CAD Audio E100S Condenser Microphone, Black

This was a scary purchase for me. I've read so many awesome things about this microphone...and so many horror stories about quality control. As I was getting caught in the analysis paralysis loop, I decided to just take a leap of faith, knowing that I could easily return it (thank you Amazon for always taking great care of me), and hope for the best. Well, I just opened it up and so far so good!SCUFFED-UP MICROPHONES? I'd read a lot of reports of microphones arriving all scuffed up. I opened mine up to find what looked like small scuff marks along the edges of the lower third. Fortunately, I was able to wipe the marks away with a little pressure. So, no problem there. That said, it would probably help if they wrapped the microphone itself in a plastic or foam sheet or something like that (and took care while putting it in there, to begin with). I'm not sure what led to the marks (the only thing that touches it is foam cushioning as far as I can tell) but making sure it looks pristine before carefully wrapping it up would go a long way toward better serving the customer and avoiding such complaints.HIGH NOISE FLOOR? First, I'm new to all this, so I may not be using the correct terminology, but most of us are aware that there have been complaints about the high noise floor (what I'm calling it and if I'm wrong you should still know what I mean). I first learned of this mic and the noise problem on Mike DelGaudio's excellent Booth Junkie YouTube channel, on which he explained that he loved the mic but it was clearly louder than advertised. After some back and forth with CAD (some of which was less than encouraging), they admitted the problem and fixed it. He got it back and it was super silent (as advertised).He used a Zoom H5 while testing his mic, and I happen to already have this recorder, so I used it, too. I set mine up the same way he set his up for his testing (nothing switched on on the mic and the H5 gain at 5). While I don't have the experience yet to know for sure if I got a perfect one, it seems very clear to me that I got a great one. At 5, there is virtually no noise, and the noise gradually increases as you move up the gain, in the same way that Mike's "fixed" version does. So, I'm happy and confident that I got a good one at the very least.Such a huge weight lifted! While I knew I could just return it and try again, no one wants to have to do that, and no one *should* have to do that in my opinion when you're paying this kind of money for this kind of product. The occasional dud is one thing, but the internet strongly suggests that this is more than a typical dud problem CAD is having.Does this mean you will get a good one? Nope. I have no idea where things stand as of September 29, 2017 with CAD QC, and hopefully they have fixed things up and we will see fewer bad reports from here on out, but I don't know. My best advice is to make sure you purchase it from a reputable dealer and from someone/somewhere you can make returns for free and without any hassle.Remember, too, that you might be able to find it somewhere local that will allow you to inspect it and even try it out before purchasing it. Here in the Houston area, we have a place that will even price match, but I was too anxious and wanted it Amazon-fast. :) I would have gone there if this order had not worked out.So, good luck. I can honestly say, despite my lack of experience, that this mic sounds great with my voice and I'm excited to see what I can do with it.

I was very nervous about this purchase before it arrived today, but now am absolutely blown away by the CAD E100S!I was looking to complement or replace my Telefunken CU-29 tube condenser mic with a lower-priced, tighter pick-up patterned Voice Over mic alternative. I'd done hours of research and kept running across the usual suspects for VO, the Nuemann TLM103, Sennheiser 416, etc. All a bit more than I wanted to spend.But the more I dug, the more I read other reviewers present how awesome of a VO mic the CAD E100s was. I even found A/B comparison tests between it and mics 2-3 times the price, and couldn't believe how well the E100s held its own. I'll admit too, there are some reviews that rated the CAD E100s as a solid VO mic, but not a show-stopper, and this made me hesitate to pull the trigger.When it arrived today, I was considering returning it, without even giving it a chance. But I decided to at least give it a try. I plugged the puppy in, fed it some power, and spoke into it. And Wow! So clean and crisp! And my voice had a presence, definition and openness that I hadn't experienced all at the same time before with my previous mics (AKG 214, Shure sm7b, Telefunken CU29). I love how I can get in close to the CAD for a full yet intimate sound, and hear the stunning detail of my voice like I'm speaking into my own ear, without a microphone.Some reviewers say this mic doesn't have the "muscle" of some other mics, but I think it's got plenty of muscle without being overstated in any frequency band. A very accurate reproduction of the sound source, yet there's something magic there that is captivating. I think especially for the spoken voice.If you are a fledgling voice over artist, and are looking for your first VO mic and don't have $1,500 or more to spend, I don't think you could go wrong to buy the CAD E100s. It's not the flashiest looking mic, or from a legendary mic maker (yet), but it does EXACTLY what a voice over artist needs a mic to do. This is the kind of workhorse mic you can build around for sure if you wanted to add other mics with different sound characteristics down the road (ie Sennheiser 416 for promo work, etc.).I highly, highly recommend this mic for voice over work!

This mic was recommended to me by professionals and for a good reason. They are "good mics to use and reasonably priced!"The voice professionals recommend this mic along with the studio and sound techs. The idea of this mic is to be super quiet. I was told it eliminates most backround noise by itself, wich allows me to sit outside of my sound booth and use it. It really is silent once you use it when isolated.Some other mics i have used (but do not own) cost between $700- $1300. This includes deifferent style shotgun mics, and more wide angled range mics. The E100s really stands up to these more expensive mics and produces great quality sounds.From the nice box it comes in, to the built in rubberband-style shock mount, right down to the classic and crafty looking USA made microphone; it really feels good knowing I have a good peice of equipment that my customers think sounds great.As far as setup I did have to fiddle around with where to place the mic as upsidedown did not work well for me, and the sound must be relatively straight on. I also need to use phantom power 48v. on my MIDI interface, as it needs power to work. Be sure to have a pop- filter, and the CAD E100s will be amazing.