EPOS B20 Review | 76 Data compared

The EPOS B20 is a sleek, all-black streaming microphone featuring a minimalist design with integrated controls for gain and muting, accompanied by its own desk stand. In terms of performance, the reviewer praises its incredible, crystal-clear sound quality, noting that it is intensely powerful. However, a major downside is its extreme sensitivity; it picks up excess environmental sounds like clicky mechanical keyboards or finger snaps. Furthermore, the reviewer encountered unexpected electrical noise interference during initial setup that required physically moving the microphone away from the desk to resolve. Managing these sensitivity issues requires using the EPOS Gaming Suite software, which offers an easy-to-use interface with features like a customizable noise gate and noise suppression. However, the software presents a critical flaw: it is completely unusable unless both the audio input and output are piped directly through the microphone's headphone jack. This requirement makes the microphone highly frustrating for wireless headset users, who must constantly switch audio channels to adjust settings. Ultimately, the reviewer awards the B20 an 8/10 score, concluding it is an excellent device for patient users with soundproofed...

The EPOS B20 is a premium, plug-and-play streaming microphone targeted at livestreamers and content creators looking for extensive audio control. Priced at $329 AUD ($349 NZD), it features a sleek black and silver side-address condenser design equipped with three capsules that support four distinct pick-up patterns: cardioid, bidirectional, omnidirectional, and stereo. While physical controls on the chassis allow users to adjust gain, volume, muting, and polar patterns, the review highlights that the microphone truly shines when paired with the EPOS Gaming Suite software. This desktop software grants advanced control over fine-tuning settings, allowing users to apply noise gates, noise cancellation filters, and high-pass filters to effectively eliminate low-frequency environmental background noise—such as desk vibrations and humming hard drives—and save these custom profiles directly to the device's onboard memory. Key Pros & Cons Pro: EPOS Gaming Suite provides powerful software tools for crisp, highly customizable audio optimization. Pro: Onboard memory saves localized user profiles directly to the mic hardware for multi-platform use. Pro: Versatile build includes a generous 2.9m USB cable and a standard 3/8" thread for easy boom-arm mounting. Con:...

The EPOS B20 streaming microphone is praised for its robust aluminum construction, subtle LED indicators, and a convenient, dedicated physical mute button. It offers excellent stability when mounted on a 3/8ths-inch boom arm, such as the RODE PSA1. Performance-wise, the B20 delivers clear vocal capture while effectively filtering out background noise, including computer fans and environmental hum, and it manages to mitigate plosives and sibilants. A key advantage of the B20 is its well-implemented, customizable sidetone feature, which allows users to hear their own voice through noise-isolating headphones, improving comfort during, for instance, live streams. The software configuration is saved directly to the device, facilitating ease of use. While not explicitly detailed as "cons" in the provided text, the review focuses heavily on these positive aspects of design and functionality.

The Stream Guides review by EposVox evaluates the EPOS B20 Streaming Microphone, a $200 condenser mic released after Sennheiser branched its gaming line into EPOS Audio. Visually, the microphone earns strong praise for its exceptionally clean, premium dark grey aesthetic and a complete lack of distracting RGB lighting. On the functional side, it offers high versatility with four selectable polar pickup patterns (Cardioid, Stereo, Bidirectional, and Omnidirectional), a plug-and-play USB Type-C port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack for zero-latency monitoring. Additionally, users gain access to the EPOS Gaming Suite software, which provides useful audio customization tools such as a 9-band EQ, noise gate, high-pass filter, and sidetone adjustments. Despite these strengths, the reviewer outlines several notable drawbacks that make the B20 difficult to recommend at its $200 price point. A major physical flaw is the non-removable side mounting arm, which limits mounting configurations and completely prevents the attachment of a shock mount to reduce vibrations. Because it is a condenser microphone, it inherently struggles to reject background sounds like keyboard clicks compared to dynamic alternatives. Sound quality is described as...

The EPOS B20 is a premium, versatile USB-C microphone created by the rebranded Sennheiser Gaming Headset Division to compete with top-tier models like the Blue Yeti X. The reviewer praises its stunning cylindrical design, semi-matte aluminum frame, and incredibly sturdy base and arm that allow for easy vertical or horizontal rotation. It features an unusually long 2.9-meter cable and four selectable polar patterns—cardioid, omnidirectional, bidirectional, and stereo—making it flawless for both solo streaming and multi-microphone podcast settings. Additionally, users can download the EPOS Gaming Suite software to unlock advanced customization features like noise cancellation, reverb controls, and an adjustable noise gate. Despite providing crystal-clear audio performance, the review highlights a few notable drawbacks. Out of the box, the microphone is highly sensitive to background noise, requiring immediate manual adjustments to the gain dial to ensure a clear output. Furthermore, the physical volume and gain dials lack minimum or maximum markers, which prevents users from easily logging or replicating their preferred physical settings. The advanced companion software is also restricted, as it only functions if you plug wired headphones directly into...

