Buy the FetHead for most setups: 27 dB against 25 dB, a 22 kohm input impedance that suits a dynamic capsule, and no desk space or second cable. Buy the Cloudlifter CL-1 if you own or might own a ribbon microphone and want the more robust housing, or if your boom arm cannot take weight hanging off the microphone.
The impedance difference is the real one
The gain figures are 2 dB apart, which is a small edge to the FetHead and occasionally a decisive one on a 55 dB interface. What differs more substantially is the load each device presents to the microphone: the Cloudlifter presents a fixed 3 kohms, the FetHead presents 22 kohms.
A dynamic capsule behaves differently into a light load than a heavy one — its damping changes, and with it the low-frequency behavior. Cloud Microphones describe their fixed 3 kohm load as optimized for a wide variety of microphones, which is a defensible design goal: a consistent, known load. Triton's 22 kohms lets the capsule run closer to unloaded.
We have not measured either, and we are not going to tell you one sounds better than the other on your microphone. What is worth knowing is that when people report hearing a difference between these two products, this documented electrical difference is the most likely reason — it is not imagination.
Choose the FetHead if
- You want the extra 2 dB. On a 55 dB interface with an SM7B, 2 dB is a meaningful fraction of the shortfall.
- Desk space is scarce, or you do not want a second XLR cable in the run.
- You want the published response figure — 10 Hz to 100 kHz at +/-1 dB is documented, where the Cloudlifter's is not.
- Your microphone sits on a short, well-supported mount where a little extra weight at the connector is harmless.
Choose the Cloudlifter CL-1 if
- Your microphone is on a long or lightly sprung boom arm. An inline barrel adds leverage right at the worst point.
- You own or plan to own a ribbon microphone and want the more substantial, more clearly documented ribbon-safe device.
- You want a box that cannot be knocked out of its socket mid-recording.
- You prefer a known, fixed load and the predictability that brings across different microphones.
The weight problem, concretely
An inline booster hangs off the XLR connector at the back of the microphone, which is the end of a lever. On a Rode PSA1+ rated for 94 g to 1.2 kg, an SM7B plus a FetHead plus a metal pop filter is getting close to the top of the range. It will hold, but positioning becomes fussier and drift over a session is more likely.
The Cloudlifter sits on the desk and the microphone carries nothing extra. If your arm already sags, this is not a detail — it is the deciding factor.
What else you need to buy
- Cloudlifter: a second XLR cable, because it sits between microphone and interface. Best XLR cables.
- FetHead: nothing.
- Both: an interface with phantom power, which every interface on this site has.
Both boosters in detail
Triton Audio FetHead
Top pickTriton Audio · The most gain in the smallest package
The pick for most people boosting an SM7B or PodMic: more gain than the alternative, in nothing. Choose the Cloudlifter instead if the mic is on a long unsupported arm or if you own a ribbon.
Why it is here
- 27 dB is 2 dB more than a Cloudlifter, from something the size of a cable barrel
- 22 kohm input impedance lets a dynamic capsule behave the way its designer intended
- No desk space, no second cable
What it costs you
- Hangs off the back of the mic, adding weight and leverage to your boom arm
- Nothing to see — no LED, so a phantom-power mistake is silent
- Not for condensers, which need the phantom power it blocks
Cloud Microphones Cloudlifter CL-1
Cloud Microphones · The reference booster, and the safest one
The right booster if you own or might own a ribbon mic, or if you want the version that cannot be knocked out of its socket. If neither applies, a FetHead does the same job smaller and cheaper.
Why it is here
- +25 dB turns a 55 dB interface into an 80 dB one for a passive mic
- Blocks phantom power downstream, so a ribbon mic is safe behind it
- A box, not a dongle — it stays put and takes strain off the XLR connector
What it costs you
- Needs two XLR cables and a spot on the desk
- Costs as much as some interfaces
- Does nothing for a condenser, which needs the phantom it blocks
If neither: the third option
The sE Electronics DM1 Dynamite gives +28 dB — the most of any inline option here — in the same barrel form factor. And if you have not bought the microphone yet, the SM7dB has +28 dB built in and needs no booster at all.