Universal Audio SD-1 vs the Shure SM7B

The SM7B Rise to FAME

The Shure SM7B large diaphragm dynamic microphone is probably one of the most commonly seen microphone on social media today. Its adoption exploded during COVID when many took to influencing and other types of work-at-home ventures. It was originally invented in 1973 for broadcasting applications and was based on the unidyne element invented in 1939 which has seen several revisions since.

While the SM7B certainly has the history, does that necessarily mean it is the best broadcast microphone? Does it live up to the hype brought by its presence in social media?

increased competition

Since the time of COVID, many other companies have tried to enter the broadcast market with their own broadcast microphone in an attempt to get a slice of this market. One such company is Universal Audio, who has a rich history of fantastic analogue hardware and more recently, digital hardware with their Apollo and Volt audio interfaces.

In 2023 Universal Audio released a series of microphones to expand their product line. This series included the SD-1 broadcast microphone which looked similar to the Shure SM7B with the exception of location of the XLR output and yoke, and of course, the white painted chassis. Clearly the SD-1 was created to compete with the Shure SM7B.

SM7B vs. SD-1: Which Sounds Better?

The one clear benefit of the SM7B is the less intrusive XLR output that routes the microphone cable parallel to the stand connection. When using the microphone at a desk, this a welcomed feature. Interestingly, this is the only broadcast microphone that has this feature. However, don’t forget that the number one qualifier of a great microphone is sound quality. This begs the question:

Does the Universal Audio SD1 sound better than the Shure SM7B?

Shootout: SM7B vs. SD-1

Below are two multimedia playback decks. Use the picklist to select which items you would like to compare and click the ” START/ STOP ” button to listen. Click the “Compare” button to switch between the two sound sources to hear the differences.