Neumann KM 184 versus Sennheiser MKH 8040

[CourtneyBryceHilton]

Does anyone have opinions on the best pre-amp to use with the sennheiser MKH 8040s?

[CourtneyBryceHilton]

Also I am looking at mics to record myself as a solo classical guitarist... I am leaning toward the Sennheiser at the moment but both are great mics, the Neumann seems to be a little warmer but the Sennheiser has more detail and I think what with classical nylon string guitars being a 'warmer sounding' instrument than steel string the sennheiser will be fine.

[CourtneyBryceHilton]

I can kinda understand why people are complaining about doing a comparison like this when the sound is compressed so badly (I personally use lossless all the time for my own music listening)... but as the poster as said there is still a noticeable difference in sound character between them so it is still interesting... not 'silly'... thanks manfredp1973

[g1981c]

i like MKH more here. neumann here has cheezy bubble gum heighs and castrated bass IMO.

[Scavneck]

You can't make comparisons on youtube man.

[donarneysyndicate]

Bottom line: Both mics are wonderful.. I could live with either. And I disagree with the piano comment.

A lot more subtlety with acoustic guitar. Although it would be interesting to hear a piano with both mics, I get more of a sense of the definition a mic is capable of with guitar. Or cello. But, that's just me, your results may vary!

[fennessy1980]

That's really nice playing.. is that you?

For me, I tend to choose a mic depending on its dynamics moreover tone. The km "won" this test for me as I felt it brought out the nuances of the piece really well.

Have you tried the rode nt mics? I own quite a few of them....they're a very similar beast to the km's. Not as nice but close!

[HodgesJimEd]

The Sennheiser has more fullness. But, unfortunately, that's not what one is looking for in a mic such as this. You're looking for an uncolored capture of the true sound of the instrument. Therefore, the one that did the most proper job is the Neumann.

[DreadedCockroach]

@HodgesJimEd Agreed. The Neumann sounds more airy to my ears anyways.

[rBennich]

Neumanns are more natural imo.

[mgoorevich1974]

Internet will develop in the future a flawless streaming for WAVE 48 KHz 24 Bit files.

Until then, lets stop these speculation which mic is which. I would hear no difference between a Studio Projects trash and Schoeps mic due YouTube compression.

[simulator94]

@mgoorevich1974 I raise my hand to agree! it's a shame, that the internet still has to get up to date with this!

[576ito1080p]

@mgoorevich1974 but not fo another 30 years :o)

[Chadfish]

I'd say the 8040 has a little more presence.

[underwheels]

Sennheiser is more warm, Neumann is more detail.. I think that Rode NT5 is the middle between Sennheiser MKH 8040 and Neumann KM 184 but cheaper.

[videosouthafrica]

yes not the greatest advert for neumann is it ?

[TheMrChugger]

They're both way to expensive for me to even look at anyway lol...Mind you, they don't sound immense, I bet there's some lower priced mics out there which can provide something just as good?

[moenmusician]

well. this did not work out well, did it? The low sound quality, not a good pre-amp and the mono-sum-thing is just not working for a comparisson between these two mics. The 184's are way more detailed than this.. same for the sennheiser's

[Mooseboy240]

I dunno through my laptops speakers the 8040 sounds fuller but the neumann has a nice high end sound.

[sifs4]

I really like the neumann, it's a more natural sound.

[BTCSUK]

I think 8040 gives a lot of colour, but as stated before, it depends if you're going for that.

[mySirLunchaLot]

If you hear records in a better format you will notice that the 8040 is a much more musical, warmer and more subtle mic. It has a special glow, especially for accoustic strings. In comparison the KM184 is edgy and sharp.

[12khmi]

I don't think you can really hear it off youtube, but they are very different mics. Both are very good, but the Neumann is more natural, while the Sennheiser is more punchy and colored. Generally speaking the major difference between the two brands. Throw a Schoeps in there and watch things get interesting. For classical recording work I'd go with the Neumann.

[exactspace]

Interesting.. guess its the sound your going for but the 8040 seems to pick up a lot more suddle expression. The 184 is quiet but gives it more space.

[tebrizlim]

not much difference. Choose better which is cheaper.

[Gigz200785]

even though they're produced by the same company neumann is very expressive and has more presence. The senheiser sounds crappyyyyyyyypyyyyy!! i'm only refering to the model presented here

[Dodom123]

is it recorded in stereo?

[manfredp1973]

no just one Mic! And both rhytm and solo guitar is in center.

[tongueboy500]

remember part of the reason mics are way better than others is their off axis response, a solo guitar doesnt illustrate this very well, whereas a classical ensemble might

[jastanger]

I'm not sure how well you can audition a microphone on youtube. Low bit-rate compressed streaming audio...yummy.

[xbox360sucksass]

its the same company lol its like saying gm cars vs chevrolet cars ... o0

[Walvis2007]

Interesting. I prefer the Neumanns. But I prefer other mics to the Neumanns :) The Sennheisers sound electronic on the top end, I can imagine the MKH 40 would be nicer, or the subcardioid pattern of the MKH 800/80.

