Blue Yeti vs Snowball vs Snowball iCE
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In this article, I’ll break down the differences between the Blue Yeti, Blue Snowball, and Blue Snowball iCE. After a quick overview of the differences, I’ll go over the build quality of each and demonstrate their audio performance with various examples. I’ll end by giving my verdict on which of these devices is best depending on your use case.
Specifications
Differences summary
Build Quality
Performance
Verdict
Specifications
Blue Yeti
Capsule: Condenser (3 capsules)
Polar Patterns: Cardioid, omnidirectional, bidirectional, stereo.
Connection: USB 2.0. (Type-A to Mini-B)
Height: 11.75 inches with stand, 7.5 inches without.
Weight: 3.4 lbs
It’s important to note the omnidirectional polar pattern on this mic and the Snowball/iCE decreases the bass response.
I bought my Blue Yeti for $130. Here is an Amazon link to see its current price.
Blue Snowball
Capsule: Condenser (2 capsules)
Polar Patterns: Cardioid, omnidirectional.
Connection: USB 2.0. (Type-A to Mini-B)
Height: 9-10.5 inches with stand (adjustable). 4 inches without.
Weight: 1.01 lbs (460g).
The Blue Snowball has a switch on the back to swap between 3 different settings. Setting 1 is cardioid. Setting 2 is cardioid with a -10 dB gain applied. Setting 3 is omnidirectional.
I bought my Blue Snowball for $70. It is available in white, gloss black and chrome. Here is an Amazon link to see its current pricing.
Blue Snowball iCE
Capsule: Condenser
Polar Patterns: Cardioid.
Connection: USB 2.0. (Type-A to Mini-B)
Height: 8 inches with stand. 4 inches without.
Weight: 1.01 lbs (460g).
I bought my Blue Snowball iCE for $40. It is available in white and black. Here is an Amazon link to see its current pricing.
Differences summary
Here is a table so you can see the differences between the Yeti, Snowball, and Snowball iCE at a glance.
| Microphone | Capsule | Polar patterns | Gain Knob | Headphone Jack | Mute Button |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Yeti | 3 condensers | cardioid, bidirectional, omnidirectional, stereo | yes | yes | yes |
| Blue Snowball | 2 condensers | cardioid, omnidirectional | -10 dB switch | no | no |
| Blue Snowball iCE | 1 condenser | cardioid | no | no | no |
Blue Yeti vs Blue Snowball
Blue Yeti (Blackout) on the left and Blue Snowball (gloss black).
Both the Blue Yeti and Blue Snowball are plug and play USB condenser microphones. In terms of sound, the Blue Yeti has a stronger bass response, and a less piercing high end (sibilance). It is also taller, heavier, and has several physical features absent on the Blue Snowball such as:
headphone volume knob on the front.
3.5 mm headphone jack for monitoring audio.
gain knob on the back.
polar pattern knob on back to switch between 4 different polar patterns.
mute button on front (flashes when muted).
I’ve included several examples of what each of these devices sounds like in the performance section of this review.
Blue Snowball vs Snowball iCE
Blue Snowball (left) and Snowball iCE.
The Blue Snowball and Snowball iCE are both spherical condenser USB microphones. They sound identical when set to the cardioid polar pattern, but they do have some differences such as:
The Snowball contains two condenser capsules inside. The Snowball iCE has one.
The Snowball can switch between cardioid, cardioid with -10 dB gain, and omnidirectional. The iCE can only do cardioid.
The Snowball comes with an adjustable stand of 6-7.5 inches. The iCE’s stand is 4.5 inches tall, non-adjustable, and less sturdy.
The Snowball’s wire is slightly longer (82 inches vs 78 inches).
I’ll demonstrate the audio of both devices in the performance section.
That said, as an overview, since both mics sound the same on the cardioid polar pattern, unless you specifically need the omnidirectional (all sides) pickup pattern, it’s probably better to save money and get the Snowball iCE which is usually much cheaper.
Build Quality
Body and stand
Blue Yeti disassembled.
Blue Snowball out the box.
Blue Snowball iCE out the box.
The body of the Blue Yeti is made of metal, while the Snowball and Snowball iCE are plastic. The Blue Yeti’s stand is metal, the Snowball’s is mostly metal with some plastic, and the iCE’s stand is about half and half. The paint on the Blackout version of the Blue Yeti is a very thin coat that is subject to chipping from very minor bumps.
I can’t speak to the other colors of the Snowball, but the glossy black version is an absolute fingerprint magnet. It looks super sick out the box, but the act of screwing it onto its included stand or a boom arm covers it in unslightly prints.
The stand of the Blue Yeti is the tallest and sturdiest, followed by the Snowball, and lastly Snowball iCE. Each device can be tilted up and down, and instructions on how to do so are included in the boxes. The Blue Yeti has the best overall build quality, but both Snowballs work well when angled properly.
Mounting options
Threading on Blue Yeti.
Threading on Blue Snowball.
