- For Podcasting, Streaming & VoIP
- Clear & Present Sound
- Cardioid Capsule Minimizes Room Pickup
- Quality 44.1 kHz / 16-Bit Audio
- For Computers & iOS Devices
- Stand & Cable Included
Introduction
In this article, we delve into a detailed analysis of 576,942 user reviews from various languages worldwide to examine the Blue Snowball iCE. This analysis is performed by the RR artificial intelligence and updated daily with newly submitted reviews. The RR AI utilizes a complex algorithm to first scrutinize user reviews for credibility, filtering out unreliable ones. It then proceeds to dissect and evaluate the valuable insights within these reviews, providing users with ratings regarding the features of this product. Based on these assessments, users can make informed decisions about whether this product is suitable for them or not.
Ratings Based on Features
These results are a summary of user reviews of the Blue Snowball iCE. For example, 88% of 257,436 users who have commented on the Sound quality of the Blue Snowball iCE have given positive feedback.
Highlighted Customer Reviews
Showing 1 to 20 of 521 Reviews
Great Sound & Price. Love my Death Star!
Blue Snowball iCE USB Condenser Microphone with Accessory Pack (Black)
Reviewed by Ludo the Red Furry Beast on B&H Photo Video
I am a training specialist who is transitioning from on-site education to virtual, including on-line, real-time interactive classes and Web Based Training. After enduring my company-supplied high-end headset, which presents you on video as a headset-wearing geek with a scratchy voice, I decided to invest in a big-boy microphone. My Scott heritage argued for economy, so I took a chance on the Snowball. Talk about Bang for your Buck! Instead of sounding like a robot from a bad 50's sci-fi, my customers can now enjoy my rich baritone. I am re-recording earlier WBTs to bring up the production value several notches. And I have started using speech recognition software for dictation, something the headset mic just couldn't handle. My Snowball saved the day at a recent class. It was a live class, but one student needed to attend remotely. The instructor couldn't use a headset as she needed mobility across the front of the room. I plugged in the Snowball, and she could be heard loud and crystal clear from any point in the presentation area. The only negative comments I've read complain that the tripod is too small and the 6' USB cord is to short. Hogwash! These included accessories are perfect for 95% of users. The Snowball mounts to a standard tripod screw. Need a sturdier base? Go get one! Need a longer cord? It's standard! Go get one! Bottom Line, if you are looking for solid audio performance at an unbeatable price, this is your mic. Rob Walsh P.S.: When I received my Snowball, my first thought was OMG! I bought the Death Star!. And if you screw in the tripod and turn it sideways, it kinda looks like Sputnik. So, a Must Have for space geeks! ... More
Not fit for purpose
Blue Mic Snowball ICE USB Microphone - White
Reviewed by Dom on Argos
If you want to put it down on a desk far away from you and use it for Skype/Teams etc than it's ok. It captures the sound around it quite well, but it's very sensitive so you risk echoing sound during your calls due to its 360 design. I would therefore advise you to use a headset and save yourself the expense and trouble. In case of family calls get a camera with microphone built in, it's going to be a better option and with less issues as microphone will be small and directional. If you want to use it for recording however - it picks up every little sound and tap, click and press + all miniscule vibrations on the desk (and magnifies them) etc. They come up on any recording made and because of their volume cannot be de-noised without a significant reduction in quality. There's no real hardware or software corrections available to fix those and you'll end up spending hours trying to make it work for you, without much success. Overall I don't know who would benefit from this item and why it's still a popular choice. I owned the black version since 2012 and never found any real use for it. I had the same problem with echoing, vibrations and over-sensitivity as well. Both black ones broke after a few months and I don't expect this one to last due to its cheap design either. I thought that maybe I should try it again after 10 years, maybe they got better over time, but that's a negative. Put simply - use headset for chatting and shotgun mic for recordings. Even cheap ones will be less frustrating than this. ... More
A Great Mic, Especially for the Price
Blue Snowball iCE USB Condenser Microphone with Accessory Pack (Black)
Reviewed by CheeseCoat McTafferson on B&H Photo Video
I bought the Snowball to record vocals for a music project I am a part of, as my music interface (a PODxt Live) is not made to handle vocals. After reading several reviews, and finding it here for a ridiculously low price, I decided to give it a shot. All I can say is Wow! The sound is absolutely incredible; crystal clear to say the least. I also recorded an acoustic guitar directly into it, and was blown-away by the quality of the sound. Using it is so easy, I can't imagine ANYONE having problems...you plug it into your computer via the included USB cable. That's it. It's ready to go. Open your music-recording software, and start recording. On the downsides, and they aren't that bad, but this thing is kind of heavy for its size. I'm also not a huge fan of the stand that it comes with...it seems to wobble around quite a bit and there doesn't seem to be a way to fasten it down. But since this thing is made to sit atop a desk, it's really not too much of an issue for me. I did not give it five stars simply because I haven't had time to test out the other two recording patterns (one of which is for loud recording, and the other is mainly for speech), so I'm not sure how well those work. But if you're going to just be using it to record yourself singing, or playing an acoustic instrument, this thing is easily worth the price, and then some. ... More
