Earthworks ETHOS XLR Broadcasting Microphone, Stainless Steel

This mic is expensive, but in this case you get a lot more than what you pay for. (edit: Earthworks has dropped the price on this mic by $300, so at $399 this is an amazing deal... )First and foremost, the sound quality on this thing is completely outstanding. The lows sound rich and elegant, without being overpowering. The high end is just so very clear without being irritating. It rejects plosives very well and in my opinion, the foam considerably cuts down on sibilance compared to, say, it's cousin the Earthworks Icon Pro. It makes me not hate the sound of my voice.I used the Icon Pro for a bit, and there's no question that is just a wonderful piece of kit. It's similar to the Ethos in its construction, as well as its sound. In fact, I'd live happily ever after had I kept that mic instead of trading up to the Ethos. It's more stunning to look at, since there is no foam windscreen (it's got a windscreen built in). And it just sounds sooooooo good.But the advantages of the Ethos make it worth it, for me anyway. You may differ. I tend to have some sibilance issues, especially when I'm tired, and I have a thing about 'mouth noises...' They really get under my skin. The Icon Pro, to my ear, accentuated these issues for me a bit more than what I'm hearing out of the Ethos. I feel the overall sound quality is just a bit better, but consider I spent a good month saying the Icon Pro was the best sounding thing I'd ever heard. So I don't think you could go wrong either way. Just depends on what you're looking for.For me, I was looking for the best sounding mic that I could reasonably afford, one that improved my voice rather than diminished it in any way, and one that I could honestly say I'd be happy with if it were the only mic I owned for the rest of my life. I do put a lot of stock into the Buy It For Life ethos (some pun intended), and this mic does seem like it could be a forever mic...All that aside, there's just that one intangible that shouldn't really lead a person to buy any microphone, but if it comes along with the whole package, then heck yeah. That intangible is the beauty of this instrument... The quality of the craftsmanship. The obvious care and passion that went in to designing and building it. It's stunning (even if not quite as stunning as the Icon Pro). Holding it gives you the feeling that, if you take care of it, it will be with you to the end, and then, perhaps even get passed down. Seriously, it's that nice.So yeah, I highly recommend this mic. I wouldn't even consider an SM7B after using the Ethos. Go watch some comparisons on YouTube and hear them side by side. Then realize it sounds even better without whatever YT does with audio compression...If you're into it but it's just above what you're willing to spend, I highly encourage you to check out the Icon Pro. One bonus on the Icon Pro is it seemed to do a little better when used further away, so could be a better choice for live streamers who don't want the mic in frame (but honestly, with either of these mics, you'll want it in frame!)I've not tried the Icon USB version but would LOVE to. If it even comes close to either the Ethos or the Pro, then it really would be the PERFECT USB mic and great for everything from podcasting to Zoom calls. (Pro tip, I used the MV7 for a bit and, yeah, I'd imagine the usb Icon would be roughly 329 times better, but that's just a guess...) :)I hope you'll consider supporting this company so they'll continue to innovate and create this kind of magic. (no, not sponsored in any way, shape or form. Just a newly-minted fanboy...)Oh and one other thing. The Triad Orbit mount that comes with the Ethos (and the Icon Pro)... It's genius.

Before I purchased an Earthworks Ethos, I read online reviews and watched a number of YouTube videos, paying close attention to each reviewer's test of the Ethos to determine if this microphone would be a possible upgrade from the SM7b that I've used for over a year with mostly great results. Prior to the SM7b, I'd used condenser mics for my online chats, live streaming and Skype (yes, it still exists) calls. My current space isn't terribly condenser friendly so I switched to dynamic mics, finally settling on the SM7b (bought on a dare frankly but I quickly fell in love with how it flattered my voice). Even though I was mostly happy with the Shure mic, I missed the extra clarity and crispness of a quality condenser mic, which led me to give the Ethos a try, especially after the big price decrease. What follows is my personal experience with the Ethos.First of all, there's no question that the Ethos is a finely constructed, quality microphone. It exudes refinement out of the box and the unique ball joint mount is an exquisite feat of engineering that other mic manufacturers ought to consider licensing from Earthworks for use with their own products. Unfortunately for me, no matter how much fine-tuning and tweaking I applied to the Ethos, I could not get it to sound like anything other than a muddy, inarticulate and dark mess, ironically the very criticisms the Ethos fanboys and girls aim at the SM7b. Before I finally gave up on the Ethos, I did find one video on YouTube from a reviewer whose voice was similar to mine and, sure enough, he had the same results as I; the Ethos just wasn't right for him. It's not right for me either, but that doesn't mean it's a bad mic. I would just caution others interested in purchasing the Ethos to do your homework before succumbing to the hype and making a purchase. I'm giving the mic five stars for its obvious quality and also to Earthworks' customer support team who responded swiftly to my questions and concerns regarding my experience.To those of you for whom the Ethos works, good on you; enjoy your microphone. But don't rush to dismiss the SM7b in the process; here's why: the final tweaks I did to my dbx 286s and Behringer mixer that failed on the Ethos made my SM7b sound better than ever. I don't need the Ethos, you don't need the SM7b but we both made the right choice.

The first mic I received had terrible static when recording. It was unusable. At first, I thought it was a problem with my interface. After going back and forth with customer support, we determined it was an issue with the mic. I sent it back directly to Earthworks and they sent me a brand new replacement that worked perfectly.I'm so glad I didn't give up after receiving a dud because the replacement is perfect!UPDATE:After a few weeks of minor usage, the replacement mic I received also now has major static issues. I really wanted to love this mic, but the reliability of it seems to be off the charts bad.UPDATE (5/8):I've been attempting to get in touch with Earthworks customer support for over a week now to refund or replace the mic again. They've completely ghosted me and are non responsive. It now appears I'm stuck with a $400 mic that doesn't even work. Until something changes, I would strongly recommend avoiding this product/company.

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Although this mic beautiful it sounded horrible on me. I already own the Icon pro and that one can be finessed with EQ to get the tone you want.The Ethos is veiled in a shroud of muffled darkness. Taking the wind muff off brightens it by by a hair. Overall I tried everything everything to love this mic, because of how it looks and feels. I just wish it had the right sound.No amount of increasing the highs would lift the veil of muffled sound. The only thing you can do is cut frequency up to 120ish then boost some highs and you get clarity but at the cost of losing the low end of your voice.A mic at this price point should not require this level of EQ to get a pleasant sound out of.Anyway if EW is paying attention, please take note the Icon pro is a little too bright and the Ethos is way too dark, I'd say find a happy medium for the next mic. Always an Earthworks fan though.PS: No its not user error or defective mic. I own 24 mics medium to very high end. Also there are plenty of Youtubers who said the same thing, I just didn't believe them and wanted to test for myself. And for reference the SM7B is way brighter.