MIC SCORES 

This is the mic score archives!  While it may take a while to get ALL the mics I have reviewed on this page, it shall eventually be done....so without further ado, here is the scoring system.

Each mic test category will be graded on a 1 to 5 scale - with 5 being the highest grade obviously.  Then the score will be averaged out for a composite grade.

The categories are: 

Build Quality / Plosive Rejection / Off Axis Rejection / Self Noise / Overall Sound Quality  / Price                       *Accessories can earn mic an extra 1 or 2 points depending on quality.

Audix VX5      ($249)

Build Quality - 5    This thing is literally perfect for a handheld condenser

Plosive Rejection - 4    Considering this is a condenser, this was pretty good but not perfect of course

Off Axis Rejection - 4    Solid for a condenser

Self Noise - 2      Listed at 26d...OOF...but I have to say I didn't notice it

Overall Sound Quality - 3     There is something about this that left me wanting more

Price - 3     Kinda high for what it is....I feel like you are paying for build quality over sound

Overall Score - 3.5     I feel like some voices will benefit from this...but not the majority

Saramonic SoundBird T3  ($299)

Build Quality - 5     Gold plated XLR with charge port INSIDE it, and the rest is great too

Plosive Rejection - 3      Defaulting to a 3 cause shotguns don't focus on that..and provided windscreen is great

Off Axis Rejection - 4     Very good for a condenser, and yes, shotguns are better at this

Self Noise - 4      Considering it has internal power, its impressive

Overall Sound Quality - 5     The dark flat mode, the presence boost and the low cut all sound great

Price - 5     I think this is an absolute steal at the price

Accessory Bonus - 2       The case is nice, the mounts are nice, windscreen, xlr, what a package!

Overall Score - 4.6     The 2 highest score here to this point.....Saramonic Shotgun Mics

Fifine Amplirocket USB ($59.99)

Build Quality - 4     The mic is metal and the shock mount is solid plastic

Plosive Rejection - 1     Awful, just awful

Off Axis Rejection - 4     Very good as dynamics typically are

Self Noise - 2     It was not overly quiet, which is a big reason I don't trust usb mics

Overall Sound Quality - 2      Not the worst dynamic iv'e heard but its simply not good

Price - 3     Sound quality is half the battle, and this didn't do it for me

Accessory Bonus - 1     A boom arm, shock mount, and ok cables gets this a small bonus

Overall Score - 2.8

Avlex DV75         (Used $25)

Build Quality - 5      This is highly impressive build wise, all the way down to the capsule suspension

Plosive Rejection - 3    Surprise!   Another 3

Off Axis Rejection - 4     Very very good

Self Noise - 4     Very quiet

Overall Sound Quality - 5     Hard to find dark dynamics....especially for this cheap...but here it is

Price - 5      A dark well built mic for $25 or less...give me this over the xm8500

Overall Score - 4.3     This is a very nice option on a tight budget if you can find one on the used market


Shure PE56D        (Used $25)

Build Quality - 5     It's a Shure...it feels like a slab of steel

Plosive Rejection - 3     I almost should just not include this, as most are 3's ...but we must

Off Axis Rejection - 5     STELLAR

Self Noise - 5     Literally quiet as an alpha male in a romantic comedy film viewing

Overall Sound Quality - 4     Really solid and highly above average for a dynamic

Price - 5     If you can find this, there is little to no reason to pay $100 bucks for those other Shure mics

Overall Score - 4.5    A fantastic option for your mic locker at a great price used

Oktava MK-319  (Used $99)

Build Quality - 2     I wanted to give this a 1....the switches are junk, body is microphonic, but its not a neewer

Plosive Rejection - 3     Above average for a condenser

Off Axis Noise Rejection - 2     Slightly below average for a condenser

Self Noise - 3     Listed at under 14db, it's FINE but just FINE, no issues.