The EPOS B20 streaming microphone is praised in the NookGaming review for its premium, compact, and minimalist design, which offers a sleeker alternative to bulkier competitors like the Blue Yeti. Featuring high-quality construction, the device includes built-in controls and four versatile polar pickup patterns, making it highly adaptable for various recording and streaming scenarios. Conversely, the review notes that the included desktop stand is quite short, limiting optimal placement and requiring a boom arm for best performance. Additionally, the microphone is highly sensitive, picking up environmental noise and requiring a quiet, well-insulated space to avoid capturing ambient background sound.

The EPOS B20 is a plug-and-play USB streaming microphone that delivers brilliantly clear and professional audio quality under optimal recording conditions. It boasts a highly robust, premium matte metal build and includes a sleek, ring-shaped desk stand that gives it an incredibly stylish aesthetic. Additionally, users can access an optional downloadable software suite to execute more advanced fine-tuning and precise audio adjustments. However, the microphone is severely held back by several bizarre and counterintuitive hardware design choices. Its primary drawback is a physical gain dial that completely lacks a visual notch indicator or defined minimum/maximum stopping points, making it impossible to know your exact levels at a glance. Compounding this frustration, the microphone resets to a highly sensitive default gain setting every single time it is plugged in, forcing users to constantly conduct audio tests before streaming. Finally, retail pricing places it at $200, making it $50 more expensive than its fierce, top-performing competitor, the Blue Yeti.

The Senses review of the EPOS B20 USB streaming microphone highlights it as a high-quality, well-engineered device that targets content creators, podcasters, and streamers. The reviewer praises several aspects of the device, particularly its premium and robust build quality, sleek aesthetic, and a compact design that makes it easily portable inside a laptop bag. Operationally, it is highly intuitive with direct hardware controls for gain and recording patterns, and it works instantly as a plug-and-play unit upon connection. It also features a stable, detachable desk base and offers versatile recording versatility via four pickup patterns—Cardioid, Omnidirectional, Stereo, and Bidirectional—with Cardioid mode earning specific praise for delivering exceptionally clear and focused solo audio. However, the review outlines a few notable drawbacks that prevent it from being a definitive recommendation for everyone. A primary disadvantage is its high retail price of 2,200 SEK, making it one of the more expensive options in the streaming microphone market. Furthermore, while the physical microphone is technically compatible with macOS, the official companion software provided by EPOS is strictly exclusive to PC platforms, which severely limits...

The SoundGuys review of the EPOS B20 highlights the USB microphone as a premium-looking, versatile device featuring intuitive, tactile controls for gain and volume, along with four distinct polar patterns. It is praised for its aesthetic design, included stand, and good raw audio quality for speech, coupled with software customization via the EPOS Gaming Suite. SoundGuys However, the microphone is deemed expensive, and the review heavily criticizes it for significant, inconsistent audio performance issues, specifically reporting sporadic ringing and crackling sounds. Consequently, these technical defects, along with a high price point, lead to a non-recommendation, despite the device's functional, high-end build.

The PCMag review of the Epos B20 ($200) describes it as a versatile, multi-pattern USB streaming microphone that delivers good audio quality, featuring four capsule configurations and real-time monitoring. While it offers robust sound and effective stereo imaging, the device is considered "fussy" to configure and expensive compared to competitors. Key drawbacks include a notch-less, free-spinning gain knob that lacks tactile feedback, making adjustments difficult. Additionally, the review notes the microphone requires careful positioning to manage background noise and is hindered by an unintuitive software interface.

The Epos B20 is a solidly constructed, professional-grade USB microphone that delivers superb, natural sound quality right out of the box without requiring any software setup. It features a premium, heavy black metal housing reminiscent of a broadcast mic and includes integrated standard threads for effortless mounting directly to a boom arm. For directional versatility, users can choose from four distinct pickup patterns: Cardioid, Omnidirectional, Bidirectional, and Stereo. While it accurately reproduces vocals with warm bass, clear mids, and crisp highs, its premium build is offset by a poorly balanced, ring-shaped desktop stand that feels loose and causes the heavy unit to wobble during manual adjustments. The review highlights several functional drawbacks, most notably an infinitely scrolling gain knob that lacks physical notches or an LED indicator, forcing users to rely on external software or headphones to guess their input levels. Additionally, performance varies heavily by setting; while the Cardioid and Omnidirectional options offer excellent audio quality, the Stereo pickup pattern sounds distinctly muffled and dramatically increases ambient background noise. Given these flaws alongside its high $199 price tag—especially when...

