Side by Side Comparison of: MXL vs CBI Cables vs DragonPad USA vs MXL Mics

This is a great starter mic, If your just starting up and looking for some thing real good and cheap, this is the mic to go with.

I bought this way back in 2011 when I was upgrading my studio equipment and still have this mic to this day. I love the quality of it. It gives you a really smooth clear crispy sound. I'd highly recommend it for anyone who is a beginner or is just looking to do some basic recording. And is trying to achieve that super clean sound quality. This is the one!

This Mic sounds great. Really rich tone, I feel like an NPR radio host with that nice bassy undertone. I have a Shure stage mic (ol' standby) and this MXL sounds many, many times better. Also works well for Acoustic guitar mic, just remember to point the MXL logo at the point of sound origin. It's also very nice looking, and has heavy aluminum construction. It looks plastic in the pictures but it's all a metallic-champagne colored aluminum that's very aesthetically pleasing. The spider-mount is a plus for live recording and vibration suppresion, and also looks really neat.Make sure you have Phantom Power via XLR connection on your PA or mixer, this mic requires it.

I use this to record demos and the quality comes out great. This is my first mic and I don't regret the purchase at all. I actually compared this to a more expensive and higher quality mic by recording with both and I couldn't tell the difference at all...maybe because my ear isn't trained that much to hear the subtle differences in mics but I couldn't hear anything different honestly. This works great for recording demos. Just clean up the sound with some reverb and EQ and you're in business.Update 6/15/12----------------This is an AWESOME mic for beginners, but I found that as my recording experience grew, I outgrew this mic and moved onto the Studio Projects B1 microphone and the difference is PHENOMENAL. I actually began recording a track with The MXL mic and finished it up with the Studio Projects B1 and you can hear the difference right away...now I'm having a hard time mixing the track because I have to find a way to reduce the brightness that the Studio Project mic has to match the muddiness of the MXL mic. I will keep this at five stars because this mic has been through so much with me...it's like your first pair of shoes...not the best but at the time they got you through thick and thin. If you're looking for a high quality mic for a low price then you better go to mars or something because it doesn't exist, however this is a great mic for beginners like I once was but the more you record and the more equipment you purchase the more you'll realize this mic's unfortunate flaws and will move onto something better.

I bought this mic for a school project because I needed to make a CD and needed a mic for vocals. This works great for that (just make sure to use a wind screen). Im also the sound tech for my choir class and in the past we have used individual Audix handheld microphones for each singer. However this year we are taking a different approach to mic the singers. We just had an all day gig to sing Christmas songs at all the elementary schools in my town. Ive had some bad luck in the past with using condenser mics for choirs and live sound mainly because of feedback being so easy to get. When setting up for the gig at the schools, I forgot to grab cables to run my EQ so I knew that it was just going to be a wreck. But I decided to give it a try anyway. All of our gigs for that day were in school gyms so that defiantly wasnt going to help with my feedback issues of the past. I used 3 of these mics for a choir of about 25 kids. Ran them into a 6 channel Peavey Mixing board and directly out to 2 QSC K10 active speakers that were used for mains. No EQ except for the 80Hz Cutoff option on the board. I placed the speakers about 10 feet in front of the mics and gave it a shot. To my surprise they didnt feedback AT ALL. Even with the terrible acoustics in the gyms. I was easily able to project the sound of the choir without feedback issues. I was even told by one of the school administrators to turn the volume down at one point. So basically what Im saying is that for the money, these mics are great for many different uses. Whether it is recording at home or micing a choir for a live gig. These mics sound great. We will be buying about 6 more for our spring show in our performing arts center just because they are so cheap.

