Best Microphones For Female Vocals

In this post we will discuss what we feel are the best microphones for female vocals and why. We will look at several options that can vary in price and performance to find the right fit for you.

As a female vocalist who aspires to be a professional vocalist or lead singer; you must find the best mic for female vocals to get the very best performance from your voice.

You could be a fantastic singer; but if you have a poor quality mic, it can harm your performance.

You might have heard the old saying “A bad workman blames his tools”. Well this saying isn’t true for singing.

Getting the right mic for your vocals can make all the difference to become a better singer and nail that live performance.


Best Microphones For Female Vocals

Best Microphones For Female Vocals

Now let’s dive right in. Here are what I feel are 9 of the best microphones for female vocals. I will give you my best overall choice, best budget m

They vary in price, performance, and design; but I am sure you will find a microphone below that will be right for you and take your vocals to the next level.

Disclaimer: Bear in mind that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission.

Shure BETA 58A Dynamic Vocal Microphone (Best Overall)

No products found.

There was no way that a Shure Beta wouldn’t make this list for best female vocal mics. The Beta 58A is one of the most popular mics on the planet, used by professionals all around the world.

The Shure Beta series has been around for decades. The Beta 58 was released in 1989 and then upgrades in 1996 to the 58A.

The Shure Beta 58A is made for the refined voice. The high-output supercardioid dynamic vocal microphone makes it one of the best mic for female vocals.

With the Beta 58A, you are can be assured you are getting a minimum of axis tone coloration, a high gain feedback, and isolation from surround sounds for a perfect clear sound.

The Beta 58A provides you with amazing clarity and volume; a great fit for any singer with a soft or mellow voice. The clear and crisp sound will blow you away.

The Shure Beta 58A is built to last, perfect for any female vocalists who tend to travel a lot from gig to gig.

The rugged steel mesh gives it that strength to withstand knocks, bumps, and dings along the road without every hindering in performance.

I feel the Shure BETA 58A is my ‘Best Overall‘ mic recommendations for female singers. The 58A is the top-selling microphone used by some of the biggest stars on the biggest stages that performs brilliantly.

Not only does it perform well, it’s not too expensive either for around $160 (at the time of writing this post).

This is a very reasonable price, considering some vocalists look at spending well over $1000 for mics.

Any female vocalists who are serious about the voice and performances, this is the one to you should 100% consider.

Next time you are at a gig or wedding, have a look at their equipment; there’s a very high possibility one of the singers if not all of them are using a Shure Beta 58A.

Pros
  • Excellent For Live Performances
  • Long-Lasting Quality
  • Used By Global Superstars
  • Neodymium magnet for high signal-to-noise output
  • Advanced pneumatic shock mount
Cons
  • More Expensive Than Others
  • No On/Off Switch

Sennheiser e935 Cardioid Dynamic Handheld Mic (My Favorite)

No products found.

It would be hard to complete this list without mentioning a Sennheiser mic. A lot of you might know Sennheiser for their amazing headphones and speakers; but their mics are up there with the best.

Sennheiser is a German company renowned for their build and sound engineering. These guys 100% stand behind what they do. With a 10 year warranty with their mic’s, you can be sure of they stand behind it.

The Sennheiser e935 is my favorite recommendation for the best mic for female vocals. I placed this just behind the Shure 58A mainly due to price but I just love Sennheiser.

Sennheiser’s e935 delivers amazing vocal sound and quality and its largely debated online now between vocalists which is better – the Beta 58A or Sennheiser’s e935.

The clarity and crispness of this mic is amazing. The vocal presence of this mic is extremely clear and it does a very good job of picking up higher notes.

The e935 has an improved gain, great frequency response, and an overall great ergonomic design that fits well in your hand.

I particularly like the look of the Sennheiser e935. It’s a very nice looking microphone with its satin finish. Even though the sound is more important, it’s nice to have a sleek looking mic.

There’s a reason so many people who were Shure veterans are moving to the Sennheiser mics. I don’t know about you; but everyone having the same thing bores me.

I like to see some changes in the marker and popularity, it keeps the brands on their toes and forces them to innovate.

The same thing happened in the DJ market where Pioneer was dominating every single DJ booth and main stage gig, and now Dennon has made massive strides and taking on the Pioneer behemoth.

Pros
  • Excellent Quality
  • Amazing For Live Performing
  • Cardioid Pickup Pattern
  • German Engineering Quality
  • 10 Year Warranty
Cons
  • No On/Off Switch
  • Expensive

AKG D5 Vocal Dynamic Microphone (Best Budget Mic)

No products found.

