Side by Side Comparison of: Rode vs CBI Cables vs Samson Technologies vs Focusrite

Product was received fine. Took about a week before I could use it due to phantom power supply. Tried recording with audacity. Sound quality is definitely good and noise levels are really low (if you do not audio compress and have a proper studio without external noises). Definitely a good mic to use.Found no defects as of yet.

SO MUCH YES! I can't tell you just how often I'm complimented on how clear my mic sounds! A+ for Podcasts, rappers, and streamers.

Wonderful mic for the price. Getting low noise floor and nice sound on my recordings.

Such a quiet mic, no hiss even at the highest dB boost on my board. The quality from this is unmatched for its price. I love this mic!

This package is great. The microphone allows me to record hight quality sound without investing my lifesavings to buy one of those "super high priced ones". If you know want quality my fellow musicians while being smart. This is the package to go with.

Great affordable home studio microphone! I use this microphone almost daily, and it's bulletproof. The sound quality is excellent. The pop filter and shock mount are quality, and I especially like that the pop filter mount is built right onto the shock mount frame.

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 mic by the value.

I am a singer on YouTube and I mix my own songs. In order to celebrate my new sub count, I decided to get a new microphone because my old microphone (The Blue Yeti) picks up too much white/background noises and I get these weird screeches now and then. Anyway, after reading through many reviews online, I decided to get an XLR microphone and so I got this and I'm currently using it with the Scarlett interface. To me, the microphone sounds alot clearer and cleaner compared to the Blue Yeti and I dont hear alot of hums or background noises either. But still, if ur room is untreated, you should still expect some minimal background noises and another thing I also want to mention, is that this microphone could actually sound a bit harsh, flat and nasal to some people (because it sounds neutral like what u put in front of it) but if you know how to use an EQ, De-esser or mix properly you shouldn't have much problems.Overall, for the budget, I highly recommend this microphone for anyone thinking of switching from a USB condenser mic to an XLR cable mic.

grandson loves it!

Solid mic for the money, very quiet, versatile and flexible. Owned this one for just under months now and I can say it's served me quite well in the home studio. Surprisingly, the included pop filter is actually good. Included cable is also of decent quality. Great package for the home-studio budget musician.

Great mic. A little hot but that's OK!

I swear to whatever god you believe in that I've chosen at times to use this over a u87. That being said I'd rather have the u87. It just depends. I'd recommend this mic as a great starter mic for for the home enthusiast. It work well with cheap pres but really opens up with better options. It pairs well with grace in my humble opinion.

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.

I like how it records, but when there is a lot of moist in the air it stops working correctly.

I really wanted to like this mic, but there was too much floor noise/background noise. We have 6 other mics we regularly use in our studio, and were excited to use this mic. We also have a quite few other Rode mics for different uses, but this one failed to meet expectations. The price was so good, I really wanted to like it, unfortunately it wasn't great for our needs. I could see this being an adequate mic if you needed mid-entry level pro voice over recording.

its only teeth one side

I had to return this item because it was defective. I heard a Tinging when I spoke. Noise Floor testing so tinging, just when voice came thru. I called a music shop to ask about this sound, they said it was the mic. It started malfunctioning in less than 3 weeks. I rarely used it. Just be aware.

Cons:After the glittering success stories people had with this microphone, I gladly purchased one to add to my microphone collection. Only 3 hours after it arrived, I had it boxed up and ready to return to seller. This microphone claims to be the 'quietest', yet there were uncontrollable noise levels impeding through the microphone. I changed the xlr...nothing changed. Changed the power outlet of the preamp to avoid any grounding issues and still no good. Turns out, my $100 MXL 909 is the worlds QUIETEST microphone when compared against the Rode NT1A.Pros: Besides the noise issues in the microphone, the frequency response of the mic was fantastic. Very good presence in the mid range, with a gentle 1K boost. Really like the tonality of the microphone. Unfortunately I was not willing to sacrifice a good sounding vocal to high noise floors.Conclusion:Try a $100 MXL 909. Beautiful mic for the extremely LOW price. It will save you time and headache.