This mic is definitely sufficient for normal recording, especially if you run it through a vocal effects processor. I plan to get the TC-Helicon VoiceLive 2 here at Amazon eventually (I really love the gender conversion that makes you sound like a good female voice) but right now I have the KORG EMX and ESX as well as the KORG Kaoscullator Pro, and this mic works great when connected to any of those (but of course connected to a phantom power source first, the patched to the Korg devices). The fact it comes in a nice durable case with foam padding impressed me right from he start. Then I hooked it up to the included shock mount and added a pop mic filter (VERY important you use a pop filter because condenser mics are sensitive to moisture from your mouth).The sound quality is far beyond anything I'm used to, but I must confess that I was one of those poor fools who didn't even know what XLR and "phantom power" was -- I only used mics with a USB connection or the 1/8" stereo plug, and they all sound terrible compared to an XLR microphone with 48v phantom power.And even the XLR cables themselves are a dream come true! -- I was always getting so angry with the normal 1/8" cables messing up and then you have to lick them and plug 'em back in, then spin them around to get the sound to work right. (Nobody told me there was another option!) But XLR cables make it impossible for any humming or hissing sounds or disconnections of any kind since they lock in place and never need any toying with. Now I use XLR cables for all my speakers too, and for all the patch connections between my mixers, amps, and musical devices, and it has made creating music so much more enjoyable! Now I don't have to fidget with those crappy 1/8" cables anymore, and there's never any hissing or annoying humming sounds to worry about. And of course I also realized that you can't just plug your music output right in to your computer's sound card and expect to get professional recording that way -- you have to use a box that converts the music to digital and sends it via USB port to the software, and the box should have XLR inputs for mics and 1/4" inputs as well. Only problem is Amazon has so many of those boxes, I can't decide which one to buy. I want the Lexicon since they are masters of high quality sound recording, but some of the bad reviews make me worry. With musical devices, sometimes you just end up with a unit that has manufacturing defects, and unfortunately those people post bad ratings and make it seem like the product itself is to blame.

Quick delivery and product is as advertised. This doesn't have the ability to lock to the microphone or amplifier. I ended up purchasing another one and giving this one away. It slipped out of the microphone easily. I still gave it 5 stars because it wasn't advertised to have the locks. My fault

This is a long, very heavy duty cable for the price. Needed a cord for my microphone/Presonus setup and for the price, this was well worth it. The cable is very thick and feels sturdy. The heads also feel durable and the clip is strong. Doesn't produce any unwanted noise on the receiving end. I would highly recommend this microphone cord to anyone who needs one.`

These seem to be good quality well made cables. I'm a more casual user so don't have them in extreme situations but have found them to do what they say. They allow me to use a heavier cable that provide a bit more shielding than the narrow 3.5 mm extension cables I'd been using before. I used a Rode XLR adapter for my mic with that output and connected it to my XLR mics to route to my TACAM digital recorder.

It's a cable and it works. The quality of the cable feels solid, even after repeated plug and unplugs. The ends are not too stiff but are also not loose. The releases feel good. The cable feels like it'll be best for situations where it won't get moved too much though - I'd look for something a little thicker if it's gonna be in a place where it may get stepped on. For a cheap mic cable this does the trick.

AWESOME !! I ordered 4 of these and used them for over a year with no problems, so I ordered 10 more. Been a very good investment that I would highly recommend. They are a little lighter duty then some of the others but for the price you can't go wrong & I use them not only for mics but also to run from the board to my powered mains & monitors. Only thing I would suggest is grab a small Philips screwdriver and check the tightness of the ends set screws. Buy this with confidence & ROCK ON ! !

So I run sound for a church, needed a few spare medium-length cables, and figured these would work as temporary spaceholders if something broke on Sunday morning... and I'm very glad I did. As far as out-of-the-box impressions, they feel like $50 cables. The cable itself is supple and low-memory, and the ends feel very secure and high-quality. I was expecting something cheap and stiff, with aluminum foil-esque connectors.I've only had these for about a month, but all three are now used weekly as mic cables, and there's no noticeable difference from the older, much more expensive cabling that we already had in place. I will definitely be purchasing more of these in the future.