Overall Sound Quality - 4     The resonance with a loud voice is the one thing holding this back

Price - 4     Build quality being better would've gave this a 5

Overall Score - 2.8     With a little work put in..maybe some foam added inside, this could be a 4

Saramonic SR-MV2000  ($79)

Build Quality - 3 -   Plastic but solid plastic.  Nothing to worry about but also nothing to brag about

Plosive Rejection - 4     Really good and dang close to a 5

Off Axis Noise Rejection - 1     Not much "rejection" to speak of

Self Noise - 2     USB Mics are rarely quiet

Overall Sound Quality - 1     There are too many good sounding mics in this price range for this to get higher

Price - 1      This is too expensive for the build quality / sound quality combo.  Sadly the rest is solid

Overall Score - 2.0     To get beaten by the Galaxy Audio GA64C is....not good

Fluid Audio Axis  ($249)

Build Quality - 4     The grill is the only thing keeping this from a 5...MXL soft

Plosive Rejection - 4     Above average, which will always get a 4

Off Axis Rejection - 3     Very solid for a condenser, just nothing out of the ordinary

Self Noise - 3      Listed as 16db which is a tad high....though I could not hear it...at all

Overall Sound Quality - 4     A really nice smooth sound for a bright mic

Price - 5     This is a really fair price for a smooth clear mic with the FANTASTIC accessories

Accessory Bonus - 2     The mount, the case, and the XLR cable are premium, and the pop filters nice

OVERALL SCORE - 4.1     This is definitely an above average mic for its price range, & extras are perfect

Kelisiting RGB USB ($48)

Build Quality - 3     Metal and plastic hybrid, and while not SOLID it doesn't feel in danger

Plosive Rejection - 4     It is hard to find even better than average in ANY mic, and this slightly is

Off Axis Rejection - 3      Solid but nothing special

Self Noise - 2     Not noisy ALL the time, but occasional noises happen

Overall Sound Quality - 3     Not a high score but its high enough to surprise

Price - 4     Nothing to be upset about here considering the features described in the video

OVERALL SCORE - 3.1     A respectable score from something that looks like a no go

Saramonic SoundBird V6 ($499)

Build Quality - 5 -     The build quality is all metal and HEAVY....this thing screams quality

Plosive Rejection - 3     It's not the worst I have heard, and definitely not the best.  

Off Axis Rejection - 3     Seeing as this is a condenser, this is not a surprise.  It's just OK

Self Noise - 5     It is not listed, but i literally cant hear even a LITTLE fuzz.

Overall Sound Quality - 5     Hard to say this often, but at $499...this thing is a steal.

Price - 5     As stated above...it's a steal at what is MUCH less than shotguns of its quality

Accessorie Bonus - 2     The accessories are top notch here, from the windscreen all the way down to a small XLR...this is a great package in a fantastic moisture proof carrying case.

OVERALL SCORE - 4.6     If you watched the video, this score should make sense, as I loved it.


Lekato K380S   ($70)

Build Quality - 3     It's "good enough".  Not cheap but not premium feeling

Plosive Rejection - 3     Just average like 95% of other microphones

Off Axis Rejection - 5     Just wow...was not expecting THAT.  This is a great 2 person podcast setup.

Self Noise - 3     The wireless setup introduces potential noise, and I heard bits of this on cheaper interfaces

Overall Sound Quality - 5     Really impressive for what it is...honestly, better than most dynamics

Price - 5     There are a LOT of these dual wireless mic setups, but this is the best ive used at any price.

OVERALL SCORE - 4.0     This is a great score for something this cheap with this many use cases.

Audio-Technica MB4000C  (USED)

Build Quality - 2     It's metal but....its light and it doesn't feel like it can take a pounding (That's what she said)

Plosive Rejection - 2     It popped on pretty much every "P" albeit light pops

Off Axis Rejection - 4     Pretty dang good!

