Audio-Technica AT2020USB-X Review

High-quality USB Microphone for Both Recording and Playback

audio technica / AT2020USB-X USB Microphone

Audio Technica's AT2020USB-X USB Microphone that was released in September 2022.
This mic is the polished version of the AT2020USB+, which is synonymous with high-quality USB microphone sound.

Let's start with the product specifications of the AT2020USB-X.

Why the AT2020USB is Different

AT2020USB+ on the left, AT2020USB-X on the right

Things that Have Changed with the AT2020USB-X

At first, I thought the main focus would be on functional enhancements, but the biggest improvement has been in sound quality.
In particular, the playback sound of the headphone jack has immensely improved.

In the case of the AT2020USB+, high-impedance headphones did not sound clean due to insufficient output.

Most monitor headphones are high impedance.

The AT2020USB-X can play high-impedance headphones at a very loud volume.
Moreover, even at high volume, the S/N ratio is good, and the output is clean from bass to treble.
USB microphones also have a weak output with most USB microphones, so I was surprised at the output quality of the AT2020USB-X.
It’s a mystery how many people value headphone output sound quality with a USB microphone, but it is an important factor for song delivery and game playback like FPS.

96kHz/24bit Support

The AT2020USB-X is a USB microphone that supports 96kHz/24bit.
The AT2020USB+ was 48kHz/16bit, so this is an improvement in performance.
48kHz/16bit is sufficient for streaming and telework, but for music production, I often record at 48kHz/24bit.

What does it mean to use 24bit?

Recently, 96kHz /24bit USB microphones are gradually increasing and the AT2020USB-X has adopted this trend.

Mute Switch

The AT2020USB-X has a mute switch on the lower front panel.
It is a touch-sensitive switch that turns the mute on and off simply by touching it.
The microphone is lit blue during normal operation and red when muted.

This is convenient when you want to quickly mute the microphone during online meetings.

Direct Monitoring

The AT2020USB-X features direct monitoring. Direct monitoring is a function that returns the input audio from a microphone directly to the headphones without the need for a PC. The advantage is that there is no sound delay because there is no PC involved.

Monitoring functions such as OBS STUDIO cause sound delays.

The volume of this direct monitoring is adjusted with two knobs on the front of the unit.

First, the knob on the right is Volume.

Turning the volume knob to + increases the volume of the red and green lines in the figure below.

The microphone input volume (blue) will not increase.
Be aware that there is no point in turning up the volume if the other party says your voice is too quiet.

The left knob adjusts the volume balance between the audio from the computer (green) and the direct monitor (red).

It is mainly used to balance the volume between your voice and the accompaniment.
Note that the left knob also does not affect the microphone input volume (blue).
To change the microphone input volume, it must be adjusted on the connected device.
Note that iOS is not included in the official supported OS.。
It’s at your own risk, but it works fine where I have confirmed it works with nana and video apps (confirmed with iPhone 13 Pro).

Included accessories

The AT2020USB-X uses USB-C and comes with a cable and conversion adapter.

The included dedicated stand is also much more stable than the AT2020USB+.

The AT2020USB-X makes it easy to use on a tabletop.
ote that the AT2020USB-X can also be removed from the microphone stand and attached to a commercially available microphone arm.
The AT8455 Shock Mount (sold separately) can also be attached to reduce vibrational noise.

Mounted on a dedicated stand

If you are going to deliver or conference while typing, you should buy the AT8455.
If you just want to talk normally, you only need the accessories.

Reviewing the Audio-Technica AT2020USB-X

Let's review the AT2020USB-X in detail.
To begin, here is a bullet-point summary of its advantages and disadvantages.
It’s easy to understand and it’s a product dedicated to sound quality.
While there are no dedicated apps or effects, both input and output sound top notch.
The only USB microphone with particularly good output is the AT2020USB-X, so it is a very valuable product on a modest scale.

Top level sound quality for a USB mic

I recorded both vocals and speaking with the AT2020USB-X.
The sound quality is very good; I found it to be the most musical sounding of the USB mics.
The voice is good, but I feel the microphone is better for vocals.
When it comes to vocals,
The sound is crisp and high resolution, as if it was recorded with an XLR microphone and audio interface.
It also has a lot of gain to spare.
The sample vocals were recorded at 13% volume.

There is no need to worry about insufficient volume when recording quiet sounds.

The earphone jack has good sound quality.

The AT2020USB-X has a built-in high-output headphone amplifier and the playback sound is quite good.
USB microphones have weak output from all manufacturers, so you can hear a significant difference compared to the AT2020USB-X.
The earphone jack on the AT2020USB-X is even with audio interfaces costing tens of thousands of yen.

The sound is equally as good, if not better than the AG03 MK2.

It is capable enough to make professional-use earphones and monitor headphones sound well.
The sound quality of the monitor is quite important for song distribution and game distribution such as FPS.
A USB microphone with good sound reproduction quality is extremely valuable.

audio technica AT2020USB-X Summary

This was a review of the audio technica AT2020USB-X.
I was surprised at the quality of the headphone amplifier.
Many current USB microphones have been sold for their multifunctionality, so I felt that it has been a while since I have seen a microphone that is so stiff in the sound quality game.

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