Blue Microphones Compass Premium Tube-Style Microphone Broadcast Boom Arm with Internal Springs, Desktop Clamp and Built-in Cable Management for Recording, Gaming, Streaming, Podcasting - Black

I originally purchased the Rode PSA1 Swivel Mount Studio Microphone Boom Arm in 2012 and used it with my Blue Yeti microphone. It was very reliable. Earlier this year I was looking for a new boom arm and saw this and decided to try it out. Here is my comparison of both products. I am using the Blue shock mount and a pop filter in addition to my Blue Yeti microphone. Installation Installation for both products is very easy and quick in that you just clamp it to the edge of your desk. Between the two I would judge the base of the Blue boom arm to sturdier than the Rode. You screw in the shock mount on end of the boom arm, screw in the Blue Yeti into the shock mount and the clamp the pop filter to edge of the shock mount and twist it until it is in front of the microphone. I was able to attach the Rode boom arm to the back side of my desk so it will be out of the way when not in use. I was not able to do that with the Blue boom arm because I just could not get it to adjust to being in the right position when recording so I had to attach it to the side of my desk. This means it will get in my way when not in use as I move things around on my desk. Overall for installation Rode wins because it is not in the way when not in use. Adjusting Placement For Rode, you just grab it and move it where you need to have the mic placed for recording. Once you get it placed you have to let go and hope that it does not automatically start to retract due to the weight. Sometimes I have to position it, wait for it to rise, reposition it and wait for it to rise and reposition it until eventually, it stays in place. For Blue boom arm, it has three joints that you can rotate to move the mic into position. They all have a knob that you twist to loosen for it to move and when you have mic positioned then you twist it to lock it in place. Adjusting these knobs can be a challenge. But once you have the mic in place it will not move. I do 4 hours of podcast recording every Sunday and it stays in place the whole time. Overall for quickly positioning the Rode wins but you have to fidget with it. If you want the positioning to be permanent and stay there then the Blue wins by a wide margin. Cable Organization The Rode boom arm comes with some velcro straps that you can use to gather cables and then put the velcro strap over the boom arm. You get two straps to attach the cable on both halves of the boom arm. Blue, on the other hand, includes a slot built into the boom itself for the cables. Since it is built into the boom itself the cables are completely hidden from view. If you are on air when recording this is an extremely nice feature because the cables do not distract from your image on the screen. For Rode, the cables are very visible on the screen. Overall Blue wins this hands down Overall User Experience I had my original Rode boom arm for 5 years. Eventually, it got to the point where it sagged from the weight and I had to purchase a second one in 2017. I have had the Blue arm for less than half a year. I was satisfied with the Rode arm so much that when I needed to replace it I purchased it again and didn't even bother comparing any other product. When I started a new podcast as well as recording training videos I decided to get a new setup so it was consistent in color. (My original Blue yeti mic was silver and shockmount was black). I got a new black Yeti mic, black shock mount and realized they made a boom stand. After reading the reviews I decided to invest in it. I have been beyond pleased with this setup compared to the Rode. Knowing everything that I know now if I had to start over again I would purchase the Blue boom arm over the Rode hands down.

As of May 2019 this is arguably the best looking boom arm on the market. It looks better in person than any picture or video can show. The desk mount is very sleek and modern giving it style but allowing it to do its job - being a secure, sturdy mount. The hinges are well designed as well as the cable management slot is a thought out idea, it's not just Velcro tie downs. It can support mic's (w/ or w/o shock mounts) that weigh more than the advertised 2.4 lbs. The only downfall to this boom arm is the tighten rods have a plastic cap so you'll feel like you're going to break something if you go too tight BUT there is a design feature built in to help with that. There is a tension screw on the bottom (next to the pivot rod) of the arms base that allows for spring tension adjustment. You can find out how to adjust the springs tension via the owners manual. TLDR; Very good design making it the best looking boom arm on the market. Most negative reviews are due to a strong spring tension but that can be adjusted via a design feature on the arms base.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Logitech Compass Premium Tube-Style Microphone Broadcast Boom Arm is a game-changer for creators, and it has transformed my recording, gaming, and streaming experience. The build quality is superb, and the tube-style design with internal springs gives it a professional look and feel. It’s robust and built to last, which is crucial for daily use. The built-in cable management is a thoughtful touch. It keeps my setup tidy and eliminates cable clutter, ensuring a clean and organized workspace. The desktop clamp is secure and stable, and the microphone arm is highly adjustable. It allows me to position my microphone exactly where I need it for optimal audio capture. Whether you’re a content creator, streamer, or gamer, the Logitech Compass Boom Arm is an invaluable addition to your audio setup. It brings convenience, stability, and a touch of professionalism to your recordings and broadcasts. Highly recommended for those looking to elevate their audio game!

