Name: Rode NT1
Brand: Rode
SKU: fedb0376-51a1-4d1a-8dbc-e51243e46479
Rating: 9.9 (1749 reviews)

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The Rode NT1 is a high-quality studio condenser microphone that is particularly well-suited for recording vocals and acoustic guitars. It produces cle... more

$399

The Shure SM7B is a highly regarded dynamic microphone that delivers exceptional sound quality, particularly for recording vocals. Its wide frequency ... more

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Experts recommend Shure SM7B more than Rode NT1

As of 3 Jan 2025, experts prefer Shure SM7B over Rode NT1, but both Microphones have solid expert endorsements.

As per this month's meta ranking, Shure SM7B received 3 recommendations: from MusicTech (6 Apr 2022), Music Radar (26 Jun 2024) and PianoDreamers (25 Jan 2023). By contrast, Rode NT1 received only 2 recommendations from PCMag (26 Nov 2024) and Music Radar (26 Jun 2024).

Rank	Change	Price	Microphone	IGN	PCMag	MusicTech	Music Radar	PianoDreamers	PC Gamer	SoundGuys	CNN Underscored	Tom's Guide	Wirecutter
8	-1	$399	Shure SM7B The Shure SM7B is a highly regarded dynamic microphone that delivers exceptional sound quality, particularly for recording vocals, with its wide frequency response range, flat frequency response, presence boost, and effective noise isolation.	-	-	10	12	8	-	-	-	-	-
16	+1	Check price	Rode NT1 The Rode NT1 is a high-quality studio condenser microphone with a wide frequency response range, low self-noise, cardioid polar pattern, dual connectivity options, and durable construction, making it a versatile and reliable choice for recording vocals and acoustic guitars.	-	6	-	6	-	-	-	-	-	-

Curious to see this month's entire Microphones ranking? It's here

About our ranking methodology

Endorsement summary:

On 26 Jun 2024

Music Radar ranked Rode NT1 as #6 and Shure SM7B as #12

Rank	Microphone	Comment
...	...	...
#6 out of 22	Rode NT1	The best affordable condenser mic for vocals
...	...	...
#12 out of 22	Shure SM7B	The best for recording vocals in untreated rooms
...	...	...

Source: www.musicradar.com

On 26 Nov 2024 PCMag ranked Rode NT1 as #6

Rank Microphone Comment

... ... ...

#6 out of 8 Rode NT1
Best for USB and XLR Inputs

... ... ...

Source: www.pcmag.com
On 6 Apr 2022 MusicTech ranked Shure SM7B as #10

Rank Microphone

... ...

#10 out of 15 Shure SM7B

... ...

Source: www.musictech.net
On 25 Jan 2023 PianoDreamers ranked Shure SM7B as #8

Rank Microphone Comment

... ... ...

#8 out of 11 Shure SM7B
Best known as MJ's Vocal Mic

... ... ...

Source: www.pianodreamers.com

After counting and adding up the 92 expert endorsements of the January rankings, Shure SM7B outranks Rode NT1. This is not to say that Rode NT1 is a bad option. Like Shure SM7B, it is recommended by experts, but less.

MetaRanking Common points from expert reviews summarized.

As can be seen below, Shure SM7B outranks Rode NT1 by 8 positions. This indicates that, as of 3 Jan 2025, Shure SM7B is more critically acclaimed than Rode NT1.