Self Noise - 3     It is just OK.  If I had to guess id say its in the teens, but sadly can't find it listed

Overall Sound Quality - 3     It's not great and its not bad

Price - 2     This is a discontinued mic, and typically runs between 35 and 60 used...there are better options

OVERALL SCORE - 2.6     An average score for an average mic

Fifine K658 USB Dynamic ($120)

Build Quality - 3     It IS metal...mostly.  The gain dial is plastic, the metal is on the cheap side.  It's fine though.

Plosive Rejection - 3     Even with the wind screen, it's just average here.

Off Axis Rejection - 4     Pretty solid thanks to the dynamic capsule and the build.

Self Noise - 4     For a USB, I found this to be incredibly quiet

Overall Sound Quality - 4    I need to run this against the Samson Q2U, cause it deserves a shot.

Price - 5     No matter if you get this for $99 or $120...it's a really good value

Overall Score - 3.83     Despite the sub 4 score....this is a great option for the casual creator...simplistic

Saramonic SR-BV1 ($149)

Build Quality - 5     This thing is built exceptionally well from top to bottom (YOKE MOUNT!)

Plosive Rejection -4     Better than your typical mic, but of course....not plosive proof

Off Axis Rejection - 3     It's just OK

Self Noise - 3     Dynamics are typically quie-ish and this is very average for a dynamic

Overall Sound Quality - 1     The most important aspect...and this fails with it's cheap capsule

Price - 1     The build is great, but who wants to pay $149 only to need a different capsule?

Overall Score - 2.83     IF this was a LOT cheaper...it would be a nice mic to throw a good capsule in

Samson C05 (Used)

Build Quality - 4     No issues outside of it being SLIGHTLY on the light side

Plosive Rejection - 3    Solid but nothing special

Off Axis Rejection - 5     For a condenser...it is fantastic

Self Noise - 3     It is not super quiet but also won't cause issues

Overall Sound Quality - 4     For what it is and how cheap it can be had (20-30 bucks) , I can't complain

Price - 5    You will not see this pushing 75 dollars...if you do...be patient and keep looking

Overall Score - 4     This is what obscure mics is all about...finding a solid mic for very little cash

Fender P-51  (Used)

Build Quality - 5     Feels very Shure like, with good weight and great metal

Plosive Rejection - 4     Much better than the average mic

Off Axis Rejection - 5     Absolutely killer at cutting out side and rear noise

Self Noise - 4     Most dynamics are going to be low noise and this is no different

Overall Sound Quality - 4     This would be higher if you didn't have to be right on top of it for best sound

Price - 5     I have seen this thing as low as 10 bucks...unbeatable at 10 to 25

Overall Score - 4.5     This may be a better beginner mic than a Behringer XM8500...yes I said it

Stage Right LC200    ($80)

Build Quality -  2     Not the cheapest feel...but nowhere near high quality

Plosive Rejection - 4      Much better than most condenser...somehow

Off Axis Rejection - 3     Solid for a condenser

Self Noise - 3     Not listed on the website, but it is audible if you listen.  I'd guess its above 15db

Overall Sound Quality - 4     Impressive, especially if you get it on sale for $49

Price - 3     Regular price is $99...and I have seen 2 sale prices of $79 and $49.  Regular is too high.

Accessory Bonus - 2     The case and shock mount are a nice touch

Overall Score - 3.5    IF you can get it for $49..it is a great buy

Galaxy Audio GA64SC    ($80)

Build Quality - 3     Feels robust and not SUPER lightweight, but something doesn't feel right

Plosive Rejection - 1    Awful....just awful

Off Axis Rejection - 4     Really good for a condenser...even handheld

Self Noise - 2   Not listed, but it is audible and theres issues with Rodecaster pro noise wise

Overall Sound Quality - 3     It doesn't sound BAD...theres just nothing particularly GOOD

Price - 1     No freaking thanks at $80....honestly it would have to be $10 to be a deal

Overall Score - 2.3     This has the lowest score of all mics on here to this point, and rightfully so