Impressed, but not flabbergasted
Blue Snowball iCE USB Condenser Microphone with Accessory Pack (Black)
Reviewed by Immy on B&H Photo Video
When i first saw this mic for this price I nearly fell out my chair. I don't know if that's a reasonable price in the states, but for Canada, that's about half of what I would normally pay! So kudos to B&H for being awesome. As always, shipping and handling to Canada is about as much as the actual product, but I've learned to deal with that one. Still paid way less than I would have here!Now onto the mic. I'll give it 4/5 stars because i think it could be a better mic in just overall quality. I thought it would be a hefty, durable mic, but I find that the feel of it is pretty cheap. I think that the original white plastic one is better if you're tough on electronics. For $ i won't do any more complaining, though. As far as looks, it's freakin' sweet. I love the tripod type holder and the vintage-y microphone look. The usb cord is MEH, but it's not really a big deal. And lastly, discussing sound. I think this mic would be great for little projects, podcasts, or a band just posting youtube videos/anything casual. It's obviously not something you can use for any huge projects. I usually use this to replace the terrible sound on my laptop for recording lectures in class or close up podcasts. It's got a nice range (1-3) of settings to use depending on your situation, super easy to use (plug in and go!), and looks pretty darn sleek. Such a great value! ... More
Very Good!
Blue Snowball iCE USB Condenser Microphone with Accessory Pack (Black)
Reviewed by Shadowknight805 on B&H Photo Video
I use the Snowball for audio recording and general gaming. Even if I'm away from my desk, leaning back in nmy rolling chair on the back two legs, because I, too, like to live dangerously, the Snowball still picks up my voice rather well. The product is also quite pretty. Yeah, I said pretty. So what, big whoop, you want to fight about it? I'm unsure how much damage it can take, but if you are worried about that, then you may just want to stock up on some Rock Band or Guitar Hero mixs and get a stand for them. That'll be a lot cheaper than breaking one of these babies. I guess the only downside, and this may just be because my desk is small and I have items everywhere for my professional worky time, that the Snowball is a rather large gentleman, and will take up much desk space. Also, it does not include a top hat or monocle, which makes it hard to believe that it is a gentleman. ... More
Ads
8/10 - Canadian Review
Blue Snowball iCE USB Condenser Microphone with Accessory Pack (Black)
Reviewed by Asaad on B&H Photo Video
Shipped pretty fast to North Toronto in the same week, B&H was excellent on that part. As for the Snowball, i heard there was pickup of background noise so i expected to be some but you need to note that it has 3 settings on the back - 1) High Sensitivity Pickup 2)-10db of the first setting and 3) Omni directional pickup. It is a good microphone to start off with, i recommend getting a pop-filter with it. You will pickup noise with the 1st setting but it is very subtle. Great for a quiet environment, but you have to be careful because it picks up stuff like your laptop fan and other things you may not know about. I would recommend it for starting off; get a professional microphone for anything that is more corporate and not just fun and games like pod-casting, and YouTube videos. I expect i will use it for a year or so since i am a beginner. Experts in audio production should get a higher end product than this. Overall, great for beginners, do not trust the hype - but rather the truthful reviews of this product. ... More
USB Mic with Solid Performance
Blue Snowball iCE USB Condenser Microphone with Accessory Pack (Black)
Reviewed by mkltesthead on B&H Photo Video
I needed to upgrade my USB mic for the podcast I produce. The company I work with does sideline video production and audio voice-over and they used the Blue Snowball. I figured if it was good enough for them, it was good enough for me... and it surpasses expectations. I love the sound, and I love the fact that you can choose three different pattern configurations. I use the #2 position in most cases and it sounds excellent (#1 is great if you want absolute recreation, but it's a little too clean and smacky for my taste). The sound quality between the podcast before and after its first use was very obvious (for the better). Plus, I love its retro design... makes me feel like I could be Jack Benny talking into it (especially with the Ringer shock mount, another piece of amazing tech deserving of its own review :) ). If I had to put a negative, it's that it's a big round softball and that makes it a little less optimal if you want to travel with it, but really, that's a small price to pay for the positives. Seriously, for the price, this is a fantastic podcasting microphone, well worth the purchase and it performs like a champ! ... More
Great mic, great color!
