Yesterday, Logitech revealed several new additions to its lineup of gear for both content creators and gamers alike. Amongst them was an all-new XLR microphone in the form of the new Logitech Blue Sona that arrives with one of the more sleek designs on the market. Today, we’re taking a hands-on look at what to expect from the package and seeing just how Logitech backs the premium price tag.
Logitech Blue Sona hands-on review
Right out of the box, Logitech delivers a pleasant experience with pretty minimal packaging. The company isn’t weighing you down with tons of extra accessories, for better or worse, and primarily just includes the essentials. There’s of course the Blue Sona itself, which is nestled into the orange cardboard exterior, but from there, there are only two other main inclusions.
A threaded insert lets you adapt the 5/8 mounting point built into the adjustable stand over to a standard 3/8 mount that boom arms and stands use. Then to round out the packaging, you’ll find one of the swappable windscreen covers in a vibrant red colorway.
One of the first things about the new Logitech Blue Sona that I noticed is just how hefty the entire build is. The company certainly was not skimping out on premium materials, and it’s apparent the second you pick up the microphone just how solid of a build you’re getting. The main body and built-in adjustable mount are both comprised of a durable metal that has a premium feel to it.
As for the actual microphone itself, the Logitech Blue Sona is nothing short of exceptional. The overall design easily stands out from your typical microphone on the market, XLR or otherwise, thanks to the squared-off form-factor that integrates the adjustable arm right into the side. It supports only a single XLR input which not only powers the accessory, but also transmits the audio signal back to the required audio interface that you’ll have to bring to the table.
By far my favorite aspect of the design is the removable windscreen on the front. Sliding off the accessory that magnetically locks into place, you’ll reveal a gorgeous metal cylinder underneath that protects the actual microphone elements. Logitech could have just rounded out the design right there with as eye-catching as the design is, but ultimately completes it with the foam windscreen. And if the included black style that’s set up out of the box isn’t doing it for you, Logitech also includes a second one in a bright red for switching up the look.
Turning around to the other side, on the back you’ll find a removable, magnetic panel that reveals the only two controls built into the microphone. Logitech really is keeping things simple and clean for the entire setup, and give users the ability to adjust the bass cut and presence of the audio mix. The straight forward toggle switches really only offer a limited combo of adjustments, which is fitting as this is meant to be paired with an external XLR.
As far as the actual features go, Logitech delivers quite the robust lineup of recording capabilities with the new Blue Sona. Everything comes centered around its ClearAmp Active Preamp, which notably ensures that the microphone can be powered from a standard audio interface and without the need of an external booster.
Its dual-diaphragm capsule design carries the sound pickup from there, allowing the microphone to capture both smooth low ends and plenty of detail while also blocking out ambient noise from your surroundings. I mentioned in the launch post how nice the mic had been to use in my New York apartment, and as I have gone back and listened to previous recordings with my old system, I really noticed just how good of a job the Blue Sona does at keeping background noise out of the equation. But even if you’re not in a super busy or noisy environment, the design still helps focus in on just your voice and not all of the little imperfections that other microphones can and will pick up.
- Frequency Response: 40Hz-18kHz
- Sensitivity: 20.97 mV/Pa at 1kHz
- THD+N: 0.06% at 1kHz, 94dBSPL
- Signal-to-Noise: 69.9dB A-wt
- Max SPL: 129 dBSPL at 1% THD, 138 dBSPL at 5% THD
- Power Requirement: +48V phantom power
As for how all of this actually sounds, I have to say that I am quite impressed by the performance. The Logitech Blue Sona does a fantastic job at so many things, but my first reaction is just how clean the audio sounds. There’s far less noise in each of the takes, and it really makes me feel like my novice podcasting voice is much more professional than it actually is. You can listen to the most recent 9to5Toys Daily segment to hear what the microphone sounds like itself, but I think the comparison to what I was using before really shows just how crisp the audio is.
9to5Toys’ Take
Since taking on the task of recording each day’s edition of 9to5Toys Daily last year, I’ve been using a Shure MV7 USB microphone. It has been a fine option over the past year and a half, certainly ideal for a beginner such as myself. But now it’s time to see what a higher-end, yet still equally user-friendly solution has to offer.
To go alongside the microphone, I went and picked up an audio interface to power the accessory and send all of its audio pickup over to my Mac. I ultimately ended up getting a more entry-level Focusrite model, which has seemingly served me well so far.
A $349 price tag is certainly going to be a lot for a microphone for many content creators, and so Logitech has a lot to deliver on for the new Blue Sona. If it wasn’t already at least a little clear after the praise interwoven above, I am very impressed with my time using the microphone so far. I am by no means an audio expert, but can easily appreciate the clean build and even more balanced recording capabilities.
Though for the cost, I can ultimately only recommend the new Logitech microphone for those who already have an audio interface in their setup. At the $349 going rate, those who already have the required gear to interface with your Mac or PC will find it to be worth the upgrade. But if you’re like me and looking to start from scratch and opt for the Blue Sona, it’s a less compelling buy, mainly just from the pricing perspective.
Logitech ultimately delivers a microphone that is easily worth the cash on its own, but you likely should instead go with a USB-powered option to start first. The Shure MV7 USB I’ve been using is a great solution that’s a bit more on the high-end side with an XLR input, but also the option of just using microUSB to start before someday making the switch to a dedicated audio interface
That latter feature is ultimately my biggest critique of the new Logitech Blue Sona. It would have compromised the streamlined design sure, but adding in a microUSB port could have gone a long way for getting less experienced streamers and podcasters to adopt the new release. But then again, would beginners really be purchasing a $349 microphone to begin with? I can’t fault Logitech all too much, especially for setting out to deliver a high-performance mic that sounds even better than it looks.
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