PodMic

So you haven't really said what you use your setup for. "Consumer stuff" could me just about anything that isn't professional, from talking to friends to some casual music recording, so there can still be quite a wide range of needs. With that said, I'll just keep this general: USB is plenty for the majority of consumer uses. The performance of a good quality USB microphone like the PodMic USB is plenty (assuming good microphone placement/technique and that you're not trying to use it for something it just isn't a great fit for). For the average person, I'd say that XLR's big advantages aren't actually the performance. It's the versatility and maybe a bit of better aging as well. Once you've taken the leap to XLR, you've opened up your options to the great big world of prosumer and professional microphones and other related equipment. Not only that, if you want to upgrade or add a specific component, you don't need to replace your entire recording setup. Regarding aging, many professional microphones, especially dynamic ones like the PodMic USB can last half or even a whole lifetime. Even interfaces tend to age well (at least the decent ones; maybe not a bottom-tier one). Not that USB is fragile or expected to fail in a few years, but it's easier for it to not last decades for reasons like wearing out or damaging the USB port. If you've got the money, XLR is a better choice for future-proofing, but as you are probably gathering by now, it's likely not essential. It's really up to you. Regarding the headphones, if you don't mind, I'd go with 250 Ω whether or not you get an interface because you can always get a headphone amplifier. It is worth pointing out that not all entry-level audio interfaces have good enough headphone amps to get a lot of volume out of the DT 990s (remember that impedance doesn't determine how much dB per watt you get, sensitivity does; impedance comes into play because that will affect the maximum wattage you'll be able to pull out of a headphone amplifier). Regarding an interface, don't bother if you're going to buy some $50 piece of garbage. At that point, a USB microphone will likely perform better. If you want to consider this option, I'd say have at least $100 available to spend on it, but more would be preferred. My personal recommendations for entry-level audio interfaces are the [MOTU M-Series](https://motu.com/en-us/products/m-series/), [Foscurite Scarlett 4th Generation](https://focusrite.com/scarlett) (preferably the 2i2 or better since the Solo has a weaker microphone preamp which can be an issue with some dynamic microphones), [Audient iD range](https://audient.com/id-audio-interface-range/), or the [Solid State Logic SSL range](https://solidstatelogic.com/music-and-audio-production/ssl-audio-interfaces). Within these product lines, typically the performance between models is very similar or the same; you mainly get more I/O with higher-end models. As I pointed out, the Scarletts are an exception as the Solo has significantly weaker preamps (it didn't get an upgrade for the 4th Generation like the other models did), plus it lacks other useful for beginner features that the higher models have, such as auto gain and clip protection. Since you did mention headphone usage, I'd probably lean towards the M-Series as they have very competent headphone amplifiers for entry-level interfaces. Finally, as another commenter said, you might want to get the PodMic USB either way. You can start with a USB connection and if you find yourself wanting to move to XLR in the future (for example, if you start doing work with a DAW, which might work better with an interface and ASIO drivers or if you just want to take that step up), you can do so without needing to buy a new microphone. The XLR performance of the PodMic and PodMic USB should be identical or at least nearly identical (I have tested the similar Shure MV7+ and MV7X and can confirm the XLR outputs on these mics have identical performance). I hope this helps!

A dynamic desk mic will fix both problems you mentioned Clothing noise disappears because the mic isn't touching you. Tone shifts from movement are reduced if you stay at consistent distance, which is easier to do when the mic is stationary on your desk For an untreated bedroom the Rode PodMic is the better choice of the three you listed. Dynamic mics reject room noise better than condensers. The cheaper options work fine but the PodMic has tighter pickup pattern which matters more in an untreated space Main trade-off is you need to stay closer to the mic and maintain position, but for solo desk recording that's not really an issue. You'll spend less time editing and more time just recording

I recommend a dynamic mic like the Rode Procaster or the PodMic. I feel that those produce the crispest sounds.

Don't get a condenser. Dynamic mics are far better for spoken word and untreated audio environments. Fine 688, Rhode podmic, shure MV7 are a few of my recommendations. Blue yeti, quadcast all that should be avoided.

I use a [Rode PodMic](https://rode.com/en-gb/products/podmic) - they have a [bunch of arm/stand options,](https://rode.com/en-gb/accessories/stands-bars) run into a [Focusrite Scarlett 2i2](https://focusrite.com/products/scarlett-2i2). Not sure if this fits your budget or might be slightly over, but there are Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas sales coming up, so those might be good times to grab these.

Personally i went with a RODE podmic XLR version, i find it decent. Havn't had anyone complain about it, no background noise issues either.

Rode PodMic XLR with the Elgato Wave XLR.