Samson Q9U XLR and USB-C Dynamic Broadcast Microphone with Headphone Monitoring
The Q9U is a broadcast dynamic microphone with two outputs: a male XLR for a mixer or interface and a USB-C connection carrying 24-bit audio at up to 96 kHz straight into a Mac or Windows machine. That means the same microphone works for a solo podcast on a laptop today and a multi-host studio rig later.
- Neodymium dynamic capsule: enough output to work with any mixer or audio interface without external amplification.
- Humbucking coil: reduces pickup of electromagnetic interference, radio frequency interference and hum from other equipment.
- Cardioid pattern: strong off-axis rejection that keeps room noise and keyboard clatter out of the take.
- Frequency response: 50 Hz to 20 kHz, with maximum SPL above 140 dB.
- Zero-latency headphone monitoring: 3.5 mm output at 16 ohms, delivering 38 mW into 32 ohms.
- Onboard controls: mute button that silences both XLR and USB outputs, plus low-cut and mid-presence switches.
- Internal pneumatic shock mount and dual-layer windscreen: isolates the capsule from mechanical noise and minimises pops.
- Zinc alloy body with a steel grille: 0.97 kg of microphone.
Two USB cables (USB-C to USB-C and USB-C to USB-A) and a foam windscreen are included, and no driver download is required.
Buying a USB microphone usually means buying a dead end: the day you add an interface or a second host, the mic has to go. The Q9U avoids that. It is a broadcast dynamic with a male XLR analog output and a USB-C digital output at 24-bit and up to 96 kHz, so it fits a one-person show on a laptop and a multi-host production studio equally well.
The capsule and the noise floor
An advanced neodymium magnet dynamic capsule gives the Q9U enough output to work with any mixer or audio interface without external amplification, which is a real consideration with broadcast dynamics that often need an inline preamp. A wide frequency response of 50 Hz to 20 kHz and a broad dynamic range capture the nuance and natural sound of a voice or an instrument, and maximum SPL is above 140 dB. An advanced humbucking coil reduces pickup of electromagnetic interference, radio frequency interference and hum from other equipment, which matters at a desk surrounded by screens and power supplies.
Digital side
- 24-bit analog-to-digital conversion at up to 96 kHz.
- USB-C, bus powered at 170 mA, with no driver downloads required.
- Zero-latency headphone monitoring on a 3.5 mm output, 16 ohm impedance, 38 mW into 32 ohms.
- Mute switch that silences the microphone on both the XLR and USB outputs at once.
Built to stay out of the way
A cardioid polar pattern keeps the voice front and centre with excellent off-axis rejection and minimal ambient pickup. An internal pneumatic shock mount isolates the capsule from mechanical noise coming up through the desk or the boom arm, and a dual-layer windscreen minimises pops and plosives. Low-cut and mid-presence boost controls give you sound shaping at the microphone, before anything reaches the recording. The body is zinc alloy with a steel grille, 178.5 mm long and 0.97 kg, so it wants a boom arm or stand that can carry the weight.
In the box and on the desk
Samson supplies a 2 m USB-C to USB-C cable, a USB-C to USB-A cable and a foam windscreen. For broadcasting, podcasting and streaming, the practical appeal is that the same microphone can be recorded to a computer over USB while feeding a mixer over XLR, and that the mute button works on both paths.