THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULDN'T BUY THE ELGATO WAVE DX!!

[@AlanHamiltonAudio]

The Elgato Wave DX sounded fine. Based on the video, it's the Blue Sona I'd be having serious questions about.

[@DaveCharbonneau1]

Yeah, listening with decent headphones, that Blue Sona was the Darth Vader of all tested - tho I disagree about the DX sound... it wasn't good.

[@EsRandyTTV]

@@DaveCharbonneau1 i listen to it on a dt 770 pro and the DX sound really good to me

[@LtMadWolf]

All mics are the same. After 100 dollars your paying for things the mic is good for. You pay the price for that one thing that the mic is good for.

[@DarkCornerStudios]

This is exceptionally untrue

[@LtMadWolf]

@@DarkCornerStudios you clearly don't know how mics work.

[@the.i.p.address]

Interestingly, in this video, with your. voice, in your room, and whatever other variables were in play, the Elgato microphone sounded the best by far. Clear without being thin. It just really fit your voice. The others sounded boomy and muddy, and this coming from a fan of the SM7B. If you were keeping the Elgato in the same input and cycling the other mics through a different input, then perhaps that input had some wonkiness going on.

[@iLLFXdrUms]

absolutely agree! Impressive little mic!

[@altairferoli]

It's just me that actually preffered the Wave DX over almost every other one? Seriously, the Sona sounded so terrible to me, specially on headphones, and my headphones aren't even base heavy, the SM7B sounded the nicest of them all, but except for it, I would rather have the Wave DX than any one of the others showed

[@MysticalKnight]

Glad I wasn't the only one surprised when he rips on it in the end. It sounded the best to me as well

[@VDeeO_Buff]

I'm with you all the way but hey, thats subjectivity for you. I would also have placed the DX in second spot based on how all the mics sounded to me, being just slightly behind the SM7B. So with the price difference, I'd take the DX anytime.

[@javalfo277]

I'm with you. Only the SM7B sounded better.

[@fragnugget]

Absolutely preferred the Elgato...

[@RanmaruRei]

It's not only you. Me as well.

[@RandumbTech]

What's hilarious is that you perceive this mic to be hot garbage, yet for the average listener, your voice comes across waaaaayyyy cleaner and more intelligible because that "chesty" bass that muddies most of the mics you test is gone. So, while you may not like it, I can assure you that your listeners appreciate the improved clarity. For $100, I'd take the DX over anything else on the market at that price point.

[@DarkCornerStudios]

You missed the point that this IS a REVIEW. I am giving my opinion based on what I hear...and frankly...I stand by that. This mic has problematic frequencies. Your argument is that "the average listener" wouldn't care. So I shouldn't review it because people's ears aren't trained enough to hear the problems with the mic? Perhaps I should just give it a pass and allow more large companies to release problematic products that are obvious attempts to claim higher market share? How about I just start taking money for my reviews. If I'm not being objective...I am doing a disservice to everyone else

[@RandumbTech]

@@DarkCornerStudios Was not trying to offend, just wanted to share a different perspective. I completely agree that a review should be unbiased. My point was that you may perceive the microphone to not sound great, but to my ears, I rather like the sound out of the mic with your voice. Perhaps it's the YT compression that is smoothing it out and my listening experience is different than what you hear uncompressed. Either way, it's a decent mic for $100, especially for the intended use.

[@Nobody90019]

@@DarkCornerStudios Waaaaah waaaaah 😭

[@wtotheo]

@@DarkCornerStudios You are never becoming a big youtuber if you talk to your viewers that way. Ugh you resent me.

[@Ursabomb]

really??? i was listening to this on a TV and i would say this mic was not bad at all for your voice. The XM8500 was muddy.... the SM58, well was just a little fuller (and i hate this mic for my voice altogether and never use it) .... the e835 is just bliss as i have one and i love it to bits.... the Dynacaster was a little fuller and a little darker.... the Blue Sona was dark as a cup of tea!!! I understand that you don't like it for your voice, but to me the listener, it sounded just fine except for the fact it sort of has a compressed sound that dips in the middle giving slightly lacking sound. I don't want or need one of these, but i think it does it's job albeit not as good as some others but i wouldn't trash it.

[@philthy.basement]

This problem the best reply I’ve ever read. 😎🥃

[@KenTeel]

