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TLDR: Good mic. Has a place in a microphone collection. But not the end-all-be-all. Not necessarily better than every mic under its price for every person and every use case. ---- SM7B is the microphone that many beginners without much audio knowledge buy when they want to upgrade their sound quality. They see many podcasters and streamers use it. But it's not necessarily the best choice for beginners and it's not for everyone. If you're just looking to voice chat in games or stream on twitch, I'd argue it's overkill. Shure's marketing is exceptional and it creates a positive feedback loop. It established an advantage in the 60's to 80's and snowballed from there. And it's easier to convince a company to have a business expense for a product that's from a well established company for 50+ years like Shure, than to justify an expense from a lesser known company. If someone goes on a forum to ask for a mic recommendation under $500, you will see a lot of comments in favor the SM7B. But did all those commenters try a wide variety of mics at that price point? Probably not. They know of the SM7B. More people will have a favorable view of the SM7B than other mics because they've tried it or heard of it. There are probably many mics as good as the SM7B that we haven't heard of or tested? Background Noise. There's a myth that dynamic mics reduce background noise. This is because they're less sensitive to gain and people under-supply them with gain, and the overall output volume is lower. At lower volumes, background noise is quieter but that's because all noise is quieter. The background noise information is still in the signal. A microphone has no way of distinguishing the distance of where sound travels from, or arbitrary things like what noise the user views as essential vs. meaningless background noise. At equal volume, the SM7B will pick up as much background noise as other cardioid mics. But being even less sensitive to gain than many other mics out there. (^ Same logic applies to opinions about it being great for loud vocals because you can scream into it as loud as you want. You can scream into literally any mic, even the most sensitive condesner mic, if the gain is set appropriately) Sound quality. The frequency response is largely flat with a light boost at 5-6k and cuts at 7-9k (which reduce sibilance, but also presence; some people may want that treble in their voice). I'd describe the tone of the mic as neutral, slightly warm, calming and soothing. But there is subjectivity in tone. This tone may be flattering for some voices, but it may not be for everyone. And it would be fallacy to assume that just because it's a $400+ mic, that its tone is automatically better for your voice than any mic under it. Design. One reason why it sounds good on many people is because it's design encourages proper use. The capsule is buried inside of the mic, so you don't get too close and have an excessive proximity effect sub-bass. The windscreen is very generous in blocking plosives. The mic has a swivel to adjust it to face your mouth. But you can do all of these things with literally other any microphone; the SM7B is just more idiot-proof. The truth. Your mic choice isn't the only factor in your sound quality. Your recording environment, mic placement, acoustic treatment and knowing how to use fx plugins are factors too. Getting a higher-end mic doesn't fix these other factors. In many cases, the solution is knowledge; not just throwing money at the problem. Is this worth buying? If you're a professional studio or have a lot of disposible income, yes. It's a no-brainer for a studio; they already have an ideal recording environment, and of course, they're going to buy the mic that many of their clients want to use. But if you only have several hundred to spend on an audio setup and you don't have an ideal recording environment, spend money on improving the environment.

This is the review of the Shure SE215, not to be confused with the SE215LTD which is a variant of the SE215 introduced at a later date. At first Coming from basically using <$40 earphones i did not know what to expect from this. I was utterly disappointed in the how the earphones fit in my ears and how lackluster they sound, i really thought that the sounds quality would have dramatically changed after switching from low grade entry tier audio products. Low bass response, confused mid and highs. Which leads to the next point, after a period of 5 months, i learnt how to use the included foam and silicon tips properly to obtain a great seal, the included silicon tips provided provide a balanced sound and as i would like to rate it 7/10 in terms of noise isolation and with the included foam tips, 9/10 in terms of noise isolation. (Medium sized comply eartips are 8.5/10) After my stock cable was damaged with the right side being faulty, i replaced the stock cable with the FiiO RC-SE1 replacement cables. I found these to be more detailed and less warm in terms of audio quality than the stock cables, with slight but noticeable treble boosts probably because of a higher Silver content in the SPC(Silver plated copper) wires. However, the micro-phonics on this particular cable are downright atrocious. If the stock cables would have 7/10 in terms of micro-phonics, these new replacement cables would have gotten a 1/10. I straight up discourage anyone who gets annoyed easily when music is not playing and the cables rubs with each other. Otherwise, when playing music the micro-phonics can barely be heard and the cable is of great quality and certain to last for a long time. I am going to try out the ATH E40s in a few weeks time and maybe i can provide a comparison of that when i get myself on them :D.

