[fly135]

OK, I've got two mics. A $15 Radio Shack and a mic that came with my karaoke machine. The karaoke is a decent box and the mic was heavy metal, not cheap plastic. My wife doesn't project much with her voice and she wanted a "good" mic that would pick up her voice well without her having to sing real loud.

So I go to Sam Ash to see what they have. I've seen the Shure SM58 talked about a lot as a good dependable mic. The sales guy suggests the Samson Q7, which is $10 less ($90 vs $100). I test them both out and the Samson has slightly higher output so I get it with the assurance I can bring it back if she doesn't like it. Well I get home and do side by side recording comparisons with the RS, Karaoke, and Samson mics. The result... They all sound practically identical. The karaoke mic has the highest output, and the Samson maybe was a bit fuller sounding and less bright but only by a shade. The Samson is a hypercardiod and it did seem to have a bit better rejection of extraneous sounds. And maybe this was it's real benefit.

Anyway, it seemed more like a waste of money to spend nearly $100 after tax on a mic that sounded like my karaoke mic. I mean the karaoke machine only cost $200, and it even included an XLR to 1/4" cable, which the Samson didn't. Oh well back to Sam Ash it goes. Anyone have any suggestions?

[allthumbs]

If you have something that works well, stick with it. Mics can be querky. I have a friend who bought 6 of them in different price ranges and it was one of the lower priced no name that worked best with his guitar. Vox are another matter. I have also heard that the 58 is great for vox so you might not get better without forking out a lot more bucks.
Vox = vocals BTW

[scotty_b]

There are many factors that go in to the sound of the mic. The room, the cables used, the desk they are going through, and the preamp (if there is one). It is possible to have a mic outperform the desk it is going through, and so there may no real benefit in a more expensive mic.
The listener is also a factor. Pick a mic with your ears, rather than a price point.
58s are good for vocals, and are very sturdy. In my opinion there are much better mics around, but you may not wish to pay the money for them.