The Elgato sounds like it's doesn't emphasize the lows and the low mids. For this reason, it sounds clearer and less "full" sounding than some of the other mics. If clarity is what is desired in a mic, The Elgato looks like a good choice. If fullness is what is desired then you'd either have to EQ the Elgato, or get one of the other mics shown here. In the video, he says that the mic is useless for his voice. I disagree. When I first heard his voice in this video, I was immediately impressed with the clarity of the Elgato. It didn't sound like the typical muffled SM7b sound that so many people think sounds cool (but in fact the SM7b is making their voice sound like they are talking through their knit hats.) The SM7b has its place with certain voices, and if you want to sound like the Wizard Of Oz ("I am OZ !!!), that is a big, bassy voice, then it works for you. However, it sounds like clarity is the Elgato's virtue. If you have a shrill voice, this might not be the mic for you. If you have a naturally muffled voice, this might be a good mic for you. It would be interesting to see, at the end of this video, how the Elgato sounds with some EQ boosting the low end. I agree with him that when a KZbinr is doing a presentation of a mic, and comparing it to other mics, EQing the mic, without telling the audience, is doing a disservice. However, a demonstration of with and without EQ might be informative. Thanks for the well done video. You A B comparisons are great. You did a good job of presenting this mic, without the technical referrence. Julian Krause would be the guy to really put it thought some technical tests, with the resulting parameters. This video has a good sound test, though. (PS: Hillariously the Behringer XM8500 made you sound more nasally. But wait !! There's more !..... the Senhieser made your voice sound more nasally, too. ) Thanks for the demonstration, The El Gato beat most of them for clarity. With a little EQ on the bass, it could sound excellent. The SM7b is over rated. It's a big muffely sounding mic, with a stacatto sound. It's like it has a heavier diaphram with a stiffer suspension. Words sound like the ends of them are being chopped off, just a little bit, with the SM7b.

[@scissorkicks]

My main takeaway was that the Blue Sona sounded borderline faulty to me 😮

[@lilsaid2k]

I don't know anything about mics but in my honest opinion the wave DX sounds way more clear and better then the others you compared it to. The other mics have like some bass into it and with the wave DX I can hear your actual voice. and the last mic you used sounded good too that's the only one id pick over the Elgato wave XD

[@Somtric]

Exactly.

[@Teddward]

I'm not going to lie I do not understand the negative review (I do understand why your upset about other people EQing it though). To me it sounded better than every mic you compared it to except the SM7b and MAYBE the Dynacaster but it and the Dynacaster were close. May just be a difference in opinion of what we like from a mic. Good on you though for not being afraid to put you opinion out! Really enjoyed the comparisons!

[@TheSixthSLoT]

Honestly, to me, it sounded just as good as the SM7B. This guy is an audiophile, which is to say that he's going to nitpick every little fine detail about a mic, and if I'm being honest, I think he may even be "pricekeeping." These Elgato mics are incredible for the price, and the fact that so many people on here are commenting that they can barely hear any difference from the Wave DX to 500 dollar mics is insane. Personally, I just think audiosnobs are salty that their big expensive mic setup is comparable to budget options.

[@coderconvos254]

The mic sounds decent, but it all depends on which sound quality you are going for. If you want that bassy, 'radio host' type of sound, I can see why someone wouldn't like this mic. They would be better served by the SM7b. I don't really like that overly bassy sound, so it must be why I don't think this microphone sounds bad.

[@themapleleaf]

The same for me, I also don't like this sound of sm7b.

[@Zidakuh]

"Developed by a computer and peripherals company" Not completely, it's co-developed with Lewitt Audio, who in fact does know a thing or two about audio. So is the Wave 3 and Wave 1 microphones.

[@DannyBrownCA]

Like most mics, I think this might come down to voice? I bought this as a backup to my SM7B, and love it. Clear, natural, warm tone. I compared to my RE320 and AT2040, since I'm selling those, and it's a very comparable mic. Running initially through my MOTU M2, then Vocaster One, and sounds excellent both times. There seems to be a bit of sibilance in the video, curious as whether that's the gain volume causing that (I run my DX at about 11 o'clock on the Vocaster).

[@GooofyGohan]

But the Wave DX has great noice canceling (in Wave Link Software). What about that? Do u get that kind of noice canceling in for example in a SM7B?

[@heaven5605]

Wave Link Software is a feature with the Wave XLR interface, which you can use with the SM7B or any other XLR microphone.

[@rococo312]

@@heaven5605 not right now

[@SaintsPurgatory]

@@heaven5605 since when?

[@G0dspeeeed]

The Blue Sona sounds notably worse than the Elgato DX

[@philthy.basement]

5:27 listen with you eyes closed 👍🏾 Compared to the SM7B, the #WaveDX held its own for $99 IMHO😎

[@RetroActive84]

Not sure if anyone mentioned this in comments but when you mention the DX made by a peripheral only company you forgot to mention that it is a product CO designed by Lewitt who is an award winning microphone audio company just an FYI.

[@SaintsPurgatory]

probably didn't mention it because he did not know this. There are so many reviewers who do not research the product before doing a vlog on it.

[@RetroActive84]

@SaintsPurgatory this is why I don't listen to many reviewers and do my own research

[@j.powellnetwork]

The wave dx through the podtrak p4 actually sounds really good.