I've owned this arm for almost three years now. PROS 1. Looks great. 2. Smartly designed cable management channel works very well! 3. Silent! Great for if you need to make small adjustments and don't want it to get picked up on mic (and you will need to make tons of adjustments). CONS 1. Fails in its primary task: Holding your microphone up. 2. Incredibly difficult to tighten. 3. Is not sturdy enough to hold to one position, requiring LOTS of micro-adjustments. I've owned this microphone arm for a very long time, and since the beginning it has more or less failed to work adequately, but it has only gotten worse as time has gone on. It used to be that it would sag about an inch after adjusting it, but would "settle" into place, so you could adjust it slightly too high and let it slowly sag into a position you actually found workable. Not a good time, but I could live with it. In order to get it to even lock into position this way you'd have to break your fingers trying to tighten it into place, because the "hand tightened friction hinges" as they call them are very uncomfortable to tighten down, and you'll have to tighten them 3x further than you'd expect to get them to function. There's a screw on the underside that you can adjust, but it is imprecise to say the least and does not seem to make much of a difference past a certain point. I've used this mic with a Blue Yeti, an Audio Technica AT-2035, and a Shure SM7b, and it fails to hold any of them up adequately unless you leave the first joint sticking straight up. I've heard other people say it's the middle joint that fails, but for me it's the longest/strongest one at the base of the arm. If I leave it sticking straight up, it will hold, but this position really only works for my Blue Yeti, and even then I don't find this useful for Streaming, maybe a podcast where you don't need to be on your computer much, but having a huge mic like a Yeti coming in from over the top of my head blocks all view to my monitors and is a pain. With the Shure SM7b, this isn't even a workable position, so I need it to stretch out to come in below my mouth, and from this angle the leverage makes it impossible to stay in place. This has only gotten worse with time, and at this point despite the $100+ investment, I have to throw this mic arm in the trash because it won't hold up my microphone at all anymore, and no matter how hard a tighten it down, it will immediately sag until it drops onto my tabletop. Completely useless to me. It's a beautiful mic arm and is very tempting to buy, but pass on this one.

Compared to what I have seen on amazon, this is visually one of the best looking microphone arms. It feels incredibly sturdy and the base feels premium with a sturdy base that the arm rotates on. My Shure SM7B looks right at home with it and as one of the heavier mic's it doesn't cause the arm to droop. The little cable route in the center of the arm makes for a very clean look. The only downfall on this as many others have complained is that the springs are I would say 1-2 lbs too heavy. Even with a heavy mic like the SM7B the base spring tends to retract when the arm is pulled too far. The tension locking dials at the joints can't be tightened very much so you are kind of out of luck. There is a screw in the base that can be adjusted, but too much and the plate is real loose. Honestly if they put in slightly lighter springs this stand would be a 5 star. but its so close to amazing. Honestly for the money this is probably one of the best you can buy.

