Review on 🎙️ Blue Snowball USB Mic Gloss Black - Perfect for PC & Mac, Podcasts, Gaming, Streaming, and Recording by Greg Greiner

I bought this in June 2015 and I still use it every day. For the sake of simplicity I will divide this review into 4 parts. Appearance, construction, physical quality and sound quality. Appearance: I only bought the white version because it was the cheapest option at the time. $65, same price now. The ball itself is thick plastic with a rough finish. The finish means it basically doesn't reflect the light like a mirror, so it doesn't get very shiny. The grille covering the internals is metal and is probably exactly the same as any other studio/stage mic. The base is also some kind of metal, possibly hollow, but it has some weight so I doubt it. A sticker is wrapped around the vertical axis of the sphere, which reads "SNOW" several times. If you wanted to, you could probably clean it up. The base also has a blue logo. There is an indicator light above the grille that glows red when it is connected to the mains. There is another blue logo cover on top of the grille that you can remove if needed. On the back there are sections for surround sound recording, as well as a switch for various microphone settings. The cable is an almost transparent plastic cable which is very handy as you can see the internal wires. Installation: It takes about 3 minutes to install after you open the box. You screw the microphone to the stand (or attach it to another mount if you have one), connect one end of the cable to the microphone, and the other end to the computer. The light comes on, it means it works. There are no manual downloads for this, which is great if you're the kind of person who switches between multiple computers. Physical Characteristics: From bottom to top, small rubber balls are located at the ends of the legs. If you pull on them very hard they will come loose, but if it wasn't intended they will never come loose. The rubber on them keeps the mic in place very well, and the width of the stand when you open it all the way means it's hard to accidentally knock it over. The rest of the stand is metal with a reflective coating. The microphone is made of coarse plastic, painted white. I found it impossible to scratch the paint with anything less than a knife blade, so I assumed it was stained and unpainted. The grille is made of metal and flexes slightly when pressed firmly. The cable has a very durable plastic coating that hasn't suffered from repeated twisting and flexing over the years. Sound Quality: Let's face it, this is a $65 mic. Is it much better than your phone's built-in microphone or your computer/webcam? Absolutely. Is it better than a studio quality mic that can cost a thousand dollars? no If you're looking for an upgrade to your computer's built-in microphone or the built-in microphone in your headphones/earphones, then it's totally worth it. If you want to record music for YouTube, you might want to look for something bigger. I've been talking about this for almost 3 years and not once has anyone complained about the quality. I've recorded YouTube videos, audio for cool projects, Skype calls, Discord, game voice chat and everything in between without a single problem. --TL:DR The blue snowball is the perfect mic for the price. If you are looking for something for everyday use, this is it. It lasts forever and is on my Buy It For Life best tech list.