My all-time favorite streaming microphone didn't need a Black Friday deal: It's worth every cent at a 0% discount
I've tested more microphones than I can count, from budget USB options to XLR premium picks, and nothing has ever beaten my favorite. The Earthworks Audio ETHOS XLR microphone never saw any discounts during Black Friday, but it doesn't matter because it's worth the standard asking price of $399 at Amazon or B&H Photo. Forget Shure; THIS is your next XLR mic.
Earthworks Audio ETHOS XLR | $399 at Amazon
Offering ultra-high-quality recordings, this condenser microphone is super sensitive with a huge frequency range. Vocals sound fantastic even on a flat EQ, and a small amount of processing delivers broadcast-level audio.View Deal
More great Cyber Monday deals
Amazon: Gaming peripherals from HyperX, SteelSeries, and more
Best Buy: Save on all Logitech accessories
Newegg: Up to 83% off peripherals
Newegg: Up to 85% off gaming
Walmart: Deals on gaming gifts
Top individual deals:
TP-Link Deco X55 Wi-Fi mesh 3-pack was
$229.99now $179.99 at AmazonRazer Wolverine V2 Chroma was
$149.99now $89.99 at Best BuyHyperX Cloud III Wireless was
$169.99now $129.99 at Best BuyLenovo LOQ Tower (17IRB8) + 3-months Xbox Game Pass Ultimate was
$1,029.99now $749.99 at LenovoSamsung ViewFinity S9 5K 27-inch monitor was
$1,599.99now $1,299.99 at SamsungSteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless was
$349.99now $297.49 at AmazonMSI GF63 Thin (Core i5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, RTX 3050) was
$899now $599 at Newegg
Graduating to XLR is worth it for the Ethos alone
Cyber Monday 2023
• RTX 4050 gaming laptop for $599
• 700hrs in this game is 3¢ an hour
• Refurb Surface Pro 9 is just $639
• Microsoft Audio Dock is 80% off
• My favorite game is DIRT CHEAP
• Pick ROG Ally over the Legion Go
• Our top Xbox headset is $50 off
Earthworks Audio's flagship microphone is an XLR condenser option designed for broadcasters and professional streamers. Its price point might initially cause concern for newcomers. Still, I haven't stopped using it since my Earthworks Audio Ethos review. I tried it in a simple home setup to see how it could appeal to anyone looking to invest in a high-quality mic, and it proved its worth.
The standard silver model is packaged with a custom foam windscreen and a 3/8" screw thread adapter. However, the matte black variant jumps to an eye-watering $749 without including any extra accessories, so stick with the regular edition.
Earthworks Audio doesn't manufacture cables, and you'll need to provide 24-48v 10mA of Phantom power to power the Ethos. The foam windscreen performed admirably as a pop filter, even when positioning myself only a few inches away. Considering I've needed to pick up additional shields to clip onto previous microphones, this performance out of the box is incredible.
If the Ethos still feels excessive, the Elgato Wave DX is $69.99 at Amazon for Cyber Monday, with the Wave XLR for $119.99 at Amazon, offering one of the most affordable avenues for XLR microphones.
However, without any processing, the Wave DX does pick up a disappointing amount of noise. You'll need to use a set of post-processing plugins to shape your recordings into something more professional, which is a huge selling point for the Earthworks Audio Ethos when it skips that step.