Shure MV7 vs SM7B - A Great Microphone You Won't Buy

FINALLY, this took forever for a ton of different reasons. BUT WE'RE DONE BAYBEEEE. Today we check out the Shure MV7, the SM7B's little brother and see how it stacks up. Where are the compromises? Well, to be honest.....the compromises are kind of slim.....but let's be honest with OURSELVES....does that even matter?

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(Please note these rankings represent my subjective tastes. These lists would change with different applications, so this is a bit of an oversimplification.)

TOP THREE BUDGET CONDENSERS:
🥉Rode NT1 -

TOP THREE BUDGET DYNAMICS:

TOP THREE CONDENSERS

TOP THREE DYNAMICS:

MY CAMERA SETUP:

MY STUDIO GEAR:

MY HEADPHONES -

[williedeuel]

I had this weird suspicion that the "dark" setting in the Motiv app was Shure's attempt at making the MV7 sound more like the SM7b. I made two recordings of myself reading the same poem: once through the MV7 connected by USB and set to dark, and once with the SM7b through my Scarlett 2i2 with no post-processing other than normalizing them to the same volume. Then I alternated snippets of the poem back and forth - and while there's *some* difference it's crazy how seamless it turned out. The bass response and buildup are comparable. Both fought off sibilance equally well. It's shocking how similar the dark setting on the MV7 sounds to the unprocessed 7b. And I'm listening through a great pair of Adam T5Vs. So to anyone who wants that SM7b sound out of their MV7, just connect through USB and use the dark setting in Motiv.

[LTPottenger]

I just got the MV7. Wow, such a difference. Been through several awful low end mics including yeti nano. This thing had me not just talking but even singing passably in just 5 minutes once I got it home! And no bizarre audio sounds like I have been overwhelmed with so often.

[xaf]

He’s right, part of the reason why I decided on the SM7dB is because I love the way it looks, and I like the idea that I look “more official” with one.

[altairferoli]

I was quite surprised in the Blind Test, I was between 1 and 2 all the time, didn't prefer 3 even once

[Effi]

I bought the MV7

The audio sounds good and I love having a microphone close to my face that I also speak into the top of.


I'm also really creeped out at how what you said about us consumers wanting to validate our craft by buying the SM7B hit so hard

[michaelrichardson]

I was vacillating between the MV7 and a few other options out there. I made my final decision to get the MV7 after watching this video. I didn't need the USB option so I went with the more cost-effective XLR-only version; MV7x. I thoroughly enjoy your content. Keep it coming!

[readysetmoses]

I have an MV7 I use to switch back and forth between a MacBook setup where I take all my work calls on a daily basis and my PC which I use for Discord and streaming. The MV7 offers flexibility with the usb/xlr that the SM7B just doesn’t.

[rrtvox]

I have the MV7 and I use the windscreen pop filter from the SM7B as I have seen it suggested many times online. It really does help with the plosives. Your review was very good and extremely relatable on so many levels. At the end, I could totally tell that you were using XLR/USB functionalities simultaneously for the first two mics. It was impressive and they sounded nearly identical to my ears. Thanks again for your review!

[RandomDrood]

My blue yeti broke and I've ordered a mv7 (after watching your video) as I have always wanted to try a Shure product. This seems more than enugh for me and I wanted to thank you for this amazing review, very detailed and well explained. You're a cool dude. ❤

[realsmt]

That end of video explanation of the psychology of the sm7b was intense 😆 I don't think everyone thinks like that. In fact, I have the mic and bought it for plosive rejection, flat tone and as the only mic I will ever need. 90% of the content I make doesn't involve video or with the mic in the frame.

[TommyViper]

I use an MV7 and I have no qualms about it. I upgraded the windscreen to the SM7B version which helps a good amount on the plosives. The problem with beginners and the SM7B is exactly what you mentioned, it's an expensive mic but you'll also need decent gear to power it. So if you buy everything brand new, you could easily run into $800-$1000 by the time it is all said and done vs the MV7 which is good to go out of the box. If you have the equipment already to power the SM7B, then that's a good thing, but I don't think a lot of people realize the financial investment it is. Shure knew what they were doing with this mic. It's definitely built like a tank, but needed a few compromises in order to bring in a lower price but to also ensure that they didn't completely eliminate the want for the SM7B. I could've done without the side branding but you could plastidip it if you wanted to get rid of it.