Threading on Blue Snowball iCE.
Each device has 5/8th inch threading on the bottom to allow them to be screwed onto a boom arm. They are all problematic for attaching to shock mounts, however.
The Blue Yeti is abnormally big for a USB condenser mic, so most shock mounts are too small for it. The Blue Snowball and Snowball iCE are both uniquely shaped, making them also bad candidates for shock mounts.
Fortunately, having tested a few different shock mounts with various mics on this website, I can conclude they don’t make that much of a difference. A high-pass filter can nullify bumps better than any shock mount.
Yeti on a boom arm.
Snowball on a boom arm.
Snowball iCE on a boom arm.
Performance
In this section, I’ll demonstrate each mic in the following tests: general spoken word (tone), proximity effect and distance test, plosive rejection, sibilance, background noise rejection, music.
For each test, each mic is set to cardioid with the default volume in Windows settings. The Blue Yeti is set to its minimum gain value.
Tone (spoken word)
The Blue Yeti has a much fuller sound overall than the Snowball and Snowball iCE. The latter two have less bass and sound a bit muffled. The Blue Yeti’s frequency response is relatively flat, while the Snowball and Snowball iCE lean more towards a brighter sound.
Proximity effect and distance:
Speaking 2.5 feet away from the mics to test distance performance.
The Blue Yeti has the strongest proximity effect, which is the increased low frequency response when you're close up. It also retains its clarity, whereas in the Snowball and Snowball iCE you can hear the sound of my breath hitting the diaphragm causing a bit of distortion.
Plosives:
When I specifically tried to plosive these mics, all three held up very well. I don't think a pop filter is required when speaking at a normal distance, but I would always recommend one anyway. That said, when you're 1-2 inches away, a pop filter will help the Snowball and Snowball iCE.
Sibilance:
The Blue Yeti has the least harsh sibilance, but it’s still very strong compared to other mics I’ve tested.
Sibilance is a sharp, high end frequency from s and soft c sounds. The Blue Yeti has significant sibilance compared to most of the microphones I've tested. But the Snowball and Snowball iCE are just straight piercing. The closer you are, the more prominent it is.
Background noise:
The Blue Yeti, Snowball, and Snowball iCE all pick up a ton of background noise. My computer fan is a bit loud, and if you have headphones on, you can hear it throughout all of the sample audio I’ve uploaded.
Keyboard typing is brutal even in the supposed dead zone of these mics. During the music test below, there were also some cars driving by outside. And even though the windows were closed, you could hear it all very clearly.
The number 1 negative thing I've read and heard that people don't like about the Blue Yeti is how much ambient noise it picks up. The same applies to the Snowball and iCE. The thing is, that's not actually a design flaw. They're condenser mics that pick up a lot of detail. They're really just functioning as intended.
If background noise is a consideration for you, stick around for my verdict where I recommend a high quality, budget dynamic microphone.
Music
Unfortunately, I've never played an instrument in my life.
But I borrowed someone's keyboard and decided to record myself practicing. Just for the purpose of this review. Either way, you'll get to at least hear the tone of the mics.
I also have some footage of a musician I hired recording some footage over the Blue Yeti that I've embedded below, but nothing additional for the Snowball.
The Blue Yeti is clearer than the Snowball and iCE for music. The latter two sound like a blanket is on top of them. When you hold a note, you can really hear it lingering in the air on the Yeti.
Just like spoken word, the lower notes are a lot more full. The Snowball and Snowball iCE are not terrible for the price for music, and if you're comfortable with post processing, you can get some good use out of them.
Verdict
The Blue Yeti is decisively better than the Blue Snowball and Snowball iCE in every category. It has a clearer and richer sound, a better stand, a mute button, headphone jack, and more polar pattern options. If you have the money, the Blue Yeti is the superior choice.
On a budget, I recommend the Blue Snowball iCE over the Blue Snowball. On the cardioid polar pattern, they sound exactly the same. Unless you have a specific need for the omnidirectional polar pattern, or feel like the extra 2.5 inches of stand height is critical, then the Snowball is not worth the price increase.
Other mic considerations:
Samson Q2U.
Fifine K669B.
The Blue Yeti it really performs its best when you're recording music or in a sound treated environment like a studio booth. Its biggest strength is how much detailed sound it picks up, but that's also its biggest weakness when it lets in unwanted sounds.
For home use, such as video conferencing, YouTube recording, and Twitch streaming, a dynamic microphone is usually better. The Samson Q2U (my comparison) has a similar tone to the Blue Yeti, but it picks up way less background noise and it's usually way cheaper.
For budget options, I personally like the Fifine K669B (my comparison). It's not quite as clear as the Yeti, but the tone is much closer to it, and again it's usually really cheap.
Amazon Listings
Blue Yeti https://amzn.to/33gwcpD
Blue Snowball: https://amzn.to/3o1hHju
Blue Snowball iCE: https://amzn.to/3o2e0Ko
