I was thrilled when I first received this product. I like the built in XLR and the quality of the stick seems very good for the price and it's a great starting point for a beginner. Unfortunately, I have to say that the thing broke after maybe four shoots. The top extension flew out and is now just spinning back and forth. I was able to salvage it during filming by wrapping it in gaff tape, but this took away one of my stretch points and it looks very unprofessional. Anyway, if you literally just want to practice or need a cheap entry point then you can certainly roll the dice on this product and maybe get your money's worth, but I'll look for a more solid option for future shoots.