Great quality way better than my USB Blue Yeti in certain ways, only thing is the audio gets picked up too easily (background audio) unless I'm not using it right ? But for me that's how it is

Now I want to make this clear, the only thing keeping this from a perfect score is the screw. Let me explain. After an abusive 3 years the crappy metal of the screw that tightens the Mic's position turned to dust... simple 4$ fix at home depot. I forget the exact screw size but it was slightly smaller that standard. So with a tiny tiny bit of force I put the new screw in and boom...never break with high quality screw metal.PS: if you get this mic make sure the front of it is facing you. I had this confusion when all of the sudden the sound was s***. But after holding up the mic to a light i saw that this is not a all directional mic and there is a right side to talk in to. Boom fix

This microphone is simply the best for anyone looking to get started with audio recording. The price is right and it's durable enough to put up with improper handling such as small drops or rough plugging/unplugging. The sound quality is fantastic and can stand up to professional recordings. It is also very versatile and will record anything you want to record elegantly.The case itself is nice and sturdy and the shock mount is really cool looking, not to mention functional.Personally, I find myself having to turn the gain up all the way to properly record with it but that might have something to do with me damaging it rather than a factory defect.

If you are all about owning the best in the world-- go pay the price and buy the best.But I can say that for the home recording set up I have (1 or 2 mics into a digital recorder-- acoustic guitar and voice), this is a nice microphone.Upgrading from a dynamic mic, this takes some learning: for example there is a definite recognizable difference in just a 6 inch variation in instrument direction and I think a pop filter would be useful for voice not only for its obvious purpose but to standardize the distance from the mic, as this also has a noticeable effect with only a few inches difference in distance making quite a difference in the presence. A lot of the post-processing I was doing before is now no longer necessary-particularly the bass end has cleaned up a lot and is no longer muddy and the ability to get the songs to sound good on a wide variety playback equipment is much easier now.At its usual price around $100 it might be worth sorting through the others in that price range to see how it compares -- at the $49 price they were selling it for in the sale-- it was well worth just buying.

This mic is...ok. It sounds decent, as long as you have the supporting equipment. And that's the thing. You need a compressor(with gate), and a mixer, and a pre-amp. The main thing is that this is not a plug and play mic, nor is the audio exactly crystal clear. Still, for 60$, I'm pretty happy. My next mic will most likely be the Heil PR40 or the Shure SM7. You do pay for quality with equipment like this. But this is a serviceable option as a starter or backup. Also, starting with a condenser helps you train, as it will pick up mouth sounds that dynamics will ignore.

I bought the MXL990 to replace an old mic that frustrated me with it's hall effect whenever recording. The old mic was used in a sound proof studio with padding so I couldn't understand why this problem existed except for the fact that it was a low-end mic. After receiving the MXL990 I immediately hooked it up and heard a big difference. There was no hall effect and the mic meshed voice with beat effortlessly. I'm so glad I made the choice of purchasing this mic and for what it cost it was a heck of a deal. I would recommend the MXL990 to any aspiring artist looking to take the next step toward professional recording.

It's a little thinner than I would like, but it works just fine. There are other brands that are little thicker and I like them more.

I'm not a sound expert, but this seemed to work fine. We bought it for a portable bluetooth speaker we have, and it worked just fine. I wouldn't recommend for any serious recording or events, but for small stuff its great!

I'm a semi-pro in the audio field, and these fit my need and budget. But I can see they're definitely not the high-end quality you might want for high-end, frequent use pro setups. For the average setup, they're fine.

For a cheap XLR cable it works great. The design puts a lot of tension on the cord, which can be problematic depending on how and where it's setup for how long. Other than that, its a XLR cable that works like a XLR cable.

The cables feel nice and sturdy they don't feel too too tight on the connections they go in and out of the ports fairly easily and feel like they have a good solid connection. I know you get what you pay for when it comes to these things but for my purpose I just use them for some studio monitors at home for 5 bucks you cant beat the quality! I have used them for a couple months and not a single issue from them. They are a little long for my purpose but hey at 5 bucks again you cant really get a better deal then that.

