I tested Shure's most affordable USB microphone to see if this legendary brand is also the best bang for your buck

Few audio brands carry the prestige and reputation of Shure, well-known for its high-end gear tailored toward musicians, streamers, and professional creators.

The Shure MV6 is a little different. It's an accessible USB microphone positioned for "gamers," but it's really Shure's attempt to break into a new price segment with a more affordable product.

Shure's iconic design language and famously excellent audio recording quality can be found in the MV6, the latter being a great companion to the more approachable price tag and easy plug-and-play set up.

An awkward mute button, chunky stand, and lack of onboard controls are peculiar decisions, though, and the MV6's software is functional but does lack in advanced features some users may expect.

Why You Should Trust Me

Why You Should Trust Me

Zachary Boddy (They / Them)

I attend enough meetings and conduct enough interviews that I want a great microphone at my side to guarantee I'm heard loud and clear by every attendee. Audio quality is the #1 priority, of course, but I'm also considering the ease-of-use, software, value proposition, and additional features that may make all the difference.

Shure MV6 review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A mid-range USB cardioid microphone focusing on delivering premium audio recording.
• Who is it for? Gamers and streamers looking for a straightforward, high-quality microphone with a simple setup process.
• How much does it cost? The Shure MV6 retails for $149 at Amazon. You can also find it for $149.99 at Best Buy.
• What did I like? The excellent and consistent audio quality, the plug-and-play USB interface, the attractive pricing.
• What did I not like? The lack of onboard controls and other confusing design decisions, the lack of advanced software features.

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Shure MV6 review: Specifications

In the box, you'll find the Shure MV6 USB microphone, the two-piecer 12cm round base stand, and a 1m USB Type-C 2.0 to USB Type-C 2.0 cable. There are no USB Type-C to USB Type-A or 1/4-inch mount thread adapters in the box.

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Shure MV6 review: What I like

The Shure MV6 isn't a major departure from the rest of the company's microphone portfolio, with its matte black, cylindrical zinc alloy casing. Light green accents prove this product was designed for "gamers," but this design is otherwise quite simple.

Being a USB microphone, getting the MV6 set up requires no more than plugging a USB Type-C cable into the bottom of the microphone and attaching the other end to your Windows PC, macOS computer, or mobile device.

It's a dead-simple plug-and-play process, and it's just as easy to piece together the two-part circular stand or mount the MV6 on any standard 5/8-inch tripod or arm. The MV6 is designed so that the top of the mic should be facing you, not the side, but it's pretty easy to position.

You don't need it for the MV6 to work, but you can also install Shure's MOTIV software on Windows, macOS, Android, or iOS for some additional options. The MOTIV Mix app on Windows PCs also acts as an all-in-one mixer for managing all your audio devices, if you want that added functionality (you can set it to just display device settings, though).

You'll find a basic slider for managing the tonal quality between dark and bright, monitor mix controls. There are also toggles for auto gain control, denoising, popper stopping, and high pass filtering.

These are simple options, but the fundamentals are covered.

You don't have to tweak anything for the MV6 to sound great, though. Audio recorded through this microphone is clear and detailed, and the automatic background noise cancellation does an excellent job of dealing with low-frequency sounds.

With up to 24-bit and 48 kHz recording quality, the MV6 isn't the highest resolution microphone out there, but it still captures plenty of depth in recordings and is adept at isolating your voice.

As I mentioned, though, the biggest selling point for this USB microphone is that it sounds this good without touching a single setting. Advanced users and professionals may require more control, but the MV6 works with a wide variety of devices and sounds wonderful out of the box.

Muting is handled by a capacitive button on the top, and you can monitor your recordings with a 3.5mm audio jack on the rear. The external pop filter is easily removed to expose the cardioid microphone behind its green-tinted cage, if you need that.

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Shure MV6 review: What I don't like

The Shure MV6 may stand out as a fantastic plug-and-play option, but Shure erred too far on the side of simplicity in some cases, with both software and hardware.

For the former, you won't find multi-band equalizers, granular control over noise suppression, and echo cancellation. There also aren't any unique effects and filters like reverb or half-stepping, customizable profiles, or any other advanced settings in Shure's MOTIV software.

The MV6 is firmly a unidirectional microphone designed for one user, too, so you won't be able to switch between omnidirectional, stereo, or other polar pickup patterns.

There are some oddities on the design front, too. The plastic mute toggle set into the metal casing has so much give that it feels like an incredibly cheap button, but it's actually a capacitive touch surface with zero tactile feedback and only a subtle LED glow to indicate if the MV6 is muted or not.

You won't find any onboard audio or monitoring controls on the MV6, either, so you will need Shure's software to change any settings. The included base stand is weirdly massive and lacks any adjustability whatsoever, and the included cable is incredibly short.

None of this is a dealbreaker on its own, but altogether may be enough to push you toward a different USB microphone in this price segment.

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Shure MV6 review: Also consider

The Real Value Champion c🏆

AVerMedia VERSATI go (AM310G2)
Buy now: $69.99 at Amazon

This ultra-compact USB microphone is even more industrial than the MV6, but delivers just as incredible audio quality and a whole lot more software options for less than half the price. It's my go-to recommendation, bar none.

Windows Central review ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

👉See at: Amazon.com

The Flashier Option 📸

HyperX QuadCast 2 S
Buy now: $199.99 at Amazon

The QuadCast 2 S is a fantastic step up from the MV6 if you want a little bit more. It's still a simple plug-and-play USB microphone with basic software customization, but you get an RGB-lit design, onboard controls, and much higher resolution audio.

Windows Central review ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

👉See at: Amazon.com or BestBuy.com

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Shure MV6 review: My final thoughts

✅You should buy this if ...

• You want a simple plug-and-play microphone with great audio quality.
• You need a USB microphone that works with all kinds of devices.
• You have faith in Shure's reputation for quality and reliability.

❌You should not buy this if ...

• You need in-depth software customization options.
• You really value having onboard volume and monitoring controls.

Podcasters, streamers, musicians, and all manner of content creation professionals rely on Shure for all their audio recording needs, often with extremely expensive and customized setups.

The Shure MV6 is a more affordable entry point to the brand, though, delivering the consistently clear audio and industrial design with simple plug-and-play functionality and an accessible price point.

What the MV6 sets out to do, it does with aplomb, but it hasn't immediately become my top recommendation for those seeking a great microphone to get them started. The MV6 is really good, but its few pain points make a handful of other microphones easier to suggest.

My go-to is absolutely the AVerMedia VERSATI go you can get for just $69.99 at Amazon, a phenomenal value for a really capable microphone. There's no denying the guarantee of quality attached to the Shure brand, though, and that alone will make the Shure MV6 a very compelling choice for $149.99 at Amazon.

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