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SteelSeries is probably the only brand in the world that could reveal two gaming microphones out of the blue that look literally nothing like microphones, and then sell out of them immediately. Such is the quality of that brand's audio gear that the Alias and Alias Pro have quickly become two of the most popular and sought-after mics for gamers and content creators. There are - loads - of great USB microphones out there, so for SteelSeries to immediately jump to the top of the pile is a big deal.
For how universally acclaimed these mics are, I did not expect to see the cheaper USB version drop down to budget microphone levels for Prime Day. $119.99 at Amazon (was 179.99) is the amount I'd expect to pay for a microphone aimed at first-time streamers, not something with the mark of quality that SteelSeries gear provides.
Should you buy the SteelSeries Alias?
The biggest reasons to buy the SteelSeries Alias over one of the other best microphones for streaming and gaming lie in its design and its feature set. Firstly, would you just look at this thing? That's not how any other microphone in this market looks. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but regardless of your thoughts on it, I think SteelSeries has made something that stands out from the crowd, and that deserves credit.
There's more than a Sackboy-like texture to enjoy here though, because that material on the outside acts like a pop filter. I'm usually very cagey about not having pop filters on microphones, but I really didn't feel the Alias needed one. Next, its clever LEDs shine through the material, showing you a live monitor indication of if you're speaking too loudly or too quietly. There also appears a red cross to tell you if you're muted, which is very useful in video calls. The capacitive mute button controls that, and the volume/gain dial is a must-have for any mic, in my opinion.
Features are the other big win for the Alias. The standout has to be its noise-canceling, which you might have seen demonstrated in various trailers for it.
I can tell you from first-hand experience that the noise canceling really is that good - not that I've tested it with fighter jets, mind you. Moreover, you can customize your sound profile through the SteelSeries Sonar app, which has to be one of the most conclusive audio applications for any PC these days. Even with bonafide streaming mixers, this app lets you route audio in such useful ways - just keep in mind it will demand to be front and center for all of your PC's audio if you want to use it.
The only drawback I found in using this mic, in truth, was in its live monitoring through its 3.5mm headphone jack. For some reason, I found that this wasn't an accurate representation of the sound that was being picked up by the mic. In my ears, my voice sounded very tinny and cheap, even when using in-ear monitors like the Razer Moray. I worried on first use that that's how the microphone sounded, but when I listened to recordings, it sounded nothing like what I was hearing.
For that reason, that's not a dealbreaker, but if you want a rich live monitor of your own mic's audio, this might not be the best one for you. For a few more USB options, check out the window below.
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