I bought this mic to record guitar amps which is a standard, I use it along with the shure SM57 and the results are the best!!! Also, I was amazed by how good it sounded on female vocals, on which I use it regularly now. No wonder why Ella Fitzgerald used it on her live performance in 1974. Now, in comparison to the old white one, I have tested them both and I can say the white one has some vintageness to it, but other than that, I liked the black one more. Sennheiser have really taken their white, classic mic and brought out the best of it with this product.