Sennheiser E 865

For the money these things cost there are very few mics out there to beat it. The sound is smooth, warm, detailed and articulate. If you have previously been using the Shure SM58 / Beta58 then you are missing out! Get this mic instead! It is similar in sound to the Beta87 but the Sennheiser is warmer. This without doubt the best choice for female vocals under £500.00 We find that little or no EQ is ever needed. It is our goto mic in every situation, when we convince singers to give it a try they realise what they have been missing out on, it cuts through without ever being in your face, it makes the task of clean, clear vocals easy!

Microphones are one of the most subjective pieces of musical equipment you can buy so always try a large sample of microphones before making your choice.

After much testing I purchased a Sennheiser e965. I loved the sound and vocal control I was able to produce and it suited a lot of different musical scenarios for me. However, it is a bit on the fiddly side with all the controls on it and not super durable. I had to return it for repair. It's also expensive. I decided to try the e865 instead as it is half the price and less complicated. A straight forward supercardioid condenser microphone with no frills.

I am extremely happy with the e865 and will soon purchase a second as a backup. I mainly use it for singing jazz and swing music and love the colour and precision it allows me to bring to each song. It's been gigging with me every week for the past 6 months and looks like it will easily stand up to the wear-and-tear.

As always, thank you to Thomann for the great service.

As a vocal and whistle mic this stands out clear from its price bracket competitors. It's slightly pre eq ed. So even a dry sound with no parametric is surprisingly good. I used the old 58 for years before and the difference is night and day. With this the sound seems to "jump" out of the PA. If I ever damaged or lost it I would replace it with the exact same model. I have used other mics live that cost three times the price and could only rate them as different but not better. I gave it a one star for features, As it only foes one thing. Three other full time entertainers/musician friends have switched to this model after using my mic for a gig. For twice the money you won't find better.

Rugged, reliable and versatile vocal mic. If you've been using something like an SM58 for a long time, you'll certainly hear the difference! Top end clarity is certainly smoother, as should be expected from a condenser mic. If you're already using something like a Beta 58A the difference is still there, but is more subtle. Mid range is clear and detailed, although with somewhat less punch than the Beta, and a little too much "honk" around 800Hz. However, the lower mids are definitely smoother and less muddy than an SM58. For more acoustic music this is definitely a worthwhile upgrade; I've found it works well on louder stages too with good feedback rejection, but you won't get such a clear upgrade in sound quality over a dynamic mic.