Today, we’ll comprehensively compare the Shure SM7B and Blue Yeti microphones for recording, streaming, and other audio uses. Although they’re both high-quality microphones, we want to determine which one is more worthwhile for who.
The Shure SM7B is a durable, wide-range frequency XLR microphone ideal for musical vocals, radio, and TV voiceover recordings. The Blue Yeti is a multi-pattern USB microphone ideal for recording podcasts, streaming, and interviews.
If you’d like to better understand the various aspects of these mics, from design to the special features, patterns, and more, keep reading.
- 1: Four pickup patterns
- 2: Built-in audio controls
- 3: Plug and play USB connection
- 1: Professional XLR connection
- 2: Cardioid pattern with uniform capture
- 3: Electromagnetic shielding
Shure SM7B vs. Blue Yeti – Here’s how we’ll compare them
To understand the differences between the Yeti and the SM7B, we’ll compare them based on several important factors related to their assembly, use, and performance:
- Customer ratings
- Ease of use and assembly
- Software and effects
- Mic patterns
- System compatibility
- Quality of design/materials
1. Customer Ratings
To get a better opinion of these mics, we need a much larger sample size than we can arrange. Luckily, customers have been leaving ratings and reviews for decades now. While it isn’t decisive, they help keep these reviews unbiased based on not just our own experiences.
Shure SM7B
The SM7B microphone has incredibly high ratings on Amazon, where its average star rating is 4.9/5.0 (from more than 7,000 customers). It’s also highly rated for sound quality, quality of materials, and value.
We think that the Shure SM7B mic deserves a 10/10 score in terms of customer satisfaction.
Blue Yeti
The Blue Yeti mic reaches an average 4.7/5.0 stars on Amazon from more than 42,000 customers. It also has high ratings for voice recognition, sound quality, quality of materials, gaming use, durability, and camera quality.
For these reasons, we decided to grant the Yeti mic a 9/10 in terms of its customer satisfaction level.
How they compare
With high ratings and good reviews for both microphones, it’s hard to pick a winner. But the SM7B mic is more loved by customers, with a near-perfect 4.9 stars.
2. Easy assembly and user-friendliness
Shure SM7B
The SM7B microphone has a user-friendly mounting system, and it’s convenient since the pop filter is built-in. You don’t have to worry about USB cords and connections.
We give the Shure SM7B mic a 9/10 in this comparison category.
Blue Yeti
The Yeti mic can be set up and ready to use in seconds, and the controls are intuitive and easy to reach while recording.
We think the Yeti also deserves a 9/10 score in this category.
How they compare
Both mics get our approval for their beginner-friendliness and ease of use.
3. Special features and software
Shure SM7B
This mic features a pop filter to reduce breath sounds, bass roll-off, and mid-range emphasis settings. But it doesn’t feature any included software or other special features.
We give it a score of 6/10 in this category as it could do at least some software.
Blue Yeti
The Yeti mic has special effects included, such as advanced voice modulation and audio samples in HD quality. The mic also comes with the signature Blue Microphones software, which is very convenient.
We give this microphone a score of 9/10 for special effects and software.
How they compare
Although the SM7B mic is a high-quality device, it lacks some of the special features for audio manipulation that you find in its competitor. This is why we prefer the Yeti regarding software and special features.
4. Mic patterns
Shure SM7B
The SM7B utilizes a classic cardioid pickup pattern (unidirectional). This is designed to reject off-axis audio and let you record at comfortable angles.
We give the SM7B a decent 8/10 when considering the mic patterns.
Blue Yeti
The Yeti, on the other hand, has four pickup pattern options, making it a multipattern mic. You can choose from bidirectional, omnidirectional, stereo, and the classic cardioid.
The Yeti deserves a full 10/10 in this section for its versatility and possibilities.
How they compare
Although the SM7B offers a high-quality cardioid pattern, the Yeti offers far more options and matches that quality, so we prefer it.
5. System compatibility
Shure SM7B
The Shure SM7B works with computers, including PCs, if you have an amp for the XLR input. However, it’s not compatible with Mac operating systems unless you have additional hardware and connections. It’s also not directly compatible with mobile phones.
We give the SM7B a score of 6/10 for its limited compatibility with certain systems.
Blue Yeti
The Yeti mic is compatible with Mac and Windows computers due to its USB plug-and-play design. It may be connected with certain types of Android smartphones as well if you have the right hardware and connections.
Here, the Yeti ought to receive a 9/10 overall score for compatibility.
How they compare
The Yeti wins this category as it is more compatible straight out of the box.
6. Quality of design/materials
Shure SM7B
Last but not least, the SM7B mic is made with “rugged,” durable materials, including stainless steel. It’s well-designed, especially when it comes to user comfort.
We give the SM7B a score of 10/10 for quality of design and materials.
Blue Yeti
The Yeti is also well-designed and uses metal in its assembly. It has garnered an average rating of 4.5/5.0 stars on Amazon for the quality of those materials, which isn’t excellent, but it’s still very good.
Our personal opinion would probably drop it to 4/5 stars for build quality as we had a faulty screw thread, but those are rare and not the norm.
We give it a 9/10 for its overall quality of design and materials.
How they compare
Although these are both made from high-quality, durable materials, we prefer the Shure SM7B mic slightly more for its top-of-the-line stainless steel finish.
The breakdown
After comparing these two microphones across various factors, here’s our complete breakdown:
| Criteria | Shure SM7B | Blue Yeti |
|---|---|---|
| Customer ratings | 10/10 | 9/10 |
| Ease of use and assembly | 9/10 | 9/10 |
| Software and features | 6/10 | 9/10 |
| Mic patterns | 8/10 | 10/10 |
| System compatibility | 6/10 | 9/10 |
| Quality of design/materials | 10/10 | 9/10 |
| Total score | 49 | 55 |
The Winner: Blue Yeti
After a thorough bout with the Shure SM7B microphone and Yeti (USB) microphone, our winner is the Blue Yeti.
While the Shure microphone may target a more professional crowd, the Blue Yeti has many of the same high-quality features.
It adds to it with more special features, system compatibility, mic patterns, and user-friendliness for just about everyone, making it one of the best mics for YouTubers, streamers, podcasters, and voice-over artists.
Still not convinced about the Blue Yeti? See how it stacks up against the Elgato Wave 3 or versus the Samson Q2U.
