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expiredEragorn | Staff posted Aug 25, 2024 11:57 PM
expiredEragorn | Staff posted Aug 25, 2024 11:57 PM

Behringer XM8500 Cardioid Dynamic Vocal Microphone

+ Free S/H

$14

$30

53% off
Sweetwater
38 Comments 25,777 Views
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Deal Details
Sweetwater has Behringer XM8500 Dynamic Cardioid Vocal Microphone on sale for $13.90. Shipping is free.

Thanks to Deal Hunter Eragorn for finding this deal.

Features:
  • Dynamic vocal microphone with smooth mid-frequency presence rise for excellent voice projection
  • Ultra-wide frequency response for brilliant and transparent sound
  • Extremely high signal output lets your voice cut through
  • Cardioid characteristic minimizes background noise and feedback
  • Shock mount system to cut down handling noise
  • Integrated spherical wind and pop noise filter
  • Microphone stand adapter and impact-resistant carrying case included
  • High-quality components and exceptionally rugged construction ensure long life

Editor's Notes

Written by Discombobulated | Staff
  • About this Deal:
    • This price matches the previous Frontpage Deal earlier this month.
    • Please see the original post for additional details and give the WIKI and additional forum comments a read for helpful discussion.

Original Post

Written by Eragorn | Staff
Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Community Notes
About the Poster
Sweetwater has Behringer XM8500 Dynamic Cardioid Vocal Microphone on sale for $13.90. Shipping is free.

Thanks to Deal Hunter Eragorn for finding this deal.

Features:
  • Dynamic vocal microphone with smooth mid-frequency presence rise for excellent voice projection
  • Ultra-wide frequency response for brilliant and transparent sound
  • Extremely high signal output lets your voice cut through
  • Cardioid characteristic minimizes background noise and feedback
  • Shock mount system to cut down handling noise
  • Integrated spherical wind and pop noise filter
  • Microphone stand adapter and impact-resistant carrying case included
  • High-quality components and exceptionally rugged construction ensure long life

Editor's Notes

Written by Discombobulated | Staff
  • About this Deal:
    • This price matches the previous Frontpage Deal earlier this month.
    • Please see the original post for additional details and give the WIKI and additional forum comments a read for helpful discussion.

Original Post

Written by Eragorn | Staff

Community Voting

Deal Score
+45
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Top Comments

Justin1983
2304 Posts
396 Reputation
it's good enough for karaoke but if you are a musician you should just spring for an SM58. It's industry standard and sells for $100.
Be sure to buy SM58 directly from an authorized dealer because there's lots of counterfeits available to buy also.

And of course there are other valid mic options that a pro could use, but you still wouldn't regret buying the SM58.

I'm a huge cheapskate, but sometimes spending a bit more is actually the slicker deal. If you are a musician on all but the tightest budget, get a tool you might never replace for $100 over trying a bunch of $20ish mics and never finding a truly worthy mic.

I have this mic and it's never left the 'spare stuff' bag after trying it out. It picks up a lot more off axis sounds than the stuff that was good enough to use which causes more feedback issues. I can hear my Yamaha mixing board working a lot harder when I set it to automatically remove feedback.

All that said, this is really affordable, and for karaoke would probably be perfect. Maybe buy it and use it as a 3rd tier spare like I did. At least its super cheap here.

E: I went out and tried both of mine again. They have a bit of handling noise but for the money it's the best option I'd bet. I never considered using these at the desk mounted but perhaps they'd be fine for that. I did notice less noise rejection that the SM58s provided, but like I should keep in mind, it's a big price difference.
Preclude
411 Posts
38 Reputation
This is a great microphone even at full price. It sounds good, and it's built like a tank.
PurpleNarwhal693
269 Posts
18 Reputation
For $14, overkill wouldn't be the worst thing right? I could add an xlr to USB/3.5mm cable and be around the same price point as a yeti. If it performs better then could be a better setup.

38 Comments

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Aug 26, 2024 03:35 PM
691 Posts
Joined Jul 2009
ToddlerTNAug 26, 2024 03:35 PM
691 Posts
Quote from zmclive523 :
another option, the one with switch "Behringer SL 85S Dynamic Cardioid Microphone with Switch" from amazon for $13.9
Unless you're really needing the switch feature for a specific purpose, I wouldn't. It's just one more thing to go wrong. Keep it simple. Plus, the capsule in the SL 85S is a different design to that of the one used in the XM8500. The XM8500 is a better mic overall.
Aug 26, 2024 03:41 PM
1,919 Posts
Joined Nov 2014
Sanity.Aug 26, 2024 03:41 PM
1,919 Posts
Quote from PurpleNarwhal693 :
For $14, overkill wouldn't be the worst thing right? I could add an xlr to USB/3.5mm cable and be around the same price point as a yeti. If it performs better then could be a better setup.
I don't know why others are being weird about it, but yes, this is a great microphone for taking calls or doing meetings.