[@RonnieRukusTV]

I think the audience/user should also be considered. I think that the people who lean Elgato (myself included) tend to be heavily invested in their ecosystem as gamers/streamers. I think if you're a pure audiophile doing podcasting or music related streams there are better options. But if you're a gamer and need flexible range because of other sounds during your stream, the Elgato software is amazing and gives a ton of flexibility. I'm a new streamer, so I'm not at the SM7B type money just yet, but the Wave DX w/ the Wave XLR is something I can do and be close enough in stream from an audio quality standpoint to compete with everyone else. It's also worth noting that I'm new enough to not know better. But between the capture card, the stream deck, the mics, etc all their stuff just works well together.

[@pepsilove6306]

yep, and not everyone especially newer streamers know how to audio mix, id argue more than half the price of a elgato mic isnt the mic itself, you're paying for the wavelink program. Which is a multi track digital audio interface designed so easy to use its hard to mess up. That said, I think my ears are broke XD because I didnt hear barely a abit of difference between any of those mics in the video, other than the E835. [dunno the audio term for it, but i like how it sounded more bassy/earthy.]

[@themopd]

@@pepsilove6306you are so true. im also a relatively new streamer and i just want a software thats easy and does the job. i dont want to play and learn every bit of sound eqing there is just to sound a little bit better. I just dont get why he doesn't say anything about the software.

[@Geo6492]

Damn it! I just commented something similar! Didn't scroll far enough down to see yours! Well said.

[@RonnieRukusTV]

@@Geo6492 lol it happens to the best of us

[@muziky2k]

I liked the sound of the Wave DX. I'm so tired of the mid heavy mics and the muddiness. The frequency response is 50-15000Hz as per Elgato's website. Good review.

[@dhkatz_]

He wanted a response graph, not just the range. Microphones/speakers aren't even across their whole range.

[@joeygwood]

IMO it's always better to capture more midrange than you need and use an EQ to scoop it out than to not capture enough midrange and try to boost it.

[@muziky2k]

@@joeygwood I respect that. But, for me, intelligibility comes first. I hear you though.

[@power1515]

The blue sona sounded terrible in my opinion

[@WildIppa]

wow, that blue sona sounds terrible.

[@arnieBruH]

which one is better Elgato Wave Dx vs Fifine - K688

[@TomCee53]

The 1/4” adapter allows the mic to be used with a camera tripod, readily available in desktop stands.

[@nicob1ue]

idk why but i think it sounds good. i like that its clear compared to all the other once (the only problem i have with dynamic mics compared to condenser mics is that they are way more bassy)

[@kevincarr2518]

What am I'm not hearing? I thought the Wave DX sounded good! Love the channel, disagree with this conclusion. the only place I've heard the Wave DX is from this channel. Maybe it's the KZbin compression or whatever, but that's how I always listen to mic reviews. It's a headscratcher for me.

[@BroBigRich]

I don’t know why, I really like the sound of the mic. Matter fact, I think it sounded better than most of the expensive mics he also reviewed.

[@themopd]

Same i think it sounds more crisp and clear out of the box. you can eq all of the mics but if you just want an easy software i think the dx is an wery good option

[@VDeeO_Buff]

I have to agree. I think the DX sounds really good, even compared to the excellent (but overly expensive SM7B) it did a great job. I must be missing something or not have a keen enough ear but for me I'd be happy with the DX anytime.

[@neipas09]

The SM7B and Elgato sound exactly the same.

[@DarkCornerStudios]

No...they very much do not. That's like saying a 9 dollar box wine and a 200 dollar chianti taste the same

[@sysadmin-info]

In Poland Elgato mic costs around 300 PLN and Sure costs between 450 - 600 PLN , so the price is doubled. I do not hear any real difference between Elgato and Sure mic to be honest. The question is to what device did you connect all mics. Elgato has wave xlr device to which the elgato mic is connected and this console costs 700-800 PLN. Is there something better than elgato wave xlr console? Any advise?

[@itsgock]

Please help!! im so stuck what dynamic mic to get right now! i have a goxlr mini but stuck

[@nicholaspostlethwaite9554]

I am assuming no one hears any difference between any of these mics? Presumably the KZbin compression or some such? It may well be you hear any difference at all only as you are not experiencing it the same way we are? Again it may be a problem of those doing these reviews, of experts or experienced ears, finding things no one normal does. Or the music orientated, of which I could not care less, only looking for a voice suited mic for voiceovers. As a craftsman making fine goods, when I still worked, I noticed how things that bothered good craftsmen about an item were completely unseen by every customer. An amusing example. A workmate was employed to go in once a week as an expert to a college/university that ran a course in the craft. A student showed him an item they thought finished. 'It is not square' he told them. They go off and use gauges etc. and come back and say it is only 3 thou out can you see that? Well obviously he could see it was not square. lol Few would though.

[@itscarlosreally]

It's an okay mic. I can't deny its okay-ness. I just can't stand the shills who call it "The last $100 mic you'll ever need." Even the ZDM-1 can give it a run for its money at, on occasions, about half the price.

[@SylvereNazaire]

Another thing is, because this is marketed at streamer, the average buyer will be coming from a side-address microphone, and may think this is one, too

[@AtiusD]

Why has no one compared this to the Rode PodMic I have the Podmic and I love it and I was wondering if this would be an upgrade a downgrade or same

[@dannycross5889]

what about if im not using it for streaming or videos an just for discord and things like that??

