Shure SM-57/58 Killer

[Steven Paris]

On a DIY Audio forum, one member was touting the $50 Nady SPC-25 microphone as a Shure SM-57/58 killer; saying that in side-by-side test comparison, it was MUCH better than the Shure. Anybody tried one?

[Bob Carlucci]

The reviews everywhere are great.. Lots of guys say they ditched their SM 57/58 mics after trying these.. For $50 bucks shipped on ebay its worth a shot I would imagine.. they all say its hotter, and cleaner than the Shure mics which have been the stage standards for decades...

[b0b]

Requires an AA battery.

www.nady.com/products/microphones-studio-wired/spc-25/

[Steven Paris]

Requires an AA battery.
www.nady.com/products/microphones-studio-wired/spc-25/

Yes, it is a condenser microphone and thus may not be quite as rugged as the old Shures. But their 50-year reign as ruler of stage microphones might just be over.

[Rick Abbott]

My go-to mic in this category is a Shure 849. It's basically a condenser version of an SM57.

But $50 is tempting!!

[Ian Rae]

Presumably it's Chinese, in which case you have to factor in reliability and be ready for a price hike at any time.

[Bob Carlucci]

Presumably it's Chinese, in which case you have to factor in reliability and be ready for a price hike at any time.

Agreed.. Maybe they do sound better than the SM 57/58... However, what good are they if they crap out within a year? Thats always a concern with anything made in China.

From what I can see they have a 1 year warranty.

At the price its worth a shot, if they are trouble prone, just move on..


There are lots of musicians/singers still using Shure mics they bought 30 even 40 years ago without ever failing.

[Douglas Schuch]

I do not know where these mics are made, but the company is based in Richmond, CA. Very little of the gear made even by US companies these days is actually made in the US. I don't know if Shure is either. But neither is based in China.

[Ken Morgan]

Ive owned (still have a few) mics that are “better” than said 57/58s, but that “better” is only for very specific applications. The thing about dynamic Shures is they never “not work” in any application.

FWIW my personal preference for an all around great choice is the old EV RE16...

[Jack Hanson]

I have several SM57s & SM58s and one 520DX that were purchased new in the mid-nineties. All were made in Mexico. One of the 57s crapped out, and it was definitely not from abuse. Shure will repair or replace it for a flat fee of $61.00, plus shipping, sales tax, etc. For that price you may as well by a brand new one ($70.00 - $80.00 on eBay). Or a used one for much less. So much of the imported stuff is, for all intents and purposes, cheap enough to be deemed disposable.

[ajm]

If you have the $50 laying around, as a science project you could try the Nady.

But you already probably have a 57/58 anyway.

So if you are gigging with the Nady, and the fact that:
a) it's quality may be suspect (rightly or wrongly), and
b) it needs an AA battery, that could fail at any time, most likely in the middle of the girl singers' big moment in the spotlight (assuming that failing then would be a bad thing), then

I'd make sure that you brought that 57/58 with you.

[George Kimery]

Reviews are good. I am a sucker when it comes to experimenting. I'm going to give one a try.Battery is of no concern. They last a long time and 24 alkaline batteries at Harbor Freight are a bargain, at least until Trump's tariff kicks in. A new battery every show if you are squemish. Use old battery for your flashlight. If you don't want the battery, I have a 4 channel Peavey phantom power supply I will sell you.

[Steven Paris]

Reviews are good. I am a sucker when it comes to experimenting. I'm going to give one a try.

Be sure to let us know your experience, and your rating of sound quality and durability!

[George Kimery]

Will do, Steven. Not sure when. I am leaving Friday for the Super Jam and don't want it arriving when I'm gone. i will be going by Guitar Center and if they will sell me one for $50.00, inc. tax, I will get one. They are $50.00 with no tax and free shipping on line, so I'm not going to pay more than this to pick up locally. If I don't pick up one on my trip, I will order one next week. I don't have a gig until the 28th to try it out, but I will hook it up when I get it to try it out at home. I have never been a fan of Nady and have always considered their stuff for beginners, not pro quality. But I try to keep an open mind. I am looking forward to taking it for a test drive.

[Steven Paris]

Maybe they do sound better than the SM 57/58... However, what good are they if they crap out within a year? Thats always a concern with anything made in China.
From what I can see they have a 1 year warranty.

Crap out within a year? The DIY user reports to have "had a Nady SPC-25 that's nine or ten years old, used about 50 times a year at live events (mostly jams). It will probably last the rest of my life as long as I don't do anything stupid. The externals are as tough as any mic I've ever used - a heavy die-cast metal body, and two protective metal mesh covers, one inside the other, with a thin foam pop-shield in between. The outer rim of the outer metal mesh cover is hexagonal, not circular, so this mic won't roll off the table and crash to the floor like an SM58. It's more than tough enough for live use, as my experience has confirmed. As for the internals, the simple fact is that good microphones are intrinsically more delicate, because you need a lightweight flimsy diaphragm to get an extended treble response and good sensitivity. And tough and durable microphones intrinsically produce poorer quality sound, because a tougher diaphragm is inevitably also heavier, which limits sensitivity and frequency response.
So you can either have a very tough mic that sounds bad, or a mic that sounds good, but will not take as much abuse. Your choice. "

[Jerry Erickson]

If you send a Shure SM57-58 in for repair,they'll send you a new mic.

[Donny Hinson]

I know little about microphones because I almost never use them. But years ago, I tried a new SM-57 side by side against the (newer) BETA-57, through just a preamp and using studio earphones. There was no comparison, the BETA just sounded better to my ears. That's the one I bought.

[Erv Niehaus]

I just bought a couple of Blue Encore 200 mics that came highly recommended.
Haven't tried them out yet.
Erv

[Len Amaral]

Etc, I have several of the Blue Encore mics. I forget what models but one is a copper color and the other is black. Both operate on phantom power but I believe you can use them without. Very nice looking and responsive mics. I picked mine up on a buy one get one free. I forget where as I have had them a few years.

[Erv Niehaus]

Len,
I got mine with the same kind of deal. Mine have the copper colored tops. I usually use The Shure 58's.
Erv

[Tommy Mc]

There are lots of musicians/singers still using Shure mics they bought 30 even 40 years ago without ever failing.

That would include me.

[Len Amaral]

The mic on the left is a Shure PE-54 that my girlfriend, that became my wife bought me when I was 16, that would be 1965. I purchased the Shure Beta 58 last year. The PE-54 had a 1/4 inch jack as that was just before the XLR plugs started being used in PA’s and mixers.

[Steven Paris]

Len,
I got mine with the same kind of deal. Mine have the copper colored tops. I usually use The Shure 58's.
Erv

So, Erv, let's have a side-by-side evaluation of the Shure and the Blue Encore 200!!

[Jack Hanson]

The mic on the left is a Shure PE-54

I saw Paul Butterfield blow harp into one of those in a department store auditorium in downtown Minneapolis in the middle '60s.

[b0b]

I've always been told that the SM-57 is for amps and the SM-58 is for vocals. How can this Nady SPC-25 replace both? And who wants a battery in their mic? Yuck!