This is a cardioid dynamic mic, which is exactly what you want to get as it'll do a great job of isolating your voice and reducing surrounding sounds, while also sounding amazing. I use a similar mic for work and have my phone calls routed to PC while working remote, and it works fantastic. I often get compliments on how I sound.

What you do not want is a condenser mic, like a Yeti. Those are good at picking up nuanced sounds and the ambiance of your environment, but they'll also get the garbage truck outside and your kid or dog in the other room if you don't plan to sound treat your office (which is complete overkill).


edit/ I will add though, the reason cardioid dynamic mics work much better is because you can get very close to them, so it's easier to configure them to not pick up more distant sounds. However this does mean you'll want to keep the mic close to your mouth, so you'll probably need a boom. You can get a cheap one if you don't need to move it much, but if you want to be able to move it out of the way when not in use I highly recommend splurging on an Elgato WAVE or Rode PSA1
Last edited by Sanity. August 26, 2024 at 08:51 AM.
1
Aug 26, 2024 04:06 PM
389 Posts
Joined Aug 2012
e-cueAug 26, 2024 04:06 PM
389 Posts
Quote from sgreasby :
Um, do you use microphones with XLR interfaces for work calls? Seems like overkill.
I usually use a Sony 800G into a Groove Tubes Vipre into a Stam Fairchild into a Sontec Eq into a Lynx. Sometimes I add a Little Labs VoiceOfGod when I'm in the "In a world where...." voiceover mood. My zoom calls are on point. But then again, I'm an audio engineer by trade and take conference calls from my home control room.


I placed an order for 10 of these when they went on sale. Not as good as 58s, but good to have around at about 14 schmekels. Their 57 knock offs are VERY plosives, and not quite as swappable in areas you'd typically have the Shure counterpart as the 8500s are to 58s. Again, considering they are less than most quality cables, they are still worth the asking price.
Aug 26, 2024 04:17 PM
17 Posts
Joined Oct 2008
PwnjabiAug 26, 2024 04:17 PM
17 Posts
If I want to plug two of these into a JBL partybox, do I need to get a mixer?
1
Aug 26, 2024 04:38 PM
223 Posts
Joined Jul 2022
FullPriceisforFoolsAug 26, 2024 04:38 PM
223 Posts
Item on backorder now
1
Aug 26, 2024 04:49 PM
151 Posts
Joined Sep 2015
szehner32792Aug 26, 2024 04:49 PM
151 Posts
I just got a couple of these in and have a couple SE V7 mics to compare it with. Overall they sound pretty great, but I will note that handling noise is much more apparent on these vs the V7. If I had the budget AND my use case was more professional I'd go for the V7 or the SM58, but really at $14 these are a steal and will most likely work great.

Also, Guitar Center still has these for this price. I ordered with them on back order and they shipped about 3-4 days later.
Aug 26, 2024 05:17 PM
32 Posts
Joined May 2024
NeatPenguin7746Aug 26, 2024 05:17 PM
32 Posts
have 1 one of these for 5 years and it hasn't broke

sounds impressive for the price and at this price is a rly great deal tbh

just know u need an audio interface for this
1

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Aug 26, 2024 06:10 PM
175 Posts
Joined Dec 2010
kosh4uAug 26, 2024 06:10 PM
175 Posts
Novice question : how do I connect these with the karaoke box or anything ? Or does it have a speaker in the mic itself... looking for a basic microphone for my kids..
1
Aug 26, 2024 07:00 PM
64 Posts
Joined Apr 2019
alvarez1022Aug 26, 2024 07:00 PM
64 Posts
Great mic even for full price. Mids can get a bit muddy if you're not in the best space but nothing a little EQ can't fix. I've beat mine to absolute shite and it's been a beast. Highly recommend.
Aug 26, 2024 07:04 PM
162 Posts
Joined Oct 2020
TenseHamster4473Aug 26, 2024 07:04 PM
162 Posts
Assuming your "karaoke box"/speaker has either an XLR or 1/4" input, just plug it in. Mics output on an XLR jack. It can be directly adapted to a 1/4" jack if needed.

