Blue snowball and ice snowball are among the leading microphone models that tend to confuse buyers when shopping for the best mic for their recording needs. Even while both mics offer excellent sound quality and features relative to their reasonable price tag, they have a couple of differences. Today we’re going to highlight the similarities and differences between them to help you make an educated purchase decision.
Blue snowball vs snowball Ice – Similarities
- Size
The blue snowball and snowball ice look pretty much the same in size and weight. For computers to function properly, they need the same technical specs for the two microphones. This pair is compact and lightweight enough to carry around flexibly without breaking a sweat. They weigh in at just 460 grams with a circumference of 12.8 inches.
- Bit Rate
Bit rate is simply the amount of data a microphone can convey per second. As stated earlier, both mics are virtually identical in bit rate, with the ability to provide crisp and clear audio quality sound like other competing brands. Either model records a standard sound quality of 16 bits and 44.1 HZ.
- System Requirements
Both mics revolve around the plug and play due to USB compatibility. The blue snowball and snowball ice share the same system requirements and can work with either PC or Mac. You should be good to with either model provided your mic is able to meet your computer setup requirements.
Blue snowball vs. Ice – The Differences
- Polar Pattern
When it comes to the polar pattern, the blue snowball presents two pickup patterns with a -10dB to achieve an extremely loud sound. The supposed pickup patterns consist of cardioid and omnidirectional. On the other hand, the snowball ice carries a single cardiod design, which is often a decent option for voice work like podcasts. The omnidirectional option is able to capture sound from all directions of the microphone, and would prove useful when using a mic to pick up a less focused sound.
- Frequency Response
Each microphone sound is unique depending on how it responds to different frequencies. The blue snowball and snowball ice might appear identical from the surface when it comes to frequency response. However, the snowball ice brings more versatility to the table. Besides sharing a 40-18 kHz frequency response, the blue snowball provides three positions for a more customized recording experience all the time. And because the range of sound a mic can capture is directly related to the frequency response, the blue snowball gives you better control over your sound output.
- Cost
Surprisingly, the two mics are very reasonably priced, but the snowball ice is lower priced than the blue snowball. You can find the snowball ice at just $49.99 or even lower on Amazon depending on whether you go shopping when Amazon is running some deal. The blue snowball often carries a $69.99 price tag, which is a good value for money considering the additional features it adds to your project.
Final Verdict
Hopefully, our in-depth comparison of the blue snowball vs. ice will help you make an informed purchase decision. As you can see, there is no much difference between the two save for their polar patterns and pricing. Although the snowball ice churns out excellent performance, it cannot match the blue snowball’s versatility as it gives you a set of three diverse polar patterns that improve your creativity.