[@beirch]

It's really funny that the Elgato sounds closest to the Sennheiser e835, which is your favorite.

[@Jensen871]

I'm thinking about upgrading from my blue yeti to an xlr microphone. Should I stick with my yeti or what should I buy?

[@DuArkTikMSFHQ]

This is the only negative review of this mic on youtube, which is surprising Tried it myself and it has a super annoying static sound that requires multiple filters to hide but then your voice is completely knee capped The gain is all wonky, it has been the most frustrating experience in a while

[@DarkCornerStudios]

Makes ya wonder huh?

[@RockyVegaTV]

Can I scream into it without it clipping, though?

[@jabnls]

Two questions please if you may have the time The 8500 s seems to have a little bit of a better lower and then the 8500. Have you tested both of them by chance? The other thing I really look for in the mic is" the vocal recognition" it's a fancy way of saying, how clean do your words come through the mic? Are there any muddy or sibilant frequencies? The reason I love condenser microphones so much is because, anything over $200 will usually sound very clean and it usually be eq'd to sound voiceover Worthy. Please let me know if this microphone has any chance of being eq'd to sound well , or if there is Mudd and no hope I think the reason the leaders of the Free World choose the sm57 is because of its extreme clarity as it was engineered to pick up any instrument frequency and does great on vocals for that reason. I usually compare most dynamic microphones to that one

[@MrRetobor]

ok I get it but when using equalizer how good can it sound? :)

[@StewartStewart]

The microphone is by Lewitt. Elgato didn't just try to start engineering audio devices from scratch. That's like saying Logitech, a computer peripherals company, made the Blue Sona. On another note, I think EposVox's review is probably trustworthy here, given that he was willing to make such a big stink about Beacn? Also don't think he's using EQ on the sound comparison.

[@swft_]

Considering Elgato is owned by Corsair and Blue is owned by Logitech, these "computer peripheral companies" do in fact make these microphones.

[@TonyBlount]

I actually like how this mic sounds but considering you are saying Lewitt makes it, makes total sense I like it. When I was doing a lot of vocal recording my greatest recording ever was done on a Lewitt, I think the 440, nobody else liked it but me 😂

[@wildsfilms]

maybe its just me but the Elgato mic sounded the best....

[@Geo6492]

Thanks for the review. One thing i wanted to point out. And I skimmed the comments to see if anyone else mentioned it but... The Wave DX is enticing because of the whole package Elgato provide for what i believe to be a fairly reasonable price. The DX, the XLR, the mic arm, the XLR cable and Wave link software... all designed towards gamers who just want a dynamic mic to isolate their keyboard and computer fan noise with additional software / stream deck hardware designed towards streamers and online content creators. If you are a sound engineer / enthusiast then maybe the DX isn't up to par but the package is the key in my opinion and whilst I agree with you that some mic did sound better. My biggest take away as a long time PC enthusiast, who appreciates good audio but is no where near educated enough (hence watching your video and others like it) is that the other mics aren't good enough to justify the cost and if you are someone with a full XLR setup already, you were never looking at the DX in the first place.

[@nyambe]

Actually with the headphones on the DX sounded really good. The other ones sound very bass heavy. I wonder how it would sound like with a female voice. I find that my deep loud voice sounds good on some mics, but thin voices sound good on others.

[@BrotherO4]

makes a video to expose the Wave XLR...ends up exposing the Blue Sona. wtf was wrong with that mic?

[@DarkCornerStudios]

It was much darker. And sounds darker still when paired with a super bright and sibilant mic. Difference is the Wave is harsh...and that harshness can be really tough to EQ out...while the darkness of the Sona can easily treated. Comparisons are the BEST way to judge a mics characteristics...and this extreme example only highlights that

[@BrotherO4]

@@DarkCornerStudios the one major difference... only one of them is price close to a shure sm7b. i see that go on sale for 350 to 400 like every month. at least the other is 99$.

[@DarkCornerStudios]

@@BrotherO4 that's why I recommend the sm58

[@Evenchully]

i couldn't tell a difference listening on my iphone. tbh thats something im trying to focus on. we as audiophiles tend to want the best sounding microphone for all scenarios or at least for what we use to consume audio. which is usually big powerful wide range bass receiving headphones. 99% of users use their phone speaker or $10 earbuds. In which case all of these mics sound great and very hard to tell any difference. which means the cheapest is the best. when buying, focus on your listener. they will NEVER care about how you sound as much as you do. so buy a solid mic that you can afford and start using it. with that being said, I am here for a reason as I am trying to find the best mic for my voice in my price range and that's definitely something you should try to do. However, I found a yeticaster bundle on facebook marketplace for $60 and it sounds unbelievably better than I thought it would. So don't feel like you have to go crazy to get good sound. Trust today's technology of EQ'ing a mic and good mic positioning and spend that extra budget on hardware for your PC or camera/lighting if you're going that route.