I don't mean to put this mic down at all, but I bought it hoping to improve upon the Shure SM58's I had on hand, as well as some older, rather cheap condensers. The SM58 is a workhorse dynamic that does quite well in a variety of situations. Unfortunately, the NT1-A did not perform much better, if any, in a recording environment. Other than being extremely sensitive to background noise, the audio quality was similar, which, believe me, is not a bad thing. It just didn't have a richness I was hoping for.

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.

This item arrived on today. I was excited until I opened the box. I paid for a new Rode NT1a microphone. This item appeared to be a B stock item. The items were not sealed in plastic and the mic cover was worn. I'll probably be returning it for that reason. I want a new unopened product.

I would like to state right from the start that I'm a recording/mix engineer, so my review is based on several factors.#1: Ease of use.I give the mic 4 out of 5 for ease of use. It doesn't have ANY buttons/switches. This includes high pass filters. The only reason that is an issue for me is the fact that I have to add a high pass filter in the mix. I would much rather get it right from the source rather than "fix it in the mix."#2: Build quality.The mic gets 5 out of 5 on build quality. According to Rode, the microphone is manufactured in Australia. When you hold the mic, it doesn't feel cheap at all.#3 Noise floor.I give the mic a 3 out of 5 for noise floor. They advertise the mic as "The world's quietest microphone." It's true that it's a very quite mic, however what you need to take into account is the fact that the vocals will be quite as well, not just the room. I have to turn up my preamps to a significantly higher level to get a strong vocal signal than I do with other LD condenser microphones. If you have a cheap preamp, you may not get very good results this way.#4. Sound quality.The mic gets 1 out of 5 for sound quality. I hate to break it to you guys, but the mic sounds cheap without a ton of eq'ing. There is a very unnatural buildup of mud in the 200-400 Hz range. After I EQ the mic, I generally have to add a multiband compressor to the mids. The mids are really unbalanced... The highs sound tingy and harsh. If you buy this mic, I hope you are very familiar with De-Essers. This is a VERY VERY sibilant microphone.Long story short, this mic takes a lot of work to make it sound somewhat professional. If you want a much balanced sound for not much more, take a look at the Audio-Technica AT4040. At the time of this review, you can pick this up on Amazon new for $299.00If you already have the mic, check out getting it modded. Look up oktavamod. This will make the mic sound AMAZING.

Mic XLR connector doesn't last long

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.

Dont buy it from amazon! When i hear it through my headphones it sounds fine but when u play it back it sounds horrible and has a bad hissing sound to it

This particular microphone gets high marks in the recording industry. JUST DON'T BUY IT FROM AMAZON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I purchased this product in 2011 and now I finally get around to using it and it's noisy as a subway and drops out if I say a "T" word. This mics claim to fame is its quietness. Now I go to RODE website and the very first thing I see is a huge warning disclaimer saying they won't offer any tech support for mic purchased through, you guessed it. AMAZON!!!!!!!!!! Money down the drain. I wish I had open this mic back when I purchased it to increase my chances of a refund. BUYERS BEWARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have only had this mic since April and it's already broken.

This is a good product but don't buy the one from Warehouse Deals. It was missing an important piece to mount the shock mount to a boom stand. I waited to long to need to hook it up and now I have to replace the part, since I can't get my money back. Rip-off.

This microphone brand has a great reputation, but the ones being sold by Amazon.com are defective. I bought this microphone a few months ago, and was very excited to use it. I connected this mic to my m-audio m-track plus and then connected everything through Garageband. I got a lot of distortion feedback, but could not hear myself or the track, except for in my headphones. My Macbook Air picked up the mics signal, and the phantom power was definitely on, but nothing I sang recorded. After endless tries, going to different friend's setups to figure out the issue, everyone just came to the conclusion that my mic is defective. By the time i figured it out though, Amazon would not let me return the item. I'd recommend to everyone to NOT buy this mic, especially from Amazon.com because it will most likely be defective.

Broke within 2 weeks of having it!! Not worth it!!!

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...