Under $30

Neewer NW-8 XLR Condenser Mic Review

Today I review another super cheap OEM microphone from China from Neewer, the Neewer NW-8.

For this review, I have the mic connected directly to the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 2nd gen, with the gain set at 10:00. I have done no post processing on the audio, it is all raw, but the audio was slightly boosted in final cut pro X to simply make the audio easier to listen to.

If you are interested in this microphone, it will set you back $30.00 on Amazon

What's In the Box

  1. Microphone

  2. Windscreen

  3. Shockmount

  4. 5/8" to 3/8" Adapter

  5. XLR to 3.5mm Cable

  6. 3.5mm TRRS Splitter

  7. Documentation

Specifications

  1. Frequency Response: 20Hz - 20kHz

  2. Polar Pattern: Cardioid

  3. Sensitivity: ~-37dB

  4. Impedance: 150-ohms

Performance / Features

The build quality of this mic feels sub par. The body is all plastic with a metal grill. It does have a little bit of weight to it which adds a decent feel to it, but all around it feels like an unreliable, poorly built microphone. 

The frequency response is listed as 20Hz - 20kHz. They did not provide a frequency response graph of this microphone, which is not surprising given the price. Listening to it though, it sounds as though it lacks in the low end as well as the high end, making for a somewhat mid forward microphone.

The polar pattern of this mic is standard cardioid. It does not do a great job at off axis or background noise rejection, and the coloring as you move around the mic changes pretty drastically. 

The overall performance of this mic is about as good as you would expect out of a $30 microphone. If you connect it direct to your computer with the provided 3.5mm cables, it does not sound good at all as there is lots of noise. If you connect it to an USB Audio Interface with phantom power and an XLR cable, it sounds decent. As previously mentioned it does seem very mid forward, but I did not hate it for electric, acoustic, or for singing. For spoken word, the lack in the low end, and the lack in clarity makes this sound like exactly what it is, a $30 microphone. 

Pros

  • Dirt cheap

  • Lots of accessories

  • When connected to USB Audio Interface, it's usable

Cons

  • Not a good build quality

  • When connected as 3.5mm mic, it sounds bad

  • Lacks in low end & high end.

Conclusion

If you are just recording demos so you can hear your song ideas, I think this microphone would be fine. But if you're planning on using this microphone for any form of professional application I believe you should move on to another microphone. 

If you have any additional questions about this microphone, leave them on the youtube video, and I will try to reply ASAP. 

Buy the Neewer NW-8
US: https://amzn.to/2Khy7jl
UK: https://amzn.to/2HsUMLD
CA: https://amzn.to/2r0CAz4
DE: https://amzn.to/2r5j03w

Buy the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (2nd Gen)
US: http://amzn.to/2vDFbzK 
UK: http://amzn.to/2w8O2f6 
CA: http://amzn.to/2wKGKfG 
DE: http://amzn.to/2hbtxsV

FiFine K669 USB Podcast Microphone Review / Test

Today we are looking at another extremely budget USB Microphone by FiFine; the K669 USB Podcast Microphone.

This microphone is listed as compatible with the following operating systems: Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, XP Home Edition or XP Professional and Mac OS and Linux OX.

For the majority of this review, I have connected the mic directly to my mac computer with the computer gain set at ~10%, and the microphone gain set at ~25%, and then boosted +12dB in post. No other processing was done to the audio.

If you are interested in this microphone, it will set you back $25-$28 on Amazon

What's In the Box

  1. Microphone

  2. Permanently Attached Cable

  3. Microphone Mount

  4. Desktop Microphone Stand

  5. Documentation

Specifications

  1. Frequency Response: 20Hz - 20kHz

  2. Polar Pattern: Uni-directional

  3. Sensitivity: -34dB

  4. Max SPL: 130dB

Performance / Features

The build quality of this microphone is what you would expect out of a $25 microphone. It has a metal construction but it does not feel like high quality materials, and it does not feel as though it's extremely well put together. The grill offers minimal protection from plosives, so I would suggest a pop filter. The front of the microphone has a single volume dial, which is a nice feature but has a bit of wobble to it. The USB cable is permanently attached which is less than ideal because if the cable goes bad you will just have to replace the microphone.

The frequency response is listed as 20Hz - 20kHz. When listening back to the audio it sounds compressed/thin, kind of like you're recording over a really nice phone call. Because of this sound profile, I do not think that I would personally use this for anything other than skype, chatting online, or home demos.

The polar pattern of this mic is listed as uni-directional, which means it should mainly pick up audio directly in front of the microphone. However, during the background noise test, it picked up quite a bit of my apple magic keyboard (which is a relatively quiet keyboard).

Pros

  • Super cheap

  • Microphone volume dial

  • No digital artifacts / clicking when gain set high

Cons

  • Audio sounds like high quality phone call

  • Permanent USB Cable

Conclusion

Overall, for $25, I think that this microphone is pretty decent. It doesn't have excessive line noise or digital artifacts, and the audio is relatively clear sounding. However, as I mentioned it does sound similar to a high quality phone call. 

This means I will not be recommending this mic for any professional applications. If you are just going to be chatting online with your friends, or recording preproduction/demos at home, I think this microphone would be perfectly fine. You may be able to get away with this for starting a youtube channel, but you will be pushing it. Other than that I would recommend you look for a higher quality microphone. 

If you have any additional questions about this microphone, leave them on the youtube video, and I will try to reply ASAP. 

Buy it on Amazon
US: http://amzn.to/2kPfq9x
UK: http://amzn.to/2ld4a7R