All condenser microphones have self-noise (inherent noise) due to their electrical circuit. Most of the XLR condenser microphones will have a self-noise within the 5-30dB range.
However, there are some outliers with self-noise as low as 4dB. Conversely, most USB microphones don’t disclose their self-noise levels, but they are usually very high, often above 30dB.
Low-end USB microphones produce lots of self-noise and often are way above 30dB.
If you can’t find self-noise in the specification sheet for a condenser microphone, it’s most likely because the self-noise is quite high and you are better off avoiding buying such microphones.
The quietest condenser microphones are Rode NT1, Lewitt LCT 540 Subzero and CAD Audio E100S they have a self-noise of only ~4dB and are extremely quiet.
What is considered a quiet microphone?
Microphones with self-noise below 10dB are considered to be extremely quiet.
Microphones with self-noise in the 10-16dB range are quiet enough for use in a studio environment and the noise coming from these microphones will be almost unnoticeable.
Microphones with the self-noise of 16-20dB are still solid and can be used in a studio environment, however extra adjustments using software might be required. Or you will have to record at high levels to mask inherent microphone self-noise.
Self-noise of 20-25dB is considered quite high, however, you might be able to use such microphones in a noisy environment without noticing inherent microphone noise.
Microphones with self-noise above 25dB should be avoided as inherent noise will be very hard to mask or remove in post-production.
Some of the quietest condenser microphones are:
- CAD Audio E100S
- Rode NT1
- Lewitt LCT 540 Subzero
- Rode NT1-A
- AKG Pro C414
- Lewitt LCT 440
- Rode NT2A
- Neumann TLM 103
Here is a list of popular condenser microphones and their self-noise levels:
| Microphone | Self-Noise, dB | Price, $ |
| CAD Audio E100S | 3.7 | $500 |
| Rode NT1 | 4 | $269 |
| Lewitt LCT 540 Subzero | 4 | $699 |
| Rode NT1-A | 5 | $229 |
| AKG Pro C414 | 6 | $880 |
| Lewitt LCT 440 | 7 | $269 |
| Rode NT2A | 7 | $399 |
| Neumann TLM 103 | 7 | $1,100 |
| Lewitt LCT 940 | 8 | $1,700 |
| Sennheiser MK 4 | 10 | $300 |
| Neumann TLM 107 | 10 | $1,400 |
| Neumann TLM 193 | 10 | $1,500 |
| AT 2035 | 12 | $119 |
| AT 4040 | 12 | $300 |
| Neumann TLM 102 | 12 | $700 |
| Neumann U 87 | 12 | $3,600 |
| AKG Pro C214 | 13 | $345 |
| Neumann KM184 MT | 13 | $850 |
| Sennheiser MKH416 | 13 | $999 |
| AKG Pro P420 | 15 | $179 |
| AKG P220 | 16 | $134 |
| Blue Spark Blackout SL XLR | 16 | $200 |
| AT 2050 | 17 | $252 |
| AT 4050 | 17 | $699 |
| AKG C 451 B | 18 | $349 |
| Neumann KMS 105 | 18 | $700 |
| Lewitt LCT 240 Pro | 19 | $149 |
| MXL 440 | 20 | $69 |
| MXL 770 | 20 | $73 |
| MXL 990 | 20 | $76 |
| AT 2020 XLR | 20 | $79 |
| Sennheiser e 965 | 21 | $500 |
| MXL V67G | 22 | $95 |
| Lewitt DGT 450 | 25 | $299 |
| Lewitt DTP 640 Rex | 28 | $329 |
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The CAD Equitek E100S has a self noise rating of 3.7dBA, lowest in its class.
True, I’ve added it to the list
What preamp has low enough noise to not add to the 4 dB of microphone self-noise?
From my experience, a pre-amp won’t add any noise, unless it’s a cheap one and you run it at maximum gain. But even a cheap pre-amp should be quiet if you don’t set it at max.