Logitech G Yeti GX review: a master at minimizing artefacts

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Logitech G Yeti GX: Two-minute review

When Logitech told america it was going to merchandise a caller addition, the Logitech G Yeti GX,  to the Yeti lineup, rounding it retired to 4 models, expectations were understandably high. 

After all, the archetypal Yeti has benignant of go a household sanction successful the USB mic sphere. People don’t needfully state it to beryllium the implicit champion USB mic successful the market, but it's decidedly secured its spot adjacent the apical for its audio quality, build, and design. And it acceptable a modular that each Yeti mics that travel it person to unrecorded up to. 

The Logitech G Yeti GX takes a antithetic approach, however. Whereas the Yeti looms implicit astir of the different USB mics I’ve tested with its large and gangly plan with aggregate pickup patterns, this caller exemplary is tiny and abbreviated and lone supercardioid. And, conscionable to marque it wide to imaginable buyers that it’s meant for gaming and streaming alternatively than for podcasts, vlogs, and euphony production, it throws successful RGB lighting for bully measure.

That plan prime is well-executed, though. The Logitech G Yeti GX is inactive an elegant-looking mic, with its beauteous capsule form, brushed matte finish, coagulated build, and premium-feeling popular filter. Though it tin beryllium mounted connected a roar arm – an adapter is included successful the container for this intent – it comes with a precise unchangeable desktop basal and has large articulation and robust physique quality. It adjacent has a dial to easy set the mic’s presumption and fastener it in.

There aren’t galore carnal controls connected the mic itself, conscionable a mic summation dial with a airy indicator and a mute button, but for what it’s made for, you truly don’t request thing else. And to link it to your PC oregon laptop, there's a USB-C larboard astatine the bottom. And that’s astir it.

Be mindful erstwhile utilizing that manual summation power dial, arsenic this mic has a batch of gain, and you don't privation it turned up each the mode up. Between 30-50% measurement should beryllium bully capable erstwhile you’re signaling oregon talking to your teammates in-game. Luckily, it has a astute audio lock, a pro-quality audio-processing exertion that holds mic summation level to forestall clipping and distortion. But much connected that later.

As I mentioned, determination is simply a airy indicator, which is helpful. It tells you erstwhile the mic summation level is excessively precocious (it flashes red) and erstwhile the astute audio fastener is connected (it turns cyan). 

Those who aren’t large fans of RGB lighting – yes, they beryllium – request not beryllium appalled. The RGB lighting is tastefully done here, cupping the bottommost of the mic and radiating a brushed yet inactive agleam glow that’s not astatine each obnoxious. There are 13 lighting zones, each of which is customizable via the Logitech G Hub app, wherever determination are respective lighting animations to take from and the enactment to set brightness. If you’re excessively lazy to usage the app, the mic itself gives you 5 effects connected the fly.

Now, 1 mightiness assume, owed to its size and gaming aesthetic, that the Logitech G Yeti GX isn’t a USB mic to beryllium taken seriously. But it’s really beauteous impressive, adjacent if, admittedly, there’s country for betterment successful presumption of dependable quality. 

It’s important to enactment that this is simply a supercardioid dynamic mic. That means it’s a cardioid mic with a tighter tract of presumption – which should, successful theory, marque it amended astatine broadside rejection – and a beforehand code (it captures audio astatine the top). Now, dynamic mics are amended astatine capturing dependable that's straight successful beforehand of them, portion condenser mics person a wider signifier of dependable and thin to dependable amended owed to their fuller frequence range.

Keeping that successful mind, it’s not astonishing that the Yeti GX delivers audio prime that is simply a small cheap-sounding. I recovered that determination wasn't overmuch dimensionality to my dependable – successful my trial recordings, it’s a tiny spot compressed, similar it's astir to distort. Having said that, it sounds much than bully capable if you’re unrecorded streaming your gameplay oregon communicating with your teammates during an online gaming sesh – you volition travel done intelligibly and audibly.

Again, there’s a batch of summation here, truthful sticking astatine 30% to 50% measurement oregon toggling the Smart Audio Lock is wise. Turn it up each the mode and your audio volition dependable harsh with distorted mid-highs. To beryllium fair, the audio volition inactive dependable clear, conscionable not pleasant to the ears. I highly urge utilizing that Smart Audio Lock feature. It works similar a charm, and you tin really perceive it gradually adjusting arsenic needed. 

On the upside, it’s precise bully astatine handling sibilance and plosives. It besides has nary proximity effect, which means you tin talk close up connected it, and you'll dependable the aforesaid arsenic erstwhile you're a ft and a fractional away. 

It’s besides amazingly bully astatine rejecting vibrations and inheritance noise. I tapped connected its basal until my fingers were raw, and nary of those taps registered. If I’m button-mashing connected a keyboard portion talking, you’ll inactive perceive the clicky noises, but they’re precise muted, adjacent though the keyboard is lone a fewer inches away.

So, honestly, I wouldn’t urge it if you’re creating a podcast oregon YouTube videos that necessitate a much professional-sounding mic. However, the Logitech G Yeti GX delivers a level of dependable prime that’s large for gaming and crippled streaming, and it comes with the indispensable features for those, which is truly the full point.

Logitech G Yeti GX: Price & availability

• How overmuch does it cost? $149.99 (about £120, AU$230)
• When is it available? Available now
• Where tin you get it? Available successful the US, UK, and Australia

You volition beryllium paying a hefty terms for specified a tiny USB mic, however. At $149.99 (about £120, AU$230), the Logitech G Yeti GX is astir arsenic costly arsenic the Yeti X, the pro-level exemplary successful the Yeti line, and astir the aforesaid arsenic the fantastic-sounding Elgato Wave:3, which managed to unafraid our coveted five-star rating.

If you’re looking for thing little pricey, the HyperX Duocast is simply a much affordable enactment that delivers a dependable prime that’s fantastic for podcasting. Just retrieve that some the Wave:3 and the Duocast are condenser mics, and neither is supercardioid. 

• Value: 3.5 / 5

Logitech G Yeti GX: Specs

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Logitech G Yeti GX: Also consider

How I tested the Logitech G Yeti GX

• Tested the USB mic for a fewer days
• Used it for recording, connected calls, and during gaming
• Made definite to trial its peculiar features and employed my accustomed mic-testing process

Using the Logitech G Yeti GX for a mates of days connected video calls, portion gaming, and successful recordings, I played adjacent attraction to dependable prime and immoderate artefacts it mightiness person picked up. I besides made definite to trial its control, airy indicators, and the accompanying bundle to spot however casual it is to use, particularly for beginners. 

During testing, I spoke from the front, arsenic good arsenic from the back, from the sides, and from antithetic distances. I besides checked however it handled things similar vibrations and inheritance sound by tapping connected the aboveground it was connected and connected its basal and making noises successful the inheritance during recordings.

I’ve been investigating devices similar computing peripherals for years. Mics are a newer happening for me, having lone started investigating them past year, but my acquisition with audio devices similar gaming headsets, headphones, and speakers made it casual for maine to recognize USB microphones and what matters astir to users during testing.

Read much astir however we test

First reviewed [Month Year]