Rank	Change	Price	Microphone	IGN	PCMag	MusicTech	Music Radar	PianoDreamers	PC Gamer	SoundGuys	CNN Underscored	Tom's Guide	Wirecutter
1	-	$100	Blue Yeti The Blue Yeti microphone is a versatile and durable device with four directional patterns, a built-in headphone jack, and compatibility with a wide range of devices and software, making it a popular choice among content creators, podcasters, and gamers.	-	-	11	-	-	-	-	1	1	-
2	-	$99	Shure SM57 The Shure SM57 microphone is highly regarded for its exceptional sound quality, durability, versatility, and compatibility, making it a popular choice among musicians, producers, and recording engineers for capturing instruments and vocals in various live and studio settings.	-	-	-	1	1	-	-	-	-	-
3	-	$120	Elgato Wave 3 The Elgato Wave 3 is a versatile and reliable USB microphone designed for content creators, podcasters, and live streamers, featuring a cardioid polar pattern, two connectivity options, advanced features, and compatibility with both PC and Mac.	8	-	-	-	-	-	1	3	-	-
4	+12	$279	Shure MV7 Plus	5	7	-	-	-	6	-	-	3	-
5	-1	Check price	Blue Yeti X	1	-	-	-	-	-	2	-	-	-
6	-1	$149	Shure MV6	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	4	-
7	-1	$297	SteelSeries Alias Pro	3	4	-	-	-	7	-	-	-	-
8	-1	$399	Shure SM7B The Shure SM7B is a highly regarded dynamic microphone that delivers exceptional sound quality, particularly for recording vocals, with its wide frequency response range, flat frequency response, presence boost, and effective noise isolation.	-	-	10	12	8	-	-	-	-	-
9	-1	$35	Razer Seiren Mini The Razer Seiren Mini microphone is praised for its sound quality, directionality, and compatibility, making it a highly recommended choice for clear and focused audio recording in various applications.	-	-	-	-	-	2	5	-	-	-
10	-1	$186	Sennheiser Profile Streaming Set The Sennheiser Profile Streaming Set is a USB microphone with a cardioid polar pattern, frequency response range of 20Hz to 20kHz, and several useful features, making it a great choice for streamers, podcasters, and content creators.	-	3	-	-	-	4	-	-	-	-
14	-	$119	HyperX QuadCast S The HyperX QuadCast S is a versatile and reliable USB microphone suitable for podcasting, streaming, gaming, and vocal recording, with four polar patterns, built-in pop filter and noise reduction technology, and two connectivity options.	6	-	-	-	-	5	-	-	-	-
15	-	$279	Shure MV7 The Shure MV7 microphone is a versatile and adaptable option for podcasters, streamers, and content creators, offering excellent sound quality, noise-cancelling capabilities, and connectivity options.	-	-	4	8	-	-	-	-	-	-
16	+1	Check price	Rode NT1 The Rode NT1 is a high-quality studio condenser microphone with a wide frequency response range, low self-noise, cardioid polar pattern, dual connectivity options, and durable construction, making it a versatile and reliable choice for recording vocals and acoustic guitars.	-	6	-	6	-	-	-	-	-	-
17	+1	$449	Electro-Voice RE20 The Electro-Voice RE20 is a dynamic broadcast microphone with exceptional sound quality, advanced noise reduction features, and a wide frequency range, making it a versatile and reliable choice for professional audio recording and broadcasting applications.	-	-	8	13	-	-	-	-	-	-
18	+1	$3595	Neumann U87 Ai The Neumann U87 Ai is a top-of-the-line condenser microphone that delivers warm, crystal-clear, and detailed sound quality, making it ideal for recording vocals, acoustic guitar, and spot microphones for individual instruments in a sound-treated recording space.	-	-	13	-	11	-	-	-	-	-
Show all rows

Expert Reviews There are people on the Internet whose job is to review products. Below are their opinions.

Expert reviews [16]

84

Total expert reviews: 16

with a score: 5
without a score: 11

Highest score by microphonegeeks.com	100
Average score based on 16 reviews	84
Lowest score by Tom's Hardware	70

Score distribution:

80-100
60-80
40-60
20-40
0-20

Expert reviews [36]

141

Total expert reviews: 36

with a score: 10
without a score: 26

Highest score by Music Radar	460
Average score based on 36 reviews	141
Lowest score by Music Critic	86

Score distribution:

80-100
60-80
40-60
20-40
0-20

From Seller:

Extremely Low-noise Large-diaphragm Cardioid Condenser Microphone with SM6 Combination Shock Mount Pop Screen
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From Seller:

ONE MICROPHONE FOR EVERYTHING - Studio Recording, Home Recording, Podcasting & Streaming. The SM7B Is Trusted By The Worlds Leading Vocalists, Podcasters & Streamers.
STUDIO VOCAL RECORDING - The SM7B’s Dynamic Cartridge With Smooth, Flat, Wide-range Frequency Response Produces Exceptionally Clean & Natural Reproduction Of Both Music & Speech.
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