Today I review one of the best deals in audio, the Behringer XM8500 which is a budget microphone that goes for $25. It's certainly not the greatest sounding microphones but it functions, and it's certainly not the worst. The proximity effect is exaggerated, the top end isn't smooth and it suffers from handling noise and plosive issues, but it works. <br /><br />HQ Audio Of Review: <a href="https://podcastage.com/rev/xm8500re" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://podcastage.com/rev/xm8500re</a><br /><br />Buy the Behringer XM8500 (Affiliate Link)<br />Amazon: <a href="https://geni.us/xm8500" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://geni.us/xm8500</a><br />Sweetwater: <a href="https://imp.i114863.net/xm8500" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://imp.i114863.net/xm8500</a><br /><br />Buy the Focusrite 2i2 (3rd Gen)- Same Performance as 18i20 (Affiliate Link)<br />Amazon: <a href="https://geni.us/2i32rd" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://geni.us/2i32rd</a><br />Sweetwater: <a href="https://imp.i114863.net/k6g4d" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://imp.i114863.net/k6g4d</a><br /><br />NOTE (FULL DISCLOSURE): As an associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info check my FAQ page links below.<br /><br />00:00 - Intro / Price / Disclaimer <br />00:24 - Setup<br />00:43 - What’s in the Box<br />01:03 - Build Quality / Walkthrough<br />01:40 - Specifications<br />01:57 - Polar Pattern Test (Tone / Rotation)<br />02:17 - Plosive Test<br />02:27 - Distance Test / Proximity Effect Test<br />02:54 - Background Noise Test <br />03:17 - Untreated Room Test<br />03:32 - Shock Rejection Test<br />03:49 - Handling Noise Rejection<br />04:03 - Mic Resonance Tap Test<br />04:17 - Cup the Mic Test<br />04:39 - Intro to Comparison<br />05:09 - Behringer XM8500 Comparison<br />05:34 - Mackie EM89 Comparison<br />05:54 - Shure SM58 Comparison<br />06:22 - sE Electronics V7 Comparison<br />06:43 - Rode Podmic Comparison<br />07:08 - Audio Technica AT2040 Comparison<br />07:32 - Elgato Wave DX Comparison<br />07:55 - Lewitt MTP550DM Comparison<br />08:19 - Shure SM7b Comparison<br />08:51 - Neumann U87 Ai Comparison<br />09:09 - Music Test<br />10:24 - Pros & Cons<br />11:25 - Overall Thoughts<br />14:04 - Recommendation<br />15:45 - Outro<br /><br />#BudgetMic #VocalMic #MicReview<br /><br />NOTE (FULL DISCLOSURE): If you purchase an item using an affiliate link, it provides me a small referral fee. As an associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info check my FAQ page links below.<br /><br />Become a Patreon: <a href="https://www.patreon.com/podcastage" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://www.patreon.com/podcastage</a><br />Become a Member: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvOU-zTlankT-JjN3ZzvuKA/join" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvOU-zTlankT-JjN3ZzvuKA/join</a><br /><br />Check Out This Stuff TOO: <br />Website: <a href="https://www.podcastage.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://www.podcastage.com</a><br />Giveaways: <a href="https://podcastage.com/giveaways" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://podcastage.com/giveaways</a><br />Discord: <a href="https://www.podcastage.com/discord" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://www.podcastage.com/discord</a><br />Merch: <a href="https://podcastage.com/store" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://podcastage.com/store</a><br />Company Relationship Disclosure: <a href="https://podcastage.com/disclosure" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://podcastage.com/disclosure</a><br />Personal: <a href="https://www.bandrewscott.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://www.bandrewscott.com</a><br /><br />My YouTube Setup: <a href="https://podcastage.com/studio" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://podcastage.com/studio</a><br />My Favorite XLR Mics: <a href="https://podcastage.com/rev/favxlr" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://podcastage.com/rev/favxlr</a><br />My Favorite USB Mics: <a href="https://podcastage.com/rev/favusb" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://podcastage.com/rev/favusb</a><br />...<br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrKKjGXyHg4" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrKKjGXyHg4</a>