Should you buy the Earthworks Icon Pro? The big question is whether it’s worth paying quite so much for. At $499 for the XLR version and $349 for the USB version, it’s quite an expensive mic.

But the company also produces XLR models intended for professional and prosumer customers priced at $1,000 and higher. Now, it's meeting in the middle with the Blue Ember, an XLR mic that will ...