Hello, I recently got a Shure 55 Deluxe mic as a gift, it was pretty ok until I decided to uninstall and reinstall realtek audio drivers to get rid of fuzz in the background, my mic then stopped working and when it worked it was very low. After hours of trying to fix the problem, I did a complete clean install of windows, after setting my new windows up, the problem was still there. I went into settings, I put the microphone volume at 100 and microphone boost at 10db, it was not as loud as it was before, and the mic quality sounds horrible, worse than before, 20db is unbearable it sounds amplified. I installed drivers from the motherboard website too. The problem still persists. The microphone is very good, I have seen tests and reviews online. What the hell is going on? It's not my wires that's for sure, they were working great until I reinstalled realtek audio drivers the first time. Can anybody help me? Thanks,

They are not coming off. Not at all. I used the shirt method they mention here but still, no luck. Any tips? I don't want to destroy the earbuds. oh and anyone recommend any replacement cables?

I'm moving on from my HyperX Clouds (which disappointed me) to either the SE215s or the Momentum "In-Ears" (I say "In-Ears" because I think that they recently received a name change) but it's a lot of trouble to decide between them. First off, the sound. I listen to a wide variety of genres so picking one would be hard but I guess you could say I listen to more "energy boosting" songs... I'll just list a few examples: Alchemy by Mint Potion, a Rhythm and Blues song I'm fond of. Red Like Roses II by Jeff Williams and Reluctant Heroes by Hiroyuki Sawano (Covered by NateWantsToBattle), two, I suppose, rock songs I listen to on a frequent basis. Asgore by Toby Fox (Covered by Lollia), it's an "orchestral arrange"... Neon by Jeff Williams, it's a pretty... smooth song... I should've run a quick crash course on genres... Secondly, the build quality. I really don't care about the best kind of comfort, I'm sure both IEMs are reasonably comfortable to keep wearing for hours but what I'm really concerned about is the durability. Sure, the SE215s have detachable cables but I'm not in the luxurious position to order replacements in case they break. Which is the IEM that can survive a beatdown from an average person for more than 2 years That would be all, just wanna say this again: I really didn't like the HyperX Clouds, they're a wasted investment for me, it was most probably due to the lack of an AMP from my side but I'm the kind of guy who listens to music on his phone as well as his laptop, not just his desktop. Carrying an AMP around shouldn't have to be the way to roll when I want to listen to music. So all in all or... TL;DR: Should I buy the Shure SE215s or Sennheiser Momentum "In-Ears"

About a year later after buying and being disappointed with the HyperX Clouds I've decided to buy some good earbuds/IEMs. I'm currently leaning towards the Shure SE215s but I've heard that RHA has an offering for around the same price of $100. I listen to Rock, Jazz, House, Rhythm and Blues, Electro Swing and Metal. So yeah, what's the best I can get?

Sennheiser Momentum "In-Ears" or Shure SE215s Planning on using the earbuds for more than 2 years. Not at all going to buy replacement parts (obsoleting the removable cables feature of the SE215s). I'm going to frequently stuff the earbuds in my pant's pocket, consequently pull them out frequently, putting a lot of strain on the cable. Taking all those things into mind, which is more likely to survive a longer time?

Hello LTT community! I have an interest in the SHURE SRH440 (upgrading to the fabric cups because of the heat generated by the pho-leather). With this solution I will need to buy the cups, a mic splitter, and a mic (or just a mic with an in-line splitter). However, the Plantronics RIG 400HS has the microphone and the padding already but has cables on both ears, which I severely dislike. I currently have the AKG Y50's but the on-ear (supraaural) design which leads to me having migraines while using them for more than two hours at a time. Instead, the SHURE and Plantronics are circumaural headphones (aka: over-ear) which will be far more comfortable over longer sessions whatever I may be doing. So I pretty much have decided (unless someone wants to change my mind) on going with the SHURE, however I am at a brick wall because while I want good audio quality, it's hard for me to know what microphones could work with this headset. A cheap solution would just run a cheap lav mic down to a splitter through the headphone cable. However I understand that this has several constraints including audio degradation, hissing, and simply sounding quiet. So I was looking into cheaper solutions like the Mod Mic and found the V-Moda Boom Pro and the V-Moda SpeakEasy Mic Cable. So... Will either work with the SHURE or am I S.O.L.? Thanks for anyone who replies!