The EPOS B20 streaming microphone is praised for its professional aesthetic, robust metal build, and integrated, functional, and user-friendly features such as a 3.5mm headphone jack for monitoring and built-in anti-vibration technology. The microphone acts as a standalone soundcard with good EQ customization via software, providing natural vocal clarity. Medium · However, the review highlights that the included desk stand can feel unstable, with the connection allowing for slight movement even when tightened. Additionally, achieving balanced audio for console streaming requires precise manual adjustments of the onboard gain controls, the review notes. Medium ·

The Thumb Culture hardware review evaluates the EPOS B20 Streaming Microphone as a high-quality, premium audio device that offers excellent studio aesthetics and top-tier performance. Built with a sturdy, cold aluminum shell, the microphone features three hardware radio knobs for on-the-fly customisation (such as gain adjustment and switching between four distinct pickup patterns) alongside a dedicated physical mute button. It provides deep physical and digital versatility by including a desk stand, rotating arm for boom-mount setups, a bottom USB-C port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack for real-time monitoring and game audio tracking. Functioning as a broad plug-and-play peripheral, the B20 delivers a pristine, professional voice enhancement option across PC, laptops, Mac, PS4, and PS5 systems. The review heavily praises the B20's real-world performance, awarding it the Thumb Culture Platinum Award due to specific pros like its sleek premium layout, highly accurate sound representation, and seamless plug-and-play capability. The reviewer notes that it accurately reflects natural voice tones in Discord chats, blocks out background drone noise effectively, and successfully minimises harsh plosive "P" and "B" pops. While users can deeply tweak...

The EPOS B20 is a sturdy, premium USB microphone built specifically for streamers and podcasters, earning a solid 8/10 rating. Constructed out of durable black aluminum without cheap plastics or flashy RGB lighting, it delivers a clean aesthetic and exceptional build quality straight out of the box. Its standout pro is extreme versatility: it supports multiple pickup patterns—including Cardioid, Bidirectional, and Omnidirectional—allowing it to easily capture high-quality, crystal-clear 24-bit/48KHz sound from multiple speakers at once. It also includes a heavy desk stand that neatly routes cables, and it supports optional boom-arm extensions. However, the microphone is held back by a few frustrating design limitations. The reviewer’s primary con is the physical gain dial, which spins endlessly without a definitive start or stop point, making it incredibly difficult to accurately judge or find the preferred audio sweet spot. Furthermore, software customization is heavily limited by platform; while Windows users can utilize the EPOS Gaming Suite to save custom audio profiles, the software is not yet fully supported on Mac, making it highly difficult to configure for Apple users.

The EPOS B20 is a high-end, stylish streaming microphone that delivers excellent sound quality with a full, deep profile and sharp high-end clarity. Thanks to its three condenser microphone capsules, it is highly versatile, offering four distinct pickup patterns—cardioid, bidirectional, omnidirectional, and stereo—making it ideal for voice recording, podcasting, and music production. The microphone features convenient physical controls for headphone volume, mute, gain, and pattern selection, alongside a USB-C port and headphone jack. Users can also access the EPOS Gaming Suite app to fine-tune settings like EQ, noise cancellation, and a noise gate. However, the premium $150 price tag makes it a very expensive option that costs nearly double its main competitor, the Blue Yeti, without providing a meaningful performance leap. Additionally, its physical design prioritizes style over substance, resulting in several usability issues with the stand. Assembling the metal base is a fiddly process, the single-arm swing mount is uncomfortably stiff and unadjustable, and there is insufficient clearance for the USB-C cable, which causes the cord to bend awkwardly when pivoting the microphone vertically.

The EPOS B20 streaming microphone is a sophisticated, gunmetal-colored USB desk microphone tailored for streamers and podcasters that delivers excellent, broadcast-quality audio at 24-bit/48 kHz straight out of the box. It features a sleek, metallic cylindrical design equipped with front-facing volume and mute controls, an LED status indicator, and four distinct pickup patterns—cardioid, bidirectional, stereo, and omnidirectional—making it highly versatile for both solo recording and multi-person podcasts. Additionally, users can plug headphones directly into the microphone's 3.5mm jack to experience real-time mic monitoring, alongside EPOS's advanced EQ and virtual surround sound enhancements when managed through the user-friendly EPOS Gaming Suite software. Despite its premium design and versatile features, the review notes a couple of drawbacks, most notably a subtle, persistent background hiss that remains audible even after adjusting the settings. Furthermore, the included desk stand fails to absorb physical impacts well, meaning the microphone easily picks up and transmits heavy vibration noise unless it is mounted to an external boom arm using its built-in 3/8-inch thread. Priced at $199, the B20 enters a highly competitive market alongside established options like...

