[1 User] At the new price point, this is one of the best broadcast/vo mics in my arsenal, hands down. Crisp, focused, and more portable than an SM7B (or another new favorite of mine, the BP40), the Ethos is a fantastic mic. Avoid the Icon, hoard the Ethos.

[1 User] This is a broadcast-style microphone (front address), but it is NOT a dynamic mic. It is actually a small-diaphragm condenser microphone with a BIG sound. You get the absolute clarity and detail you'd expect from a small-diaphragm, but if you run it through a tube-based preamp (UA-610B for example), you also get a warm and full sound.


To my ears, the clarity and detail are far superior to the SM7B or the RE20, and depending on your preamp, you can obtain that darker, rich sound of the SM7B (great for podcasting) or you can achieve sonic clarity (great for voiceovers).


I personally run mine through a Cranborne EC1 preamp into the PreSonus Quantum 2626 interface and into the Studio One 5 Professional DAW. The EC1 can provide total sonic clarity or add a bit of mojo depending on your taste and needs.



The only downside of this mic is that if you're looking for background noise rejection, you'd be better off with a dynamic mic (SM7B, RE20, etc.). This is a condenser mic and it shows in its sensitivity.


If you have decent acoustic control over your space, I highly recommend the ETHOS for broadcast, podcasts, streaming, and voiceovers.

[1 User] This microphone sounds better than the sm7b in my opinion. It is more of a natural sound compared to the sm7b. I highly recommend it!

[1 User] I bought two of the Icon Pro mics when they first came out. I already owned an Earthworks SR314 which was my first Earthworks mic. It made a believer out of me. The build quality on the Icon Pro is consistent with every other Earthworks mic. Built like a tank out of milled stainless steel. Seems indestructible. But the quality of the audio is what will sell you on this mic. Stunningly accurate. You'll never sound better. I've used the SM7B for years along with other mics. This is the best sounding mic for voice work I've ever heard. I record into a Sound Devices MixPre-6 which has super quiet preamps. Perfect pairing. If you are looking for a broadcast, podcast, streaming or voiceover mic and $499 is in your budget range, don't think twice.

[Download] I bought this mic mostly for voice recording, but it also sounds great with my acoustic guitar.

[1 User] I've used the SM7B and the Electrovoice RE20 for voice and broadcast work. Those microphones have a strong characteristic rendition of voices -- coloration, if you will -- and, as dynamic microphones, good ambient noise rejection.


The Ethos goes above and beyond the capabilities of both of those classic microphones for my use. Though it is a condenser mic, noise rejection is good enough that I can record interviews directly into a Zoom H6 in a reasonably quiet room -- similar to what I can do with a classic dynamic mic, but without the need for additional power. (If you have significant ambient noise, like a loud air conditioner, neither type of microphone will save your audio capture.)


Sound quality is where this microphone really sets itself apart. It's like having a good studio condenser mic -- the type used to record delicate, complicated tones like acoustic guitar -- in a general-use context. Overtones are present, and there is no aggressive roll-off in any part of the tonal spectrum (unlike the SM7B, which rolls off high wavelengths to the point of distortion in my opinion). The result is a natural tone that is not highly colored. This helps me not only produce natural-sounding voice content; it also gives me excellent flexibility, because this mic could also be used for instrument recording and other general-purpose capture.


Overall, I'm still a fan of the RE20 if a classic broadcast tone is what I want. However, I would be happy to use the Ethos for all my voice and general-purpose audio work. The fact that it does not need much power makes it practical for recording field interviews, which means this mic gets used a lot more than the RE20. Bonus points for the excellent ball-head mount included with the mic. As far as I'm concerned, the Ethos is the best voice and general-purpose microphone in its price range.

[1 User] I swapped out the Shure SM7B for this because it took too much to drive it (I used a Cloudlifter) and the results were inconsistent and just okay, at best. I had read about this mic being similar in build, but a supercardioid condenser mic instead of dynamic. The sound was warm and clear like a dynamic, and no additional switches to fool around with. Just plug in your XLR cable and get to work. I re-recorded all of the podcast episodes (they're short-form) I originally used the SM7B for (none of which sounded the same), and finally got the pro-grade sound and consistency I wanted! I'm absolutely in love with it - you get what you pay for!

[1 User] I bought this product as another microphone for singing/podcast recording purposes. I've used Shure SM7B, which is legendary for many great reasons, but this microphone is my new favorite! I would highly recommend this mic to anyone who does voiceover, singing, and podcast work. It is pricey, but it definitely pays off!

[Download] TL;DR - This mic is incredible. The sound is super crisp and clear, and even though it's not a dynamic mic, it does a great job of eliminating background noise. Bottom line - buy it if you need a great sounding mic!

Long story - I create YouTube videos about cars and riding our Yamaha WaveRunner personal watercraft. I try to record my voice live to save time while editing, but sometimes I just have to do voices overs at home.

I used to use a video-style mic going into my iPhone, and it sounded okay, but I wanted the sound to be great. After reading and watching lots of YouTube reviews, I knew the Earthworks Ethos was the one.

I purchased a PreSonus Studio 24c and the Ethos and love that I don't need a signal booster to get quality sound...and believe me, the sound is quality - once I figured out how to speak properly.

I have never used a mic that was so sensitive (in a good way), but it picked up the slightest noise I made while talking. Once I figured out how to not make clicks and other noises with my mouth, I absolutely fell in love with this mic. I didn't even realize I was doing until I listed to my first recordings.

I have a very minor EQ setting in the higher frequency that I use, but other than that, I just record my voice into the built in Voice Memo app in the Mac and import it into DaVinci Resolve Studio.

I used to record into Logic Pro, and that audio came out better, but the process is more time consuming. I often make a lot of short voice overs, so the Voice Memo app works good enough. If I needed to record something with the highest quality, I'd do it in Logic Pro.

Overall, I love this mic and really can't say enough about it.

[Download] This one is an interesting and good-sounding microphone. It feels like a broadcast microphone with decent noise rejection, but it sounds like a condenser with a little bit of mid-forwarding sound.