Blue enCORE 300 Review
Condenser Handheld Vocal Microphone
Highlighted Customer Reviews
Showing 1 to 20 of 27 Reviews
Clarity, power, great price
Blue enCORE 300 Condenser Handheld Vocal Microphone (Black)
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Ok I was at a convention in LA and Blue, which is known for their wide array of nice studio mics was there with their brand new line of encore live mics. So I asked the rep how does their condenser live mic stack up to something like a Beta 87 or KMS105 and he said, it makes the Neumann sound like a toy. Hmm, thems is fightin words. hehe. OK a bold statement especially for a mic that lists at about a third the cost. So what does it sound like. First thing I noticed when bringing up the 300 is that it is LOUD. Had to turn the gain way down. Interesting. Very different than the Neumann condenser. Has a low end but a tighter low end so less of an even smooth blanket sound but a narrower low end bump that gives the voice some bottom without sacrificing any clarity. There is definitely more mid hype than the Neumann or Beta 87. Less flat. Lots of clarity. I still think the Neumann has a tad more air on the very top that would be nice in a lower volume setting. In a live situation with a loud band the mic cuts through nicely with clarity but still has some fullness. Might be ideal in a situation where you need a full clear condenser sound but need some bite to cut through. I can see how the tighter low and and mid bite might work better cutting through a loud mix better than the flatter evener Neumann but still give you that condenser detailed nuance and air. Two very different mics. But then I realize I am making a comparison between the $600 Neumann and the $199 Blue. And the Blue is holding it's own and may even be better in certain situations. Didn't have issues with stage bleed, or feedback rejeciton. For $ at B&H an awsome bang for your buck mic. Wow cheaper than a Beta 58 $30 more than a SM58 and at least comparable to some of the best live mics at triple the price. Blue may be giving these other mics a run for their money. Definitely a great bang for your buck live mic at B&H's $ which is cheaper than most sites at $199. I did a more in depth review of this along with several other mics here @ ... More
Underated mic, clear and warm, tight bottom
Blue enCORE 300 Microphone
Reviewed by Dave B. on Reverb
I've tried all the usual suspects live mics from Shure Beta 58, Beta 87, Neumann KSM 105, Seinheisers, EVs, etc. And this one has been my favorite for a few years and the 2 other singers got one after trying mine. I haven't seen anyone else on the circuit use these and you can get one for 100 bucks used which is a steal. Keep in mind this mic is very hot, then your gain way down before switching this out with any other mic. Also since it's a condenser it does get a bit more stage bleed. But it is clear articulate but still has a round warm tight bottom that is not muddy or boomy. I preferred this to the way more expensive KMS 105. It may not work if you are on a super loud stage and want minimal stage bleed. But as far as quality pro sounding live mics the face that these can be had for less than $100 used it's a no brainier. I did a live band in the studio recording session recently and since it was live band in the room couldn't really use the Pearlman or other Studio condensers so used this and the vocal tracks sound clear and full. I didn't really even need to do any eqing to get it to sit in the mix. So for me I'd say this is the best bang for your mic mic out there on the used market. Now if you work with Alot of different sound guys you gotta tell them this will have a very hot output because they probably normally work with something like a 58. And of course all mics are very personal to your voice so a mic that is amazing on one might sound terrible on another voice. But overall this has sounded great for anyone I've heard use it so far so def worth a try for the low price. ... More
depends on singer and intended use
Blue enCORE 300 Condenser Handheld Vocal Microphone (Black)
Reviewed by abwildlife on B&H Photo Video
I gave this mic a 4 star review due to the fact that it is more of a studio mic then a stage mice. Handling noise is not an issue at all but you really really have to watch your plosives which can be a little tougher during live shows. I was torn between the blue encore 200 and the blue encore 300 so I bought both and for a live performance I would recommend the 200. Now for the positives of this mic. The sounds quality and clarity are almost unbelievable for the price. Every little nuance of your voice can be heard clearly through this mic. If that is what you are looking for then this is the mic for you as long as you are real mindful of your plosives. Another situation where you may want to consider this mic is if you are on a tight budget and need a studio mic and a live mic this will easily cover both arenas ,now its not going to sound like the most amazing studio mic ever but it will be very competitive to other studio mics in the sub 200 price range. All in all I would recommend this mic to someone in the right situation but this mic will not be suitable for everyone ... More
The Best Mics No One's Talking About
Blue enCORE 300 Condenser Handheld Vocal Microphone (Black)
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
I bought a couple of these when they were on deal thinking I could always use an extra paid of condenser mics around the studio. A few month passed and I hadn't used them when I was asked to do some live sound work. I put them up on male and female vocals and they blew me away. They're clear, have tons of gain before feedback, and just make the vocals cut through the mix. I wish I had tried them sooner so I could have bought more on sale. even so - they're so good I bought another pair. They're great live Mics, but they're also very useful in the studio. I've used them a few times for that vocalist who can benefit from a brighter mic. But note that they're not harsh or shrill. And they sound GREAT on AC guitars and even as drum overheads or as spot Mics on the high hat or bottom of a snare. for the price, everyone should have a couple of these Mics. ... More
Good Mic for the Price!
