Electro-Voice RE20
Decades of broadcast service, field-replaceable parts, and a failure reputation close to zero make it the safest long-term owner in the category.
Consolidated from 22 cited sources across 20 outlets
Where the cited sources landed, as we read them
- 1 glowing source
- 19 positive sources
Pros & cons
- ✓ Famously still in service decades after purchase
- ✓ Field-repairable with replaceable parts
- ✓ Design has barely needed to change in half a century
- ✓ The broadcast industry's default dynamic
- ✓ The broadcast standard for decades
- ✗ Extended frequency response can expose sibilance
The sources behind this ranking
We searched the web and YouTube for what has been published about this product, then read the articles, video transcripts and comments we found. 1 outlet wouldn't let us check its link.
Evidence 7 articles, 14 video reviews and 1 community source
19 positive sources
I often recommend the Electro-Voice RE20 to people that want to record vocals in untreated or less-than-ideal rooms. I also find it good to try when recording lead vocalists with a live band playing together in a room. Price-wise, this guy who started recording with Radio Shack microphones would still call the RE20 expensive, but in the great “professional” scheme of things it’s a mid-low-priced mic.Read S Sweetwater Sweetwater · 1M subscribers · Dec 2020
The RE20 is a microphone that will allow you to get into action making music or streaming very quickly without interrupting your creative flow. I hope you enjoyed this look at Electro-Voice's venerable RE20 large diaphragm dynamic microphone. It's a microphone that literally belongs in any studio microphone cabinet, as well as stage equipment. If you're looking for a great voice microphone for broadcasting or podcasts, this is the one.Watch E
Whilst the PR40 accentuates the mid-range frequencies in my voice the EV RE20 is more honest across my audible spectrum. Beyond this my speech is very sibilant which has always been problematic. The Heil PR40 when placed off-axis really helped but they were still an issue. So far at least, the EV RE20 is much better at handling that both on and off-axis.Read R Riffs, Beards & Gear Riffs, Beards & Gear · 434K subscribers · Jun 2026
Um also, this is my personal um RE20 that I've had for many years. Um I stated in a video a very long time ago that this was my personal favorite microphone for my voice. Um it doesn't require any processing on it. I love this microphone so much.Watch 1
The RE20's Variable-D technology almost completely eliminates the proximity effect. You can move around the microphone, back up, or lean in, and your vocal tone remains perfectly consistent. For recording animated guests, fast-moving vocalists, or broadcast professionals who need a completely even tone, the RE20 is practically magic.Read A Andrew Chapman Creative Andrew Chapman Creative · 55.7K subscribers · Aug 2025
Uh ElectroVoice RE20. That sounded kind of Texas Electra Voice. Uh but these are great microphones. Uh underrated.Watch B
The RE20 is the quiet workhorse of broadcast booths, and its Variable-D design is the reason why; it virtually eliminates the “proximity effect” boominess most mics get when you record close. That makes it forgiving for anyone who moves around while reading, or who hasn’t fully dialed in their mic technique yet.Read C CLK Video Productions CLK Video Productions · 20.1K subscribers · May 2026
Now, one thing I got to tell you about the RE20 is that um reason why it's such a legend in in the industry is that it literally invented the FM voice sound. It did. You whenever you listen to FM radio or even AM radio, you listen to a DJ talking, it's got a really sultry voice. Sounds really good, smooth, warm, very comfortable to listen to.Watch T
The RE20 is a professional-grade dynamic mic known for its smooth, neutral tone and excellent background noise rejection. Its Variable-D design eliminates proximity effect, making it ideal for consistent voice capture in less-than-perfect rooms.Read P phototristan phototristan · 18.7K subscribers · Oct 2012
In fact, I was recently reading a website where a bunch of podcasters got together and they did a poll um and did sort of blind tests and you know compared the RE20 versus a lot of other popular microphones and the RE20 really came out on top in terms of uh you know having the best sound. They compared it to microphones like the Hy PR40 and the Rode NT2A and a whole bunch of other microphones and you know the Electrovoice RE20 came out on top in terms of uh you know how good it sounds. So all in all I'm very happy with the ElectroVoice RE20.Watch P phototristan phototristan · 18.7K subscribers · Jul 2022
So, once again , here is the Electro-Voice RE20 in matte black. It was originally only available in a beige-gray color, but in the last few years a matte black version has appeared, and I think this is a direct response to the demand of streamers, who are now appearing in the frame a lot . You know, before, such microphones were only used in studios, on radio, etc., and many of the people were not in front of the camera. But now, in this day and age of video, there are a lot of people in the frame, so black, I don't know, maybe fits in a little better .Watch P phototristan phototristan · 18.7K subscribers · Jul 2022
So, again, to summarize, this was my long-term review of the Electro-Voice RE20 microphone. Truly a great microphone and worth the money.Watch H Home Brew Audio Home Brew Audio · 15K subscribers · Nov 2016
hi this is Ken from home brew audio recently i did a review on a microphone that I called possibly the greatest vocal mic ever well at least for me it is and that microphone is the RE20 by Electro-Voice. Now I normally I use a large-diaphragm condenser mic my day-to-day Mic. And my go-to mic has been for the last several years the Rode NT2-a and it's still a great microphone. But once I got my hands on the RE20, I ended up buying that microphone because it was so good.Watch J Jack Murray Jack Murray · 4.6K subscribers · May 2026
Now you don't get that benefit with a lot of other microphones, especially condensers, and again the trade off is you switch to dynamic, but with a dynamic, you lose the sound quality that you get from the RE20. It really does sound a lot like a condenser, giving you the best possible vocal sound quality for dialogues, voice-overs, YouTube, TikTok, broadcast, whatever you do. And that's why my choice for content creators is the Electro-Voice RE20. Thanks so much for watching.Watch D Danny Lightning Audio and Reviews Danny Lightning Audio and Reviews · 4.3K subscribers · Jul 2026
I didn't hear much of a difference, but I do think when it just comes to the air conditioner and everything else running in the room, the RE20 did a slightly better job. At least that's what I heard.Watch R Randumb Tech Randumb Tech · 2K subscribers · Dec 2021
The first one, and I'll switch to it now, is the RE20 from EV Electro Voice, I think that's the name of the company . It's a dynamic microphone and it sounds fantastic.Watch C Current Overviews Current Overviews · 644 subscribers · Feb 2026
The Electrovoice RE20 microphone is a broadcast staple that delivers a smooth, natural tone trusted in professional radio and podcast studios worldwide.Watch N NINESIXINDIE NINESIXINDIE · 76 subscribers · Feb 2023
And I do believe that about covers it for the RE20. So in my opinion this is a great mic and a “must-have” for the mic locker. This is a mic that has been around for around 50 years, based on my research.Watch F Fal Gear Lab Fal Gear Lab · 44 subscribers · Jul 2026
One of the biggest strengths of the RE20 is its tonal balance. Instead of chasing maximum detail or exaggerated presence, it focuses on delivering an honest, stable sound that remains easy to work with. Its resistance to room noise and off-axis coloration is another reason it has remained a broadcast standard for decades.Watch
2 stance not read sources
Frequently asked questions
It ranks #4 of 18 on our XLR microphones tier list, in A tier. That placement draws on 22 cited sources across 20 outlets.
None of the 20 sources with a clear view is critical of it. Extended frequency response can expose sibilance.
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