OK, now I think it’s time to add one or two budget microphones for female vocalists. If you are looking for a good mic under $100, the AKG D5 is one to consider.

The design somewhat reminds me of the Shure Beta’s if they had a darker finish. The rugged style with steel mesh that’s built to last. The AKG D5 is a very nice looking mic.

What’s even nice about this microphone is that it costs you less than $100. Right now at the time of writing this post, the AKG D5 costs around $89; which is nicely priced.

The D5 is a great mic for female vocalists, especially any vocalists with a powerful singing voice. I like the built-in dual shocks that absorbs any loud mic handling or fumbling.

The D5 has a lovely crisp clear sound; and it’s also pretty loud with an impressive output; even for a mic under $100 which is surprising.

The only major downside is that there’s no on/off switch on this mic; not a major deal-breaker as it’s not on either of two premium mics I mentioned already, but it’s a nice addition.

If you are female vocalists looking for a clear and crispy sound mic, that you can perform live with while keeping the spending within reason, the AKG D5 is one to consider for sure.

Shure & Sennheiser are very well known microphones for live performing but the AKG D5 does hold its own against the big dogs.

It does a great job of isolating the surrounding sounds in the room; the only thing is you need to make sure your mouth is close to the mic and in front to get the best sound.

Pros
  • Excellent Value
  • Rugged Construction
  • Super-Cardioid Polar Pattern for High Gain
  • Isolates Surround Sounds
Cons
  • No On/Off Switch

Audio-Technica AT2020 Cardioid (Best For Home Studio)

No products found.

Although this post is about finding the best microphones for female vocals; not everyone might need a mic for live performing.

The Audio Audio-Technica AT2020 is one of the best mics for female vocalists who like to record songs or anyone who wants to get a good singing voice at home. It’s also a good fit for anyone who uploads music or covers to YouTube.

What surprised me here is the price. For less than a $100, you are getting an amazing low mass diaphragm sounding mic that can bring the best out of your voice.

The AT2020 offers extended frequency response, wide dynamic ranges, and also its well able to handle high SPLs.

The durable design makes this well able to handy a few knocks and drops. You’d be surprised even for fixed mics how they can be easily damaged.

It must be noted that this is not a USB mic. You need a few connections to connect this to your PC. Not a deal-breaker, but just something you should be aware of as it can cost you an extra $30 or more to sort this.

You will need to buy some extras with this mic. You are just buying the mic itself, it doesn’t come with any cables or mount for your studio desk; unless you buy the podcast edition.

Pros
  • Excellent Value For Money
  • High Quality Sound
  • Great For Home Studio Recording
  • Works for YouTube Covers & Podcasting
  • Durable Design
Cons
  • No USB Input
  • Not For Live Performing
  • Requires Extras Cables & Mount To Use Properly

Shure 55SH Series II Iconic (For Classical Lovers)

No products found.

If you’re looking for one good mic for female vocals but also something that makes you stand out; the Shure 55SH is your answer.

I mean how cool does this thing look? If you are looking for something with a classical style appearance but with modern-day performance, this one is well worth looking at.

I love the cool satin finish of this classical looking mic. The first person to comes to mind when I see these is of course Elvis.

Although it looks cool and stands out; you also want it to perform; and it does just that.

The cardioid directional pattern isolated the surrounding sounds so you get the exact sound you want.

So you don’t need to worry about being too close to speakers creating any feedback problems. For example, If you have monitors in front of you, feedback shouldn’t be a problem.

This makes this a great mic for female vocalists who perform in several types of venues, especially small crowed venues.

If you are the type of performer who likes to move, the mic has a built-in shock-mounted dynamic cartridge to stop any feedback from the stands swinging, knocking about.

One annoying thing is the mic switch. It’s placed in an awkward position on the front that seems practical, but you just need to be aware of it so you don’t switch yourself off by accident.

Pros
  • Looks Amazing
  • Modern Performance
  • Durable Build Design
  • Shock-mounted Cartridge Minimizes Accidental Drops & Knocks
  • Swivel Mount For Easy Movement
Cons
  • On/Off Switch Is In An Awkward Position And Can Be Switch Off Accidentally
  • Expensive

Sennheiser E835-S

No products found.

I’m not trying to make this a Shure and Sennheiser list, but they do seem to offer the best mics for female vocals live I feel.

