PYLE-PRO On-Ear Audio Condenser Microphone - Portable Omnidirectional Wired Headset Condenser Mic With 4 Pin Mini XLR Cable and Windscreen - Works with Shure System - PMEMS10 (Skin Tone), Beige

Our ministry owns about 25 of these and we use them for everything from singing to speaking to live drama. I have used these alongside Countryman E6's and I have not been able to discern the difference. Pros might be able to tell some differences, such as pick up pattern etc. but to my ears they are the same, and I have pretty good ears. In my opinion these are a hidden treasure. Most Pyle products aren't worth much, according to reviews, but these seem to be the gem.They are very "hot". I usually set the gain pretty low on the belt pack - 0 db on Shure systems, -30 db on Sennheiser. I have used theses on 300 series Sennheiser systems and several different lines of Shure systems. The sound quality appears to depend more on the system than these mics. On a Shure PGXD system, the sound is crystal clear, and I mean crystal. In mid show I had to switch a sennheiser system from a Countryman E6 (bad cable) to one of these with a Sennheiser connector soldered on. Sound quality did not change.Some of the mics we own are several years old and have been through several live dramas and other tough uses and have seen there share of abuse. Only two have failed. One broke while we were reshaping it and one broke for an unknown reason.Pyle Pro does not offer this mic for use on a Sennheiser belt pack, but I was able to find the locking 1/8" plugs on a competitors website, although they are available on Amazon from an external seller, and solder them on in place of the Shure mini xlr connector. That left me with a final cost of $25 per mic - still less than rental for a countryman. If you change these connectors, the ground or shielding wire goes to the ground or outer connection in the plug. The positive or insulated wire goes to the tip, or the center connection. The middle ring is not used.Two things to keep in mind: The first is that these mics are about an inch longer than an E6, leading to more wind noise issues, popping P's etc. Correct positioning can take care of this. We however have started reshaping them. As long as you don't straighten the sharp bend where the cable connects to the earset, we have bent them every which way with good success. The goal is to shorten the boom so it ends beside the mouth rather than in front of it. A fingers width is a good guide. The other thing is that the wind screen does not stay on well. We rectified this by creating a drawstring around the mouth of the foam with tan thread and drawing it shut after the screen is in place. You can't see it and no problems since.Bottom line: if you have an large budget and pro-level events, buy a Countryman, they have a good name for a reason. If however you are like us with limited money - these come very very close to the performance of a Countryman at a price that you can't argue with. If you are willing to spend a little time reshaping the mic and securing the foam, it will serve you well.

I'm a pastor and I use an ear-loop microphone that cost us close to $300. The Sunday before Christmas it broke. There was no way I was preaching on Christmas Eve with a handheld microphone! Because of the cost of a ear-loop microphone we didn't keep an extra on hand.So I scrambled to Amazon and found these extremely inexpensive ones. I really had my doubts, but I purchased two anyway.They arrived fast and worked well.Now, a few things about them:They are cheaply made when compared to the $300 model. I am scared to bend them too much as they feel like they will break. Also, the cord begins to show wear a little faster than I like. Also the audio quality isn't as solid as I would like as there seems to me some "hollowness" to my voice, but it isn't bad. Our audio guys have been able to compensate pretty much for that.So, the first one lasted me about 3 months and then it started acting up. So I started using the second one and ordered 4 more that same day as backups. The second one has lasted me over a year and it's still the one I'm using today.I preach at three services every Sunday and we are still growing so the sound isn't bad! Again, these are very inexpensive and if you are a vocalist using them, maybe you won't like them as well, but for a speaker I find that they work very well for me.So here is the summary:ProsInexpensiveIt works well enough for a preacherConsIt sticks out a little and looks somewhat strangeScared to bend the wire too much as it feels like it may breakA little audio distortion may be heard as compared to expensive microphones.I realize I have more cons than pros, but I'm still giving it 5 stars for what it is: An extremely inexpensive alternative to expensive microphones. Anyone who buys this thinking you will get the exact same workmanship and sound as an expensive ear-loop microphone is fooling themselves.This microphone surpassed all of my expectations for a cheap mic.If high quality is if high importance, then buy one of these as an emergency backup and spend the big bucks. But for the spoken word, you should find that this mic will do what you need.

This mic works well. The only change/addition I would make is to have a clip on the cord so that it can be clipped onto the back of my shirt when I'm wearing the mic (so it doesn't slip around when I move).