***UPDATE***This cord has unexpectedly failed after 3 years of very light indoor studio use. The one I compared it to was the Pyle, and it is still working. I don't know if this is because it got used more or not, but considering how light my usage was I did decide to knock a star off - primarily because the other XLR cords I got all still work and they are also inexpensive. Not trying to be too hard on the little guy, I know I can't expect much for $5, but hey when your competition is doing better than you, that means you have room to grow. It was a bit sudden, I actually thought it was my mic or soundboard so I was very pleased when I discovered it was just the XLR cord that had gone out. There was no warning, and it didn't seem to matter the amount of twisting I tried to do to get static or anything out of it. This was with a phantom powered mic tho, so maybe with a passive mic I would have gotten some static or something.***END***I got this XLR cord along with a second one that was similarly priced. I didn't know which to get, needed 2, and figured I would take the opportunity to figure out which is better.The other cord I got was the Pyle PPFMXLR15 15 Feet XLR Male to XLR Female Microphone Cable.This cord is longer, and the cord and connectors seem to be more durable and stout. I also have noticed it seems to stay latched in better than the Pyle cord.Overall this cord in every way was a better cord, but it's still a budget XLR cord. The ends don't look serviceable if they develop a short/open, and the cord isn't quite as thick or lay as flat as my expensive cords. That's to be expected though. This works exceptionally well for booming which is why I got it.

This mic is cheap for a reason. Because it's really not that great. I don't mean that sarcastically I am telling you this as an experienced voice actor of over 23 years. Accomplished singers and voice actors know of something called self noise. Microphones produce that noise in the condenser from phantom power. Anyone that is involved specifically with vocals / voice work or singing needs to get a mic that really has low self noise. This mic does not. A good rule of thumb is if the advertisement for the microphone doesn't mention low self noise the mic likely doesn't have it. For those working out of the home studio spend at least $300 in soundproofing getting good acoustic foam bass traps for the corners to really soundproof your recording space. But that isn't enough! The other must have is a microphone that has low self noise. I happen to know for a fact this microphone has a high self noise rate. If you are someone looking to record audio books or medical narration for example that is a real problem considering those don't have music so you only hear voice and voice only. Obviously if you are purchasing this microphone to record musical instruments this is not that big of an issue for you. But if you are looking at using this for anything vocal voice do not buy it - spend the extra money and buy a $300 or more microphone that has low self noise - the lost jobs will total way more then the price difference.

First, I bought this mic as a donor. I stripped it bare and used the body and frame to build up a much nicer mic using a custom omni/cardoid capsule, a custom capsule mount, and a custom PCB I stuffed, soldered, etc. I built the mic for double duty as a recording and radio mic. The results are nothing short of awesome. I have a multi-thousand dollar quality mic with less than $500 in it including the c-note I dropped on this donor. The mic body and shock mount were professionally powder coated flat black to match my Heil boom (also purchased via Amazon) and the rest of my studio.... The champagne color is simply awful...Here's the not good part... The T-screw in the shock mount pivot point is super cheap pot metal and will not hold the mic position securely without twisting in half... mine did. AND the through hole side of the shock mount pivot snapped off even before that... also cheap casting...Now, I have a mic and no mount... and I refuse to rigid mount a condenser mic or hang it by the cord... That would be criminal.IF you purchase this mic, and it's decent enough for the money, DO NOT place ANY of the price on the utility of the shock mount... It is garbage.Now I have to go find a quality shock mount that will properly secure AND fit the MXL-990 body. And I can't finish testing and/or use the mic til I do.

This microphone is what I would consider an entry level microphone. For doing podcasting and making your youtube videos it is great. Of course a condenser mic is going to pic up much more background noise. That being said if you use audio editing software like audacity or Adobe you can remove that noise with ease. The construction is solid. That being said, please do not think this is a mic to use to break into the voice over biz.

Ive had this mic for some time now and it just plain works. I wouldn't call it a good studio mic but for general usage (dj or some vocals) it does it job.

i ordered this mic a few months back for my studio hobbyist pleasure. while the mic its self is prefect for my needs the shock mount needs some work the retention screw on the arm does not hold position at all after a few days it is useless

I bought this mic so that I could record narrations for projects for my audio production course. I agree with other reviews that state that the sound is a bit muddy, but that's easily corrected with EQ. It's a good beginner mic, just remember to buy a pop filter for it.

This cable was cheap and it shows. Yes, it does work; but, I fear using it outside of my home studio. This is not a cable you should bring on stage for a show. Nor is it one to have in the path of other items. The casing feels very thin and not sturdy. As I stated, it does work...it just does not seem durable.

The cable connectors are made with very cheap materials. The plug does not come out easily, I felt like I as going to break it if I pulled too hard. The connections were also not balanced, this cable had a lot of feedback when plugged into the speaker. I don't recommend using this cable for professional use.