[@JigokuHebi]

In the end after compression on the yt and then on phone nearly no difference

[@THEUrinalCake]

My hearing must be shot cuz I can't hear a difference between any of them up to the halfway point.

[@DarkCornerStudios]

Nothing to do with being shot out. You have to develop your ears much like taste. It's kind of like wine tasting.

[@d.b.c.t1m059]

Really not a fan of how the Blue Sona and Dynacaster sound. My favourites were actually the Wave DX and the e835. The SM7B sounds good for a dynamic mic but has gotta be one of the most overhyped mics in existance.

[@TheSixthSLoT]

I’m gonna be honest, I’m a simple man. These all sound the same to me. I picked up a bit more bass on the blue sona, but other than that, I just keep hearing the same voice in the same way.

[@ChaseFace]

I see your point, but from a consumer standpoint, the DX is a complete steal. It brings a radio bass compression effect to pretty much anyone speaking into it, and it's clear. I have mine hooked up to my GoXLR so it's nice and EQ'd but the price tag is the real takeaway. I tried buying a Shure Super 55 to replace my CAD E100S (I bought an E100SX but it was far too sensitive to be used in my unsoundproofed bedroom so I was looking for something with good background noise rejection) and the Super 55 sounded like complete trash, no bass at all. I suppose that's what I get for expecting a live stage mic to come close to a studio mic. As a casual viewer, I can tell you really care about your mics and would estimate you have at least 100 different ones. But as a voice actor / youtuber who cares about clarity and warmth, you have to realize the DX is a simple, inexpensive, and effective option in an OCEAN of overpriced $200+ mics that NEED EQ and a good mixer with compression, de-esser, noisegate, etc. to sound close to what the DX can get you straight out of the box. Listening to this with Sony 1000XM4s, the DX sounds on-par with every single mic, minus the Logitech one. I'd chalk up this take to you being super opinionated and maybe a bit punk rock. I can understand how frustrating it is when you've spent a lot of your life harnessing your knowledge on audio equipment and a company comes out with an amazing product for next to nothing price-wise that allows absolute newbies to sound about as good as an experienced person's sound system, but this video comes across a little on the side of "old man yells at cloud." I don't know if you have extreme audiophile headphones that make these differences stand out dramatically but from where I'm sitting this video just confusingly sold me on the DX more than I was initially. I bought one to use for my desk for VC during gaming sessions and I'll probably buy one for my girlfriend once we get her desk setup, because the asking price is just so reasonable for the performance you're getting. I just thought I'd leave a comment explaining why you're getting the response you are - I'm sure it's underwhelming in terms of what a more rich mic can accomplish, but for kids looking to make KZbin videos on a budget, it's basically the holy grail.

[@cresshead]

plosives rejection good off axis rejection mediocre sounds thin (baked in roll off) adapters - good choice build solid gain decent looks - boxey handling/knock noise - poor overall sound - it's clear, no need to roll off bass as they have already done it ( sound is thin though for singing would be okay i think to fit in a mix)

[@silversandbox1553]

Idk if there was any audio treatment during the rendering of the video... but honestly, all mics sounded the same.

[@tricogustrico]

THE ELGATO makes your voice easier to understand.

[@its_me_JR]

What's crazy is I preferred the way the DX sounded over even the prized meta sm7b. 100% will get this mic mostly due to this review. I love the crispness of the mic in this video.

[@aaronlowe3156]

0:15 I thought this too but it's also worth mentioning that Elgato only really designed the outside of it and it was really LEWITT that designed the capsule for it! Elgato on the outside, LEWITT on the inside!

[@ObscureTech]

Well.....on more sound sources....I feel it is super similar to the e835 ...which you like a lot. It's not as bad as I thought....but it's still just OK

[@DarkCornerStudios]

The e835 has a bunch more of the low end...and isn't nearly as nasal

[@RichLeigh]

I don't personally think you sound at all bad with the Wave DX, but do agree that even the Behringer sounded better (and although I don't hate this microphone with your voice, I have watched other videos where I found it to be quite an offensive sound). Disappointing. I thought their USB microphones were genuinely impressive and serve a genuine role and purpose at a very fair price point, but this product just feels like it only really exists because they already had an XLR interface on the market and felt like they should also offer an XLR microphone to go with it. At the same price point as an SM58? I know what I'm going with every single time if that's my budget.

[@V1lkas]

nah ok i will stick with my novox nc1 a little more, but i thinking about xlr mic because ive steinberg ur22c

[@or10nsharkfin]

Using the Wave DX for myself right now. It's decent quality, at best; passable, at worst. This seems more like a case of Elgato selling it because they wanted to have an XLR option to pair up with their Wave XLR device, which makes complete sense. If you're really that concerned over the quality, the RODE Podmic might honestly be the better microphone. I would really only recommend the Wave DX if you're wanting an Elgato-only setup.

