Best Microphone Stands

K & M Stand

• Don Makoviney
• Last Updated: September 27, 2020

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Our pick is the sturdiest mass-produced one you can get. Sound guys love them, home studio owners love them, and they hold the heaviest microphones with ease. If you need a great mic stand that won't wear out and will work for everything from vocals, to guitars, to overhead drum mics, the K&M mic stand is the one to get.

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What makes a great microphone stand

A great microphone stand will hold the heaviest microphones with ease. The tightening mechanisms on a reliable mic stand won’t strip out after you use them for awhile.

Actually, some of the cheaper ones are okay as long as you aren’t taking them out for gigs, where they endure prolonged bouts of rough treatment.

This is why professional musicians and sound pros love our pick.

Our Pick

K & M Microphone Stand w/telescopic boom arm

As this worship musician notes, “K&M stands are the industry standard for high quality mic stands.”

User reviews

Eight years on, this customer is still using the same mic stands every week:

I’ve used three of these two to three times a week for the past 8 years and they’re still as solid and sturdy as when I began using them.

This reviewer was impressed with build quality:

Just got this stand and immediately I was impressed by the weight of the stand. Build quality is excellent. I’m using the SM58 microphone with this stand and it holds the mic in place with no slippage. Easy to adjust for all heights even my 3 yr old grandson was able to get to the mic easily. Stable, hard to tip over.

This reviewer liked everything about our pick, from adjustment to rigidity:

After trying some cheaper booms and being disappointed, I finally decided to spend a little more and get a quality stand. The stand is easy to assemble and adjust. The difference in quality is undeniable. It is solid and will not tip over even at full boom. I had a big problem with cheaper booms tipping over. I actually dented one of my mics like this…. Very frustrating. All the adjustment knobs are ridged and tighten very well. It doesn’t start to sag after a few minutes like others. I give this stand 5 stars. Buy this stand once or buy cheaper stands and keep replacing them.

This reviewer likes how the tightening nuts don’t strip out, unlike the cheap competitors:

Much, much higher quality mic boom for only about double the cost of the cheapo ones that will probably strip out after a few dozen uses. The last boom stand I bought only lasted about 10-15 gigs before the bottom tightening nut on the stand stripped out, they keep making them cheaper and cheaper. This K&M costs about double what a bottom-end one costs, and I’m pretty confident based on the quality it’s going to last 10x as long.

This reviewer notes how it holds his heaviest mics with no problem:

This one is the real deal. It holds even the heaviest LD condenser mic and pop filter with no problem. I’ve also used it for dual overhead drum mics, extended all the way up with two SM91’s fully extended. With my old mic stand, I had to put a barbell on the base to keep it from tipping over. This one doesn’t need that and is very solid. These are kinda pricey, but totally worth it.

Budget Pick

On Stage MS9701TB+

You’ll see the On Stage mic stands everywhere on retailer websites, and they’re pretty good if price is your ultimate deciding factor.

I have several On Stage stands and have not had any problems with them. But they primarily sit in my home studio, and I don’t take them out on gigs where they might get banged around.

In fact, over in the Pro Sound Web forums, one studio professional did a head to head competition and would absolutely recommend the On Stage if budget is an issue:

For someone who doesn’t mind spending twice as much, I’d recommend the K&M primarily because of their reputation and I’ve been burned by On-Stage before. For the more budget minded, I would absolutely recommend the On-Stage. I have only had mine for a few weeks so I cannot confirm their long-term performance but based on my observations, I am hopeful.

I have one caveat. I first purchased one MS9701TB from Amazon. It was similar, but not exactly like the 9 or so I purchased a week later from MusiciansFriend. I think On-Stage has updated this stand. The version pictured may be the MS9701TB+ (note the +). Also, Amazon’s price fluctuates depending on your shopping history, where you live, etc (I think). I got the first for $39.99. When I purchased the next group, Amazon’s price was around $47 and then $39.99 again the next day after I purchased from MusiciansFriend.

Conclusion

Either of these mic stands will do the job. If budget is a factor, go with the On Stage. If you’re taking these on the road or live gigging a lot, spend the extra money and get the K&Ms.

Happy playing!

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Tell Me If There's A Deal For This

Originally published: February 3rd, 2016

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