sE Electronics
X1 R
Ribbon · Figure-8 · 20–16,000 Hz
- A passive ribbon: no phantom power, 1.8 mV/Pa out, and a preamp with real gain is not optional.
- Figure-8 by nature, so the two deep nulls at 90° are a feedback tool on a loud stage — aim them at the wedges.
- Tops out at 16 kHz, which on a guitar cab is the point rather than a limitation.
Frequency response
No response curve yet.
MicSense only draws a curve redrawn from a graph the manufacturer publishes — it never estimates one from the microphone’s class. No published graph has been redrawn for the X1 R yet, so the numbers are in the spec table below.
Polar pattern
Generated from the first-order directivity formula for figure-8. It illustrates the pattern type — it is not a measurement of this individual model.
Specifications
| Manufacturer | sE Electronics |
|---|---|
| Model | X1 R |
| Type | Ribbon |
| Form factor | Side-address |
| Polar pattern | Figure-8 |
| Frequency range | 20–16,000 Hz |
| Sensitivity | 1.8 mV/Pa · -55.0 dBV/Pa |
| Max SPL | 135 dB SPL (0.5 % THD) |
| Self-noise | 23 dB(A) |
| Impedance | 200 Ω (electrical) |
| Connector | XLR3M |
| Powering | None (passive ribbon) |
| Weight | 510 g |
| Caution | No phantom needed — passive ribbon; avoid hot-patching or unbalanced cables with 48 V on. |
Specifications: sE Electronics specifications page · last checked 2 Oct 2026. These are the maker’s published figures for this model. A dash never means zero: “not published by the maker” means the maker’s documents give no figure; “not yet checked” means MicSense has not confirmed one yet. Spotted an error? Tell us.
MicSense notes
| Price tier | Mid |
|---|---|
| Introduced | — not recorded |
Price tier and “a rider regular” are MicSense’s own judgement, not the maker’s.
What it gets used for
- Guitar cab
- Horn / brass
- Overhead
MicSense tags microphones by the job on a live stage, not by studio category — so you can filter for “kick in” or “monitor vocal” instead of working backwards from “large-diaphragm condenser”.
X1 R alternatives: closest in published specs
Based on published specifications only — always listen at soundcheck. These are the microphones in the MicSense library whose datasheet figures sit closest to the sE Electronics X1 R’s for the same live job, with the reasons. It says nothing about how they sound.
Not compared for the sE Electronics X1 R: response curve not redrawn yet.
-
sE Electronics
VR1
- Same job: guitar cab, horn / brass, overhead
- Same type: ribbon
- Same figure-8 pattern
- Same form: side-address
- About the same output — within the datasheets’ tolerance
- Max SPL as high or higher (135 vs 135 dB SPL)
-
Shure
KSM313/NE
- Same job: guitar cab, horn / brass, overhead
- Same type: ribbon
- Same figure-8 pattern
- Same form: side-address
- About the same output — within the datasheets’ tolerance
- Max SPL as high or higher (146 vs 135 dB SPL)
-
Shure
KSM353/ED
- Same job: guitar cab, horn / brass, overhead
- Same type: ribbon
- Same figure-8 pattern
- Same form: side-address
- About the same output — within the datasheets’ tolerance
- Max SPL as high or higher (146 vs 135 dB SPL)
Compare it against the alternatives.
MicSense lets you put up to four microphones side by side — spec table, overlaid response curves and polar diagrams on one screen. Free with a free Squaresmile account.