[@reddeadryan78]

The go xlr is PERFECT for the shure sm7b. Js

[@StephenCarterStressExpert]

Thanks for the straight scoop based on your experience with the mic. There are precious few reviewers who will give an "honest and fair review" as they say when a company has provided them with the mic free of charge. While spending your own money for mics gets expensive, I trust reviews far more when reviewers purchase the mics they review. Thanks for your great reviews. They're always helpful and valued.

[@DarkCornerStudios]

Funny thought I have. I have lambasted several "free" mics on my channel....even downright told people to buy the direct competitor. Never once have I lost a connection to a company due to it. Reviewers have more to lose with their audience than they do with the companies providing product. There is far more value in the audience then any piece of gear

[@theoutsiderjess1869]

This mic is a mic I don't know how to feel about it looks like a condenser but is a dynamic microphone

[@DarkCornerStudios]

Gamer Mic...that is all you need to know

[@theoutsiderjess1869]

@@DarkCornerStudios as a gamer I hate it

[@DarkCornerStudios]

Totally agree. I want someone like pewdiepie or Senpei Gaming to start using an sm58....now that would be a statement

[@theoutsiderjess1869]

@@DarkCornerStudios Pewdiepie actually uses the electro voice re320 currently(he also why my opinion on that mic changed alot) I definitely don't see him using something like this at all

[@DarkCornerStudios]

@@theoutsiderjess1869 yeah...used to use the c414... Good to see he is using something more attainable....and frankly a great mic.

[@garywayne123]

I must be tone def, because i didnt notice a difference in any of those side by side comparisons

[@happiness7808]

Thanks for the back and forth comparisons! It makes a fantastic test, very easy to see the difference

[@Podcastage]

Just exported my review so now I can watch reviews....bro....WTF! We ended up at the same conclusion. I point out that the U87 sounded like I was talking through a blanket in comparison. HA!

[@Ryvaeus]

This is the first video of Dark Corner Studios that I've ever watched, but now that Bandrew has graced it with his presence and with a similar conclusion, that's all the endorsement I need to call this channel my second go-to for mic reviews.

[@Podcastage]

@@Ryvaeus Watch as many reviews as you possibly can from as many channels as you can.

[@Ryvaeus]

​​@@Podcastage Believe me I do, but for me, yours is always first. Edit: Except in this case, because Aiden was first to publish!

[@DarkCornerStudios]

lol...just saw this... Great minds

[@czdot]

Honestly, this mic sounds really good to me. I don't know what else you've done to it, you sound pretty good anyway. :-)

[@MathiasCTV]

The wave dx sounds a lot better than all the other mics

[@TheAshfyr]

The wave DX sounds like you would if I was talking to you in person, whereas the other booms your voice to be deeper. Depends on whether you want true sound or one that "sounds" better. I think it is subjective at best.

[@brokeartisan]

Maybe it was the post but I actually preferred your voice on the DX in most of the compares. 🤷

[@brokeartisan]

Sounded more authentic

[@brokeartisan]

I also think that the reviews on the DX really come from ease of use, normal XLR is a pain for someone who isn't dedicated to an audio experience.

[@seanwebb605]

I can see why you prefer the other microphones. But you don't sound horrible in this unit.

[@DarkCornerStudios]

I cant stand the sound of it personally. Its like a bad EQ already on the mic. Like the Sona...though at least that one has frequencies left over that I can play with in post. This thing just cuts off so much that I cant go back and retrieve.

[@seanwebb605]

@@DarkCornerStudios What you might not be considering is that the portion of the market looking for a $100 microphone doesn't have a trained ear. And they aren't necessarily producing for those who have a trained ear. They think adding $100 to their setup and another $100-200 for an audio interface is a big purchase. It moves them up from a gaming headset with microphone or their iPhone headphone and microphone. It's true that they aren't going to EQ. And that's sort of the point. It's going to roll off the sibilance. Think of it as a point and shoot microphone. You're quite right that reviewers shouldn't try to tip the scales in the favour of the microphone. Give the consumer the truest representation of the sound recording without EQ that the buyers at this part of the market won't be doing.

[@portersblackboard]

@@seanwebb605 I like your description of the mic as a point and shoot mic. Well said!

[@petrasvilkas]

The other reviews I've heard have the WaveDX sounding decent. But this mic doesn't like you even more than you don't like it. Bandrew Scott is dropping his review tomorrow (10/11/22).

[@DarkCornerStudios]

Yeah...I trust Bandrew...his review will be legit

[@petrasvilkas]

Andrew, as I'm sure you've heard/seen was disappointed by it. It wasn't actively bad like your copy seems to be, but not good. I wonder about 3 things here: 1.) Did you get a defective copy? 2.) Did the promising early reviews using the paired Elgato interfaces show that this mic should only be used with the interface that is tuned to cover up it's weaknesses? 3.) Does your voice just not pair up with this mic at all? -- sorta like grilled chicken and tootsie rolls?

