Blindfolded Budget Microphone Showdown!

How much of an impact does brand and price have on our perception of sound quality? Let’s find out with a blindfolded sound test between two well known microphones and two budget mics. All 4 mics were run through the Rodecaster Pro with no EQ, presets, or effects added. Thank you @HeatherJustCreate for helping to run this test!

Mics tested in this video
•Rode PodMic
https://geni.us/EHeTTM (Amazon)
https://geni.us/swpodmic (Sweetwater)

•Shure SM57
https://geni.us/nSJqBA (Amazon)
https://geni.us/swsm57 (Sweetwater)

•Pyle PDMic78
https://geni.us/Q3W0g (Amazon)

•Neewer NW-800
https://geni.us/eb1wVpV (Amazon)

(And to be fair, in my video test of the Neewer, the results were much better, especially after adding in a bit of EQ. It’s definitely the worst sounding mic of this bunch, but I think it generally does sound better than it did in this test. I’m beginning to think mine is defective because it sounds worse every time I use it 🤔). Here’s the full video:    • I Bought The Cheapest Microphone I Co...  

Time Markers:
0:00 - Inexpensive vs. Expensive Mics
1:20 - Blindfold Test Setup & Process
3:10 - The Initial Test
4:22 - “In-Depth Sound Analysis”
6:37 - The Results
7:58 - What Did We Learn?

» Ready to start your own podcast? Check out The Podcaster Playbook, my step-by-step DIY course to help you launch your show!
https://podcasterplaybook.com

———————————————————————
Affiliate links mean I earn a commission from qualifying purchases. This helps support my channel at no additional cost to you.
———————————————————————

——————————— CONNECT ———————————
🎯 Subscribe! http://bit.ly/TEPsub
Instagram & Twitter: @sodarntom
Main Site: https://himynameistom.com
My Podcasts: https://himynameistom.com/podcasts
Patreon:   / tombuck  
Become a Channel Member: https://geni.us/joinchannel

——————————— MUSIC ———————————
•Artlist.io (2 Extra Months Free): http://bit.ly/enthusiasmartlist
•Epidemic Sound (30 Day Free Trial): http://share.epidemicsound.com/enthus...

——————————— VIDEO GEAR ———————————
•Canon EOS R (main camera): https://geni.us/0jnes1y (Amazon)
•Sigma 24 1.4 Art (main lens): https://geni.us/uvi3Fy (Amazon)
•Canon RF 50 1.8: https://geni.us/Zw30tt5 (Amazon)
•Canon 16-35 f4 IS: https://geni.us/h1Ys (Amazon)
•Canon 24-105 f4 IS: https://geni.us/ecnKnN (Amazon)
•DJI Mavic Mini: https://geni.us/Eh92 (Amazon)
•ATEM Mini Video Switcher: https://geni.us/YDcRX (Amazon)
•ATEM Mini Extreme ISO: https://geni.us/CCj5xl (Amazon)
•Elgato CamLink 4K: https://geni.us/vddHN (Amazon)
•Ecamm Live for Streaming: https://geni.us/ecammtom

——————————— AUDIO GEAR ———————————
•Rodecaster Pro (for podcasts): https://geni.us/9MKJ (Amazon)
•Rode PodMic: https://geni.us/EHeTTM (Amazon)
•Rode Videomic NTG: https://amzn.to/2ZKrHTh (Amazon)
•Rode Boom Arm: https://geni.us/shr0 (Amazon)
•Rode Wireless Go: https://geni.us/LvzUSM (Amazon)
•Shure MV7 USB/XLR Mic: https://geni.us/shuremv (Amazon)
•Shure Super 55 Mic: https://geni.us/ulcA (Amazon)
•Shure SM7B: https://geni.us/tepsm7b (Amazon)
•Cloudlifter Signal Booster: https://geni.us/b26l (Amazon)

——————————— LIGHTS, TRIPODS, & GRIP GEAR ———————————
•Nanlite Forza 200 (Key Light): https://geni.us/9Ofr (Amazon)
•Aputure Light Dome Mini (for key light): https://geni.us/vf5O (B&H)
•Falconeyes Flexible LED Light: https://geni.us/j4ENw (Amazon)
•Small Nanlite RGB Tube Lights: https://geni.us/nanlite (Amazon)
•Big Nanlite RGB Tube Lights: https://geni.us/nTwBU (Amazon)
•Aputure MC RGB Light: https://geni.us/IuE4 (Amazon)
•Impact C-Stand for Lights: https://geni.us/k97w66m (Amazon)
•Manfrotto Tripod Head: https://geni.us/tGhCPR (Amazon)
•Manfrotto 055x Tripod Legs: https://geni.us/qMO2 (Amazon)
•Motorized Slider: https://geni.us/mQXB7BB (Amazon)
•Overhead Camera Rig: https://geni.us/grpT (Amazon)
•GlideGear Prompter: https://geni.us/7K04A (Amazon)

———————————————————————
– Who Am I? –

Hi! My name is Tom Buck. As a lifelong A/V nerd, I’m here to help you level up the audio and video quality of your streams, podcasts, puns, and videos. I was a high school Digital Media teacher for 11 years, and I started this channel in 2017 as a project to share my enthusiasm for digital media and teaching others while having fun along the way.

New videos are uploaded every Thursday morning, and more often when possible!

•Read my Ethics Statement about objective reviews, sponsored content, and brand partnerships:
https://himynameistom.com/ethics

———————————————————————
#Microphones #Audio #Podcasting #VideoProduction
———————————————————————
Episode 187: Blindfolded Microphone Sound Test: Cheap vs. Expensive Mics!