Shure MV7+ podcast microphone review

Our VerdictHow do you improve on the Shure MV7? Tighten up the software, remove the plosive issue, and add a + sign. And that’s exactly what Shure’s done here.

Our Verdict

How do you improve on the Shure MV7? Tighten up the software, remove the plosive issue, and add a + sign. And that’s exactly what Shure’s done here.

ForFantastic sound straight out of the boxStraightforward and powerful softwareTank-like build qualityCustomisable RGB light stripAgainstExpensiveMic stand sold separately

ForFantastic sound straight out of the boxStraightforward and powerful softwareTank-like build qualityCustomisable RGB light strip

AgainstExpensiveMic stand sold separately

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When I found out Shure was discontinuing theShure MV7 Podcast microphone, I felt a genuine twinge in my stomach. Y’see, I’ve been using two of the big beasties for vocal audio capture for years, and they’ve become like old friends. Slightly unwieldy perhaps, but as plug and play microphones, they were unparalleled.

It’d better feel like the bee’s knees, given the price. You can get a lot of great gaming microphones for under the $200 mark, but Shure will sell you an MV7+ for$279/£269. That’s chump change for studio grade vocal mics, but for your average buyer that’s still a lot to pay for something that really only does one job.

MV7+ specs(Image credit: Future)Type:DynamicPolar pattern:Unidirectional (cardioid)Connectivity:USB Type-C/XLRRecording sample rate:16 or 24-bit, 44.1 or 48 kHzFrequency response:50 Hz to 16,000 HzFeatures:Top-mounted RGB light strip w/ touch controls, Motiv mix software with auto levelling, noise reduction, plosive reductionPrice:$279|£269

MV7+ specs

(Image credit: Future)Type:DynamicPolar pattern:Unidirectional (cardioid)Connectivity:USB Type-C/XLRRecording sample rate:16 or 24-bit, 44.1 or 48 kHzFrequency response:50 Hz to 16,000 HzFeatures:Top-mounted RGB light strip w/ touch controls, Motiv mix software with auto levelling, noise reduction, plosive reductionPrice:$279|£269

(Image credit: Future)

A close up of the Shure MV7+ Podcast Microphone showing the Shure logo on the side

Type:DynamicPolar pattern:Unidirectional (cardioid)Connectivity:USB Type-C/XLRRecording sample rate:16 or 24-bit, 44.1 or 48 kHzFrequency response:50 Hz to 16,000 HzFeatures:Top-mounted RGB light strip w/ touch controls, Motiv mix software with auto levelling, noise reduction, plosive reductionPrice:$279|£269

That being said, given the MV6 has properly introduced Shure into the world of USB gaming microphones, the MV7+ now strikes as something more purposeful. This is a podcast and creator microphone through and through, with none of the MV6’s gamer-friendly green accents. It’s a subtle, handsome looking device, designed to look professional on a stream or in a recording studio.

This is my first recording, out of the box, with absolutely no tweaking of the settings.

I am an interminable fiddler, particularly when it comes to audio. I’ll spend hours tweaking EQ’s, stacking VST plugins, and shaping sound backwards and forwards until I end up chasing my own tail and resigning to whatever Frankenstein’s monster of a mix I’ve come up with. And listening to that first result, with zero tweaking on my part? I really don’t think it needs much else.

It captures exactly the sort of vocal you’ll be looking for if you want a studio-style sound, without any of the headache-inducing back and forth with the audio settings.

Not only is there a digital effect here to minimise it, but that longer foam tip creates a bit more distance between your mouth and the microphone itself. Basically, the plosives are gone, and that’s about the only thing I’d really criticise the MV7 for.

Image1of4(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)

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(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)

(Image credit: Future)

The Shure MV7 Plus microphone on a table, with the box behind

(Image credit: Future)

The rear of the Shure MV7 Plus Podcast Microphone, showing the USB Type-C and XLR outputs

(Image credit: Future)

The Shure MV7+ Podcast Microphone with the foam shield removed, showing the microphone within

(Image credit: Future)

A close up of the Shure MV7+ Podcast Microphone with the foam filter removed

What this mic is, at its core, is an improvement on a classic.

Except it’s just, well, better at it than anything else I could name south of $500—with the exception of one. That’s theShure SM7db, available for $499, which is the latest version of a mic that, over the years, has become one of the default recommendations for studio-grade vocal capture.