[@pixel2695]

@@petrasvilkas Yeah I was actually wondering if the elgato interface did something to make the mic sound better than when it is used with a non elgato one since I've noticed that all the good reviews I've seen were using the elgato interface while the ones that didn't seem to like the mic as much were using other interfaces. Like did elgato's inteface automatically apply an eq as soon as it detected that the plugged in microphone was the wave dx? I hope someone tests that out to see if it does.

[@DannyBrownPodcasts]

@@petrasvilkas I use it with my Vocaster One, as a back up to SM7B, and it sounds great pre-post, and even better post.

[@Scarecr0wn]

I have very decent headphones. Not audiophile ones, but good. I have to agree with many commenters here, I do not understand if you are somehow biased or just your hearing is so different but Elgato sounds very well for it´s price and for what it´s purpose is while some of the compared mics sounded like.. awful. Especially the Blue Sona was like if you were in a tube.

[@justyuriforever]

Actually, I once had the Wave DX too and really wanted to love it, since I like the design, the built in popfilter, and even the name, but the sound was horrible :/ It sounded very thin (almost metalic), but that might also be just my voice, since the same goes for the Aston Origin.

[@Blackeye1987]

holy i thought the wave sounded best in this video 😀 i got it and it's a bit silent, couldn'T find a fix so far

[@MRFUTURETECHNOLOGYGAMING]

The wave dx sound The best with their interface I agree with you 💯

[@gunstrucksbbq]

Digging how you did the comparisons. They all sound good honestly and ai understand one can change the sound a good deal using processing?

[@manueltabujara3101]

You sound great with the Wave.

[@networkingjoe3635]

weird that you hated it, the Wave DX sounded the best of all the mics you tried. If curious I'm listening on a pair of bookshelf SVS Ultras.

[@BFMaxMaron]

it is build by Lewitt Audio.

[@DarkCornerStudios]

From what I heard...Lewitt had a hand in it...but it was not built by them

[@Gamix10]

Elgato Podmic

[@billycyph]

maybe its because i have my headset heavily EQed but it sounded great to me. it sounded almost EXACTLY the same as the e835 for me wich you were calling your favorite. all the others i could hear at least a slight difference usually just more bassy.

[@behedude]

i dont get it. I really liked the sound of the DX over all the other Mic's. I use a Beacn Mic, cause i falled for the early KZbin videos where it was praised to the heavens as THE new best microphone, and I was so disappointed when I used it and asked myself why I spent €300 on the beacn mic. i really love the natural sound of the DX and iam gonna buy it ASAP. good video!

[@JoakimGulbrandsen]

Would love a comparison between the Podmic and Wave DX, as I almost bought the Wave today (75 bucks, so it felt like a steal). That said, I like the sound of the Wave DX, it seems way clearer in the midrange than many of the other mics, but I dont even like the characteristics of the SM7B, so I might be a total weirdo.

[@roninstormYT]

bro the reseason why people said the mic of both elgato mic had too say good stuff because they want too continue too get free products from elgato . man i am temping too sell my wave 3 and get another mic or a xlr mix or the steel series mic . but people are using eq too make it sound good also my mic no long blocks back round noise anymore i got the eq ai noise removal it does not work . i might get the sm mic the 250 one the cheap one that came out . i just like the elgato wave 3 it is helping me get audio from my gaming pc and streaming pc with the wave link app .or i might get the Shure MV7X XLR mix cause my wave 3 after owning it for 2 years it sucks

[@JJ-vc3mt]

My honest opinion is that if you are an audiophile you may notice some difference. But I notice very, very slight differences comparing the big difference in prices.

[@JL-ef7bh]

Elgato Wave 3 and Wave DX sound meh in comparison to other more prestige mic brands. However their competitive price point and the Wavelink software makes both very competitive for streamers to use. People who stream video games aren’t too concerned about their voice quality and clarity since they’re not recording music. And a lot of streamers that start out, barely knew anything about audio. That’s where Elgato comes in.

[@VDeeO_Buff]

I would totally disagree. Good audio is essential, no matter whether you're a streamer or not. I'd suggest the best streamers tend to talk a lot and tend to vary their voices from casual to excited quite often, making it even more important for a streamer these days to have good audio. Audio quality is probably one of the main reasons for me clicking off someones stream or video. If it's noticibly very poor, I'm gone in seconds. Underestimate audio quality at your peril...I'll take the DX any day based on the audio I heard in this review.

[@JL-ef7bh]

@@VDeeO_Buff I think you’re misunderstanding my comment. I’m saying that there’s way better mics out there than Elgato but they have placed themselves in a good position for streamers. Elgato’s voice quality is still leagues better than built in headphone mics in the first place.

