Sennheiser XS1 - Detailed Review and Comparisons

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Күн бұрын

The Sennheiser XS1 is an affordable handheld dynamic microphone. This detailed review includes an unboxing, technical specifications, physical and audio tests, along with comparisons to other microphones all with unprocessed audio. This review concentrates on dialogue and will help determine if the XS1 is suitable for streaming, podcasts, and other applications for spoken word.
I first unbox the XS1 and review the technical specifications. My detailed review of the Sennheiser XS1 then includes plosive, handling noise, background rejection, proximity, distance, and off-axis rejection tests. I then compare the XS1 to other microphones in the same price category, again with unprocessed audio, and finally I provide examples of various processed audio options.
After watching this review, you will have an idea of the sound characteristics and performance of Sennheiser's answer to the affordable handheld dynamic microphone in the XS1.
Thanks for watching!
Links:
Sennheiser XS 1: amzn.to/3IX7QnF
Behringer XM8500: amzn.to/38aghix
Neewer NW-40: amzn.to/3ITLyDi
Behinger BA-85A: amzn.to/3uHXG5c
Epidemic Sound: www.epidemicsound.com/referra...
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Do This First:
To get the most out of your recording or streaming space, I recommend sound treatment including acoustic absorption panels. This is the single biggest way to improve your audio before investing in other gear. You can make your own, or I highly recommend GIK Acoustics as they manufacture some of the best quality panels available at an excellent value.
Check out GIK Acoustics here: www.gikacoustics.com/ref/131/
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Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:59 Unboxing
01:51 Features and Specifications
02:24 Plosives Test
02:53 Handling Noise Test
03:51 Proximity and Distance Tests
04:37 Off-axis Rejection Test
05:14 Background Noise Rejection Test
05:27 Microphone Comparisons
08:04 Processed Audio Examples
(Some links are affiliate links that may provide a small commission to askdrtk without cost to you or influence of my content or opinions. Thanks for clicking! askdrtk is a member of amazon associates and other affiliate programs.) Disclaimer: askdrtk.com/disclaimer/

Пікірлер: 81

@SantiagoAudioProfesional 2 жыл бұрын

Great video! I was thinking about buy the XS1 and your video help me a lot! Thanks

@askdrtk 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks and I'm glad the review helped out. I've generally been very impressed with Sennheiser microphones in all price categories.

@david02129 2 жыл бұрын

surprisingly good for 50 dollars. i feel like a lot of streamers tend to stay away from microphones like this based solely on how they look like a very basic microphone and opt for something "cooler" looking despite the quality not really being all that different.

@askdrtk 2 жыл бұрын

I was wondering what Sennheiser would deliver for 50 dollars - my expectations of their mics is high and I was surprised to see them with an entry in this price range. To my ears it was better than I would expect for 50, but on the other hand, I expected Sennheiser to live up to their name. I agree that microphone appearance has become a major factor in purchase decisions for many - it seems to be part of the “brand.” For “brands” that are a combination of audio and visual, I can understand where decisions are coming from.

@jasonbodden8816 2 жыл бұрын

Many people tend to stay away from inexpensive gear because they think if you buy cheap it'll always end up biting you in the ass. But that's just not true. This might sound stupid but I actually have a passion for seeking out inexpensive gear that kicks ass almost as well as - or even better than - the expensive or tried and true gear. Particularly dynamic microphones. The SM58 being a case in point. Good microphone? Shure (lol. I had to). But are there better sounding mics out there at its $100 price point or less? Definitely. Too many people get caught up in prestige and dollar amounts to see that other things exist that are in many cases better while being much more affordable.

@flama_jpeg7822 5 ай бұрын

well i own a senheiser xs1 and for streaming its not an really good option because it only capt really direct sounds and you cant move from where you are, i use it to record music so for me is perfect

@gradokelvinstudio6145 2 жыл бұрын

fantastic tests and review !

@askdrtk 2 жыл бұрын

Much appreciated and thanks for checking out my review! I am impressed by how well this mic performs - far above the price point imo.

@ExcelTurbo 2 жыл бұрын

I loved your review and your channel. Very professional! I'm the #241 subscriber now and I'm sure you will have tons of people here next year.

@askdrtk 2 жыл бұрын

Much appreciated and thanks for the encouragement!

@almogtsadok7509 2 жыл бұрын

Excellent video! Thanks!

