XTUGAXIC1 Microphone Preamp for Dynamic and Condenser Microphones Booster with 2 Input Max 75db Gain 48V Phantom Power XLR Output

This thing cost me about $70 on Amazon (plus shipping and tax), and it is functionally identical to what is essentially the same unit also sold on Amazon under the Rodywell brand name. However, the Rodywell, costs $100 (plus shipping and tax, of course), and the only differences between the two units I could see from photos of either device prior to me buying the Xtuga involved the Rodywell name being on their unit. There is no brand name on the Xtuga device. Operationa graphics aside, it looks generic, and the packaging it came wrapped in showed that it came right out of a Chinese factory. Even the protective bubble wrap around the container said Made in China.In any case, the unit I received via Amazon is easy to use and did a fine job of amplifying the gain on a Behringer ECM8000 microphone I also purchased from Amazon to work with my AudioControl RTA unit in place of the factory CM-10 microphone that had deteriorated. The Xtuga preamp is a useful and well-made piece of gear.

The noise floor could be a little better, but considering the price it's not bad. I don't have pro-level measuring equipment available right now to benchmark it, but I installed it partway through a several-hundred-foot-long mic run to help reduce the noise that was otherwise picked up by the cabling (where it ran near industrial HVAC equipment and other high-interference-generating wiring). Now I can crank up both mics and not have to deal with 60/120 Hz hum.

So far it has been working perfectly with no issues.Good product for the money.

Outstanding product!

Produces clean sound with simple functionality ( two push button switches (48v and Power) and 1 gain dial knob). Love the fact that it has two input sources (Balanced XLR and 1/4 TRS Male) on the front face; and 3 output sources on the back (balanced xlr, mic out, line out)- so that if you'd like to sing and play an instrument while being able to record are both possible. Another scenario one could possibly use this in, is if you have a beginner DJ controller that doesn't have a Mic input you could potentially plug that into the TRS input and a microphone into the balanced XLR input which would allow you to be able to play music and talk on the mic at the same time. Will add pictures and possible video here shortly.Was questioning wether I should give this 5 stars since the volume graphics are off-center which makes one question the overall quality and durability of the unit. But given that it does what it's supposed to and produces great, clean sound I'll leave it at 5 and if anything will come back to this later and update the rating.

The good and it's hardly enough:It appears well made and the buttons turn on the 48v phantom power LED and the blue power LED. That's all this device does.Why I returned it after two hours of diligent testing and support from Amazon:There are no instructions, other than a copy of a digram duplicating the front and back panel labels, but hey, this is a simple mic preamp. The "Line Out" is a 3.5mm TS jack, rather than a standard ¼" TS, so I had to find the only cable I have that has a 3.5mm on one end and a ¼" on the other. My interface and most professional interfaces have either ¼" TS or an XLR. This preamp has a ¼" for the "instrument" input on the front, but the "microphone out" and "line out" are 3.5mm jacks. This is a minor inconvenience, but I'm really glad I didn't need to buy a cable for my test.I connected a Shure PG58 dynamic mic to the mic input on the front panel, powered up the preamp, ensured that the 48v phantom power LED was off, connected the "line out" to a Focusrite Scarlett 18i8 audio interface, put on my headphones connected to the monitor bus and nothing, Not even a pop or crackle when I turned the preamp on and off. I adjusted the "gain" which is labeled to provide up to 75db, which is plenty of gain to amplify a dynamic mic to line level (nominally anything above +60db should give a reasonable signal) and nothing. Regardless of where I set the gain, I heard...nothing. I unplugged the cable from the line out on the preamp and it when I touched the tip of the 3.5mm connector, I got the expected 60Hz sound. Interface line input good. I unplugged the mic cable from the front panel of the interface an plugged it into a mic input (the 18i8 has four mic preamps) and it worked as expected. Mic and cable, good.I plugged a guitar cable into the instrument input of the XTUGA preamp and touched to tip of the other connector. Nothing. I plugged the cable into a Strat with the volume at max. Nothing.I really hope my experience is an outlier, but the Amazon listing says this is a "Frequently returned item, check reviews". The reviews are not very specific, but they do indicate that that device works.I didn't actually measure to determine if this device could provide 48vDC phantom power, but it probably does. There are devices that look similar, but that are only inline phantom power supplies, but they are not sold as preamps and they don't have the ability to provide any gain in level or a knob that is calibrated to a max of 75db, the maximum gain specified in the Amazon listing.This device looks almost identical to two other mic preamps, one that is $10 less and another that is $40 more.

Bought this is part of equipment for acoustics experimentation on single channel. Foolishly assumed that since it's a mono preamp, a mono plug would work. Nope, must be a stereo plug. I wish that had appeared somewhere in the documentation. Cost me literally days of troubleshooting effort.

Brought life to my Shure SM57. Nice little unit that does its job well.