I bought these for about $5. Originally, they were about $25 and I have seen them at our local guitar shop for the same price. They are cheap, they aren't the highest quality but I think they'll last for a while and are worth the $5 that I paid for. If you want something of super high quality don't buy this product. But if you want something cheap and decent quality these are it.

best 4 use 2 b left on equipment u keep cabled up i think. the xlr's don't seem 2 b good enuf quality, 2 withstand repeatedly plugging in & out .they work fine so far w/no noise but i handle them very gently when unplugging. they r not up 2 the quality of the kirlin cables.

The cable itself is decent at best. The connectors feel kind of weak.The biggest issue, however, is the fact that this cable does NOT work with phantom power. I have tried several condenser mics, and this could not supply phantom power to any of them. I brought this up to a professional audio recorder, and he had the same issue with this same brand before.It works very nice with dynamic mics, but don't buy this if you hope to use it for mics that require phantom power.

I like these cables because they work properly and they appear to be relatively durable. I did not like that they arrived in a bag with oil on them and the bag, and it took almost an hour to clean off the 2 cables and then my hands (and they still smelled of it slightly). I would buy these again but have a pair of gloves I didn't mind getting dirty on hand.

The high mids in this mic can make your vocals sound unnatural. Especially when applying a high pass filter. It has a great bass sound but not much more to offer after that, especially for "harsh" vocals in music. It is nice for beginners though. I will be returning it.

This microphone, while looking really nice, started out being really good sounding in my studio. It very quickly however developed a really harsh buzz, followed by complete cutting out (no voice transmission at all for a few seconds at a time, followed by a loud popping sound). Ultimately, I had to put it away and use my MXL 770 instead. I like the deeper, warmer sound of the 990, but it's too flaky to trust.

Cheap quality.

Purchased this microphone to record vocals. Sound quality isn't inherently bad, even when compared with more expensive house-hold names. It contains the normal characteristics of an inexpensive condenser microphone (i.e. bright high-end, however that is nothing that can not be controlled with the use of an equalizer). Where price reductions become truly apparent is in the build quality of the microphone. It only lasted 3 months before failing. You would be smart to avoid this microphone. As always, you get what you pay for. If you are looking to buy a usable condenser microphone, set your budget at $150 or more.

The arrival time of the product was fine but when we received it there were no instructions enclosed and we had to go online to figure out how to connect it to our laptop. There was also no cord to attach it to the laptop so we had to make another purchase which took a longer time for us to get to using the product we bought. When we finally had all of the parts the microphone didn't work and it was so disappointing for my daughter. I don't think the description of the item was detailed enough and was very misleading to someone purchasing this item. You need to be more specific when describing what is included with the microphone, especially when you think you will be able to use it as soon as you open it up. Would be wary of buying used again.

Too much hype here. Not as crisp and clear as some reviewers suggest.This microphone is an ok hobbyist tool. But it is anything but something to use for more than that.Notes:1) Emits a foul sharp odor that smells like burning plastic. Sometimes, makes me want to choke and cough.2) You have to direct your voice into the area above the label else it sounds "lost"3) Has a tinge of a deep, lower bass sound from it.4) For vocals, if you have to hit a loud note, it breaks up miserably. You have to back off the mic a good 12 inches to avoid this. And it sounds really horrible.Overall a decent microphone for the price. Well built, sturdy construction. Nice extra with the shock mount. But you get what you pay for.Update 1/2/13:Backing this down to 2 stars.The shock mount screws as they sit into the shock mount ring will no longer fit as they worse out. I can no longer use the mount with a mic stand because the outer ring wore out.

Defective cable: melted insulation in the middle, exposed wires.I tried to leave a positive review explaining how this was resolved (kudos to Amazon) but it got rejected as not meeting Amazon guidelines.Go figure.So we'll just leave it at "defective" and "not returnable".

Maybe it works maybe it doesn't. It isbunder the frequently bought together for a Tyler PA system I got that. It is the wrong connector for that system and useless to me but they don't do returns. Feels solid and female end attached well to my mic then I discovered there was no input foe the male end. 2 stars since they don't allow returns.