@askdrtk 2 жыл бұрын

Much appreciated - glad you enjoyed my review and hope it helped out!

@johnjeb8479 2 жыл бұрын

Tnx for the review of this mic

@askdrtk 2 жыл бұрын

Glad to help and thanks for checking out my review!

@salottin Жыл бұрын

Damn. Great review! Makes me wanna buy it even more

@askdrtk Жыл бұрын

Thanks and I am glad lad you enjoyed it! The XS1 does offer excellent performance and value for vocals and it works well for recording guitar and bass cabinets as well.

@CristianCalhoun Жыл бұрын

Very professional testing, thank you so much! I LOVED IT, excellent job! :) Only one thing if you might add in the future: self-noise profile!

@askdrtk Жыл бұрын

Much appreciated and thanks for the suggestion! Glad you enjoyed my review.

@CristianCalhoun Жыл бұрын

@@askdrtk Absolutely! :))) In the meanwhile, I bought the XS1, but in comparison with the SHURE SM57, I have found the SHURE better (most consistent bass and better noise profile, less noise at the low frequencies), so I ordered the SM57 too, which arrives today. :)

@askdrtk Жыл бұрын

Yes, for deeper voices and instrument sources, the 57 provides improved response and clarity. Without question, the SM57 is still one of my favorite dynamic microphones. Enjoy your new microphones!

@CristianCalhoun Жыл бұрын

@@askdrtk Thank you very much! :)))

@sonicosonicollc271 2 жыл бұрын

Excellent review!

@askdrtk 2 жыл бұрын

Much appreciated! I was impressed with the XS1’s performance in this price range and I’m glad you enjoyed my review.

@sonicosonicollc271 2 жыл бұрын

@@askdrtk I own 3 of them, but haven’t used them yet…your review gave me confidence in knowing what I have does the trick. The other ones I have are the Shure PGA58 and the same, haven’t used them yet… Thank you for sharing your knowledge!

@Kisssey Жыл бұрын

hey thanks nice review!

@askdrtk Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it, Cheers!

@rohinichandra732 Жыл бұрын

the sound is so clear! as compared to other dynamic mics... no mic is perfect even at $100 or $500, but for $35, this mic is great

@askdrtk Жыл бұрын

The XS-1 definitely over-delivers for its price!

@mattvannostran8875 Жыл бұрын

Very good review. Good detail. I really want to play some Pac-Man now though.

@askdrtk Жыл бұрын

Thanks! I do enjoy taking a break to play some Pac-Man (and occasionally Galaga)...games that seem to never get old...

@manggu8505 2 жыл бұрын

Nice video man. I searched a cheap good microphone and the xs 1 came up. I'm planning to use it on my livestreaming. Awesome.

@askdrtk 2 жыл бұрын

Glad my review helped out! The XS1 is a great choice for streaming...good luck!

@manggu8505 2 жыл бұрын

@@askdrtk thanks bro. Do you think this is good for recording too specifically for acoustic guitar or do you have something you can recommend that is also in this price range? Keep on creating awesome content.

@askdrtk 2 жыл бұрын

While I usually use condensers for recording acoustic guitar, the xs1 has great clarity in the upper end even compared to other $$$ dynamic mics. Inexpensive condensers generally have too much self noise for acoustic imo, so I would count those out. I have also used the sm57 for acoustic, but it is a bit more expensive. Behringer's SL75C (an sm57 clone in "looks") doesn't sound like the 57 imo (it has a more presence forward tone to my ears), but offers good clarity and would work well on acoustic in this price range. Overall, in this price range condensers are out, the xs1 offers a bit more clarity vs the sl75c, but the sl75c offers a bit more warmth vs the xs1. Either will help you make good acoustic guitar recordings. The choice would come down to your preferred tone.

@manggu8505 2 жыл бұрын

@@askdrtk wow thank you for such a detailed explanation

@askdrtk 2 жыл бұрын

All good - glad to help out!

@birajadas293 3 ай бұрын

How good is it for voice over/ dialogue/ podcasting 😇

@carlosmartinez-zu5lv 2 жыл бұрын

I just got mine :) do you think it could be used to mic guitar amplifiers? Since it's says on package it is a vocal mic, Im worried it could be damaged by the loudness of an amp (I'm new to mics haha) :) great video!

@juliuscadungog2596 2 жыл бұрын

It is almost impossible to physically damage a dynamic microphone at any achievable sound level.

