The Ultimate Neewer NW700 Review!
Although small, cheap cardioid microphones that offer some great performance have been popular for decades, with the increase in people getting involved in online streaming, YouTube videos, and becoming social media influencers, we have noticed more and more people reaching out with a bunch of questions around various different types of entry-level microphones. With the Neewer nw700 being one of the most popular entry-level microphones on the market with an absolutely massive customer base, it is not surprising that we have noticed so many people reaching out with questions about this excellent little mic.
As we always try to help as many of our readers as possible, we have decided to publish our dedicated, ultimate Neewer nw700 review to help any of our readers who are considering adding the Neewer nw700 to their collection of camera accessories. On the flip side of that though, the microphone is also an excellent budget-friendly option for singers, musicians, podcasters, and pretty much anyone else who needs a solid little cardioid microphone that is budget-friendly.
Due to the Neewer nw700 being able to perform very well both indoors and out as well as accurately pick up voice and instruments with ease, the microphone has managed to earn itself an excellent reputation throughout the community that is just getting better and better. It is definatley the dominant entry-level microphone on the market right now and should easily be able to meet your needs and help you capture the best possible audio track possible.
That said though, depending on what you are planning on using it for, you may have to pick up a microphone accessory or two for optimal performance. Thankfully though, due to the extremely long 98-inch microphone cable that comes included as standard, you shouldn’t have to pick up a longer audio cable as you would for other cheap microphones.
If you are involved in the streaming, YouTube, podcasting, or social media influencer niches then chances are, you will also have to pick up a phantom power adapter to actually power the Neewer nw700 during use. If you are in the music niche and plugging directly into a mixing desk then this should not be an issue as most mixing desks are able to provide phantom power for you.
Although these next two are not essential, they can definatley help to improve the audio quality that you are able to capture when using the Neewer nw700. A decent, cheap wind pop shield can help to control the audio spikes of plosives when talking or singing into the microphone resulting in a better overall audio track. If you are working in a niche where you will be sat at a table or desk then a cheap adjustable boom arm will likley be an essential microphone accessory too. Anyway, not that we have all of that out of the way, let’s get into our ultimate Neewer nw700 review as we are looking forward to sharing our thoughts on this great little microphone.
Performance And Functionality
Neewer has also updated the audio circuitry in their nw700 over what they were previously using in their older microphones too improving the overall performance of the microphone when used. This really brings the cheap Neewer cardioid microphone range up to date and ensures that it is able to capture rich, sharp, full-bodied audio directly from the source in the best possible quality without having to run through some post-production editing process.
The cardioid pick-up pattern of the Neewer nw700 also helps to reduce any background noise that may be picked up by the microphone during use while also making it very easy to isolate the main sound source while recording. The improved circuitry and internal protections that Neewer has added to the nw700 also help to prevent any noise from contaminating your audio while also allowing the microphone to accurately pass a wide dynamic range while also being highly sensitive.
This is extremely rare at this price point in the market and we are actually very impressed that Neewer has managed to pack all of this into their Neewer nw700 without having to hike the price tag up. The compeating microphone from Godox is around the same price point as the nw700 while not being anywhere close to clear while also having a constant low level of noise across the track too just helping to push the Neewer nw700 further and further ahead of its closes competitor in the price bracket.
Now, as we mentioned back at the start of the article, this excellent quality from the nw700 does have a trade-off as it requires phantom power to work. If you are in the music or stage entertainment industries this is not an issue as the mixing desk or PA will be able to provide your microphone with the phantom power it requires. If you are planning to use the Neewer nw700 for something like online streaming, recording for YouTube, or social media videos then you will have to pick up a phantom power adapter that is usually around $20 depending on the retailer.