Unless your karaoke setup is an actual toy with some proprietary junk mic, the input is probably going to be exactly the same as the mic that came with it.
Aug 26, 2024 10:16 PM
111 Posts
Joined Jun 2008
sobejumpAug 26, 2024 10:16 PM
111 Posts
A little help here. I am reading contrasting opinions on the use case of this mic. Some say it is good for office voice calls, some say it is not. At 14 bucks, even if there is a required adapter, this seems to be worth consideration with all the compliments I've read here.
I'm looking for a non-headset microphone for work meetings. Clarity without background noise a must. Compliments on audio quality preferred!
1
Aug 26, 2024 11:04 PM
143 Posts
Joined Feb 2022
brokegearguruAug 26, 2024 11:04 PM
143 Posts
Great deal. I've used one side by side with a Shure and I prefer the sound of this for a fraction of the price.
Aug 26, 2024 11:05 PM
997 Posts
Joined Jun 2009
cnhardwickAug 26, 2024 11:05 PM
997 Posts
Quote from sobejump :
A little help here. I am reading contrasting opinions on the use case of this mic. Some say it is good for office voice calls, some say it is not. At 14 bucks, even if there is a required adapter, this seems to be worth consideration with all the compliments I've read here.
I'm looking for a non-headset microphone for work meetings. Clarity without background noise a must. Compliments on audio quality preferred!
This microphone is a good value at $30. At $14 it's a great value. The concerns about using it for video calls are more related to how practical it is to use this microphone than they are to the quality of the microphone itself. Typically you would use a USB audio interface with a decent preamp to connect this microphone to a PC. The Behringer UM2 or UMC22 are both good entry level options (currently on sale at $35/$39). I've also seen comments about using a USB adapter to connect the microphone to a PC and see there are many options on Amazon in the $10-20 range. I've never tried one of these personally though and wonder if their preamps are powerful enough for microphone like this--at least the XM8500 requires less gain than the SM58 does though. You're also going to need to purchase an XLR cable ($10-15) and a microphone stand ($15-30) and possibly a pop filter or windscreen ($5-10). The next question is do you have room for all this (mic/stand/interface) near your PC? Keep in find that a handheld microphone like this designed to placed very close to your mouth for the best results. And lastly are you sure you want to troubleshoot all of these components in the middle of a call if something isn't working correctly? For most people all of this is what makes it overkill for something like office calls. But if you really care about the audio quality this is probably the best value mic you are going to find in this price range. That said, once you total all those costs up you're probably going to be in the same price range some entry level USB microphones that come bundles with stands, windscreens, cables, etc. so you might want to shop around a little and see what will work best for you.
Aug 27, 2024 03:56 AM
165 Posts
Joined Apr 2009
ecomAug 27, 2024 03:56 AM
165 Posts
Quote from sobejump :
A little help here. I am reading contrasting opinions on the use case of this mic. Some say it is good for office voice calls, some say it is not. At 14 bucks, even if there is a required adapter, this seems to be worth consideration with all the compliments I've read here.
I'm looking for a non-headset microphone for work meetings. Clarity without background noise a must. Compliments on audio quality preferred!
I use a similar Audio Technica AT2005 for work calls and it works fine, but the AT2005 has USB interface built in, so no required adapter. It was around $20 a few years ago.

I put the mic on the side of the keyboard and move close to it to talk. It really only picks up when I am within about 12in of the mic. More than that and the sound drops off to the point of being inaudible. My mic also came with a desktop stand that lefts the mic about 12 in above the desk.

If this mic has USB, I would say definitely go for it. But XLR and requirement for an amp makes me hesitant to recommend it.

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Aug 27, 2024 05:17 AM
4,397 Posts
Joined Apr 2012
twoweeledAug 27, 2024 05:17 AM
4,397 Posts
Quote from TenseHamster4473 :
Fine microphone for recording vocals/instruments. You probably can't beat it at this price for a proper mic with reliable quality.

Great for karaoke or casual use. Much better quality than any mic you'll get in a combo setup. Durable enough that it'll survive the occasional drop by a drunk friend / cheap enough you won't care.

Terrible choice for meetings/productivity. Even if it wasn't a pain to setup on a desk + connect via adapters and DAC, you're gonna pick up all sorts of background noise and feedback. Noise cancelling? Think the opposite.
I'm looking for a corded mike for a party speaker (JBL Party Box 110) but the recomended cable they have doesn't look like 1/4" Is there a cable that will make this work with party speaker?

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