@askdrtk 2 жыл бұрын

Great to hear! I'm sure you'll enjoy the XS1. You should be fine using it with a guitar amp. I have tested it with both guitar and bass amps (50 watts) and it worked well. I setup the mic at about 6" away from the center of the 12" speaker in my guitar amp and had no issues. Sorry I didn't include the amp tests in this review, I have started including tests with guitar and bass amps in my reviews but unfortunately it was after this review. Hope this helps out and good luck with your new mic!

@carlosmartinez-zu5lv 2 жыл бұрын

@@askdrtk thank you very much! 🎸🎵🎵🎵

@biswadeepsaikia3763 2 жыл бұрын

Agreed! According to the price point... This is an excellent microphone!

@askdrtk 2 жыл бұрын

I am not often surprised by a microphone’s clarity. Even with my high expectations for Sennheiser, to my ears this mic outperforms its price class.

@NagarajanChandrasekaran 2 жыл бұрын

Does it cancel the feedback from speakers?

@askdrtk 2 жыл бұрын

Sorry if this is more detail than you need. Feedback is caused when a microphone and speakers recirculate a frequency (or frequencies) and therefore boost it during every trip. All speakers and microphones have some frequencies that are emphasized (none are perfectly flat) and if these "boosted" frequencies are similar between the mics and speakers, feedback is more likely. As a dynamic microphone, the xs1 is less sensitive to frequencies outside of its polar pattern, which does help. This rejection of sound outside the polar pattern is one of the reasons dynamic mics are very popular for live performance. There is not a built in "automatic" feedback rejection system in this mic. To remove feedback, I recommend setting up a frequency analyzer (can be a plugin or hardware) to look for the frequency (or several) that appears during feedback. You can then use EQ to cut those frequencies. (Narrow cuts are all that are needed.) Some EQ's have built-in automatic feedback suppression as do some consoles, but for most of us, the frequency analyzer / EQ cut method is all that is needed. Just about any parametric EQ plugin, including free ones like TDR Nova, will do the job. Hope this helps out and thanks for the question + checking out my review!

@chennainagarajanbagavadhar2864 2 жыл бұрын

@@askdrtk Hi. Thanks for your time in writing this detailed reply. Even though I am not that technically sound to understand all of it, I get a hold what you are saying. I have a very basis mixer and powered speakers, I have very basic microphones and getting whistling sound, so thought of upgrading to unidirectional microphones to get some descent feedback rejection.

@askdrtk 2 жыл бұрын

Glad the information helped out. A dynamic unidirectional microphone will help cut down on feedback problems significantly. Beyond that, if your mixer has a built in EQ, you can try cutting one band at a time(bass, mid, treble, etc.) to see if the feedback stops. If it does, gradually increase the band until the feedback starts and then back it off about 5 dB. This will effect the tone, but if the changes don't bother you, this will help as well. Thanks for checking out my review and good luck!

@sukhenmanna4487 Жыл бұрын

Very good quality microphone

@askdrtk Жыл бұрын

Sennheiser built a lot of value into this mic. It performs as well as microphones costing 2 and 3 times the price and it is very durable to regular stage use.

@pints4vez 11 ай бұрын

This is a good review, would this mic be optimal for recording vocals on fl studio?

@askdrtk 11 ай бұрын

The XS1 performs well on vocals and works well with FL Studio and other DAWs. This is a dynamic microphone, so the gain provided by your audio interface / mic preamp is more of a consideration vs the DAW.

@pints4vez 11 ай бұрын

@@askdrtk thank you

@curtisbrayfield7707 Жыл бұрын

One of the reasons I like Sennheiser is they are hot, at least hotter than Shure. As a vocalist, I don't want to have to really strain my voice, nor do I want to have to plant directly in front. I want to be able to move around and still be heard. And I get that with my Sennheiser.

@askdrtk Жыл бұрын

Great point, thanks for sharing! I do find the sensitivity / reach within the polar pattern extends further on this as well as my other Sennheiser dynamics (e906, e935, and my favorite, the MD 421) compared to my 58, 85a, and KSM8, but not enough to create issues with monitor placement. That said, there are very few Sennheiser or Shure microphones a really do not like...

@naveen-visual-designer Жыл бұрын

Good quality in voice, Can this be used for stage purpose?

