Samson C01 Review & Buyers Guide! (2023)

The Samson C01 is a surprisingly underrated microphone and one of the best condensers out there. Here is our Samson C01 Review and Buyers Guide!

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Introduction

In a world full of great condenser microphones, one certainly stands out among the rest. I’m talking about the Samson C01, which is the best condenser microphone that no one is talking about. To say that absolutely no one is talking about this fantastic product is a bit of a stretch, but you’ll still be hard-pressed to find a higher reviewed microphone available at such a low cost.

This article will expand on what exactly makes this condenser microphone noteworthy based both on expert, as well as customer reviews. So, without further delay here, is some of the reasons the Samson C01 is the best condenser mic no one talks about.

Samson C01 Large-Diaphragm Cardioid Condenser Microphone
  • Multi-purpose studio condenser microphone with large 19mm diaphragm
  • Cardioid pickup pattern with excellent off-axis rejection
  • Perfect for vocals, guitars, stringed-instruments, drums and more
  • Rugged mic design with heavy-gauge mesh grille
  • Gold-plated XLR connector

Getting the Most for Your Money

Through all the expert and customer reviews I’ve read about the Samson C01 condenser microphone one of the themes that continually stands out is its affordability. Experts and customers alike are simply raving about how much quality you get for the rather low cost of this product.

You can purchase this large-diaphragm condenser microphone for only around $70, which is certainly rather cheap compared to some similar products. Unfortunately, some people will look at the price tag of this product and automatically assume it will not perform to the high standards they need their microphones to perform at.

This is certainly not the case with this product because according to a review on the website gearslutz.com, “If you’re on a budget, and need a microphone for recordings that don’t need to be in top quality but still want a decent sound, this mic will serve you well.”

What’s interesting about this particular review is that it doesn’t hyperbolize what the Samson C01 is built for. It simply is a great microphone that people on a budget can purchase for recordings that don’t necessarily need to sound like they were recorded in a professional studio.

What Are the Standout Features of the C01?

The Samson C01 condenser microphone has all of the things you would want from a quality product. It’s large, at 19 mm, and features a cardioid pick-up pattern that allows the mic to produce a rather smooth flat frequency response.

Though the features mentioned above are typical of most condenser microphones, what sets the C01 apart from the competition is that according to a review by Jesse posted on the hearthemusic.us website, “If you have a singer who moves a lot, the C01 is forgiving.”

Now you may think that this is a rather mundane feature, but it undoubtedly comes in handy because you won’t have to constantly adjust this microphone in order for it to sound good. This is seen when the same review goes on to say, “There’s not much loss in volume to the sides (of the mic).” And “The C01 outperforms the average large-diaphragm mic in that regard.”

Is the Samson C01 Condenser Microphone Durable?

Another great feature of this large-diaphragm condenser microphone is that makes it one of the best products that no one is talking about, is the fact that it’s extremely well-built and durable and sounds great with acoustic instruments. A great review posted on the website homestudiobasics.com writes that “…the Samson C01 large diaphragm vocal condenser microphone is about as rock-solid as they come. In fact, this feels more like a barbell than a microphone.”

The author goes on to say, “I’ve had it for years and it’s still kickin’. It’s served me well when I was first starting, and records clean as a whistle.” These quotes obviously attest to the fact that the Samson C01 condenser microphone is very durable and will last for many years without diminished sound quality.

Other microphones with similar price tags tend to feel a bit cheaply made and simply won’t last as long as the Samson and, if they do, their sound quality is almost assuredly going to be a bit diminished.

What Else Do I Need To Know?

The Samson C01 studio condenser microphone is not only cheap, durable, and great-sounding, especially with acoustic instruments but it, also should be noted that although this product works great on its own you may want to consider a few accessories that will make your recordings sound even better.

The common accessories that most customer and expert reviews suggest using this particular microphone in conjunction with are, “…a Samson SP01 Spider Shockmount, and it should be used with a pop filter also.”

Though these options are not necessarily needed to ensure that your recordings sound great when using the Samson C01, the combination of using this microphone with the Samson SP01 Spider Shockmount and a pop filter, according to the author of the review on homestudiobasics.com, who after using this setup wrote that, “After recording some vocals with this, I can honestly say it exceeded my expectations.”

So Why Is No One Talking about the Samson C01?

Because the Samson C01 studio condenser microphone with its swivel stand mount is loved by pros and regular people (like me) as one of the best and cheapest microphones on the market you would think that tons of people would have heard about it by now. It really is on a similar level to any professional recording microphone.

The reasons for this are debatable, but in my experience, there’s nothing that even comes close to the C01 in the same price range. To get similar or better quality, you really have to spend a lot more. How much??  Probably $300+ to really start noticing any difference with a more expensive mic.

I think there’s an assumption that cheaper studio microphones aren’t able to produce studio-quality recordings and therefore people in the market for a good condenser microphone won’t even bother to look at anything under the $100 mark.

Hopefully, this article will get more people to consider this great studio microphone as it has proven to work fantastically for those who have taken the time to give it a fair shake. There are obviously other, more expensive condenser microphones on the market, but the Samson C01 is definitely something you should try before spending a ton of money on a product that works just the same as the Samson.