The EPOS B20 Streaming Microphone is a premium, minimalistic USB condenser microphone designed specifically for gamers and creators on the go. Built by EPOS—the gaming spinoff of Sennheiser—this sleek, $200 device features a tight, elegant frame with a rotating desk stand that easily fits into tight spaces. It is incredibly user-friendly, utilizing a sturdy USB-C connection and a built-in 3.5mm headphone jack that lets users start recording in under 30 seconds. The review highly praises its outstanding portability, as the lightweight mic and its self-contained physical controls (for mic gain, volume, mute, and four pick-up patterns) easily slide into a travel bag. Additionally, its three internal condenser capsules deliver remarkable, studio-quality audio with beautiful high-end clarity and vocal presence. However, the microphone has a few notable drawbacks that might require users to buy extra accessories. Its biggest flaw is the included desk stand, which has a very short arm that is impractical for a comfortable, full-sized desk setup. Because the microphone is highly sensitive, it easily picks up room tone and background noise, requiring a lot of fine-tuning or post-processing...

The review of the EPOS B20 studio microphone highlights it as a highly capable and versatile debut for content creators, podcasters, and streamers. Built with a premium, lightweight aluminium shell weighing 1.1kg, the matte black cylindrical design offers an elegant aesthetic that fits seamlessly into both gaming setups and professional offices. Performance-wise, it delivers uncompromised, broadcast-quality audio at 24-bit/48kHz. Its standout pros include true plug-and-play USB-C connectivity, a space-saving ring base desk stand, a standard 3/8-inch thread for boom arm mounting, and a lag-free 3.5mm headphone jack for real-time mixing. Furthermore, it features four selectable recording pickup patterns—cardioid, omnidirectional, bidirectional, and stereo—making it adaptable to any audio scenario, from solo recording to multi-person meetings. Despite its high quality, the reviewer points out several notable cons and design flaws. The four external adjustment dials (mute, volume, gain, and pickup pattern) lack numbers or physical indicators, making it impossible to check your configurations at a quick glance. The capsule is also highly sensitive to ambient environments, easily capturing unwanted background noise like PC fans, meaning the built-in design requires an external pop...

The Impulse Gamer review hails the EPOS B20 Streaming Microphone as a top-tier choice, highlighting its premium aluminum, gunmetal construction and versatile four selectable polar patterns for diverse audio needs. With high-quality 24-bit/48KHz recording, it delivers clear, warm audio suitable for professional streaming. Key pros include intuitive, LED-indicated physical controls and an attractive, durable design. However, potential cons include high sensitivity that may require software adjustments to minimize background noise, a high price point compared to competitors, and software that is exclusively limited to Windows.

The EPOS B20 is a premium, finely crafted USB microphone tailored for gaming and streaming, featuring a sleek, mature matte black metal design and a highly flexible pivot-adjustable stand that easily detaches for boom arm mounting. It delivers crisp, clear, and balanced audio through three internal condensers, offering four distinct polar patterns (cardioid, omnidirectional, bidirectional, and stereo) that provide useful versatility for different recording environments. Streamers can further fine-tune their audio experience using the optional EPOS Gaming Suite software, which unlocks advanced customization features like custom voice profiles, a noise gate, and digital gain adjustment. However, the microphone suffers from notable design oversights and a steep original retail price of $199, making it significantly more expensive than direct competitors like the Blue Yeti or JLab Talk without offering a justifiable jump in sound performance. Its onboard physical controls are a major point of frustration; the volume and gain dials rotate infinitely without any level markings, making it impossible to check settings at a glance and leading to accidental volume spikes. Additionally, the built-in noise gate struggles to filter out mechanical...

The EPOS B20 is described as a versatile, plug-and-play USB microphone featuring a sleek, all-black aluminum design suitable for professional environments, offering four polar patterns and comprehensive on-device controls. The review praises its rich audio quality, though it notes a lack of height adjustment on the stand and a frustrating software requirement where the mic only appears in the EPOS Gaming Suite if its 3.5mm jack is set as the default output.