To me the Neumann has that U eq that sounds smooth between 300hz to 2khz.This is very good for many singers.Makes their voices sounds sweet with good clarity on the top end without sounding harsh. Maybe in a gig context lacks of that strong midrange for rock styles but for any other music style would be a very good choice. The DPA would be good for live music in TV shows because in this context the use of big amount of compression is normal and the natural way of DPA about the low end would be the way to go to compensate. The Earthworks sound big and strong but maybe too much for soft music styles.Anyway it's the beast of live mics.
I went a bit crazy after watching your comparisons and wanted the SR40 but it is very hard to find it for a reasonable price here in Denmark/Europe compared to the US price. If you can help with links or have any other suggestions then please contact me. Best Edit: I got the SR40V a while back and I'm very happy with it. The great feedback resistance allows me to use it right in front of my monitors without using headphones. It sounds much better than my old SE Electronics 2200A Mk2 large diaphragm condenser.
Excellent reviews - there is a certain uniqueness about your microphone reviews - a refinement and deliberation - You are my Rolls-Royce and Bentley (and Tesla) of RU-vid microphone reviewers - you only deal with the good stuff. High end.... With the Neumann bag I think you could put the microphone in with the capsule on the inside of the case, to keep it from dust/damage.
Thanks for your comment, the mike will fit the other way up but it's a bit of a squeeze and feels like a bodge! Beyerdynamic bags are (functionally) the best in my experience. Regards, Anton
thank you very good review as always i bought the dpa when it came out and never used it tried but always changed as soon the first brake came but it‘s good for speech
I am a bit mystified why it sounds so thin in the bottom end and I am even starting to wonder if there was something wrong in the gear, like a wet cable. This could also sound like an impedance mismatch. If a preamp's impedance is "too high" (not going in to many details here) you get this thin sound. But regarding the possible lack of that much of a proximity effect and the slope down at the low end maybe it could... But I still wonder which d:facto is used here, speaking of differences between the d:facto I and II and which capsule is fitted, there is a choice between some different pattern versions.. Anyway, listening to it based on this comparison I would definitely not pick it for your voice for the obvious reason that it cuts you beautiful bass out. My experience with the d:facto is that it is one of the best sounding handhelds I ever heard when I had to the choice to use one in live shows as a FOH engineer and I had the ability to co-decide which mic to use for the lead vocalists (jazz in all occasions). Now I started to doubt.......... Look forward to spend more time testing the d:facto and Earthwork handhelds as well. Thank you for all your great reviews. I saw quite a few today. :)
Amazing review, thank you. Lots of audio information that you simply can't get without trying. I have a Neumann KMS105 for years now and thinking of changing it because of the Neumann high end peak bringing out my ssss'es and the low cut taking out the lowmost frequencies of my voice (similar low register to yours). For folky acoustic stuff. Earthworks SR 40V sounded great. DPA very disappointing. Have to wonder how the Earthworks SR314 and EV RE-20 compare here. By the way the Neumann is also great for rock and metal and no deteriorating foam in the grill. A tough mic to upgrade...
SR314 is a bit like the Neumann but less of a peak and more bass. SR40V is flat and extended - so you can't go wrong. Beyer M88 (pre TG) is worth trying.
