Epos B20 review 2024: Excellent sound quality for streaming

With the Epos B20, users can just plug in their device and start using it. You don’t have to install any software to get this microphone up and running. Everything you need is included in the box. The microphone can be put on the desktop stand that comes with it by turning a single thumbscrew. It can also be put on any standard boom arm without the need for an extra mounting adapter.

Its body is made of sleek black metal, which makes it look good in a variety of settings. The B20, which costs $199, sounds great right out of the box and comes with a number of pickup pattern options to suit most uses. But the stereo setting doesn’t sound very good, and the gain controls don’t make sense. These are big problems that keep it from being one of the best gaming microphones.

Epos B20 specifications

Epos B20 review: Design

The Epos B20 Microphone is a big, cylinder-shaped metal capsule that is almost 11 inches tall. It looks more like a broadcast mic than a gaming accessory. It has a cardioid polar pattern to make the sound better. Even if you have a pretty good grip on it, the grille that protects the condenser is almost as stiff as the capsule itself and doesn’t give much when pressure is put on it.

On the back of the capsule, there is a USB-C port and a 3.5mm port for direct monitoring. The I/O has been kept small on purpose. On top of the capsule is a button to mute the microphone and a volume dial for the monitor. On the bottom of the capsule, there is a gain knob and a switch for choosing one of four pickup patterns.

When the microphone is on, the LED next to the mute button lights up white. When the microphone is muted, however, the LED lights up red. Both the volume and gain controls in Epos’s products would have been better if they had lights that looked the same.

The Epos B20 already has a pivot arm attached to it. This arm can be attached to the base stand that comes with the package or to the base stand with the thumbscrew that comes with the package. Using the standard threads, it can be attached to a boom without any other mounting equipment.

This is a very thoughtful addition that makes setting up faster and easier. If I had to pick one problem with the desktop mount, it would be that it doesn’t feel balanced. The mic capsule and the pivoting arm that goes with it are pretty heavy, and the ring-shaped computer stand can wobble a little bit under the weight of the whole thing.

This is especially clear when adjusting the position of the microphone, since you often have to hold the base still or the whole unit will move when you try to move the microphone to a better angle. This is especially clear when adjusting where the microphone is placed. You can get this microphone from its official website.

Epos B20 review: Sound Quality

The sound quality of the test recordings didn’t really wow me, especially at the beginning of the process. Gain on the B20 is noticeably harder to change than on other mics we’ve used, which makes it change how sensitive it is to sound in strange ways.

Epos recommends setting the gain to 50% (which you can only see in the software) and talking about 7 inches away from the microphone. My voice didn’t have any sharpness or low-frequency resonance in those recordings, so the sound was a little dull overall.

We found that we got the best results when we turned the gain down to 30% and got as close as we could to the microphone. At this point, it started to pick up more details in my speech, like how the harder consonants had a sense of edge.

Once you find the sweet spot, the B20 sounds good, but it doesn’t sound great. It sounds better than a gaming headset mic, but it doesn’t stand out from most other USB mics we’ve tested, especially in this price range.

Epos B20 review: Connectivity

Thanks to the strong USB-C port and 3.5mm headphone jack, you can connect everything you need to start recording in less than 30 seconds. From the sides of the mic, you can quickly and easily change all of its most important settings. You won’t have to leave your seat to change the microphone’s gain, pick-up patterns, volume, or mute.

The Audio-Technica AT2020USB+ is a great option for clients who don’t want to deal with XLR connectors and want a device from a well-known name in the audio production industry. If you’re looking for a USB microphone, this one comes very highly recommended and is a great deal at $150.

Epos B20 review: Setup and Performance

The Epos B20 comes with a pivoting arm that can be attached to the base stand that comes with the package using the thumbscrew or to a boom using the standard threads without any extra mounting equipment. This is a nice touch that makes it easy and quick to set up the device.

The mic capsule and the pivoting arm that goes with it are both heavy, and the ring-shaped desktop stand can wobble a bit because of this. This is especially clear when changing where the mic is. When you try to move the mic to a better angle, you often have to hold the base still so that the whole unit doesn’t move.

A thicker base mount with the same threads as a boom arm mount might have been a better and more stable option. Overall, the Epos B20 strikes a good balance between being simple, well-made, and easy to use, while avoiding the flashy looks that are typical of gaming gear.

Price and availability

The B20 costs $199, which doesn’t put it in the same league as professional microphones but does make it more expensive than other desktop USB mics. The always-popular Blue Yeti can now be bought for as little as $99, while the better JLab Talk, which used to cost $99 but is now only $56, used to cost $99 when it first came out. On top of that, the Rode NT-USB Mini costs only half as much as the B20.

Conclusion

The EPOS B20 is a good microphone for gaming and streaming because of how it looks and sounds. Even though this can be fixed with the app, I’m still kind of tempted to put level indicators on the dials. Even if you never use the Gaming Suite, the sound quality is more than good enough.

Again, the bigger problem is the price. If the B20 cost the same as the Blue Yeti, it would be much harder to decide between the two. But at $199, it’s not clear where the extra money goes. Wait for a sale or get one of the B20’s cheaper competitors.

FAQs

Is EPOS B20 worth it?

iMore Verdict. In a nutshell, the EPOS B20 is a wonderful option for any streamer because to its crystal-clear sound quality, its four different pickup patterns, and its abundance of dials for altering various sound parameters.

Is the EPOS B20 dynamic?

This provides a dynamic, rich, and clear audio signal at studio broadcast quality that captures every aspect of the human voice, giving it 256 times the amount of precision as the previous method. Simply connect the USB cable that comes with this plug-and-play microphone to your desktop computer or laptop, and you’ll be ready to go.

Can you use a USB mic on ps4?

The best answer is that any microphone that can be plugged into a USB port will function with your PlayStation 4. You may get the optimum sound quality by using either a headset connected through USB or, if you plan to broadcast your gaming sessions online, a high-quality desktop microphone. Both options are available to you.