Neewer Mic Stand Review

Mic stands are relatively simple mechanical devices that hold your microphone for you or your vocalist when recording or performing live. An ideal mic stand should be sturdy and rigid, and provide good acoustic isolation between whatever surface it is situated on and the microphone. In this review, we’ll take a detailed look at the Neewer mic stand and see how it stacks up against competitors.

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Last Updated: January 27th, 2020

Mic Stand Types

There are several types of mic stands to choose from, and which one you pick depends on the application, cost, and the quality you’re willing to pay for. If you have an expensive mic, it’s a good idea to invest in a quality stand such as the Rode PSA1 as a protective measure. Here’s a quick run-down of a few common microphone stand types, including the scissor arm mic stand.

• Tripod – general purpose stand with three legs that usually fold up for added portability
• Tripod boom – similar to the tripod stand, but this has a boom for extended lateral reach
• Round base – rather than having three legs, these stands have a heavy round base for use on stage and pose less of a tripping hazard to live performers than the tripod stand
• Desktop – these are like miniature versions of the round base stand and are ideal for broadcasting applications
• Desktop scissor arm – you can clamp these adjustable scissor boom stands to a desk and use them for broadcasting and home studio applications
• Low-profile – a short tripod boom stand that you can use to record drums that are situated on the floor
• Overhead – these usually are taller and have a longer boom reach for recording cymbals and hi-hats that are part of the drum set

Neewer Mic Stand Summary & Overview

The Neewer mic stand is definitely a budget item that is more suitable for hobbyists and bedroom producers than for professionals. That being said, it does have some advantages, mainly its price. Let’s look at the pros and cons:

Cons

1. Mic holder rod can come loose over time
2. No acoustic isolation – your desk will transmit vibration and noise to the mic
3. Incompatible with some of the more popular mics – works best with a dynamic mic
4. Only supports 1 kg = 2.2 lbs
5. Some reviews report failures on the top clamp that secures the mic
6. Springs can be noisy if you move the stand during recording

Pros

1. Very easy setup
2. Inexpensive
3. Versatile – you can use it while sitting or standing
4. New clamping mechanism seems sturdy and well built
5. Several adjustable joints – you can position it in many different configurations
6. Clamps to the edge of your desk and frees up space for other equipment

What’s In the Box

The stand came packaged in a basic cardboard box. The components and accessories inside were wrapped in unsealed plastic bags. There was no foam or padding inside the box, and the bag containing the desk clamp was sealed with a single staple. Here’s a full list of what’s inside:

• Neewer mic stand
• Desk/table clamp
• 5/8″ male threaded adapter
• Dynamic mic mount (5/8″ female thread)
• User’s manual
• Two extra shock mount bands

Assembly

Assembly is was easy and took less than two minutes. There is a set screw located in the clamp body that clamps down on a peg on the bottom of the boom arm. The peg allows for 360 degree rotation of the boom arm in relation to the clamp body. The other end has two bent plates wedged between the gussets with a screw running through everything. Just slide the 5/8″ adapter between the bent plates and tighten the screw to clamp down on the adapter.

1. Thread the set screw partially into the clamp
2. Place the boom pin into the clamp
3. Tighten clamp set screw
4. Tighten mic mount body screw
5. Thread mic mount pin into mic mount body (tightening is suggested)
6. Loosen the clips on the end of the boom
7. Olace the mount pin between the clips
8. Tighten the clips
9. Clamp to desktop or table

Neewer Mic Stand Arm Reach & Range of Motion

This Neewer mic stand arm offers a good amount of flexibility and reach, and is perfect for a desk that doesn’t have much room for a regular desktop mic stand like the On Stage DS7200B or the Samson MD5. The added advantage of the Neewer mic stand over the weighted desk mic stand is that the boom can extend high enough from the desk to record while the vocalist or performer is standing up.

Neewer Adjustable Microphone Suspension Boom Scissor Arm Stand at full extension.

I measured roughly 5 feet 2 inches from the floor to the middle of my mic with the Neewer mic stand scissor boom fully extended. My desk is 2 feet 5 inches high, so that puts the full extension length of the scissor boom at roughly 2 feet 9 inches. For added height, you could clamp it to something higher off the ground.

You can loosen and re-tighten several of the set screws for many different combinations of positions and angles These can also be potential failure points, so it’s kind of a double-edged sword to consider. I move and adjust mine frequently and have had it for over two months with no issues.

Upgraded Clamp

The upgraded clamping mechanism boasts added reliability over earlier designs. It seems like Neewer beefed up the design with more material and added a nice green sponge pad to the clamp for added grip and to stop the scissor boom stand from scratching your desktop. The maximum clamp opening depth is 1-7/8″ so if you choose this stand you’ll need to make sure your desk thickness doesn’t exceed that.

Materials

Neewer made the boom arm itself out of two parallel, hollow steel square 3/8″ x 3/8″ members. The members are coated with black paint. The boom arms are secured together by steel plate and bolts that can be tightened if they come loose. The mic holder is some type of flexible plastic.

How It Stacks Up

There are a few other comparable scissor arm mic stands out there. This stand from Earamble looks almost identical. It’s able to support twice the weight (up to 2 kg = 4.4 lbs) as the Neewer mic stand design. It also works well as a Blue Snowball or Blue Yeti mic stand, too. These are two very popular budget condenser mics for podcasting, streaming, and voice acting. The Earamble model looks like it has the old clamp design though, which is supposedly less reliable.

InnoGear also makes a very similar scissor arm mic stand. This one can also be used as a Blue Snowball or Blue Yeti mic stand, offering compatibility with both variants. It comes with a 3/8″ to 5/8″ threaded adapter and includes the upgraded clamp design.

On the pricier and more professional side of things, we have the Rode PSA1. This bad boy  is the Lamborghini of scissor arm mic stands. It too can be used as a Blue Snowball or Blue Yeti mic stand, along with almost all other professional mics. It comes with a 3/8″ to 5/8″ threaded adapter. As an add-on, you can also purchase a shock mount. Check out the Rode website for more details.

Concluding Remarks

As mentioned earlier, this Neewer mic stand is definitely a budget item. It gets the job done without breaking the bank, and is one of the more basic designs for this type of equipment.

The stand definitely has a few downsides, though. These include a lack of acoustic isolation, noisy components, and incompatibility with some of the more popular microphone models. This can be expected given it’s cost.

It also has some benefits over other types of desktop stands. The scissor arm  of the Neewer mic stand clamps to the edge and frees up some desk real estate. This could be an ideal choice for someone without much room in their studio for more gear. It is also very flexible, with many moving parts and adjustable joints that can place the mic in virtually any point in space within the booms range.

That’s it, thanks for reading! I hope this will help you find the right scissor arm mic stand for your specific application and situation, and don’t hesitate to get a hold of me if you have any other questions.