Blue enCORE 300 Condenser Handheld Vocal Microphone (Black)
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
I am a musician and had heard a lot about these micas. Did quite a bit of research before purchasing. I found one at a really good price from B&H so decided to give it a try. I usually use a Neuman or Electro Voice. This mic has a nice warm sound. At times it can get a little too warm on the lows close up. Some of the pros are: The price is right. It looks cool. It will thicken and warm up your voice. But if you already have those qualities in your voice go with a different mic. I'm thinking now that the 200 would have been a better choice for live performance. The cons are: it's built like a tank and a little heavy, (good & bad I suppose?) Loses a little clarity when close up as the lows really take over. Overall it's a keeper for my collection and rates well among any mic in this price category. ... More
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A Mic Vault Gotta Have
Blue enCORE 300 Condenser Handheld Vocal Microphone (Black)
Reviewed by iaopres on B&H Photo Video
I'd been looking for a sample of this mic for about a year, but none of my local music stores would carry it. They opted for something they could sell. So I took a chance and bought the enCORE 300 .... I was interested in this because I wanted to give my guitarist and lead singer the ability to play guitar while not having to eat the mic during our worship services. As soon as we got it out of the box, hooked up, and powered up ... we were all blown away. Even the backup singers wanted to try it out. It is a hot mic that will pick up your voice easily while still giving a great tone and giving you lots of headroom. I've used Shure and EV condensers for years, but after this the Blue 300 will be the only condenser mic in my vault. ... More
love it
Blue enCORE 300 Condenser Handheld Vocal Microphone (Black)
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
i engineer for young live bands (and the occasional festival), and provide most of the stage equipment. this mic is perfect for acoustic guitar / lute / piano etc - crystal clear, very hot and reasonable rejection. you can keep the mic back from the instrument and get a very detailed sound. perfect for vocals. i really really like the sound from it, compared to the beta 58 / sm58s that people usually like to use on stage. it can take a hammering, too... so for artists with less sense than volume, (and a good compressor), i can still capture those quiet passages and deal with them screaming into the mic at point blank range. i've not used them on a drum set yet, but from monitoring the vocal mic during a show, it picks up them very well too! ... More
Very clear and detailed
Blue enCORE 300 Condenser Handheld Vocal Microphone (Black)
Reviewed by David E. on B&H Photo Video
I have used a Shure Beta58 for long time but I wanted to try something different and active. Price and reviews led me to this flagship of the encore mics and B&H Photo Video gave me the best price...This mic is so much clearer and detailed than even my Beta58. At fist I was disappointed because I was having a hard time controlling feedback but then ah-ha, duh! back off on the gain and the problem was gone. I haven't had this long enough to say how rugged it is but I will definitely take care of it! I have received several compliments on the improvement in my sound. We play from The Cure to Megadeth and everything in between and it performs...period! If you are serious about your vocals GET THIS MIC! ... More
Blue enCORE 300 Microphone
Reviewed by Steven L. on Reverb
The Encore 300 was recently discontinued by Blue...not sure why. Anyway, I own two of them, and their sonic reproduction is very clear and accurate. I consider this mic to be a bargain because it works well for live sound applications, and its sonic purity makes it a wonderful mic for recording vocals and acoustic guitars, too. This mic is very sensitive to proximity effect, and if you get your mouth too close to it, the sound becomes bass heavy quickly. But, it turns out that this is a good thing, because you don't have to have your lips on the mic for it to pick up vocals well. You will find it produces more signal gain than other mics. Feedback can be an issue, but no more so that other live sound mics. ... More
Great Microphone
Blue enCORE 300 Condenser Handheld Vocal Microphone (Black)
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
I've been using an SM58 for live vocals for several years, before deciding to upgrade. They are clearly very different microphones, but after doing some research, I was very interested in the Blue EnCORE 300. Upon receiving it, I was blow away by the clarity of the sound. Using the SM58 for comparison; the 300 has a remarkably clear high-end, and very importantly, is a difficult mic to sound muddy through. Although I don't have another handheld condenser to compare it to, I highly recommend this mic for what it is - excellent sounding.
