Blue has 3 hand held microphone; the Encore 100, 200 and 300.

The dynamic 100 is the same price as a Shure SM58. It sounds very similar to it however the top end sounds a little more open and many who have A/B them prefer the 100. I would say you would use the 100 in the same applications as you would a SM58 or Beta 58. It is a very decent dynamic mic that has a nice handle and overall is a good looking mic. I would say the mic is closer to the Beta 58a. I like both mic's but I feel the more expensive Beta 58a has a slight edge over the 100 in sound.

The dynamic 200 is pretty much the same mic as the 100 but it has an EQ circuit inside that requires phantom power. This circuit along with the phantom power makes this a quieter mic and it has more of a condenser type of sound. Though the 100 is a great mic for $99 and preferred over the SM 58, I like the Encore 200 even better. There is a little more top end, and more of a presence than the 100. Some don't care for the copper head that it has, but that is more of a matter of taste.

The condenser 300 is the flagship handheld Blue mic. It brings serious competition to the Shure Beta 87a. Both are condenser microphones and both have a similar sound to a point. There are some very special design ideas on the 300 that make it stand out though. The capsule is floating, and the structure has less internal reflections. The base of the capsule design helps mitigate the audible bottoming out effect when a vocalists cups the head of the mic when singing. It has high output levels and a wonderful dynamic range. Blue stated they used the Neumann KMS as a bench mark on performance when they designed this mic. The mic is built tough and has a strong steel ring around the capsule that protects it from being damaged when dropped. There is another cool feature about the mic. There is a blue sign on the mic that lights up when the phantom power is running through it. So if you are on stage and the mic does not working during the sound check, tell the engineer to confirm the phantom power is on. I found the mic sounded great on both male and female singers. Apparently a singer used this mic on a American Idol as well. On the internet under Google searches, I found several who compared it to the Shure Beta 87. Though the Beta 87 is a very good mic, many found they actually preferred this mic over the Shure. For only $199 in the States, it would be hard to find a better hand held condenser mic without paying over twice the amount of the Blue. Very impressive mic'. My church just ordered 7 of them to replace the aging SM58's that are used on stage.

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revelationsoundstudio.com

I was able to compare it to a Beta 58a recently. The Beta 58a as expected pushed the mid's but it also had a full sound and nice top end. This mic would be best for a vocalist who is rockin out where you want their voice to punch through a mix. It could also be helpful with a vocalist who does not have a strong voice and you want a mic to help push them through the mix.

The Blue Encore 300 had a full sound, good bass and a balanced mid range with the bass and top end. The top end was actually not as strong in the 2k area as the Beta 58a (though more top end in 10k and higher) so with someone with any silibance issue, the 300 would be a better mic. What really won me over was the smooth refined touch it adds to the vocals. The vocals are more pleasing sounding with this mic. It is a winner.

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revelationsoundstudio.com