If you are looking for a good live performing mic and want to spend around $100, the Sennheiser E835-S is a great option to consider.

I like the presence boost and tonal response you get with this mic to create a crisp clear sound.

Again, you can expect nothing but the best from Sennheiser. This is a great mic for any female lead vocalist.

The frequency pick up is great for any singer who likes to move around on stage a lot; even if you are moving off the axis while on stage.

The E835-S is compared to a Shure SM58, with a lot of singers favoring the Sennheiser model.

Shure has been the industry standard for a long time (Mostly the Beta 58A & SM58) but I think Sennheiser is on doing a great job at trying to dethrone them.

The E835-S is the same as the E835 with the only difference being the 835-S has a built-in on/off switch.

I would get the version with the on-off switch. It’s just a handy feature to have and the price is the same.

Pros
  • Great Value
  • High-Quality German Build Quality
  • Internal Sock Mount System Minimised Accidentally Knocks
  • Cardioid Pick-Up Pattern
  • Great Clarity & Projection
  • 10-year warranty
  • On/Off Switch
Cons
  • Not As Good For Recording Live Performances

Shure SM58S (One Of The Best Selling Mics Of All Time)

No products found.

It was only a matter of time before I my was going to mention this one. Compared so often to the Sennheiser E835-S, the SM58S is one of the bests mics for female vocals live.

For many vocalists starting out, the SM58S is a great entry level vocal mic if you are fond of the Shure products.

It’s common for many vocalists to upgrade from here to the Beta 58A which is a little more expensive.

The SM58 is one of the most popular mics ever sold that’s used by absolutely everyone – Singers, rock stars, DJs, comedians and even politicians.

The SM58 is recognized globally for its amazing sound quality, strong durable design and seen on so many stages, especially rock bands.

The mic has an excellent dynamic range that doesn’t get too much feedback; perfect for anyone playing in rock or heavy metal bands that like to get loud.

If you buy an SM58, you will most likely hang onto it for a very long time. The strong durable design, with striking steel mesh, is designed to withstand any wear and tear.

It makes this mic perfect for anyone who travels for gigs. This mic is well able to take a beating on the road and never hinder performance. I’ve seen these things battered and they perform like new.

The SM58S is perfect for any female vocalist who performs live on stage; with its tailored frequency designed for vocals.

The spherical filter minimizes wind and breath pop noise while the cardioid pickup pattern isolates surrounding sounds and focusses on the singer’s vocals.

This is a great mic if you play is small crowed venues with very little space for equipment. You don’t have to worry about any feedback from monitor speakers in front of you or speakers to your side.

Like some other Shure models mentioned, the SM58S has built-in Pneumatic shock-mount system quietens any accidental drops or handling issues.

If you have a budget of around $100-$110, the SM58S is one you should consider for sure.

Pros
  • One Of The Best Selling Mics Of All Time
  • Excellent For Live Performing
  • Uniform Cardioid Pickup
  • Very Versatile Mic For Any Gig
  • On/Off Switch
  • Great Value
Cons
  • Not As Good For Home Recording

Best Female Vocal Mic – Which One Would I Pick?

If you are looking for one of the best microphones for female vocals and you are serious about taking your vocal performances to the next level; I would go with the Shure Beta 58A or the Sennheiser e935.

These are both built to last; and they will be the last mic you buy for a long time. It’s very hard to separate these two mics.

But, If you I had to choose I would go with the Sennheiser e935.

No products found.

I have two 3 reasons for this:

  • The Look
  • The Build Quality
  • 10 Year Warranty

I love the sleek finish on the mic. The black finish and the metallic blue finish looks amazing I think. When you are looking at this thing every week, I think it stands out a little more than the others (excluding the Elvis mic of course).

Germany is so renowned now for high-quality manufacturing. You can see this in their motor industry with some of the best-built cars in the world being German-made – BMW, Audi, Mercedes.

With Sennheiser, you just can see the build quantity when you hold it in your hands. It’s not flimsy or cheap feeling. It’s attractive looking, durable, and high-quality build to last.

Last but not least, the 10-year warranty. You’d commonly see 1-year and 3-year warranties, but a 10-year warranty. That is just amazing.

Any company that offers a 10 year warranty on anything that costs less than $200, you better believe they know they have built a high quality product.


Final Words

I hope you found this post helpful. If you have any comments, feedback, or feel I left out a good recommendation; please be sure to comment below.

Thanks For Reading.


Disclaimer

Bear in mind that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission.

Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases.

The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.

Follow me!