[manfredp1973]

Yes both microphones differ in their methods of construction. It´s is really interessted that you say that you prefer a microphone build by Neumann. Do you know that Neumann is owned by Sennheiser?

[electraluxx]

This is silly. How do you post a comparison online? First the sound is converted to the video format. Then it is compressed by Youtube. Nice effort but it really doesn't work.

[manfredp1973]

Yes you are right. But there is still a difference as you can hear. And welcome to the 21st century nowadays most music is heard compressed via mp3, youtube, myspace and many more.

[electraluxx]

Very true regarding the compression. And true, there are differences.

I do think the KM184 are good mics. The debate I see online is between the 84s and the 184s. The 84 were built with a transistor (FET) and are said to be more flat and smooth. The 184s are criticized as harsh on the high end. I stay away from them as they are produced by Sennheiser. Sennheiser is a great company but if I were to get a Neumann, I would want it to be PRODUCED by Neumann.

Thanks for posting!

[DJayFreeDoo]

Neumann is the way to go!

[JoshSitar]

The Sennheiser actually has more character and clarity in the midrange. The Neumann sounds softer and more distant in the mids but definitely has more upper sparkle.

I'd go with the Sennheiser and just notch up the highs slightly.

[piweedrummer]

thanks a lot for the test, it's very interesting to compare

[flaviomusica]

Yessss!!! NEUMANN IS N.1

[DogBoots77]

While I sympathize with the initiative I think the execution or rather the format is insufficient to say the least. The aggressive top end of the KM184 does it a large favor when compressed to YouTube crap sound. Judging from this video, I'd say the KM184 sounds quite a bit better, however I happen to have extensive experience with both and IMHO the MKH8040 beats the crap out the KM184 in every way I can think of, when allowed to shine. No contest, really.

[zaragon59]

I'm still very happy with my old tube Neumann km56 mic's - once owned a Sennheiser 441 - sexy looking, but nowhere near any Neumanns..

[flinch3]

Its amazing how people try to judge a mic by listening to a lossy mpg-stream that throws away more than 90% of the original information and formats it into something that somebody once defined as "all you need to hear"... argh.

[straightshots]

I totally agree!

[microdori]

I absolutely agree!

[zdoering]

Wow, I love the fact that you made an amazingly intelligent comment on youtube, I agree with you be careful about making audiophile like comments though, many people will try to flame you because of it. That being said, I still think that one can tell a relative difference between the two mics even though we aren't getting nearly enough of the information.

[cameraandsounduk]

ohhh ..you said AUDIOPHILE on you tube ,thats a rude word ,,,lol.

[cameraandsounduk]

hey at last someone with Ears & a brain keeping them apart,i hate 99% of the compression formats out there, although DTS-HD aint too bad.

[phasA100]

magic is away when the mic changes... the sennheiser sounds like there is a blanket over the instrument. and around 300-500 hz i hear a small boost (doesnt sound natural). the volume does not really change. its only the missing highs on the sennheiser. the neumanns has an open sky(highs) and the low doesnt sound unnatural. i always tried to not use a neumann... but with the km its not really possible:)

lg

phasA100

ps: Speakers jbl lsr4328 and AKG K271 headphones

[whitefieldwildcats]

First they sound alike. Should have done this blind folded!(referenced with hd580 sennheiser headphones)When you performed with the 8040 the magic was gone and the performance was quieter. Recording something that is more concrete like a player piano or speakers. Then the "performance" would be identical. The km 184 had more low end and a faster rise in the transients of the top end. What this could mean is that you may have been an inch closer to the km 184's. or they just rock. Which micpre?

[manfredp1973]

Thank you for that professional comment. And you are totaly right to have an honestly comparison I ve should done this with an piano or speaker. But I didn´t had the possibility.I plugged both direct into the focusrite saffire LE. To my mind I like sound in the recording from the Sennheiser more. But during the recording it was easier with the km 184. I think that is the reason why the "magic" is gone on the mkh. Sure it could be that I was an inch closer, but I tried to keep the same distance.

[Ollerton]

It bothers me when people assume that more expensive mics necessarily sound better than less expensive ones, because I think the MXL v67 sounds just as good if not better than the AKG 414, but the Neumann KM 184 does indeed sound considerably better in this.

[manfredp1973]

Just for your information. I made this recording because the MKH 8040 is new and at the moment not really known.

to my mind it doesn´t make sense to make a soundfile without and second well known (km 184) micorophone to compare.

So I compared those two mic´s. Both are good and expensive Mic´s. Allthough the Sennheiser is more expensive.

What I wanted to do Is to show the difference of both mic´s , without saying this one is better.

[phasA100]

what do large diaphragm have to do with these two mics? learn something about different mic types... please...

[hughesmr]

8040=major league. 184=bush league. No comparison.

[just2w4tch]

you got an album?

[manfredp1973]

no i ve just recorded this to compare the microphones

[DarkSkyMedia]

In this comparison, the MKH8040 sounds woolier in the low mids and a little louder than the KM184. On first blush, the higher level and slightly reduced highs of the Sennheiser sound good, but if you match the levels, the KM184 sounds clearer and has much better definition. With a little adjustment of level and either placement or EQ, the KM184 would clearly trounce the MKH8040