching the Yeti from its stand can ship a number of small, simply misplaced washers in all instructions, and people elements additionally make reattaching the Yeti to its stand considerably of a trouble. Fortunately, the Yeti X’s design doesn’t use any of these washers, so detaching and reattaching it to and from its stand makes for a greater expertise.

Each mics are additionally very delicate in choosing up sounds and have the identical 4 pickup patterns—inner settings that focus the mic’s audio seize to particular areas in entrance, behind, or throughout it. These 4 patterns are: cardioid (in entrance), commonest for a single individual speaking or singing; omnidirectional (360 levels), finest for representing your complete ambiance of an area; bi-directional (back and front), ultimate for 2 folks sitting throughout from one another; and stereo, which creates a large audio picture and is nicely suited to recording devices or a number of sound sources in entrance of the mic. On the Yeti, the Sample management for selecting these pickup patterns (a dial) is a bit stiff to change, however the Yeti X employs a greater button swap with LED icons for displaying the energetic sample.

As soon as arrange, the unique Yeti earned its esteemed fame for its mixture of crisp, robust, detailed sound with a sturdy and sturdy steel design {and professional} appears to be like. For any streamers who prefer to preserve their mics in sight of the digital camera, the usual Yeti is available in quite a lot of colours—together with blue, silver, teal, pink, and black—whereas the Yeti for The Aurora Assortment version provides Pink Daybreak and White Mist. It additionally has a headphone output, which helps you to monitor the mic’s enter with no latency whereas listening to your laptop’s audio—a wonderful and really helpful characteristic. The Yeti X has all these traits as nicely, with the aforementioned audio-quality boosts. 

Is the improved sound high quality of the Yeti X actually noticeable?

When evaluating 16-bit/48kHz recordings from the Yeti to 24-bit/48kHz recordings from the Yeti X, there’s a noticeable distinction within the constancy of the Yeti vs. Yeti X. The Yeti sounds barely harsher for “esses” and different consonant sounds, in addition to breath sounds. Spoken phrases are clearer and musical devices ring just a bit extra textured and resonant on the Yeti X. Even when evaluating recordings at 16-bit/48kHz decision from each mics, there was a smaller, however nonetheless noticeable distinction within the readability coming from the Yeti X. 

Notice: If you’d like the total audio decision from the Yeti X, you might have to dig into your recording software program or streaming software program settings to make use of the 24-bit/48kHz decision. 

With all that stated, untrained listeners regularly don’t discover the distinction between 16-bit audio and high-resolution (increased than 16-bit) audio. And hundreds of thousands of individuals take heed to podcasts and livestreams on daily basis in compressed audio codecs like MP3, during which case utilizing a microphone with 24-bit or 16-bit audio would not likely make a distinction.

If I’m simply recording myself speaking, why would I would like the Yeti X?

Whereas the sensible want for 24-bit audio will not be at present important to many podcasters and streamers, the Yeti X does nonetheless have an edge in readability over the Yeti as a consequence of its fourth condenser. And in case you are beginning a podcast or different sort of present in 2021, there’s at present a push towards lossless audio on streaming providers, so it might not harm to “futureproof” your setup in a way with a 24-bit audio USB mic that might keep related if audio high quality expectations proceed to go up over time. For instance, 24-bit/48kHz audio (or increased) is already the popular alternative for recording music in order that it may be delivered to high-definition codecs.

Moreover its audio, the Yeti X could also be extra interesting to those that are desirous about the on-camera look of their mic for his or her movies on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and so forth. Whether or not you suppose the Yeti or the Yeti X appears to be like higher is a subjective matter, however having the LED degree meter with customizable colours is actually a method to stand out and the Yeti X is a minimum of a lot much less frequent (for now), whereas Blue claims there are at present hundreds of thousands of the unique Yeti in use.

So is the unique Yeti nonetheless ok?

There are many folks utilizing the Blue Microphones Yeti right this moment for a podcast, a Twitch stream, a YouTube channel, and many others., and their reveals most likely don’t endure in any respect for utilizing the Yeti as an alternative of the Yeti X. So, in case you actually need to get monetary savings or in case you simply want the silver or blue Yeti colours that aren’t obtainable for the Yeti X, which simply is available in black or white, you’ll get the most effective USB microphones for the cash within the unique Yeti. 

Alternatively, you’d additionally get a substantial quantity of enhancements for the additional $60 for the Yeti X, which upgrades the Yeti in virtually each conceivable manner. The Yeti X affords a clearer, richer sound from its extra condenser capsule and digital audio decision, extra hands-on audio controls, a customizable multicolor LED degree meter ring, voice EQ settings by way of software program, and a slicker design that gives a cleaner expertise for detaching and reattaching the mic to its stand. 

Whatever the mannequin you select, the Blue Yeti vs. Yeti X debate options USB mics which have deserved reputations as two of the very best for the value. Within the USB mic market, the Yetis are robust in construct but delicate to sound, correct, dependable, and straightforward to function, plug-and-play choices for computer- and good device-based broadcasting.