In our opinion, this is well worth doing though as the total price of the Neewer nw700 and the phantom power adapter comes in at around $50 depending on the retailer while offering performance that is comparable to some of the $75 to $100 microphones on the market right now. On top of the points we have already made above, here are some of the main features of the nw700:-
- Frequency Response: 20Hz-16kHz
- Sensitivity: -38dB¡A2dB(0dB=1V/Pa at 1kHz)
- Output Impedance:150¦¸¡À30%(at 1kHz)
- Load Impedance: ¡Ý1000 ¦¸
- Equivalent Noise Level: 16dBA
- Max.SPL:132dB
- S/N Ratio:78dB
- Electrical Current: 3mA
- Voltage:1.5V Battery
As you can see, the frequency response, impedance level, and audio sensitivity are great for such a cheap microphone and should easily be able to meet the needs of any of our readers. The specs of the mic make it ideal for use in small to average size rooms for tasks such as podcasting, vlogging, or streaming or for use close to the main audio source such as when singing or recording a guitar amplifier.
Neewer has put a nice little anti-wind foam cap on the microphone to help protect the sensitive elements against wind interference during use. In all fairness though, we doubt that this will be needed for most of our readers as it only comes into effect if you are singing into the microphone or using it outdoors on a regular basis.
When you look at what you get from the compeating microphones on the market right now you can see how much bang for your buck the Neewer nw700 actually offers. It is not surprising that the microphone has managed to take off as well as it has and earn itself so many excellent reviews from the community. On top of this, with each passing month that comes and goes it just seems to earn more and more reviews helping to further strengthen its position as the best entry-level cardioid microphone on the market at the time of writing.
User Interface And Control System
This basically allows anyone be it a podcaster, vlogger, singer, musician or streamer to easily get to grips with the mic and get what they need out of it. We know that there are a few entry-level microphones in the sub-fifty dollar price bracket that are starting to have some advanced features on them but in our opinion, this is a total waste of time.
Not only will entry-level external microphone users rarely use them but it also adds stuff to the microphone that can go wrong or that the user may waste time setting up and never actually use. We feel that Neewer is on the right track with their nw700 by focusing on the basic features that everyone will use on a microphone and ensuring that the mic can do them to the absolute best of its ability and blow the competition in its price bracket out the water.
As we have mentioned in the article above, the microphone does need phantom power to work but this is very simple and straight forward to do. If you are using a PA or mixing desk with your Neewer nw700 then it is all done for you after jacking the microphone into the desk. If you are using the nw700 with a computer or laptop then our recommended phantom power adapter is from Neewer anyway and designed to work with their microphone range including the nw700 so you just have to plug the microphone in and you are good to go.
Build Quality And Design
The microphone is also lightweight when compared to the compeating external cardioid microphone at this price point in the market meaning that you are able to easily store it in your kit back without having add much weight or take up much space. We know a few podcasters who are also traveling bloggers/vloggers and microphones like the Neewer nw700 are perfect for the traveling or digital nomad lifestyle.
As we mentioned back at the start of the article, Neewer has also outdone the competition with the microphone cable that they include with your purchase of the nw700 as standard. The Neewer cable comes in at just over ninety-eight inches whereas the majority of the competition offers a thirty-inch mic cable at best. The cable is also decent quality offering much more freedom with your microphone placements without you having to shell out and hike the costs up even further.
The actual connecting sockets for the microphone are keyed too allowing you to quickly and easily connect or disconnect the cable as required. As the connector is keyed it prevents you from accidentally putting it in the wrong way when setting the microphone up too. At this price point in the market, this is one of the most common problems we see with compeating microphones, they use unkeyed connectors, the user puts the microphone cable in the wrong way and destroys the connector pins.
Thankfully though, Neewer are onto of this and has taken the time to add a tiny metal slit to prevent this issue from happening with the Neewer nw700. This minimizes the chance of the microphone being damaged due to user error and further extends the expected lifetime of the mic to allow you to keep using it time and time again.
Our Verdict
That brings our Neewer NW700 Review article to an end and in our opinion, the nw700 is without a doubt one of, if not the best sub-thirty dollar external cardioid microphones on the market right now. We feel confident in saying that it will easily meet the microphone needs of most of our readers looking for a mic in this price range and can make a solid addition to your camera accessories.
As we touched on earlier in the article, the Neewer nw700 has managed to earn an excellent reputation while growing an absolutely massive core customer base for itself since release. Many of these people who have purchase the nw700 have also chosen to publish their own independent review of the microphone to share their experiences. If you still haven’t made your mind up about the nw700 then skimming over a few of those reviews for a minute or two is well worth it and shows how good the microphone actually is.