Hey everyone! I want to replace my Shure SE215 that just broke. Bought them a few years ago and loved them. Really nice upgrade from Apple's EarPods, which sound quite "muddy" and are just_so_uncomfortable because of the plastic moulding. However, I'm not 100% sure that I want to buy them again, I want to see how things have changed and whether they're still the best for my budget. Budget: £90-100. Source: iPhone, laptop. Isolation: Highly preferred, using these both while travelling/walking and indoors. Type: IEM. Preferred Music: Bit of everything. Focus on stuff from Monstercat, EDM, orchestral music, some pop, and audiobooks/podcasts. What I loved about my SE215: Fantastic sound quality. Relatively large jump from EarPods and other cheaper earphones (I also used to own a Logitech UE 600vi). Great isolation. Really snug fit esp. with the foam tips. I simply cannot wear straight-down earphones any more, I must have an IEM with a loop over the ear for it to feel secure, otherwise I always feel like it's going to fall out at any time. This did the job well. Great reliability. They'd seen a lot of activity, even rain, and held very well where other pairs broke down. The cable is detachable from the earphone (and can be replaced, though I never needed to). What I didn't love: The cable was a bit thicker than I expected. Good for reliability but it could've been less bulky; I could feel the weight (and using a clothing clip to negate that isn't something I want to rely on all the time). Towards the end of life, I could hear some crackling if I twisted to adjust the IEM against the cable. The bend in the loop that sits on the ear also started to feel a little "loose", like it had lost its ability to retain shape. Location: UK. Shortlist: based on some research, I've got it down to - RHA MA750i, RHA CL750, 1MORE Triple Driver, Zero Audio Carbo Tenore (last two aren't looped over-the-ear though so they're probably out). Any advice is appreciated!

Hi everyone ! Does everyone uses Shure's SE535 Series EarPods ? If it is the case, what do you think about those one, if you have more to advise me I'll take it Thanks

Hi. I've been looking around on the internett and let's just say I'm getting quite confused in this situation. I am looking for the best earbuds for about 100 dollars. I have mostly been looking at the sennheiser momentum in-ear and the shure se-215. I listen to Slayer, Cannibal Corpse, Falling in reverse, stuff like that and som K-Pop. What is the best pair in this situation, I've seen a lot of comparisons but I can't decide since I am not a pro at this. If I was unclear about anything please feel free to ask, thank you in advance!

Is there any diffrence between the wired or wireless version of the shure se846?

Just wanted to show off a couple of my racks that we use at the production company. and my 48c board. the first image (labeled rack 1) is what i use for most of our shows now. from top to bottom it consists of the following. power conditioner shure antenna and power distribution unit shure recievers bbe sonic maximizer behringer 8024 dsp presonus rm32ai main amp monitor amp the second image (labled rack 2) is how we used to run our main rack when we were using analog gear. power conditioner bbe sonic maximizer behringer 8024 dsp pra-8 preamp presonus firepod' alesis compressor presonus acp88 compressor/gate/limiter/expander antares atr-1 autotune (only ever used it once. more of a novelty) digitech studioquad patchbay splitter snake that board is the old mackie. we no longer use that at all. it was trash. the 3rd image (labeled yamahaconsole1) I included just for fun, this is my yamaha m3000a 40c. it is a 48 channel analog board and was the first soundboard to have any digital features, its fairly worthless but i collect boards so i have 15 or 20 this is just my newest addition. feel free to ask any questions in the comments.

Hey there people. Just wondering but what XLR microphone do you own and what do you use it for? Thought it would be fun to create a thread on what people use for their recording solutions and such. For myself, I use the following: Audio Interface: Focusrite Scarlett Solo (2nd Gen) Mic Preamp/Processor: DBX 286s Microphone: Shure SM7B This is my setup for anything video or live stream related. Though, I have done a few audio book related jobs in the past. What about you guys?

Hi, I'm busy looking for a microphone for which I can use while I use my glidecam. It needs to have a 3.5mm jack and not a xlr port. My budget is around £120-180ish. I have been looking at the rvmp but heard some bad reviews about them, and looked at the azden smx-30 but it it too expensive and seems overkill. What mic is best to get? Thanks

Hey guys, I was looking for a pair of budget earphones for mostly electronic and trap . I'm deciding between these 3: -Shure SE215 -Audio Technica ATH-E40 -RHA MA750 Which ones are the better choice? Considering comfort, build and sound quality? THX a lot

I know there is like a $100 difference between the two different sets but are the 315's worth an extra $100 for someone who uses earbuds for playback from instruments such as guitar, bass, drums, and piano? Also possibly Tuba and Trombone. They will be used in a professional setting at a studio that some friends and I have just made but they left me in charge of finding earbuds and headphones for us all to use for playback as they think I'm like a technology guru that knows everything there is and can never make a wrong decision.... Main question here is are the Shure SE315's worth an extra $100 over the Shure SE215's in a professional music studio for instrumental playback?