@askdrtk Жыл бұрын

Yes, it is very durable and has a consistent pickup pattern for stage use when either handheld or on a stand.

@SAGE1991 2 жыл бұрын

Hey, I have a question..I was planning to buy behringer xm8500 and after watching this video I am confused..coz I saw comparison in b/w xs1 and xm8500..i am vocalist and i have a lil but husky/bright/not too low voice..So please tell me which one should i buy..

@askdrtk 2 жыл бұрын

Clarity is very important for vocals to sit within their own space in the mix. The XS1 will provide better clarity vs the XM8500. While the XM8500 produces a warmer tone, for your application (after listening to your video - great stuff by the way) I think the XS1 would be a better choice. If you would like a bit warmer tone, some EQ during mixing can easily provide that, but clarity has to start with the recording. Hope this helps out and thanks for checking out my review!

@SAGE1991 2 жыл бұрын

@@askdrtk thanks for the reply..and thanks for checking out my video..and the review also..it helped..

@jasonbodden8816 2 жыл бұрын

@@askdrtk I have both these mics but haven't had the opportunity to test the Behringer XM8500 yet. I have used the XS-1 to record singing vocals and it blew me the hell away at a friend's house. The clarity was beautiful, great high end, like you said not a whole lot of bottom end but I'm fine with that. Easy EQ fix. When he told me that the mic we were using was only $50 US my jaw dropped to the floor. I asked what it was and bought one immediately. I'll definitely purchase another one (or two) soon.

@askdrtk 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing your experience with the XS-1. It is one of those microphones that doesn't get a lot of attention as most immediately think about the e series, and in particular the 835/845 and 935/945 (the 965 is really getting up in price for most live handheld applications). I like the balanced clarity of the XS-1 and agree that a little EQ can go a long way with this mic. Given the quality at an affordable price point, these are worth having in your mic locker.

@INVIZIBLEHANDZ 8 ай бұрын

German engineering at its finest for a budget price .. Nice video bro beautiful review. I honestly feel it was the best sounding mic you had out of all of the mic’s you used. The quality and clarity was unmatched

@jasonbodden8816 2 жыл бұрын

The NW-040 was muddy and lacked a whole lot of detail. The AT2040 had decent balance and a good sound.

@askdrtk 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing your take on the mics! To my ear, the AT2040 and XS1 havebetter clarity with the AT2040 having a bit more balance with a thicker low end compared to the other mics I tested here.

@jasonbodden8816 2 жыл бұрын

@@askdrtk Agreed 100%.

@avnish8045 2 жыл бұрын

i want to enter the giveaway so bad. but india isnt included in the list of countries :/

@askdrtk 2 жыл бұрын

Please enter, the list of countries are exclusions (due to regulations in those countries prohibiting the sweepstakes), those living in India are eligible. Good luck and thanks for watching!

@prashchere 10 ай бұрын

Can this mic be used with samsung android mobile phones ?

@askdrtk 10 ай бұрын

This mic requires an audio interface/preamp such as a Focusrite Scarlett to work with phones (both Android and IOS).

@djjoep100 Жыл бұрын

Nice

@askdrtk Жыл бұрын

Thanks! This mike does not get the attention it deserves imo…

@asesinoyt4104 2 жыл бұрын

video korar e6a nei naki?

@Mystninja 2 жыл бұрын

Some one says Sennheiser mics are good for recording/micing guitar amps.

@askdrtk 2 жыл бұрын

I know a guitarist that uses an e845 to mic his guitar amp and it really handles high SPL very well. I also know one studio owner that regularly mics drums from above using a pair of e614’s and I am testing an e614 for use as my boom mic - review coming soon…

@Mystninja 2 жыл бұрын

@@askdrtk I think mics that have high impedance. Or are gain hungry for vocal a. Would work well with at low gain with loud instruments. I would think less power means less mic bleed for drums. We are still in covid lockdown in my state in Australia from that bloody Delta outbreak from a FedEx plane and there flight crew and the one driver who was ment to take to crew to quarantine isolation desided he would drive around Sydney going into shops. But it's been so long. 9 weeks my area has been in lockdown. But once the shops are open. I'm. Wanting to get a few mics. They all sound like they would do the job. I would record on my lav mic on my phone hanging over my amp. So I'm not fussed. But my brother says the better sound you start with. The more you can do with it. Keep up the good work mate. Thank you for the info.