For a long time, and when asked what one microphone would be a great all-rounder for recording at a budget price, it was an easy answer - the Rode NT1a. In the last decade Australian Rode have made a name for themselves with an ever growing range of impressive mics at outstanding value.

I've been aware of SE Electronics for some time but have never really taken much notice, not for any negative reason, but simply because no one has ever really shown one to me.

A couple of days ago I was shown not one but several; in fact I even saw one in bits so I could see the components and build quality. It wasn't long before I was impressed by the attention to detail hidden within these microphones, in fact it didn't look like something you would expect from a Chinese factory (where SE are manufactured) but more like a Neumann - craftsmanship came to mind.

So I thought, microphones to studio owners are like shoes to women, you can never have enough!

I'm now the owner of the NT1a contender, their cheekily named sE X1.

I have to admit, I'll be honest, I approached the test with some skepticism and a healthy dose of bias. I love my NT1a, it's a little like someone suggesting I swap my Macbook Air for a HP Laptop. Just the thought of it offends me. So the first test I thought I would do on the sE X1 was compare it with my beloved NT1a, once that was over then I would put it in the cupboard or on Ebay.

One thing to say from the start is that they look different; the Rode is a kind of Neumann wanna-be, whereas the SE Electronics mic is a unique modern design, it doesn't seem to be trying to imitate anything else. The second thing I noticed straight away was the weight difference - significant. So much so I dropped them on my kitchen scales to see how different. The Rode is just shy of 300g whereas the SE just over 400g. I'm not suggesting that weight means anything, a house bricks weighs more than both microphones but you ain't gonna get a good vocal sound from one. But it did make me think again about seeing an SE mic in bits and seeing how well built they are - to coin a phrase, like a brick shit-house.

Anyway, sound is everything, so I decided to do a test on the most likely material I would use them both for; my voice and an acoustic guitar. I've included the audio of those tests at the end of this article.

Of course a lot of this is about taste, but I'm afraid to say that I prefer the sE X1 by some lengths. 

The sE X1 has a more open quality, seems less coloured and has a top end that you would normally associate with microphones about 5 times the price. This test actually upset me a bit, it made me feel like a bit of an idiot. The Rode NT1a is a good microphone, don't get me wrong, but now I've heard the sE X1 it just sounds quite coloured, especially in the low and upper mid. It almost sounds as if there's an Eq stage in the microphone, a bit like they put in home hi-fi speakers to impress you.

So in conclusion, I have to say that in my opinion, the sE X1 is a better mic. I'm tempted to put it up against the NeumanTLM102, but I'm resisting that in case I depress myself more.

Do I hate my Rode NT1a? Of course not, I'm not 'that' fickle. Will I reach for it first? Sadly not. It must be heartbroken, but I'm equally disappointed, if not betrayed by it's lack of honesty with me over the years.

I don't ever think you should buy things because people like me write reviews about them, you should make you own mind up - but take my advice, if you are thinking of buying a microphone at this price point and you don't consider the SE Electronics sE X1 then you need both your head and your ears testing.

Tests are below, both recorded on Pro Tools HD via a Focusrite pre-amp with some gentle compression and no eq. 

More info SE Electronics, Rode

NT1a Audio 24 bit 44.1 by airusersblog

SEX1 Audio 24 bit 44.1 by airusersblog