Review: Earthworks Audio ICON USB Microphone

Quality is key when it comes to sounding professional. People all over the world search for high quality microphones that can produce the most naturalistic sound for their interviews, podcasts, promotional recordings, voice overs and live events. Earthworks is a company that dominates the competition by creating products that give the absolute best, natural, professional sound, while somehow avoiding the extra pops and ticks that so many other pro mics will pick up.   

The Earthworks Icon USB Streaming Microphone is the perfect audio solution for anyone looking to enhance their overall sound without needing extra audio plugins or filters to fix the frustrating quirks our voices can make when speaking in a microphone. From the look and feel of this device, it definitely showcases a premium professional design. The gorgeous stainless-steel finish and solid build structure that has been machine cut perfectly, is a testimony to the passion that Earthworks puts in every product. They truly make products to last a lifetime.

Genuine Acoustics and High Quality Sound

Without truly understanding the specialized technology that Earthworks have built into their products, users can say it almost seems like magic. The usb microphone reacts beautifully when you speak into it. It somehow rejects the constant room sounds that we don’t usually notice until we listen back later on. It minimizes other accidental sounds 

and/or movements of the microphone itself, all while keeping the clarity of your vocals crisp and clean. 

Without digging into a deep, detailed and sometimes boring tech breakdown, let’s go over the information in a way that makes sense to all of us. First, this is a small-diaphragm condenser microphone with a cardioid polar pattern. This basically means it is most sensitive to sounds coming directly from the front of the mic and not from the back. So the ICON will feature a noticeable amount of rear rejection, meaning that if you are typing on a keyboard behind the mic or possibly moving items, it will do its best to reject those sounds. This is an outstanding attribute, especially for those of you who are creating content that involves any type of product movement behind the microphone. 

For anyone who plans on using the ICON without connected headphones for live events or interviews, it can still be heard in high quality as well. The microphone will do an amazing job at minimizing all surrounding sounds which may include music or chatting people that can be slightly heard in the background. During live events there could be a reason to mute the microphone quickly. Thankfully Earthworks thought of that as well and designated the volume knob on the back to invoke an emergency mute function by pressing it in. Earthworks have also included a built in pop filter, so users will NOT need to buy a designated pop filter that sits in front of the microphone. The top housing of the ICON is the actual filter. It was made specifically to cancel out those precise sounds and protect the microphone capsule underneath from any moisture.

The weight of the ICON is 1.5lbs, which is quite heavy for this type of microphone. Earthworks plans for the future of their devices, making them extremely durable so their customers only need to buy it one time. Most products nowadays have a lifespan of only a few years, but Earthworks follows the pattern of true quality. They refuse to build slightly incomplete products, just to create a demand in the future. They try to make them last forever by using the best quality materials available at affordable prices.

Professional Studio Sound at Your Home Desk

Earthworks have been engineering advanced audio products since the 1980’s. They started Earthworks with perfection in mind. Through the decades of trends and stylish changes, the search for “perfect natural sound” was always the sought-after result. Earthworks dedication to this desire stayed true year after year. Always building better products and staying true to the reason the company started in the first place. Recording this type of high quality sound at home a few years ago would have not only cost much more, but would have needed a room designated for an at home studio. Today, making our own mark in social media and YouTube can be achieved by anyone, but the marks that truly stand out from the pack are those who use quality products that give them an edge on the others. 

From the first unboxing and setup, users will notice some outstanding features that stay true to universal designs and easy quick access adjustments. Instead of building a product that will need multiple adapters to use with other stands or mounts, Earthworks implemented the universal mounting thread that fits a typical boom stand, desk arm and desk mount. This not only means the microphone can be used in different situations, but it can also be mounted in different positions due to the ball joint connection welded to the microphones’ body. This simple, yet smart option reveals that Earthworks is looking out for the end user experience, rather than gravitating to a penny pinching design. Some companies make it challenging to find harmony between products and charge for every little thing. Earthworks creates beautiful high quality products that simply work. They believe in their equipment and it shows. 

Sculpted in Brilliance and Ready for Life

Earthworks builds different microphones for how they are intended to be used. However, the quality and fine tuning is so accurate that every microphone they sell can potentially be used for more than what it’s purposed for. The Earthworks ICON USB Streaming Microphone is mainly used for capturing the raw and natural sounds of our speaking voices but can be used for so much more. Earthworks has just announced a partnership with a major eSports production company. Going forward, ICON and ICON PRO will be heard and seen on PGL event broadcasts for world-renowned competitive games such as, DOTA 2, Apex Legends, FIFA, and CS:GO, as well as others. Check out EarthWorks Audio today and hear for yourself the professional studio sound right from your home. The Earthworks ICON USB Streaming Microphone can be purchased for $349 from designated dealers through Earthworks and also can be found on Amazon.