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How Much Does a Microphone Weigh?

An average microphone (excluding lavalier microphones) will weigh around 421g. Different types of microphones, however, weigh differently. Broadcast microphones are generally, the heaviest, while handheld microphones are usually lightweight.

Here is a table that summarizes the average weights of different types of microphones.

Microphone TypeAverage weightMinimum WeightMaximum weightSample size
All421g80g (Neumann KM184 MT)860g (Rode NT2A)81
Dynamic450g170g (Electro-Voice 635 NDB)745g (Rode Procaster)30
Condenser433g80g (Neumann KM184 MT)860g (Rode NT2A)46
Handheld257g170g (Electro-Voice 635 NDB)396g (Sennheiser e 965)18
Broadcast637g383g (Heil Sound PR40)745g (Rode Procaster)8
USB418g254g (HyperX QuadCast)680g (Samson C01)14
Table of microphones’ weights

Dynamic microphones

Dynamic microphones are generally quite heavy due to magnets placed inside of them.

Nevertheless, you will find out that most handheld microphones (most of them are dynamic) are quite low weight as they are intended for use on-stage, averaging 257g.

However, at another end of the spectrum, we have broadcast microphones which average 637g in terms of weight and are generally used within broadcast studios and radios. They do not need to be moved often, so I suppose extra weight doesn’t bother anyone.

Condenser microphones

Comparing dynamic to condenser microphones, a dynamic microphone on average weighs slightly more than a condenser due to the aforementioned magnets within them.

However, you will find condensers to vary from very low-end to very high-end of a spectrum. Some of them are extremely heavy if you include a permanently attached stand.

USB Microphones

USB microphones on average weigh 418g, very similar to what an average microphone would weigh regardless of their type. Most USB microphones are condensers and only a few of them are dynamics.

Also, lower-quality USB microphones often don’t give information about their weight, therefore, you might find information lacking about budget USB microphones’ weight, which most of the time are plasticky and quite lightweight.

You can find most microphones and their weight in this article.

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