[Coffee-lifestyle]

you are the best man. The blind test is the only truth how you can hear a difference. I bought at first the MV7+, the next day the SM7B, the day after it was my final decision the MV7+. I could here the difference, I liked both, but more the MV7+. You nailed it!!

[StormPrime]

Listening to your audio comparison at the end and honestly I like the sound of the mv7 idk if it just sounds richer, deeper or something but I like it better

[christianayalacruz]

Holy crap was not expecting those results. I've used the SM7b for every album I've made with my band, and preferred Mics 1 and 2 the whole time, while really disliking mic 3 (of course, the kind of voice talking through the mic also affects the overall quality). Interesting and extremely helpful. Thanks!

[realsmt]

The price difference is truly the only advantage. I don't even think about using USB connections. The mv7 sounds pretty good.

[jasontsh]

Excellent video. I do have two points though. With the SM7B having the capsule set back a few inches, you should've maybe had the mic positioned a few inches closer to you when doing the test, which would've made the sound more full/bassy (proximity effect), and maybe then the two mics would've sounded more similar, tone wise. Also, what settings did you have the switches on the SM7B set to? This may account for the two mics sounding as different as they did, if for example you had the High Pass Filter on, and/or the upper mid boost switched on. From pausing the video at 1:25 it looks like the High Pass Filter IS switched on (on the SM7B), but that may not have been the settings you used when recording the test. Either way, as a recording studio owner who has used SM7Bs thousands of times, that MV7 sounds very good to my ears. :)

[UnbiasedNewsNetwork]

I did not think twice. When I upgraded my studio I went with the MV7. I was using a blu yeti before and can say it was a massive improvement in audio. I had wanted the Shure SM7B for years. But when the time came to upgrade I found out about the MV7. After watching a few videos it became clear the MV7 was the better mic. Not only is it cheaper but it offers more flexibility and in my opinion has slightly better audio quality. As for looks I don't care for the huge Shure lettering on the sides. With that said I do like the look of the shorter canister much more then the SM7B but that's just me.

[sadlemonarts]

I’ve tried many mics before especially since I’m in my university’s studio fairly often. I always hated the way my voice sounded on every microphone they had (yes even the really expensive ones) but when they took out the SM7b and recorded my vocals with no EQ or compression I almost cried because it was the exact sound that I wanted. I have a very high voice with a lot of treble but can sing pretty low and I loved the way my high nights didn’t sound thin like with all the other microphones I’ve used and my low notes sounded full. I’ve never used the MV7 so I didn’t want to risk buying a product that I’m not sure about when I already know what my vocals sound like with the SM7b and am happy with it.

[sarskuma]

this video is something I was watching when deciding between mv7+ and sm7db. so after purchase and testing I came back to offer some insight for others who may be shopping. I am a recording artist who has worked in pro studios for over twenty years. when my music began to make less money, it became far too expensive to pay studio time for my records. I started at home with the mv7 through xlr into my very cheap interface and I ended up with a sound that was actually quite enjoyable, easy to send off for mixing and very clear. The issue with the mic was as a recording artists who already has albums out that sound a specific way with a specific vocal tone, the mv7 was not able to give me that warmth that was required for me personally to achieve the sound i am used to having. I think this could be easily fixed with a better interface or something with more options. for someone who is not chasing a previous sound, I would recommend the mv7+ all day and you will craft a really clean sound for yourself that can be mixed very easily. In the end i ended up with a sm7db and the extra clean gain paired with the darkness of the sm7b is very close to the sound of raw vocals I was paying for from a pro studio with tube mics and amps.

[TheKayakCrew]

Given the extra cost of the SM7B and also of buying an audio interface and cloud lifter, the MV7 (connected via USB) seems the far better value since the difference in audio quality seems to be very minimal to my ears.