When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
Want to sound clear, crisp and professional? Then you need the best microphone isolation shield! Microphone Shock Mount
• Best microphones for vlogging • Best budget microphones • Best microphone boom arms • Best audio recorders • Best wireless mics • The best headphones for video editing • Best DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) • Best teleprompters
The best microphone isolation shield will instantly lift the quality of your audio recording or streaming show. So whether you're a podcaster, a YouTuber, a Twitch creator, a musician or singer, it's a veritable must-buy.
Also known as a reflection filter, a microphone isolation shield surrounds your mic and uses dense and uneven materials to soak up unwanted ambient sounds. It also reduces echo and background noise. That means you'll immediately get clearer, crisper audio, without having to spend a lot of money on high-tech equipment.
Below, we've listed the best microphone isolation shields on sale today, and explain what each has to offer. Meanwhile, if you need to upgrade your setup as a whole, see our guides to the best microphone for vlogging and filmmaking and the best mic pre-amps.
sE Electronics is the industry standard in reflection filters. And if you're serious about your sound, we'd recommend investing in their top-end model, the SPACE Vocal Shield.
That's partly down to attention to detail: each filter is hand-crafted, rather than being mass-produced, making for high build quality and durability. It's partly because of the superior mounting hardware, which allows the SPACE to be easily mounted, with a full range of motion: adjustable and lockable horizontally, vertically, and tilted at any angle.
But mainly it's because it's a great performer, thanks to a large surface area, deep air gaps, efficient materials, and enhancement of sE’s proprietary multi-layer technology. All that adds up to a level of full-bandwidth absorption, isolation, and diffusion that makes your audio just sound great.
The first entry on our list is the best buy for most people, who need to balance quality with the available budget. But if money's absolutely no object, then you'll get even higher-quality results from this premium microphone isolation shield.
Boasting a sophisticated design constructed from a proprietary PET felt, what makes the Aston Halo a cut above is that it offers 360-degree filtering. In other words, it includes vertical filtering layers rather than just being restricted to the horizontal plane. And this boosts the amount of isolation from sounds that bounce off your floor or ceiling. It's also quick and easy to set up, and very stable on mic stands.
If you're low on cash right now, check out this microphone isolation shield from Aokeo. It consists of four panels, including two folding panels. And with its steel construction and inside layer of cotton insulation, it does a solid job of reducing sound reflection during recordings.
The folding panel design makes it very flexible and easy to adjust. However, note that it's not the biggest (at 30.91 x 29.49 x 11.51cm), and so you might need something bigger for your home studio setup. Conversely, though, its compact design, lightweight construction and foldability make it lovely and portable, if you want something to take on the road.
Not quite as cheap as our number three pick, the Sound Shield Compact from Marantz is still very affordable. And what you get for not very much money at all is a professional vocal reflection filter designed to mount to a microphone stand, via its integrated shock mount connector and separate adapter.
Its high-density acoustic foam works well to reduce ambient sound and give you clean recordings. And its two folding metal panels and light weight make it a good choice for using both at home and out in the field. Weighing 1.8kg, it should hit the right balance between portability and stability for most setups.
If you're looking for a microphone isolation shield around the mid-price range, then along with our number one pick, we suggest checking out this fine choice from On-Stage, another big name in the industry.
This vented aluminum surround panel, constructed with a metal frame and a two-inch layer of acoustic foam, mounts securely to your mic's stand, and there's an additional shaft to help you get it to the perfect height (from 0.5 to five inches).
Vocal Booth Foam In action, it does an admirable job of shielding your mic from background noise and sound reflections. And its solid yet lightweight construction makes it easy to transport, set up, and tear down. The only issue is that it's so light, at less than a kilo, that it may need counterweighting, depending on your setup and how much you move around while recording.