Logitech Yeti GX Streaming Microphone
design
Logitech is starting to develop a really familiar look across its range, even as it expand into new genres there’s also something distinctly Logi about everything. The Logitech Yeti GX continues this trend, it looks right at home with a Logitech G on the side even if it’s a spiritual successful to the Blue Yeti at heart. This is an impressively compact little microphone with plenty of charm, like an oversized TicTac it walks a clever line between traditional and modern for a final product that I really rather like the look of.
For the most part, build quality is impressive across the Yeti GX microphone itself with touches that feel more premium than its mid-range price point would suggest. While some other microphones look to cut corners with plastic wherever possible, the Yeti GX’s all-metal build stands out with a real touch of class. Now available in both matte black or matte white, the Yeti GX is smooth, sleek and flawless, it’s an impressive thing to hold. Even the scroll well feels great and that’s a part I’ve been critical on with others in the past. I wouldn’t be surprised if this part was borrowed from one of Logitech’s top-end gaming mice like the G 502X Plus.
It wouldn’t be a Logitech G product without a little RGB flair of course and on the Yeti GX you’ll find a glowing G logo and a customisable LED ring around the bottom. Both are harmless though both are also largely irrelevant as you’ll struggle to see them while using the microphone. You could make an argument that streamers using a mic arm will show off that colourful LED ring on camera but I tend to keep my microphone out of shot anyway. It’s a shame because the effects on offer do look quite sharp with an almost geometric, angular styling that’s quite effective. If you can find a way to incorporate it, it’s nice enough to look at.
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For all the good of the rest of the build, the Logitech Yeti GX stand lets the side down a little. It’s very pleasant to look at with a unique sweeping curve but it’s clear that corners have been cut here in the name of cost saving. Unlike the Yeti GX body, the stand is completely plastic with a few rough edges where panels don’t seamlessly join together. There’s a good amount of weight in the base to keep the Yeti GX firmly in place, but just a thin layer of foam on the base rather than a studier, gripper rubber option.
You can avoid using the stand though as it’s removable and an included adapter makes the Yeti GX almost universally compatible with mic arms. It’s quite light without the stand however and testing it with the Elgato Wave Arm I had some trouble getting the Yeti GX to stay still in all positions. You could just remove the flat base from the stand and keep the S shaped arm, but that makes it quite a large unit and trickier to work into a setup. In the box you’ll find a 2m USB-C to USB-A cable but unlike the Logitech Blue Sona you’ll have to stick with just the one, black foam windshield.
performance
As far as microphones go, the Logitech Yeti GX is a pretty simple thing to get started with, one USB-C cable and you’re away. I always like to test how microphones sound out of the box without turning to their respective apps and the Yeti GX does a pretty good, if not slightly boring job of this. It’s completely fine, my voice was clear but with a pretty flat default profile the Logitech Yeti GX is a touch underwhelming as a streaming or podcast microphone.
Turning to the Logitech G Hub app is where the Yeti GX begins to impress as the tools on offer here make a noticeable difference. Interestingly it’s also here that the Blue brand returns to the mix, albeit only digitally, in the form of Blue VO!CE. This section of the app provides a range of post-processing options to let you refine your sound with a good selection of pre-configured profiles too. I scrubbed through each of the options and was impressed at how varied the results were, not all of them were sounds I’d actually want to use, but I can imagine they would suit other voices better than mine. I ended up using the ‘Natural’ preset which I felt added extra depth and polish to my voice, it rounded my sound off without sounding manipulated.
A dynamic microphone, the Logitech Yeti GX’s supercardioid pickup pattern needs to be respected but in return does a good job at filtering out unwanted noise. Off-axis distractions like my keyboard or fans were pushed to the background while my voice remained the focus. You’ll want to make sure you always speak directly into the front of the Logitech Yeti GX though as the drop-off in quality is noticeable as you move around it. It’s also important to be aware of desk bumps as there’s no shock protection on offer and I found even minor knocks came thumping through into my broadcast.
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It’s not the largest windshield I’ve seen but the foam sleeve over the end of the Logitech Yeti GX, coupled with a some internal protection did a good job at filtering out hard plosive sounds. You’re also protected from peaking distortion thanks to a clever Smart Audio Lock feature that’s activated by clicking the onboard scroll wheel. With that turned on I was impressed at the Logitech Yeti GX handled sudden bursts of loud noise which appeared to peak in OBS but sounded fine on the broadcast.
There are a couple of odd choices however that do hold the Logitech Yeti GX back. While it takes a click of the scroll wheel to turn on the Audio Lock, scrolling the wheel will turn it off and start manually adjusting levels. Why? I also experienced a number of occasions where scrolling this wheel caused the microphone to lock up, disconnect and reconnect over the space of about 20 seconds. There’s also no 3.5mm headphone jack which has become commonplace on almost all other USB microphones I’ve tested. It’s a big miss and could be a dealbreaker for some creators who like having the safety net of real-time monitoring – particularly if there’s a scroll wheel waiting to mess with your levels.
summed up
For me, the Logitech Yeti GX lands in a slightly awkward place in the market. It’s entirely fine, in fact it’s actually pretty good, but I find it hard to get excited about. Everything it does well it feels like there’s another option that does it slightly better. The RODE PodMic USB sounds richer, the SteelSeries Alias has better supporting software and the Shure MV7+ is considerably more expensive but considerably nicer sounding too.
It makes it tricky to work out who to recommend the Logitech Yeti GX to. The £139 price point is reasonable and it provides great vocals for that budget, but it’s not quite the right fit for serious streamers and it’s too much microphone for casual Discord chats. If you can find it on sale or you’re already deep in the Logitech ecosystem, go for the Yeti GX, it’s a good mic. If you’re coming at things from a blank slate, ponder your options because while the Yeti GX might be the right choice, there’s a good chance another might be better.
