I got this mic as a backup for my blue yeti which is considered the gold standard for home podcasting or game recording. Is it comparable or close to the blue yeti? Yes, that's right! Firstly, the construction is very good value for money. The only weak point I would point out in the design is the anti-vibration holder which has a plastic head that screws onto the metal arm so it's likely this could cause warping when I break it in the future. What really counts now: the sound quality. I use this microphone with a Mac and it works perfectly. As you can see from the attached screenshot, it recognized it in the audio sources and actually worked on the plug-and-play principle. One of the main features of all these microphones is the gain control while maintaining a very low noise level. Here the biggest difference from a Yeti or similar mic is that it doesn't have a hardware control, but you can use the gain control, but you can do that directly from the settings on your computer. You can also use more specialized recording software that will allow you to modulate the noise levels a bit and ensure that the overall quality of the recording is very good. On my settings with both a pop filter and a foam cup, I've found the noise level to be around 20%, which is enough to get a good audio pickup level and very low, almost nonexistent, ambient noise. The mount is very well made, light weight and a good length which makes it perfect for my home office. Aside from those two very minor flaws (probably a weak head and no gain control) this mic delivers really good sound quality and makes a great starting point for the amateur podcaster. or the gamer who wants something better than a phone headset to record their voice while streaming. Of course, if you want to pursue a career as a recording artist or podcaster, this isn't the best mic for you, but it does give a good place to start. Always think about what you can buy with your money. If you just want to use this for general casual streaming, conference calls, or other applications where you want to talk to people but want the quality to be better than what you'll get from a lavalier mic, or definitely way better than that, what you get from your built-in microphone the right way. If you want to record your online album. well maybe not. I'm tired of people paying $60 for a mic and expecting it to perform like a $2000 professional mic. Overall, this is the best in its class and price range.