Beyerdynamic M 70 Pro X Review
A capable and affordable XLR microphone
Verdict
The Beyerdynamic M70 Pro X is a brilliant sub-£100 / $100 XLR microphone with clean pickup, solid noise rejection and ideal handling of plosives, punching above its weight. The addition of a shock mount and pop filter in the box continue to make it a fantastic value choice if you want a capable XLR mic for a song.
Pros
- Shock mount and pop filter are useful inclusions
- Excellent build quality
- Solid pickup and noise rejection
Cons
- No additional ports or controls
Key Features
- Dynamic broadcast microphone:The M70 Pro X, being a dynamic mic, is ideal for voices.
- XLR connection:It also uses a simple, plug and play XLR connection.
Introduction
The Beyerdynamic M 70 Pro X has been around for a couple of years and in that time, has gone relatively un-noticed, in spite of being a fantastic, easy-to-use XLR microphone.
At £89 / $99.99, it’s a seriously fantastic value option, coming as a broadcast XLR microphone complete with shock mount and external pop filter for under half the price of comparable quality choices including the Shure SM4, and the SteelSeries Alias.
On paper at least, the M70 Pro X is an absolute steal. I’ve been testing it for the last couple of weeks to see how well it fares.
Design
- Low profile shape
- Simple XLR connectivity
- Shock mount and external pop filter included
Against other microphones I’ve tested recently, the M70 Pro X is a smaller option on its own, being narrower than the likes of SM4 and MV7+ from Shure. However, with the addition of the shock mount and especially the external pop filter, it is on the larger side.
Nonetheless, the M70 Pro X on its own is a little more portable and stowable, with a 320g weight and the fact that the microphone itself comes with a pouch for placing in when not being used. Otherwise, it’s best used in place with the shock mount and pop filter in a home studio setting.
The extra fixtures and fittings are of a high quality too, with solid plastics used in both the shock mount and external pop filter. The pop filter itself isn’t a magnetic one, as with the SM4, nor does it come attached to the microphone. Instead, it’s a bigger choice that attaches to a desk and sits in line with the microphone, depending on where you place it, of course. The shock mount, however, attaches via a standard 3/8-inch thread to a boom arm or desktop stand.
The M70 Pro X’s port selection is also simple, with an XLR port on the base of the microphone to plug into an interface. Other tasks such as monitoring or gain control are handled there too, as there are no other bells and whistles on this particular mic.
Performance
- Solid vocal performance
- Simple setup
- External pop filter eliminates plosives
The M70 Pro X is a dynamic microphone, which is better suited for vocal work, as opposed to a condenser microphone which can also handle instrumental workloads. You also speak into the top of this mic, as opposed to the sides, where grilles are also present.
You have to get quite close to the top of the M70 Pro X for it to pick up at a decent volume, although its pickup with a cardioid polar pattern has plenty of body and definition. It lacks a portion of the low-end warmth of more expensive choices, while its noise-rejection isn’t quite as good. With this in mind though, I’m still suitably impressed with the M70 Pro X overall.
In addition, plosives weren’t an issue, especially with the mic’s external pop filter. You can run the M70 Pro X in its bare form without the external pop filter, and it did a fine job, although screwing it onto the desk and positioning it well meant plosives were no issue at all.
Setup was also a doddle, with the singular XLR input meaning I had the M70 Pro X up and running in a matter of moments on either Windows or macOS. It was recognised without any issues in Audacity and Adobe Audition across both operating systems when plugged into my Elgato Wave XLR interface.
Features
- No real features to speak of
Apart from coming with the external pop filter and handy shock mount, there isn’t much else to the M70 Pro X. No additional software, nor any ports or dials for monitoring or gain control. This is, first and foremost, a broadcasting microphone.
With the M70 Pro X’s price in mind, I don’t bemoan the lack of features too much, against the likes of the Shure SM7B which costs four times as much. Still, the addition of some extra physical touches counts, right?
Latest deals
Should you buy it?
You want a capable, all-in-one package
Where the M70 Pro X really shines is with its brilliant level of price to performance, offering a mic with clean and full-bodied pickup with the addition of a pop filter and shock mount for under £100 / $100.
You want on-board controls
Against the USB-powered mics in the same price bracket as the M70 Pro X, the only thing that Beyerdynamic’s option lacks is any on-board controls or ports. If that’s important, you’ll want to look elsewhere.
Final Thoughts
The Beyerdynamic M70 Pro X is a brilliant sub-£100 / $100 XLR microphone with clean pickup, solid noise rejection and ideal handling of plosives, punching above its weight. The addition of a shock mount and pop filter in the box continue to make it a fantastic value choice if you want a capable XLR mic for a song, especially as competing options including the Shure SM7B cost a lot more.
How we test
During each microphone review, we conduct a series of recording tests that include sampling audio during ideal settings, with background noise applied and in an outdoor setting (where possible), to give you the best idea of how each device performs in real-world use.
Performance tested in a variety of conditions
Tested all available features
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FAQs
Yes, the Beyerdynamic M70 Pro X works with a boom arm, with its shock mount attaching with a 3/8-inch thread.
Full specs
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
