EM-320E Shotgun Mic from eBay

  • Thread starter Thread starter amanisdude
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amanisdude

amanisdude

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Hey guys!

I figured it was time for me to graduate from the Newbies section of this forum. :cool:

Has anyone here (pro or novice) ever tried out this cheap EM-320E shotgun microphone sold on eBay? I'm looking for cheap solutions, and I need to know of any good and bad experiences before I invest in a new device.

I have seen some reviews and a bit of discussion about the mic, the most famous of which is this one, but none of them seem to test the mic at its full potential (including at a distance, among other things). (I should probably note that I intend to use the mic on a boom for a filming project, though I'm sure it'll find its way into other uses once I get it. :D)

Even if no one here has actually used one, maybe you pros out there could tell me a thing or two just by looking at the eBay specs. :thumbs up: Bottom line, any info regarding cheap shotguns, including the EM-320E, would be awesome. Thanks!


Oh, and here's a picture of the aforementioned, as well as its specs as declared on eBay. Thanks all!

Y793_5.webp

[TABLE="class: grid, width: 500"]
[TR]
[TD]System:[/TD]
[TD]Uni-Directional System For Long And Short Distance[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Sensitivity:[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD] ‒ Short Distance:[/TD]
[TD]-45dB[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD] ‒ Long Distance:[/TD]
[TD]-38dB[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Output Impedance:[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD] ‒ Short Distance:[/TD]
[TD]1kΩ[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD] ‒ Long Distance:[/TD]
[TD]2.3kΩ[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Frequency Response:[/TD]
[TD]100Hz-16KHz[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Power Source:[/TD]
[TD]DC 1.5V[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Color:[/TD]
[TD]Black[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Weight:[/TD]
[TD]547g[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Package Weight:[/TD]
[TD]585g[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Package Size:[/TD]
[TD]32 x 12 x 5cm[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]


‒amanisdude
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I have four of those that I purchased some time ago for cheap. They are OK but they haven't seen the light of day for a long time.
 
moresound said:
I have four of those that I purchased some time ago for cheap. They are OK but they haven't seen the light of day for a long time.
Click to expand...

Do they sound anywhere near professional grade? How do they compare to the industry standard (i.e., a Sennheiser)? Are they put away because they are no longer sufficient for what you do, or because they have issues? Haha, sorry for all the questions. :D Thanks!


‒amanisdude
__________________
 
They just seem thin in their reproduction of the source material. Nothing compared to my Sennheisers or Beyerdynamics.
They were like $15. - $20. each with free shipping so at that price I guess I can't complain.
What I did complain about was that after I got them in from China Customs sent me a bill for over $100. because I had imported them. I told them to poo in their hat and that was the last I heard about that issue.
 
moresound said:
What I did complain about was that after I got them in from China Customs sent me a bill for over $100. because I had imported them. I told them to poo in their hat and that was the last I heard about that issue.
Click to expand...

Gaah! I should have read this first!

That being said, I didn't know there were import duties on microphones. I figured it only applied to the big, bulk stuff. Guess I need to brush up on U.S. law (all 200,000 pages of it!). ebay should say something more prominently about this!


‒amanisdude
__________________
 
moresound said:
They just seem thin in their reproduction of the source material. Nothing compared to my Sennheisers or Beyerdynamics.
They were like $15. - $20. each with free shipping so at that price I guess I can't complain.
Click to expand...

Welp, I guess I can't, either. On a budget, they're the best shot I've got for the film project. Besides, they're probably better than duct-taping a dynamic mic to a painter's pole.

In any case, I'll have to get them and try them out for myself to see if they suit my needs. Thanks for the help, moresound!

‒amanisdude
__________________
 
amanisdude said:
Gaah! I should have read this first!

That being said, I didn't know there were import duties on microphones. I figured it only applied to the big, bulk stuff. Guess I need to brush up on U.S. law (all 200,000 pages of it!). ebay should say something more prominently about this!


‒amanisdude
__________________
Click to expand...



Now that was the one and only time that happened and have had purchases not be subject to those fees as late as two weeks ago.
 
amanisdude said:
Welp, I guess I can't, either. On a budget, they're the best shot I've got for the film project. Besides, they're probably better than duct-taping a dynamic mic to a painter's pole.

In any case, I'll have to get them and try them out for myself to see if they suit my needs. Thanks for the help, moresound!

‒amanisdude
__________________
Click to expand...



Any time!
 
Its hardly surprising they sound thin given the stated freqauncy response.
Beside manufacturers imo hype this up when actually the response curves are poor and the drop of either side of the stated responses is not given in a chart format so its hard to tell.
I have a cheap shotgun that cost me just a few quid on ebay and it hasnt found a use yet. Having said that i like having it in my mic locker, because as moresounds signature bears witness not every mic is good for everything and one day it will come in handy.

Oops Did you wipe of your classic signature mate? I cant see it
 
Is the silly bee back? somethings wrong if H got banned.
Something strange going on here.!!!!!!!!!! :D
 
I'm seeing Moresound back to normal. Maybe the forum had an allergic reaction to his recent lobster dinner?

I can't comment on the mics being asked about but, for that price, I'd be tempted to simply just try one and see.

However, if you get to the stage where you want to spend some real money, may I recommend a Rode NTG-2? In my location sound days, my primary mic was a Sennheiser 416 but I carried a Rode (which was less than half the price) as a backup and got to the stage where I was happy to use the Rode any time--it was very similar in characteristics to the more expensive Senny and there were times when not having to provide Phantom (it has an internal battery) was an advantage.
 
Bobbsy said:
However, if you get to the stage where you want to spend some real money, may I recommend a Rode NTG-2? In my location sound days, my primary mic was a Sennheiser 416 but I carried a Rode (which was less than half the price) as a backup and got to the stage where I was happy to use the Rode any time--it was very similar in characteristics to the more expensive Senny and there were times when not having to provide Phantom (it has an internal battery) was an advantage.
Click to expand...

Haha, thanks Bobbsy. ^_^

Yeah, if I get $200 extra to spare, I might try out a Rode. :D I've been seeing them touted as a great, cheap(er) alternative to a Sennheiser across the Internets, and the video demos of it online sound good! It might be another year before I could afford to spend that kind of dough, though. Nevertheless, I might be getting more involved in filming and filmmaking as of late, so it might be a good investment in the future. :D


-amanisdude
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