Blue Snowball iCE USB Condenser Microphone with Accessory Pack (Black)
Reviewed by Panik on B&H Photo Video
I'm very happy with this mic. It was purchased to record voiceovers for internal and public videos for the web/video company I work for. It EXCELS in that goal! As side job I am an audio engineer who does a lot of location recording for bands, orchestras, etc. Basically, I know mics. I can't put this Blue up to a large-diaphragm condenser and an out-of-this-world pre obviously. I CAN say that relative to some other, more expensive USB condensers that may or may not be made by Samson idk the Snowball is outstanding. I leave it on omni mode (the third option) and have constructed a simple sound booth (a milk crate packed with a blanket and the mic) to get clearer, focused sound with less room noise. It works wonderfully, especially with some compression and EQ. In the hands of someone who knows a little about audio, this incredibly cheap little mic can make a great all-in-one voiceover/podcasting unit. ... More
Snowball USB Mic won't leave you cold!
Blue Snowball iCE USB Condenser Microphone with Accessory Pack (Black)
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
I use this mic to dub instructional videos on a Mac Mini with iMove and Final Cut. The mic is of nice quality for the price. I wish that I had more time with it and were more experienced in recording to give one a 'more experienced' outlook, but I won't pretend to be a studio pro! I did purchase it here at B&H as their prices are generally excellent. I have found that the mic has a tad bit less sensitivity than would I like and I feel that I have to shout sometimes. As a loud individual generally, that is the major complaint. It is plug and play with the Mac and the sound quality is nice. The mic takes up a lot of room on the desk and I wish it had an on/off switch so that I did not have to unplug it when I am not using it. This is nitpicking but I work often at night, the bright red 'on' light is somewhat annoying at times. It works, the price was right and I would certainly buy it again. I have no regrets and that is what a review is all about, isn't it? I would not hesitate to recommend it as a buy, and do if you have a need for a nice quality mic at a reasonable price. ... More
Blue Has Snowballs Chance
Blue Snowball iCE USB Condenser Microphone with Accessory Pack (Black)
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
This microphone was recommended to me by a musician friend whose opinion I really respect. I was very happy with the price ... I bought it for recording live vocals and guitar tracks into GarageBand and so far it has performed fairly well. I have used it in different settings and believe that it works best when recording live instruments that are not being blasted at high levels. A recent recording session at a live gig didn't turn out as well as I would have liked because the levels were overdriven. This may have been due to positioning of the microphone, output level of the source or the actual setting on the microphone which I used to record with that evening. I will continue to play with the settings and try and find a balance in order to achieve the best result. Much of the recording process for amateur engineers like myself is trial and error anyway so I am not placing blame. I also use it with the MagicJack and a set of headphones to place calls and always ask the person on the other end if they can hear me. Response is usually positive Works well for that application also. ... More
Can't use in pairs poor customer service
Blue Snowball iCE USB Condenser Microphone with Accessory Pack (Black)
Reviewed by guitardon on B&H Photo Video