Crystal clear, noise free.
Blue enCORE 300 Condenser Handheld Vocal Microphone (Black)
Reviewed by H F Mudd on B&H Photo Video
I use my enCORE 300 in my home studio for practice and vocal recording. I can only compare it to a Sennheiser e845s because I only own two mics. The Sennheiser buzzes with any gain setting so I have to be right on it to make it work. The 300 is crystal clear and noise free no matter how hard I push it with high gain and volume settings. I love it. It also looks very cool to my eye.
Great band for the buck!!!
Blue enCORE 300 Condenser Handheld Vocal Microphone (Black)
Reviewed by Keyboard Guy on B&H Photo Video
I bought these mics for 2 reasons: 1 Blue's reputation of studio quality mics and 2 it was a deal I couldn't pass up. I used them live last night for our guitar player and drummer who both sing. At the end of the night they were both raving about them. We use them with an Allen & Heath board and JBL PRX715's with Sub's. No feedback from monitors and great frequency spread and control. I may buy 2 more to keep in the kit. If you're looking for quality vocal mics for live performance that are a great bang for the buck, this is it! ... More
Good look, feel and gain. Disappointing sound.
Blue enCORE 300 Condenser Handheld Vocal Microphone (Black)
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
I bought four BLUE encore 300 mics for background vocals in a folk and soul music group. I liked the increased gain in these condenser mics over my dynamic mics, SM57's and Audix OM2's. I also liked the heft and feel of the mics, with the BLUE logo lighting up when phantom power was applied. I did not like the muddiness/boxy-ness of the encore 300 sound and the lack of detail in the high end when compared with these same dynamic mics; I was surprised by this because I am used to condenser mics having more detail and clarity than dynamic mics. Disappointing. I am returning these four Blue encore 300 mics. ... More
Great live and recording mic
Blue enCORE 300 Microphone
Reviewed by Dana W. on Reverb
As others have mentioned, this mic is a great all-around mic that is pretty amazing for live acoustic performance (i.e. folk duo/trio) as well as having great sensitivity for recording, too. I use it live to mic fiddle and voice and love that it can be pretty "hot" and still not feed. In the studio, enjoying it for vocals and instruments both.
Excellent, but sensitive to "plosives"
Blue enCORE 300 Condenser Handheld Vocal Microphone (Black)
Reviewed by Aaron on B&H Photo Video
Absolutely incredible sounding mic, but built-in windshield leaves it sensitive to "plosives". Since it is a condenser mic, it is also more sensitive to loud environments and more susceptible to feedback. I would recommend this mic to anyone looking for a condenser quality stage microphone.
Sounds Great
Blue enCORE 300 Condenser Handheld Vocal Microphone (Black)
Reviewed by Richard on B&H Photo Video
Got this for on-location recording when my shotgun mic isn't the right choice. Also considered the Rode NT-3 but decided to go with this instead. It might not be the intended purpose of this mic, but it worked great. Sounds great, well built, and has a very hot output.
Wow, this mic is no joke
Blue enCORE 300 Condenser Handheld Vocal Microphone (Black)
Reviewed by Jeffrey on B&H Photo Video
Holy Toledo! I am a singer/crooner type of vocalist. If you are a real singer this mic is for you. Just have the sound guy at your next show ring this thing out before performing as it is a condensor and so is super sensitive.
Well build
Blue enCORE 300 Condenser Handheld Vocal Microphone (Black)
Reviewed by Eddy on B&H Photo Video
though does not sound as good as large-diaphragm mic this one do an excellent job for hand held on stage application.
Excellent mic
Blue enCORE 300 Condenser Handheld Vocal Microphone (Black)
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Using this mic in a live audio setting (church worship) and this mic cuts through all the ambient noise in a live setting. The mic requires phantom power and the white light on the mic turns on to show this.
Can't beat it for the money
Blue enCORE 300 Condenser Handheld Vocal Microphone (Black)
Reviewed by ponderingnugget on B&H Photo Video
This is a wonderful microphone. The sound reproduction is incredibly accurate, it is durable, and it looks very nice as well.