When I purchased these cables I expected them to be higher quality heavier duty cables, especially with the made in America banner across the bottom of the page. Instead I received cheap looking cables clearly stamped made in China. I either ordered the wrong cables (because I didn't get what I thought I had purchased) or was sent the wrong ones.

This cable is made very well and very nice and long. That said, I didn't think I would have any complainants when I originally purchased this cable. I did have a problem. Whenever I touch or adjust the cable near the mic, it makes a very loud buzzing. The buzzing stays on until I adjust it back perfectly. I WOULD NOT recommend this unless you are never going to touch the mic or just be up for it. Good luck!

One of the 4 wires I bought went out the same night of use. The second wire, doesn't lock onto microphone vut still works. I haven't even open the other two wires I bought. Price is great for the poor product I received.

Here's the thing about XLR cables. If they work, they work and you never notice them. If they don't work, they create more of an issue than you can dream. I purchased 2 CBI cables and received them within the appropriate time line and they were well packed. However, as you will see in the photos below, one of the cables was absolutely a terrible cable to send out. The connectors were covered in some sort of sticky mess and the Phillips screw was completely stripped out on of the connectors. Terrible terrible experience for me. I will attempt to return this cable and receive another from the company.

Does not have the sound that it should have.

Before I had this mic Ive always used USB microphones for studio recordings. I am by far more impressed with my old USB microphone than this condenser mic. I found the quality of this mic to be very muddy, it sounds like you threw a blanket over the mic after you listen to your recording. Ive been messing with this mic for 6 months now and I gave up on it. While recording I found I had to stand back about 5 feet from the mic for it to pick up a smooth clear voice, which is unacceptable if your a rapper. If I had one good thing to say about the the MXL 990 is that it sounds fantastic if your looking to record using an acoustic guitar. With that being said, if your serious about quality and clarity when it comes to singing or rapping, just keep looking. This mic I assume, would be better for podcasting. The MXL Studio1-USB mic is what I have used before and it has great clarity and sound.[...] If you want to hear the great sound of the MXL Studio1-USB mic. check out my youtube video/song using this song. Sounds super clean.

We can't get the microphone to work. I bought it for my son for Christmas who lives in another state. He called amazon and was told I have to call since I purchased it! He even went to Best Buy and talked to the Geek Squad to see if he needed additional equipment. We still dont' have it working!

Its very muddy like everybody else said do like i didnt and listen 2 them this mic is very clear but ima rapper and this mic did no good for me

I bought this mic, it did not work. I sent it back and got a replacement, it still did not work. That is all.

The connector is cheap and has an intermittent connection that makes noise through the speaker when you move around. I had to replace this with an expensive one. The low price isn't worth it.

Defective cable. How did manufacturer's Quality Control pass it?

great cable! so far, no hums or hisses. Not the most heavy duty, but what do you expect for the money?!EDIT: after only one use, and a few months of sitting around, it has developed a hum. Very disappointed!

Do Not waste uour $5 here unless your goal is to buy tthe most toxic smelling cabble at the cheapest price. I was so dissappointed i put mine strait in the waste basket for the trashman rather than bother to return it. Dont make the same error.

These cables are jacketed with an awful compound that offgases heavily. In other words, they smell really bad. As soon as I took them out of the bag my friend across the room commented on the smell and we had to open the window. They worked, but I had to put them back in the plastic bag and move them into another room.After I put the cables away my hands smelled like the cables and I felt the urge to wash them immediately.I am not a squeamish person. I can recognize when a problem is minor enough to ignore. This smell can't be ignored. Don't buy these.

Used these for my home studio figuring they would get light use. They sounded Ok but the main problem with them are the connectors don't snap snugly into the receptacles so the contact isn't secure and the sound cuts out! I couldn't believe it but when I compared it to my better quality cables, lo and behold the better ones snapped in tight creating a good contact and no dropout of sound. This was the problem I had with the connection directly into the mike. Wiggle the cord and the sound drops out intermitently. They are too small almost as if they are below the industry standard. They are unusable in my opinion, so by a couple if you must since they are cheap just to see but beware...