I bought two Snowballs to use for live recording of my band on my Macbook Air. The mike sounded real good but when I plugged in the second one it wasn't recognized by my Mac OS. So when I went to create an aggregate it wasn't available to select. It took 7 days of unanswered phone calls and 5 email messages to support before they finally got it and understood the second mike wasn't recognized by the Macbook and had nothing to do with the recording software. When they finally got it they said I would have to send one to them to change the serial number imbedded in the mike software. After over a week of frustration dealing with the lack of support and no one answering their phone nor replying to my messages I sent them back for credit. I will never understand why they make a mike that can't be used in pairs (at least with the mac os). That is the beauty of USB mikes - no interface and they are easy to setup for live recording. I bought a pair of mikes from another company to replace these that worked immediately when I plugged them into my Mac. I like the Blue mikes but their support is non existent or to slow to respond. I would purchase another model like the Yeti if I only needed one because it received great reviews but they have to get their customer support act together ... More
A little flashy, but works ok
Blue Snowball iCE USB Condenser Microphone with Accessory Pack (Black)
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
I bought this mic for a friend so that he could do some narration work for me on his laptop computer. For this it works fine and sounds almost as good as much more expensive pro mics. You can work it fairly close with the usual pops and blasts, too. It seems to work fine on a Mac with the free Audacity recording software, though I wasn't able to get it to work using Quicktime Pro's recording option. The mic's output level is pretty low, so it's probably not well-suited for recording multiple people in a roundtable setup. I was surprised by how big the thing is--about the size of a softball. I expected maybe tennis-ball size. It's also fairly heavy, so the little stand that comes with it is not very secure or stable. The USB cord that comes with it is pretty short. It's long enough for a laptop but if your desktop tower is on the floor, you'll need a USB extension cord. There's very little documentation with this mic, but I did find it's pretty much plug-and-play with Mac OS 10.6. ... More
Works like a a charm!
Blue Snowball iCE USB Condenser Microphone with Accessory Pack (Black)
Reviewed by Randomman on B&H Photo Video
At first I was skeptical whether about this microphone and the mixed reviews it had on multiple websites. First let me say this, I make YouTube game commentary videos but do not have a dedicated video card. This makes for most cheaper microphones ie 3.5mm ones, to leave much static and hiss to my videos. Since I had no knowledge of condenser, dynamic, or for that matter any type of microphone it was kind of scary to make the choice of what type of microphone I needed. So let me tell you, this microphone blew me away! For the price I got it for I was astounded by the quality of the sound. Though the size is rather large, and even worse the stand makes it big AND tall, you can move it to the side and talk with no significant problems in audio sound/quality. For those looking to buy their first microphone or just looking to upgrade I recommend the Blue Snowball. The ones under $ are not worth the hassle, just spend the extra few bucks and get this! You will not regret it! ... More
Excellent Mic and Great Value
Blue Snowball iCE USB Condenser Microphone with Accessory Pack (Black)
Reviewed by Copperchef on B&H Photo Video
The snowball is an excellent microphone and is a great value for the price. I've gotten great sound quality with this microphone. I have little experience with audio and got this after reading and hearing some positive reviews. I am using this for podcasting and our audio engineer who was skeptical about the snowball was blown away by the quality this gave us. My only complaint he had was that the snowball picked up a fan that was across the room and now I'll have to record in a hot room with all fans off. The snowball is a bit bigger than expected. It's about the size of a large orange and has good weight to it. Not heavy but it feels very solid. The stand it comes with on the other hand could be a little better. It is more than capable to get the job done but I would love for it to be a little more solid. ... More
Worth every penny!
