Depending on your needs, you may be able to get by with a low budget microphone. If you’re looking to get started with something like a vlog or podcast, it can be overwhelming when it comes to selecting a microphone to use. There are just so many brands, models and price ranges available on the market. There are also a lot of low budget, generic branded microphones available. Are these microphones any good, or should you spend more money on an expensive brand?

Recently there’s been an increase in popularity with budget friendly generic condenser microphones. A couple generic models that I’ve seen are the BM700 and the BM800. Sometimes they will be called the BM-700, BM-800, but it’s the same thing, just adding a DASH. All these microphones can be found under various brand names and can sell for really low prices online. You can easily find them on Ebay and Amazon and on the used market. These super low prices can be very tempting. Also the microphones look just like the more expensive models. A few years back I bought a BM800 on Ebay for around $5 and compared it against the higher end Audio Technica AT2020. The AT2020 is considered an entry level professional condenser microphone. If you were looking at getting a really cheap BM series model and wondered if you should even bother with one, let’s compare them against the AT2020. I’ve done a number of comparison videos that I will link below. Let us first take a look at the specification of each microphone.

Audio Technica AT2020

First let’s start with the AT2020. Here are the official Audio Technica AT2020 specifications as found listed on their official website:

• Element Fixed-charge back plate, permanently polarized condenser

• Polar Pattern Cardioid

• Frequency Response 20-20,000 Hz

• Open Circuit Sensitivity -37 dB (14.1 mV) re 1V at 1 Pa

• Maximum Input Sound Level 144 dB SPL, 1 kHz at 1% T.H.D.

• Noise 20 dB SPL

• Dynamic Range124 dB, 1 kHz at Max SPL

• Signal-to-Noise Ratio 74 dB, 1 kHz at 1 Pa

• Phantom Power Requirements 48V DC, 2 mA typical

• Weight 12.1 oz (345 g)

• Dimensions 6.38" (162.0 mm) long, 2.05" (52.0 mm) maximum body diameter

• Output Connector Integral 3-pin XLRM-type

• Accessories Included AT2020 (black model): Stand mount for 5/8"-27 threaded stands; 5/8"-27 to 3/8"-16 threaded adapter; soft protective pouch
  AT2020V (limited-edition silver model): AT8458a shock mount; 5/8"-27 to 3/8"-16 threaded adapter; soft protective pouchAudio-Technica

• Case Style R7

I’ve used this microphone for a number of years and always had a good experience. Here are my personal pros and cons.

Pros:

• Solid construction

• Good audio recordings

• Decent Price

• included case and stand mount

Cons:

• no shock mount included or pop filter

You can get the AT2020 at many online shops here:

BM800 / BM-800 - Generic brand model

Now let’s talk about the BM800 condenser microphones. They appear to be manufactured by numerous different brands and can be found with different model names and numbers. I’ve also seen them sold alone or with a huge accessory kit. This can include a boom arm, and audio mixer, and various other accessories.

Here is a summary of BM800 specifications as seen on one Amazon example:

Product Dimensions ‎40.13 x 23.11 x 11.94 cm;

Item model number‎ BM-800

Compatible Devices‎ Computer, Tablet

Connector Type‎ XLR

Material Type‎ Aluminum

Size‎ Medium

Hardware Platform‎ PC

Power Source ‎Corded Electric

Item Weight‎ 346 g

You can get the BM800 at many online shops here:

Although I have not used the BM800 microphone as extensively as the Audio Technica AT2020, here are some personal pros and cons.

Pros:

• Super Low Price

• Fair audio recordings for speaking

• Included accessories, shock mount, cable (may vary by seller)

Cons:

• No Case

• Audio does not sound great for certain recording situations, results may vary

• no shock mount included

From my experience, I can’t say the BM800 had better performance, however it was surprising how well it did for such a low price. I will not say it is a great microphone, but it is OK and worked just fine for my comparisons.

Do THESE MICROPHONES need Power?

The quick answer is YES. These microphones require phantom power to operate properly. One common question I receive is the how do I set up my microphone and does it need phantom power. I run my microphones into a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 audio interface. I’ve always found it to be reliable and the sound recordings have been great. The Scarlett 2i2 is a USB interface that I connect to my Mac Mini 2018. I then use Garageband in MacOS to capture my audio.

You can buy the Scarlett 2i2 online here:

I’ve done a number of side by side comparison videos on Youtube that you can watch below. You’ll hear raw unprocessed audio samples compared through various scenarios. I compare audio recordings that capture speaking, singing and various guitar setups. Have a listen to audio in each video and hopefully you can determine which microphone meets your needs.