Best XLR Microphone?

the at2020 is already what you would call a quality mic. sure there are mics which are considered better in quality on the market however you will likely have the same issue you are having now even if you switch mics.

the problem is that when you get a sensitive microphone it will tend to pick up ambient noises. some less sensitive microphones or ones with harsh noise cancelling properties might reduce it however may not have the quality or have issues not found in other microphones. the 2020 happens to be on the sensitive side so although it sounds excellent and picks up small details it can also pick up things you do not want it to if you are not careful.

i would suggest listing what noises you are talking about as well as explaining your setup and how things are positioned. i'll leave a short list of what a good setup should have in case you arent doing this. if you are talking about noises from outside the house which are loud enough to come through the walls/closed windows then you may have this problem with any sensitive microphone and may need to get one with noise cancelling properties at the expense of some quality.

- your mouth should be the closest noise making object to the headphone. if this is not the case then it may certainly pick up other sounds.
- the 2020 is a cardioid microphone so tends to ignore sounds from behind and to the sides but noises that are ambient or too close to the mic may still be heard.
- you should be using a pop filter to reduce wind noise / breath noise
- you should be using a shock mount and boom arm or mic stand to reduce vibration and isolate it from your desk
- noise generating objects such as computers should ideally be as far away from the mic as possible. as far as keyboards if you use a mechanical a non audible click version with rubber o rings installed as dampeners would be the least audible although membrane keyboards are more silent.
- as for ambient noise in the house you could try a mic box to isolate it (box lined with acoustic foam) if it is picking up noise from behind or putting up noise barriers to diffuse some of the noise. this could be as simple as a room divider separating you from the house in some cases.
- mic gain should not be set too high or you will pick up every little detail
- if you live in a noisy neighborhood the windows should be closed when recording or barrier used to diffuse the noise.