OK they are a copy of the industry standard sm58 (the most popular microphone in the world) the xm8500 (85 not 58 geddit?) in tests at the college where i work came out sounding similar - but not as crisp and realistic in the mid range. They also feedback at lower volumes than the sm58 in a Live test. We have a few come through our college, and some sounded great and some not so good. SO the checking is not as good...if you buy from a store check it through an amplifier before you buy - perhaps?
They are a great first mic for the money, likely to have been built by slaves for the money (think about £15 quid for a mic???) and they are not the same as an SM58.
oh and they are Cardioid pickup pattern - which means you can point them and they only "hear" from the front. (omni means hearing all around equally omni directional , omni present, etc)
I do advise my students to buy them if they dont have the money for a shure sm58, or better still a shure beta 57.
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