Logitech has been knocking it out of the park lately, and that trend doesn’t seem to be stopping with the latest addition to the brand’s lineup — the Logitech G Yeti GX Dynamic RGB Gaming microphone with Lightsync. If you couldn’t tell by the RGB, this cute little mic is designed for streamers and gamers who want a quality sound experience but also a good aesthetic to match the rest of their setup.
Coming in at $249.95, the Yeti GX is not a cheap microphone; in fact, it’s downright expensive when compared to other USB microphones like the JBL Quantum Stream that we recently reviewed and loved. But unlike those which are Condenser capsules, the Yeti GX employs a Dynamic capsule that favors tighter, more natural sound and is commonly preferred for professional applications. In the past, most Dynamic microphones required an XLR interface and power to drive, but we’ve been seeing a lot more USB-powered versions this year.
Shaped like a squat capsule, measuring just 170mm tall, smaller than a 250ml can of coke. The top half of the mic that has the dynamic capsule is covered with a sock filter to reduce pops and breaths. The bottom half of the shell houses the electronics, including a two-zone RGB lighting split between the Logitech G logo and an RGB ring around the bottom. On the back face of the Yeti GX is a gain dial and mute button. The mic has a built-in analog limiter to prevent clipping, and the dial has a dynamic LED strip which shines Green for good to record, Red for peaking audio, and Blue when the Smart Lock gain is in play.
At the base of the mic is a USB Type-C port, and Logitech supplies a generous cable to allow for use with boom arms. As a plug-n-play microphone, there’s no headphone jack for mic monitoring though, something streamers might miss. The entire capsule is stood up on a unique s-shaped stand that screws onto a heavy cylindrical base for stability. It doesn’t stand very tall on the desk, and if you are tall like me, I foresee many hunched-over days so you can be close to the mic.
Fortunately, the s-shaped arm can also be attached to boom arms for a more professional-looking setup though why a boom arm makes people look more professional isn’t something I can explain. I had no problem mounting the Yeti GX to the Elgato Low Profile Arm, and there’s an adapter in the box for ⅝” and ⅜” thread mounts.
In terms of specs, the Yeti GX has a sample rate of 24bit/ 96KHz, a frequency response of 60Hz – 18.5KHz, and a frequency signal-to-noise ratio of 78dB. It sounds fantastic to my ears with a flat and clean sound reproduction similar to the Elgato Wave DX. I personally prefer a warmer, bassier sound similar to the Rode X XDM-100, but you can easily get that on the Yeti GX via the Logitech G Hub app.
Keep in mind that you need to speak into the top of the microphone to get the best quality sound because that’s just how dynamic mics work. Also, the closer it is to your mouth, the better too. I would advise no more than a foot away from your mouth. One upside is that the Yeti GX is excellent at ignoring background noise so anything that isn’t directly in front of the microphone will be pleasantly inaudible. That includes your mechanical keyboard and mouse clicks.
The app is a one-stop-shop for all Logitech G hardware, and the interface is refined and simple to understand. It gives you a handy starter guide when you first set it up as well as lets you update the firmware. Once you’re up and running, you can activate the Blue Voice effects to change how the Yeti GX sounds. I like that it comes preinstalled with six presets split evenly between desk stand and boom arm placement.
I’ve always been impressed with the meaningful changes Blue Voice can bring, and this time around you get an Equalizer and Signal Cleanup tab that gives you generous controls for noise reduction, compression, noise gate, and limiters. You can then tweak the mic to sound just the way you want it to based on your voice and environment.
The Logitech G Hub also gives you full control of the LIGHTSYNC RGB with presets you can choose from as well as a custom lighting builder with animations if that is your thing. The lighting is definitely pretty, but don’t expect it to light up your background or anything like that.
Verdict
The Logitech G Yeti GX is a great little microphone that honestly does everything most people will need a mic to do. Even though it’s aimed at streamers and gamers, I’ve been using it to create content for my YouTube channel and enjoying the quality very much. I also love the design of the microphone and think it looks really cool in any setup. Being able to sync the lighting with other Logitech peripherals is a great addition. However, there’s no denying that the asking price of $250 is pretty steep for a USB microphone. For all that the Yeti GX does well, it’s not enough to justify the $100 premium over other USB mics.
Logitech Australia kindly provided the Yeti GX to PowerUp for the purpose of this review
