Item: Sennheiser e935
Price: £99 (UK), $199 (US)
Quick Singer Assessment:
The e935 is a fantastic dynamic vocal microphone that could be your perfect gigging companion for years. It has a subtle presence boost and bass roll off to give vocals a forward yet natural sound that is ideally suited to the live vocal performances.
At a Glance
Sennheiser’s e 935 is a cardioid microphone designed for vocals on stage. It offers excellent build-quality and a frequency response that is tailored to help vocals shine through the mix. It is highly resistant to feedback and extremely durable – Sennheiser even produced a video to demonstrate this by abusing the mic with hammers and angle grinders (and even running it over with a van!) and it still worked afterwards!
High Notes
The microphone has a lot more “air” in the sound than you would get from an SM58. This is particularly well suited for female singers and helps voices come across clearly in the mix. It also manages to achieve this without sounding harsh. The bass frequencies are not overbearing from proximity effect and it often requires very little (if any) additional EQ on vocal applications. For singers who do not use a mic stand, handling noise is minimal and it is a nice shape and weight in your hand.
Off Pitch
Its dynamic capsule is great for keeping the cost down (and you don’t need phantom power); however Sennheiser’s live condenser microphones do offer a step up in quality if you are looking for a more “studio” sound on stage. As the microphone’s frequency response is tailored for vocals, it is not as useful for other applications as some more general-purpose mics are.
Audio-Savvy Reviewer Says…
One thing that makes the e935 stand out in comparison to other mics in this price-bracket is the clarity of the high frequencies. Its subtle presence peak above 2kHz really helps some vocals shine one stage (in a similar way to which one of its main competitors, the AKG D5/D7 also does). That said, it is not necessarily the right vocal for all singers. For a male rock singer, a classic SM58 might still be a better choice; however, for singers who find an SM58 sounds too muddy and boomy, the e935 may be the perfect stage microphone for under $200 – and if you live in the UK, it’s current price of £99 makes it a bargain! – Chris Kennedy
Manufacturer’s Website: https://en-uk.sennheiser.com/
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Chris Kennedy is a songwriter, producer multi-instrumentalist and freelance journalist from the UK. He has performed extensively over Europe and written and produced over a dozen albums. Chris also has a passion for music technology and was the principal product reviewer and tech expert of the original Voice Council magazine.