Blue Snowball iCE USB Condenser Microphone with Accessory Pack (Black)
Reviewed by The RecycledHero on B&H Photo Video
Need a Microphone for podcasting? Voice overs? or even something to record that song you've been working on for the past 10 years? Then look no further. The Blue Snowball Microphone is for you. Set up was a breeze. I was able to set up the Snowball within 7 mins and begin to use it the moment after. On setting 1 I recorded some voice overs to test the quality of the audio to see If this infamous Snowball was all it was cracked up to be. I was shocked and Impressed! The audio the Snowball had captured was crisp and clear with no unwanted noise in the background. So here's the verdict. Pro's: Clear Audio, Easy to setup/use, Multiple audio functions, Sturdy build. Con's: The only con I have found for the Snowball is that there is no On and Off switch so you have to unplug the little guy every time you want it off. Whether or not you're a professional or a beginner the Blue Snowball Microphone will be sure to be a purchase that you won't regret. ... More
Dan from Pittsburgh
Blue Snowball iCE USB Condenser Microphone with Accessory Pack (Black)
Reviewed by Anonymous on B&H Photo Video
Six months ago I bought a Snowball for a client who wantedto do some podcasting. Out of the box, the gain was too lowfor her to use it (mic on desk, one person talking at anormal level), but the firmware fix on Blue's site correctedthat. Last month I bought another Snowball for a different clientlooking to do the same sort of work. The gain on this onewas even lower out of the box, and the firmware fix didn'tbring it up enough for podcasting. Sent it back, got anotherone -- same problem. Sent it back, got one more -- sameproblem. Gave up and ordered a Samson S03U (haven't gottenit yet). Apparently Blue has changed manufacturing facilities betweenmy first Snowball and my recent ones. They may still soundfine for louder recording, but they're useless forpodcasting now. Problems Encountered: Gain is too low for podcasting. ... More
Great mic for band practice and WoW
Blue Snowball iCE USB Condenser Microphone with Accessory Pack (Black)
Reviewed by Davestrand on B&H Photo Video
This mic has worked out great for streaming audio from our band practice. The mic is heavy and durable with three switchable patterns on the back. I use #3 setting which is Omni for band practice. We place the mic a few feet from the PA with it's back to the room. It picks up the drums and sound great without distorting. I also use this mic when I play World of Warcraft with Ventrilo or Vent as we call it for chatting online with friends during gameplay. It sounds great compared to my webcams mic. You might not want to use this mic with Cubase or other DAWS though. It requires it's own ASIO driver to work, and so I can't seem to get it working along side with my normal Firepod rig. Anyhow, it's a fantastic USB mic for louder environments as well as for podcasting. You will have to get close to the mic for podcasting, though. If you want a more sensative mic for quiet talkers, I think Samson also makes a nice Condenser USB mic. ... More
Quality on a budget
Blue Snowball iCE USB Condenser Microphone with Accessory Pack (Black)
Reviewed by iDale on B&H Photo Video
I've used it many times, sounds are clear, and crisp. The Snowball Ice itself is quite sensitive to noise in my opinion which is not a bad thing but at other times can be as it picks up noises easily (i.e. A thump from the neighbors in an apartment complex) to avoid such I used a stocking cap as a filter lol. It is a great inexpensive tool and sounds 10x better than any other mic the first thing you'll probably notice is that your voice sounds different when using the mic apart from what I stated in the first sentence. Best of all it easily adapts to the iPad without the installation of software a huge plus! ... More
Not too bad
Blue Snowball iCE USB Condenser Microphone with Accessory Pack (Black)
Reviewed by Sturm, co-host of Trekosophy on B&H Photo Video
I purchased this microphone because I am a host of a weekly podcast, Trekosophy, and I was tired of my voice sounding like it was recorded from a telephone when I used my gaming headset mic. I had heard some good things about Blue Microphones, so I decided to try one of their more popular products as a replacement for that mic.The other hosts and myself all agree that my voice sounds quite a bit richer than it ever did, but even I can tell that it could be better. Perhaps I am just not enjoying the sound of my own voice, but it feels like this micwhile many orders of magnitude better than the poor headset mic I was usingstill could be better. Nevertheless, I understand that I paid less than US$100 for this mic, so I mustn't expect miracles. Perhaps later on down the road, when our podcast has gained a larger audience and we can begin asking for donations, then we can start to look at better equipment for all of the hosts. ... More
Blue has delivered another great quality product!
Blue Snowball iCE USB Condenser Microphone with Accessory Pack (Black)
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
I needed a microphone to enable me to record real-time narration while running a screen capturing program which I then provide as a tutorial video for students enrolled in an online class I instruct. I am primarily a Mac user, however, I use a PC because the software application taught in the class is not available on the Mac platform. I was quite pleased and surprised when I plugged the Snowball into my PC USB port, opened the screen capture software, and discovered that the software recognized the presence of the Snowball mic. I selected it as my audio input source and recorded a brief test. The sound it captures was clear, defined, full and far beyond my expectations. This mic is worth every cent (and it's not that expensive) ... More