So i just got the SE315, the sound is great when its plugged in to my phone (Note 5) but when i connect it to my pc the sound is very sharp that it makes me uncomfortable listening to it. Is it because of the onboard audio on my pc? Do i have to buy an external dac/amp to solve this problem? Side note: I burned in the shure for 40 hrs and the sharp sound reduces but its still very sharp compared to when connecting to my phone. Also the connection setup on my pc is Rear 3.5mm port > Razer Blackwidow > Shure SE315 Does this affect the performance? Thanks

Hello, I'm looking for a new pair of earphones to buy and I need some advice. I've been using the sennheiser momentum in-ear for a couple of months and I really loved the sound. I liked the clarity and the punchiness of the music, I like to listen to every instrument and be able to hear any detail. The momentum were pretty good at that, unfortunately, I didn't find them really comfortable and and I couldn't use them while sleeping on the side. (I like to listen to music while sleeping). They broke twice so I decided to give them back for the last time and try a new pair. I bought the Shure SE215, and I've been using them for a week now. This is the opposite of the momentum, the shure are super comfortable for me, I don't even feel them when i use them, and plus I can sleep with them no problem. But the sounds.. I didn't really like it. I looked it up on internet and I read a lot of reviews saying the audio was superb, but I didn't really dig it. It felt flat to me and "washed out", I had to be very careful to listen to the instruments on the backgroud and catching little details. I liked the bass tho. I don't know, I just hope someone can advise me here because it seems like i can't find the right earphones for me. My budget would be around 150 €/$ max 200 if it's really worth it. I listen to every kind of music honestly, but mostly I listen to hiphop/rap and Posthardcore Metal (yeah I know two very different types of music but that's what I like ) . Since I liked the momentum I was looking at the IE60 (The 80 are unavailable for now at amazon.it and that's where I have to buy them ). Can anybody that tried the IEs tell me if they're good ? Soundwise? And can you sleep with them on on the side? Thanks a lot to everyone that will answer (or just take the time to read this). If I made some grammar mistakes please forgive me! English isn't my main language.

Hi I am a noob to the audio microphone world. Sorry. I am currently doing a budget film project. I am currently using a camcorder but soon I will be getting a DSLR Camera for recording. Which microphone do you recommend? I am really confused, Shotgun, Condenser, ...? I am mainly going to use it outside and inside to film nature and some dialogue of actual talking. My mic budget is 100-170$. Please help and information about the microphone would be appreciated. Also please teach me the basics. Thanks

Hello guys here are two final options i am choosing from, help me decide. • 55SH SERIES II - 160€ • SM58SE - 120€, btw what is the difference between SE and LCE the LCE one is 5€ cheaper. Will 160€ perform better and if someone can tell me recommended distance for both of this microphones would be awesome. Is 6/12inch while singing and serious recording fine and when chilling on skype with friends 12/17inch 1inch = 2.54cm

Is this microphone stand suitable with Shure SM58 // 55SH or something like that. [ Just want to be sure before i order it today ] http://www.amazon.de/Professionelle-Mikrofonhalter-Mikrofonst%C3%A4nder-Klipp-Montage-Programm-Aufnahme/dp/B00DY1F2CS/ref=pd_sim_sbs_267_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=41nstg4dlyL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR134%2C160_&refRID=1Q1VQDPQND0V2WK0XBD6 And what pop filter do you recommend for SM58? or something like Pro Caster style microphone.

So I got a question for you guys, I got myself a replacement pair of the Shure SE215s and they seem to be updated in the design department compared to the previous pair. The weird thing is that with the new pair they don't seem to be able to output the low frequency punch on my Asus N56JN while on my Nexus 5 they sound exactly the same as the previous pair. To me this is weird as 1. the previous pair did not exhibit this problem and 2. this would be more normal if the phone sounded less good as it should have a better preamp (Is this true?) Does anybody know what could cause this? (it is not volume nor a user-controlled eq)

The title says it all. Which one should I get? I like accurate sound with slightly (not much) exaggerated and accurate bass. I usually use my headphones at home but sometimes I need them at school (at classes/lessons). I walk to school everyday and go to gym very often so music wouldn't be very bad addition. I want my headphones to last looooooooong. So durable headphones I need. Also comfort. I think in ears aren't as comfortable as over ears. (correct me if I'm wrong.) So. There should be a poll above... Tell me which one I should spend my money on. Thank you for reading and answering and replying and... Being helpful. Thank you.

Hi. I want to buy new headphones. I already asked similar question on Head-Fi and as you may or may not know Head-Fiers hate Beats. So: I want headphones that are durable (will last at least two years everyday use). Comfortable (Can be worn for 4 hours or more. Basically marathon listening). Decent or good sound quality ( Good bass and Clarity). Good looks ("You just don't want to look like an idiot wearing your headphones outside"). Good sound isolation and low sound leakage (...For nine hour flights as example...). As you can already tell by the title: Beats Solo 2 or Shure Se215? Which headphones fit my requirements better? Music I listen to: "All about that bass", No classical, 80's, Disco, House, Pop, Some rock, Mainstream music (Taylor Swift) etc... I know that Beats are not an "audiophile headphone" thats why I am asking this at Linustechtips. I currently have stock Samsung earbuds that has only one working speaker and that's left... So I really need new headphones Also I have heard that Shure se215 cable isn't very durable. And you can't find replacement cables in my country (Finland) Could you tell me which one of those two would you pick? Thank you for checking out my thread and Double thank you for replying and leaving your opinion.