Epos B20 review

Our Verdict

76%

A versatile and great sounding streaming microphone but it’s quite expensive.

Like the Blue Yeti, the EPOS B20 is a considerably more versatile streaming microphone than most. By incorporating three condenser microphone capsules, it can produce four different pickup patterns, making it useful for a variety of recording applications. Said patterns are the same selection of cardioid, bidirectional, omnidirectional, and stereo as the Yeti.

This versatility is somewhat belied by the design of the B20. It’s a markedly more purposefully stylish option than many other streaming mics, with its uniform cylindrical form and single-sided mounting arm. However, it’s rather a case of style over substance as there are some usability issues with the stand.

For a start, assembling it is a bit awkward with the way the metal ring base attaches to the arm with a single large bolt. Unlike the bases on many monitor stands that slightly lock into place so you don’t have to support the base while screwing in the bolts, here the base just falls off unless held in place, making screwing in the bolt a fiddly process. That same bolt hole is a standard 3/8in one for use with other stands but EPOS doesn’t make its own stand you can buy nor a compatible pop shield, so you’ll have to search out for 3rd party ones that work.

Also odd is that there isn’t really enough clearance for the USB-C cable between the mic and the base, so it gets bent as you swing the mic to vertical. It’s the sort of oversight we wouldn’t expect from a premium option like this.

The final oddity with the stand is that the single-arm swing mount point is very stiff, with the stiffness not being adjustable. Depending on your setup and whether you require quick changes in the angle of the mic, this could be a problem.

More successful are the four controls that again mirror those of the Blue Yeti, with headphone volume and mute on the front and gain and pickup pattern selection on the back. A light above the mute button glows white in normal use and red when the mic is muted. The underside of the mic is home to the USB-C port and headphone jack.

Thankfully, when it comes to sound quality, the B20 impresses. Again like the Yeti, you’ve got a very full, clear sound that has slightly more depth than the Elgato Wave 1 and Elgato Wave 3 microphones but still with plenty of clarity up top. The different pickup patterns also do just what they suggest, making this a very versatile microphone that can be used for voice recording, music production, podcasting, and interview recording.

Using the EPOS Gaming Suite app that’s also compatible with the company’s headsets, you can apply virtual surround sound to the headphone output as well as adjust EQ, add a noise gate, add noise cancellation, and adjust gain and side tone (the amount of microphone input fed through to the headphone output). It’s not all that comprehensive a suite but adds a few extras to make the B20 more than just a basic hardware unit.

Epos B20 pros and cons

Pros

• Great sound quality
• Multiple pickup patterns
• USB-C connection

Cons

• Odd stand design
• Expensive

Epos B20 specs

The Epos B20 specs list is:

Epos B20 price

The Epos B20 price is $150, making it an expensive streaming microphone option, but it has plenty of features for its price.

Epos B20 review conclusion

The EPOS B20 is a very capable microphone that produces excellent sound quality across a variety of different pickup patterns. It’s also more compact than the similarly capable Blue Yeti and uses a more up to date USB-C connection. However, it’s also not far off twice the price of the Yeti without delivering any meaningful extra performance, and its stand/mount system is a bit odd.

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