[Silver] The quality of this large diaphragm mic's sound is sensitive, crisp, and clear. The response is well balanced. But the feature that stands out is the ability to select a pickup pattern. We use these in live bluegrass band shows, in the old '30s style where we all crowd around a single mic stand. The wide cardioid pattern is perfect for this. I also use several of these for recording. Versatile, well worth the money.

[48 V] So I got this on a whim since it was on sale. I thought it couldn't possibly be that good, right?

Boy, was I wrong.

With a near-flat response and just a touch of sibilant brightness in the trebles, you can throw these at just about everything and they'll get the job done. HPF helps clean up the signal, and drummers will appreciate the sensitivity toggle. This mic was so good that when it went on sale again, I got a second one!

Supercardioid pattern may take some getting used to, though.

[Phantom Power] I've had a couple of condenser mics and I like this one the most. Right out the box it sounds good! The couple of buttons on the mic are convenient for on the fly adjustments. It's extremely good at blocking out unwanted noise.

If you've been using a cheap condenser or headset mic, and are considering an easy upgrade, this is a solid choice.

[48 V] As a voiceover artist w/a home studio, I'm always looking for budget mics to recommend to colleagues who want to get their foot in the door. At full price, the E40 is wonderful-sounding budget condenser, with less self-noise and a more pleasant voicing than competitors like the Audio-Technica AT2020 or the AKG P100. The only $100 mic I can think of that beats it is CAD's own Equitek E100sx, which would be the preferable mic to grab if they're both the same price. But when on sale (I grabbed mine at $30) the E40 is an absolute steal.

[Mono] I own 3 of these mics, as well as Shure SM81s, AT4050s and Senheisser Mk 4s. If you want extremely quite, low distortion, low coloration mic,s at a low cost, these mics are an excellent buy. I've owned mine for about 10 years and they have been flawless. They are great for drums, acoustic guitars, orchestral recording, etc. These are accurate mics, without romantic colorations.

[Phantom Power] This is the best value in low cost small diaphragm condenser microphones that I have found. Offering both Omni and Cardioid capsules, other microphones usually cost more than double the price for similar features. There is no switch to click to change the mic pattern; one simply has to unscrew the capsule and change it that way. I use it for recording acoustic guitar and find the sound to be perfect and I am very happy with my purchase. I'm so glad I got this mic as it is now discontinued....so get em' while they're still to be found. As a side note, this microphone is almost identical to the Superlux 241.

[2.055 lb] I love this mic for both male and female spoken word and dynamic vocals. It is darker than its predecessor, but this fits what people want nowadays. It competes beautifully with my Neumann clones, and improves on them with a very well constructed shock mount and a hypercardioid pattern. These two features make it a no-brained for isolation booths - room rejection, almost to risk of mic bumps ruining a take. It's also a great-looking mic. CAD has been making this series for a couple of generations, and they continue to have a winner. Highly recommended.

[2.055 lb] Good microphone at a super good price purchased on sale from B&H for a super low, competitive price. It is smaller than many microphones of this type, roughly the same size as the popular BM-700 microphones found elsewhere, but this one has a better made, better sounding FET circuit inside. Because I enjoy building and modifying microphones DIY, I replaced the stock 16mm electret capsule with a low cost 25mm capsule and it sounds even better now. Nevertheless, this is a good microphone for the cost. Whether you will like it may depend on how you use it, as good microphone technique and setting proper gain on the mixer or other interface can make a substantial difference in results - for example, it has substantial proximity effect which can work for or against you, depending on how you use it. This is not, of course, equal to any number of larger, more expensive, and better made microphones for sale on the B&H web site. That said, it provides a huge bang for the buck and used judiciously will provide excellent results. After all, nobody really cares about your microphone - they care so much more about what you have to say or what and how you sing with it. A serviceable basic all-purpose starter microphone that can sound good and get the job done. I use mine to make spoken email messages, with computer speech recognition applications, and with my ham radio, with excellent results. Hardly a Neumann U87, but not bad for the price! And that is just MY take ... your mileage may vary. J

[Silver] I’ve been using these bad boys all summer for small to medium sized gigs, and I have to say I’m impressed. Really open and balanced sound with minimal bleed. Genre permitting, I crank them through the PA for thunderous fills no problem, minimal EQ required and never chasing down feedback. They’re predictable, work with every genre, and can manage to squeeze their way into the most cramped setups. I don’t usually write reviews, but if you’re a live guy and need to fill up their mic locker, do not scoff at the brand or be skeptical at the price. Buy 6, put your company logo over ‘em, and call it a day. I can’t say how they fair under the critical ear of the studio environment, but in the live world I’ve gotten comments all summer such as “wow, those Shure/Earthworks sound great”.

[Side Address] The M-179 doesn't cost much at all for a microphone, but nothing about what you get for a little over $ is cheap: a solid, hard plastic case with protective foam, shockmount and regular mount, and a no-nonsense microphone. The M-179 will get the job done for anything percussion, and its variable pattern gives you flexibility, especially if you get two like I did! :)B&H gives you good deals, fast shipping, and reliable service. If you need a inexpensive workhorse condenser, snag one of these now!