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So you think you can sing? Good luck belting it out at your local bar, karaoke studio, or office party. Given that the coronavirus may cancel this year’s karaoke-fueled indoor holiday festivities, amateur crooners won’t get their chance to shine at annual family gatherings or booze-fueled corporate bashes. A karaoke microphone can help you exercise your vocal cords (for better or for worse) whenever and wherever you want, and without lugging around bulky equipment.
What Are the Best Karaoke Mics?
Whether you’re dedicated to honing your craft from your couch, a park bench, or even a car seat (assuming you’re not driving), some of the best karaoke mics combine portability and ease of use into one handheld device. Unlike larger karaoke machines, an all-in-one microphone doesn’t require a receiver or other special audio equipment, and they’re usually Bluetooth-enabled so you can pull up your karaoke playlist from your phone or tablet.
The only downside? These travel-friendly mics are too small to be equipped with a screen for lyrics — not that you’d need it for those ballads you know by heart anyway (right?) And hey, that tiny phone in your pocket can find virtually any karaoke-ready lyric video on the internet, so there’s that.
Even if you’re just unleashing your greatest hits to a Zoom audience or to family members over FaceTime, the show must go on, so we’ve rounded up some of the best karaoke mics for your next home concert — check out our top picks below.
1. Singing Machine Carpool Karaoke Mic
Whether it’s Michelle Obama, Cardi B, or Billie Eilish, reenact your favorite Carpool Karaoke scenes from The Late Late Show with James Corden with this official mic by Singing Machine. It’s essentially a radio, speaker, and microphone rolled into one passenger seat-friendly accessory. You can tune into your favorite radio station and sing along with whatever’s on the airwaves, or connect to your smartphone via Bluetooth or an auxiliary cable.
This 2.0 version of the Carpool Karaoke mic comes with six voice effects and three sound effects, and also lets you crank up the volume by pairing two mics together for a duet (the second mic is sold separately). If you’re really looking to test your vocal chops, try singing with the official Carpool Karaoke game too.
Amazon
2. BONAOK Wireless Bluetooth Karaoke Microphone
A Number One best-seller on Amazon, this wireless karaoke microphone also functions as a speaker and a recorder — think of it as your own handheld music studio, that’ll get the party started thanks to its colorful LED lights. The Bluetooth-enabled device is compatible with Android and iOS, and you can also pair it with a computer or laptop. It also comes with an auxiliary cable for those who prefer to plug the mic directly into another device.
If you plan on recording your tunes, the mic’s three-layer net helps to reduce background noise. It’s also got a built-in lithium battery that takes just two hours to charge, and it’ll give you about four to 10 hours of play time. We like that you can also plug in an SD card up to 32 GB (not included) that’s loaded with MP3 files so you can play your favorite songs directly from the mic.
Amazon
3. 2049 X50 Cardioid Dynamic Karaoke Microphone
This Bluetooth karaoke microphone can do it all. Pros will love that the mic has a cardioid pattern (which picks up sounds directly in front of it and filters out background noise), so you’ll get crisp and clear vocals through the hi-fi built-in speaker. We’re fans of the professional tuning system that includes auto-tune and the “magic voice” feature that lets you transform your sound with four entertaining effects.
What’s cool is that this microphone can remove vocals from songs played from a smart device, and you can also use the unit to record audio. We also like that you can pair two of these microphones to the same source (say, your smartphone or tablet) for singing duets, but it’s also got a 3.5-millimeter jack if you prefer to hook it up to a device via cable. It’s all packaged in a sturdy metal body, so this mic can probably withstand a few drops, and gives you about four hours of singing time one a full two-hour charge.
Amazon
4. Goodaaa Wireless Karaoke Microphone
Live-streamers will dig this Bluetooth microphone, which the company says is compatible with popular karaoke apps like Yokee and Smule. You can connect it to most iOS and Android devices (including smart TVs), and it’s also got a duet function and reverb effect. The rechargeable lithium-ion battery will last for six to eight hours on a full charge, and we like that the leather handle and metal body give it a sturdy and comfortable feel.
Amazon
