Our Verdict
The Logitech Blue Sona is a stylish premium XLR microphone that takes the best of the Shure SM7B and make it even better.
The Logitech Blue Sona is a treat for the eyes and ears, aiming to shake up the streaming and podcast worlds as the new go-to high-end XLR microphone that looks just as good as it sounds. The Shure SM7B is obviously a big influence on its design, but don’t make the mistake of thinking the Sona is a knock-off – it’s an upgrade in almost every way.
It should come as no surprise that this is the best gaming microphone for high-end users when it costs $349.99 (£299.99), but would you believe that this is actually a bargain? Not only does this undercut the Shure SM7B’s $399 USD price tag, but it also doesn’t require an expensive audio interface or mic boosters like the Cloudlifter to run. Yes, you can really use this with a budget preamp, and it’ll still sound smooth.
Logitech Blue Sona design
A lot of words come to mind when peeking at the Blue Sona for the first time: bold, modern, stylish. It’s all down to its strikingly different appearance, ditching the cylindrical body we’re used to seeing in favour of a contemporary cuboid instead. It’s clear that Logitech wants this microphone to stand out when in the frame of the best webcam.
It’s also unusual to see microphones come in different colourways, but you have the choice of a sleek black body or off-white one. Both come with a black and a red windscreen in the box for different colour combinations, and you can swap between them easily enough thanks to their magnetic connectors. Logitech says more colours are on the way, but we can only judge what’s in front of us for the time being.
I don’t know what material the pop filters are made of, but the best part is that they’re not dust magnets. I’m a cat dad and always felt as though my Shure SM7B’s cover needed its own cover, but the foam surrounding the Sona’s capsule barely catches a bit of fluff. When it does, it’s easy to clean, retaining that professional look.
You’ll need a boom arm or tripod, as the Logitech Blue Sona doesn’t come with its own stand, but the mounting system is flexible all the same. The XLR input is conveniently placed, not conflicting with the screw. The threaded ring lets you attach the device to a boom arm without spinning the entire microphone around in circles, and the pivot knob locks it in place, so you can position it anywhere you choose on its 360-degree tilt.
It works with a wide range of phantom power requirements at either 24V or 48V, thanks to its ClearAmp technology, giving it an additional 25dB to play with. As mentioned earlier, this makes the Sona a far cheaper investment than something like the Shure SM7B, as it works with a wider range of preamps and keeps your desk clean of unnecessary accessories.
Logitech Blue Sona performance
The Logitech Blue Sona sounds buttery smooth, with a clear, neutral EQ out of the box – which means it doesn’t favour any particular frequency. It can make vocals sound a little cold if you’re used to USB microphones that often add a bit of bass into the mix, but it’s easier to add warmth from most interfaces than it is to take it away.
Supercardiod pick-up patterns are known for their lack of sensitivity, prioritising your voice and leaving background noises where they belong. Logitech doubles down on this tech with a dual-diaphragm approach, pointing one diaphragm at you to capture your sultry tones and the other in the opposite direction to filter out any unwanted sounds. This is what makes it a superb gaming and streaming microphone, as no one likes hearing the clatter of your keyboard. It can’t work miracles, so you’ll need to be mindful of where you position it, but I’m rather impressed at its ability to dampen sound.
The Sona is about as plug-and-play as it gets for an XLR microphone. Once you hook it up to an interface, you just need to adjust the gain on the preamp. The Sona hides two switches under the magnetic Logi-branded plate that each have an instant effect on the sound of your microphone. One is a ‘Bass Cut’ function, which is a high-pass filter that works in tandem with the internal shock mount to minimise deeper sounds like accidentally knocking your desk. It can make you quieter, so you might want to compensate by adding more gain, but it has an instant effect. The other is called Presence, which is a feature that helps prioritise your voice in noisier rooms, amplifying vocals above all else.
While Logitech combats compatibility problems with its ClearAmp feature boosting the gain, you’ll need to do some fine-tuning when you first set it up. With such a large headroom, it’s easy for your audio to clip if you set it too high. The good news is that once you’ve adjusted it to how you like it, you don’t need to touch it again.
Logitech Blue Sona verdict
In this case, calling the Logitech Blue Sona a Shure SM7B killer isn’t just a gimmicky marketing trick. I truly see no reason to recommend its closest rival when the Sona is cheaper, more compatible, more versatile, and debatably more attractive.
It’s a tough sell if you already own a Shure SM7B and probably not worth switching since you already have everything you need. However, those of you wanting to upgrade from a USB microphone to XLR or jump from entry/mid-range to high-end should have the Blue Sona on your radar.
$349.99 USD / £299.99 GBP isn’t an all-in-one price, as you’ll need to budget for accessories like a boom arm and an XLR cable that aren’t included. That said, you won’t find this kind of value elsewhere. Logitech has thought about every aspect of the Blue Sona and crafted a camera-ready microphone that’s just as much substance as it is style.
Pros:
- Versatile mounting system
- Premium sound that minimises background noise
- Built-in amplifier makes this a bargain
Cons:
- Needs phantom power
- No XLR cable included
Check out our guide on the best microphone for streaming and gaming for alternatives to the Logitech Blue Sona, including cheap champions and fancy flagships.