This is pretty caustic, so if you like this mic, you should probably skip it.

The Naiant is an omnidirectional condenser meant to run off anything 9v to 48v. I was considering lots of mics but this was on sale as it was being discontinued. It was hailed as a ‘bang for buck’ mic but I really should have listened closer to the sample recordings. At ~$25, you get what you pay for. I foolishly bought a stereo ‘matched’ pair. Wasn’t a whole lot of use. Combined sound with my large diaphragm condenser was almost palatable, but putting the two Naiants together wasn’t a noticeable improvement on using one by itself.

They were convenient, small (about 3 inches high, most of the mic was the Neutrik XLR jack) and received in a padded envelope, so I’m certain I overpaid for shipping. They’ll only fit into the spring-loaded ‘butterfly’ type mic clip, which I had to buy elsewhere, as Naiant wanted something like $5-9 each. Probably a decent ‘first mic’ for someone with no experience, or something to play around with. Despite claims of flat frequency response (yeah right) the low end is non-existent, except (oddly) sub 100hz. I’d say scooped mids if the mids extended down to 200hz. Very tinny, empty sound for an acoustic guitar.

Should’ve cashed in on the 7 day money back guarantee but I was too optimistic. BTW I hear this is essentially one of those ‘build your own mic’ features you’d see in a DIY audio magazine, just a tad improved. I’m awful at craftsmanship so I’d never give it a try. There is a new series out now that promises the ’same great sound’ with lower noise, but noise wasn’t really an issue for me. Save your money for a brand name if you want an honest sound - I’m done buying cheap mics.

I did a sample recording of me sloppily playing my Seagull Folk guitar, one take playing rhythm, one playing lead, each in stereo. You can listen here (right-click to download, 192kbps MP3, 3.1 MB )