When I originally purchased this, I had the Blue Yeti already on a desk stand or pedestal, and it picked up a lot of vibration and typing sounds, so I wanted to get a arm instead. Right off the bat, I could not mount the arm to my desk. The overhang on my desk is only about an inch (3rd photo) so not enough material for the base clamp (2nd and 4th photo). Mounting it to a secure, level surface is essential. I picked up a table where I could clamp the stand too. I had used a nearby plant stand, but it was unstable and the microphone would swerve 180 degrees. So that being solved, you must attach your mic first and loosen all of the joints, as well as a screw plate at the end of the arm that you insert in the base. There are videos on this and I recommend you watch them. Once you get the mic and arm mounted, following the videos got me in the right place. My biggest issue is the tightening mechanism of the actual clamp. See 2nd photo. I don’t know what they call this, but when you turn that to tighten, it can hit up against what you are fastening the clamp to. It doesn’t have adjustable sliding bar that you can grab onto and turn it in a tight spot. You would want that for a desk mount. If I had another inch of overhang, I would have tried to mount it on my desk, but even then, the tightening knob is fixed so you can’t tighten it in a small area, where if the handle you hold were adjustable, it would. You need about 3” of overhang to get the base on securely and it has to be level. Once I got over that hurdle, and watched the videos, I am very happy with the mount. I can move the mic where I need it and it stays put. I like the sleekness of the arm, and the ability to hide the cord. I bought a longer cord than what came with the Blue Yeti. I loosened the two joints on the arm. I loosened the screw at the base of the arm (not the base it self) before I inserted it, and then I moved the mic into position and then tightened the two joint turns. If you have a table type of desk, this should work fine. My desk didn’t provide enough grab space, therefore requiring me to get another table. That being said, the weight of the stand started to tip over that table, so I added some counterweight. If you have a desk like mine, you might want to have a bookshelf nearby, or a printer stand, something suitable for you to affix the clamp provided.

after years of using it, it hasn't failed me yet. It holds my microphone perfectly in place. There's no noise when moving around and it smoothly swivels to where I want it to be and stays there. I do recommend to tighten it as much as you can, so the mic arm doesn't just lift up when using. This combined with the Shock mount, made a perfect pair. Do keep in mind that the arm has a cable rout that holds the cable with plastic clips that if forced, can break, so be careful with that. After all, I'm satisfied with it.

UPDATE: Amazon shipped a replacement. The second boom did not have the tension issue that I saw with the first. 2 full turns of the bottom tension screw made a noticeable difference in the stiffness of the arm. The middle joint locking mechanism is also able to hold the arm in place instead of floating back up to vertical. I would say that this second arm is working perfectly. Given my first experience and those of many reviewers here, there appears to be a quality issue with the product. If you experience it, a replacement may just do the trick. ORIGINAL REVIEW ---------------------- I have really liked my Blue microphone. Came to a point where I decided to put it on a boom instead of a stand and figured Blue would be there for me with the same quality as the mic. I was wrong. Very wrong. TENSION SCREW My problem with the arm began with the tension adjustment screw at the bottom. This arm has way too much tension even for a heavy mic. I loosened it up about a half turn at a time to check the tension and honestly, 4 full turns later it felt no different. Even loosened significantly, it feels more like a workout device than a boom to hold a mic. CLAMP ISSUES I mounted the clamp (be aware that the plastic key for the clamp sticks out further than the diameter of the socket. In my case that meant I couldn't mount it where I wanted to because the lip of my desk is 2" deep. That's perfect for the top of the clamp, but the key is 2.25" so, I can't turn it as it hits the desk. If you are looking at this bracket, be sure that you have at least 2.25" clearance so that you can tighten it. MID-BOOM JOINT I moved the arm to a less ideal spot to try it out. In this new spot, I needed the second joint to bend. Again, I had problems with the joint being so strong that the mic and isolation mount would just float right back up until the boom was practically straight. Tightening the joint at the base had done a good job of keeping that joint where I wanted, so I proceeded to do the same to the second joint. That didn't go so well as the joint was so strong that I tightened it past the limit of the plastic cover and it still was so strong that it would go straight with everything on it! When I say I tightened it past the limit, take a look at the photo to see what I mean. Essentially, the plastic cap is a socket head for a bolt that runs through the joint. As you turn the cap, you are driving the bolt deeper into the joint. Since the plastic cap isn't traveling down, the bolt gets low enough to pop out of the plastic cap and, you're done. There's no way to reverse the bolt because the socket inside the cap is too shallow. This is a poor design for 2 reasons: 1) The socket inside the cap is plastic despite the fact that it's job is to turn a metal bolt with significant force, and 2) The bolt can be irreversibly driven by the cap to a point where it is too deep to remove. There should be a limiter. CHANNEL COVERS I really do like the channel, but wow those channel covers are finger nail busters! CONCLUSION My mic is back on the stand it came with. I have a $99 boom that's garbage and a shock mount I can't use until I get an arm that works. Perhaps I got a bum one, but from the other reviews here, I am thinking that either it's just poorly designed or there is a bad run of these. I figure an Amazon replacement is going to be from the same lot.