I’m not going to say the Shure MV7+ is better than the Shure SM7db, because it isn’t. But it captures a genuinely comparable audio quality, with a similarly rich tone and crispy highlights, for near-enough half the price. And that, if you ask me, is a pretty impressive trick.

You can also use the included XLR connection to drive the MV7+ via a separate mixer, or plug it right into a suitably-powered console—but given the results here with a USB connection, I’d say most will never need to. Still, one of the best things about the MV7 was its flexibility, and it’s still here in spades.

Image1of3(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)

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(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)

(Image credit: Future)

The Shure MV7 Plus Podcast Microphone mounted to a boom arm

(Image credit: Future)

The Shure MV7+ Podcast Microphone attached to a boom arm

(Image credit: Future)

The top of the Shure MV7+ Podcast Microphone, showing the RGB touch controls lit-up in green

What this mic is, at its core, is an improvement on a classic. It’s not revolutionary, or game-changing, because the game didn’t really need to be changed. All Shure needed to do was fix the MV7’s plosive problem, sharpen up the software suite, and double down on all the things that made that microphone brilliant. And that’s exactly what it’s done.

Buy if…✅You want to take your audio to new heights:The MV7+ makes achieving studio-grade vocal audio easy, and that’s no mean feat.✅If you want something that’ll last:Shure microphones are somewhat legendary for their resilience. Having handled more than a few, the SM7+ feels like it continues that tradition.

Buy if…

✅You want to take your audio to new heights:The MV7+ makes achieving studio-grade vocal audio easy, and that’s no mean feat.✅If you want something that’ll last:Shure microphones are somewhat legendary for their resilience. Having handled more than a few, the SM7+ feels like it continues that tradition.

Don’t buy if…❌You don’t need top-end audio chops:The cheaper MV6 is more than capable of satisfying most gamers needs—but if you want to step it up to the next level, the MV7+ has you covered.

Don’t buy if…

❌You don’t need top-end audio chops:The cheaper MV6 is more than capable of satisfying most gamers needs—but if you want to step it up to the next level, the MV7+ has you covered.

But if you want to elevate your audio to the next level, get serious about streaming, or record a podcast that sounds like you were sitting in a studio rather than your spare room, this is the microphone to buy. It makes studio-quality sound easy to achieve, looks good doing it, and will likely last a lifetime.

My MV7’s have been dropped down stairs, thrown in the back of vans, drenched in beer and banged against walls. They still work as brilliantly as the day I got them out the box, and there’s nothing about the build quality of the MV7+ that suggests anything’s changed. Shure gear is known for its reliability, and this seems like yet another product destined to keep going, and going.

Yes, $279 is a lot of money for a mic. But given the results here, if you care about your audio, I’d say it was actually a reasonable price of entry. The MV6 might have the desktop audio chops covered, but if you want to take things to the next level, the MV7+ is where you want to be.

The Verdict94Read our review policyShure MV7 Plus Podcast MicrophoneHow do you improve on the Shure MV7? Tighten up the software, remove the plosive issue, and add a + sign. And that’s exactly what Shure’s done here.

The Verdict

94Read our review policyShure MV7 Plus Podcast MicrophoneHow do you improve on the Shure MV7? Tighten up the software, remove the plosive issue, and add a + sign. And that’s exactly what Shure’s done here.

94Read our review policy

Shure MV7 Plus Podcast MicrophoneHow do you improve on the Shure MV7? Tighten up the software, remove the plosive issue, and add a + sign. And that’s exactly what Shure’s done here.

Shure MV7 Plus Podcast Microphone

How do you improve on the Shure MV7? Tighten up the software, remove the plosive issue, and add a + sign. And that’s exactly what Shure’s done here.

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LatestToday’s Wordle answer for Saturday, January 11The Last of Us season 2 trailer is a brief look at a story you should probably just play yourself in AprilWorld of Warcraft’s most recent patch soars with fun additions that last just long enoughSee more latest►

Latest

Today’s Wordle answer for Saturday, January 11The Last of Us season 2 trailer is a brief look at a story you should probably just play yourself in AprilWorld of Warcraft’s most recent patch soars with fun additions that last just long enough

Wordle answers

Today’s Wordle answer for Saturday, January 11

the last of us season 2 trailer

The Last of Us season 2 trailer is a brief look at a story you should probably just play yourself in April

Image for World of Warcraft’s most recent patch soars with fun additions that last just long enough

World of Warcraft’s most recent patch soars with fun additions that last just long enough

See more latest►

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Our Verdict#

Our Verdict