We've long recommended the Blue Yeti, which in our opinion is the best microphone option for most people. If you're looking for something a little cheaper and smaller, however, Blue today introduced the Yeti Nano for "broadcast-quality podcasting."
To be clear, we have not tested the Yeti Nano yet, so we don't know how the actual audio quality compares to our favorite mic. As far as Blue is concerned, it delivers studio-quality sound similar to its bigger sibling.
"With Yeti Nano, content producers can easily record and stream with the signature studio-quality sound of Yeti, in a new compact and streamlined design that fits in perfectly on any desktop," said Tommy Edwards, director of product management at Blue Microphones. "Whether you’re gaming, making a business call, or recording something new, you’ll be heard loud and clear with incredible sound quality, every time."
This is Blue's first microphone since the company was acquired by Logitech last month. Logitech kept the Blue team intact, and at the time the acquisition was announced, Blue said it would "keep creating cool stuff."
As it pertains to the Yeti Nano, it measures a little more than 3 inches shorter than the regular Yeti. It supports 24-bit/48kHz recording, and features the same 20Hz-20kHz frequency response and 120dB max SPL of its bigger sibling.
The Yeti Nano isn't just a smaller version of the Yeti, though. Blue stripped out a few features for a smaller footprint and cheaper price tag. Namely, it has two condenser mic capsules instead of three, and two pickup patterns instead of four.
In regards to the latter, the Yeti Nano features cardioid and omnidirectional modes, meaning users can record sounds in front of the mic or all around it. By comparison, the Yeti supports the same mode, plus bidirectional and stereo recording. Those additional options give users a bit more flexibility, though for the typical streamer/broadcaster, the Yeti Nano's two modes should suffice.
The Yeti Nano is available now in four different color options, each priced at $99.99.
