Audio-Technica AT2020 vs AT2035

What published reviews say about each, where the two differ, and who each one suits.

Summed up from 16 published reviews

Audio-Technica

AT2020

The AT2020 is a durable, versatile budget XLR condenser offering strong value, though room noise, close-placement artifacts, and extra setup gear are trade-offs.

Best for: Budget-conscious home studios, podcasters, and beginner vocalists
Skip it if: You need pristine low-noise capture in untreated rooms

PriceToday's price on AmazonView on Amazon

What reviewers say about the Audio-Technica AT2020

Audio-Technica

AT2035

The AT2035 is a well-built, large-diaphragm cardioid condenser that offers strong value for home-studio vocals, instruments, and loud sources.

Best for: Budget-conscious home studios recording vocals, speech, guitars, and drums.
Skip it if: You require USB, multiple polar patterns, or a more distinctly colored tone.

PriceToday's price on AmazonView on Amazon

What reviewers say about the Audio-Technica AT2035

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Specs side by side

Spec	Audio-Technica AT2020	Audio-Technica AT2035
Connection	XLR	XLR
Capsule	Condenser	Condenser
Best for	Streaming & gaming, Podcasts & voice, Singing & instruments	Streaming & gaming, Podcasts & voice, Singing & instruments
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Boom arm	No	No
RGB	No	No

Rows where the two differ come first.

What reviewers like, and what they don't

Audio-Technica AT2020

Affordable, strong value for entry-level home recording 1 2 3 4
Durable metal body and protective grille 1 2 3 4
Versatile for vocals, acoustic guitar, and podcasting 1 2 3 4
Detailed, usable sound across vocals and instruments 1 2 3 4
Cardioid rejection helps reduce room bleed 2 5 7
Relatively high self-noise can reveal quiet room ambience 1 2 5 6
Close placement can exaggerate plosives, sibilance, and bass 1 4 5
Requires 48V phantom power and a compatible interface 1 6 8
Lacks pop filter, shockmount, pads, and onboard filters 1 2 4 6

Audio-Technica AT2035

It offers excellent value for budget-conscious home-studio users. 1 3 4 6
It suits vocals, instruments, podcasts, and other studio tasks. 1 2 3 5
Its vocal tone is clean and musical, with low self-noise. 2 3 4 5
The solid build and included shock mount suit studio use. 1 2 3 4
It handles loud sources without distortion, aided by its 10 dB pad. 1 2 3 5
Its fixed cardioid pattern limits multi-pattern recording and room capture. 1 2 3 7
XLR recording requires an interface or preamp and lacks USB convenience. 1 3 5 8
Some voices may need EQ, while a capable preamp maximizes low-noise results. 3 4 6 8
It does not match premium models in transparency or feature depth. 1 3 6 7

Ranked in our guides

Guide	AT2020	AT2035
Best XLR microphones	#10	–

Sources

We don't test products ourselves. This page sums up 16 published reviews, read on October 21, 2026; each point above links to the reviews that make it.