[@VDeeO_Buff]

@@JL-ef7bh Hey JL, thanks for the response. Btw, I like your videos, and the quality of them :) However, I didn't misunderstand your point at all, maybe you understood mine which was that I totally disagree with you saying "People who stream video games aren’t too concerned about their voice quality and clarity since they’re not recording music." I think the best streamers (incl Games streamers) are very concerned with their audio quality (and should be!). Poor audio quality is instantly more noticable now than ever before and the bar for "acceptable audio quality" has risen significantly with the general availability of relatively low priced but great audio kit. With audio quality being one of those key initial sub-conscious "first assessors" people use to decide whether to "stay" or "click away", anyone with poor audio quality (be they game streamers or otherwise) won't do very well with poor audio quality. They certainly don't just need to ne music makers. As for the Wave DX, I just happened to think it sounded really good in the review you did versus the kit you reviewed it against and I'd take it any day based on the output I heard. Reading through the various comments I think a healthy majority agree, but hey, it's still just an opinion and thankfully we're all able to have those. Keep up the reviews and the videos, I like the ones that generate discussion :)

[@JL-ef7bh]

@@VDeeO_Buff wait what videos are you talking about. I don’t recall making any. Are you replying to someone else or perhaps mistook me for another user?

[@VDeeO_Buff]

@@JL-ef7bh Whoops!!!! My mistake. Scratch the video references, my apologies :) Remainder still applies though...but as I said, it's just my opinion :) Always good to have healthy discussion :)

[@DaveCharbonneau1]

Great review, tho, ahem, the endtro music is a gagillion dB above the rest of the audio making it OUCHIE when wearing headphones. Great review, tho. Saved me some headache for sure.

[@danmagoo]

Great commentary, many good points. I was convinced by those "other" reviewers you mention, to give this one a try, and I wish I had seen your review first. It definitely needs some help with EQ, which is clearly one reason Elgato gave all those reviewers a Wave XLR interface, packaged with the Wave DX mic. In fact, watching those reviews, it's hard to tell that in fact the Wave DX mic will NOT work with Wave Link software or Elgato Audio Effects, unless you also have the Wave XLR interface (or the Wave 3 USB mic, which CAN use the software, and lets you add other mics as inputs). Only positives I can mention are that (1) it's a harmless enough sound (faint praise), on my voice, to use as a starting point for EQ; and (2) actually I'm finding it better for low-quality audio situations, like MS Teams or Zoom meetings, compared to the SM7B because it's brightness cuts through the general murkiness and chaos of those environments. Also, as you said, it's not really sibilant (as the Podmic is). But overall, the sound is just thin.

[@Rounder-One]

The honesty of your opinion is spectacular. I always have trusted you for the straight dope. Thanks.

[@DarkCornerStudios]

Cheers Rounder...appreciate it

[@seanwebb605]

The close captioning is really good. Thank you.

[@DarkCornerStudios]

I took the marbles out of my mouth for this one...just for you.

[@unitedjose]

Hello. I started a journey as a podcaster reading Spanish Books. And I got some of the microphones you show on this video. My honest point about the El Gato Wave DX. So far I have been recording 4 chapter from a book I’m reading and Mic Sounds good, decent and made the job done. Obviously If your eq the mic that’s of course. So I’m just giving a chance to see how good will be when I finish the recording process with it. I’m Not planing used this mic for long. But it’s ok. Love my Rode PodMic and planing to used it back. In the meanwhile for stream I would always used my Shure SM7B

[@seanwebb605]

There was a really good Predator: Prey trailer shown before you video.

[@DarkCornerStudios]

Oh really? That movie looks amazing

[@seanwebb605]

@@DarkCornerStudios Yeah I'm really looking forward to seeing it. There aren't many films that I'm excited about right now. But this one is super cool and I get to do some reconciliation stuff.

[@Somtric]

Sorry, the DX sounds better than the Dynacaster, also sounds better than the Blue Sona.

[@j.powellnetwork]

I definitely agree. Luckily I get a nice sound no EQ on my voice. Great point you make on the video.

[@knifeuu777]

I mean if you cant EQ as a consumer, you probably shouldnt be buying an XLR Dynamic Microphone then.

[@jasonyahiaoui826]

i personnaly gor with the se dynacaster, is sound is so good, the sm7b sound to dark and too muddy compare to dynacaster. The dynacaster is as if you had mixed the sound of the re20 with that of the sm7

[@Kriptonyan]

I like the sound of the Elgato Wave. No mic is perfect, but this one does a very decent job specially if you compare it with the Shure SM58 and the SM7B. I guess it's a matter of taste.

[@Erick726]

I can't speak for everyone else but Rode's logo is gaudy and on full display. If Rode had a symbol for their company that wasn't just a word I'd feel otherwise. This is situational. if they just had a large "R" for a logo that's also gaudy but if it was a crossed out "O" that'd actually be very aesthetically pleasing and not too showy. Elgato's symbol is a very elegant solution in my opinion.

[@DanielBerzerk]

Great video and awesome production too! Can I ask what your camera and set up is? Looks fantastic!

[@DarkCornerStudios]

Canon T7i. To be honest it's more the lighting than the camera

[@ItsFiddle]

Really like how the video was laid out. Appreciate the review!

[@PeterPalDesign]

Nice and profesional review. Keep up the good work.