Thank you for doing a blind test. This is the best test between these mics I've seen (heard) on TH-cam thanks man. Further solidifies my choice to pick up the 600 now the 416 later.
Thank you! I've heard other MKH 416 vs NTG2 test and all of them I couldn't tell the difference. This video allowed me to judge by my ears and not by what I was expecting. I could definitely tell the differences and now have made my purchase choice based on this video. Thank you again!
Clear winner is C (MKH-416) really natural and pleasant sound. I hear somewhat more room in A (MKE 600), B (NTG3) has more gain, sound almost like it's closer to mouth than others and D (NTG2) sounds really weak in highs. Listening on KRK VXT4 monitors.
Having a full blind test was amazing, and having it with male AND female voice was a plus too ! Thank you for your work (even tho it's been 4 years) :D I was looking for good reviews as I'm thinking about a shotgun microphone and well... I'm not disapointed here and it just confirmed what I was thinking overall. For me : A : A bit "shy" but really balanced microphone, I love it because it fits pretty anything and will not cause any pain in post. B : I didn't really like it. It sounded good tho, but way too bassy and it became quite painful at some points and really took off understandability/ clarity in the voices. Tho, I liked it on female voice because the more bass heavy sound made it close to a "podcastish" sound C : Clear winner here. The balanced sound of the A but better. Clarity, precision and all. It may sound a bit too flat to some persons, but I love this as it's meant to be post-processed and it will be really easy with that balanced sound. D : It sounds just... weak ? More noise, high metallic/ cheap sound, a lot of wind/ Esses, it sounds really unpleasing in this comparison. So my tier-list would be : CABD, but in my situation, I'd go for the A at the moment because more affordable for a close to perfect sound, even if C is better but waaaaay more expensive :D
B and C are clearly better. Out of the mic I think that C is more pleasant than B, but B makes it very clear that it captures a great range of vocal tones and can be equalized a ease.
Love this blind test! Thank you! I own the NTG3 and could spot the sound straight away. I hate it. Muddy low mids, awful to EQ, just the worst. The MKH416 sounded best and no wonder it's industry standard. Gonna pick up the MKE600. It's not a perfect sound but it's got the clarity and presence that I want and WAY cheaper.
Awesome comparison. That best I found yet. I will go for NTG3. It is true: It is not as accurate, BUT it sounds so much warmer and is overall the most "pleasing" sound. And that is my most important point. Especially when listening to B and switching to A, you lose this feeling of "comfort" ;-)
listening with headphones on the ntg3 has more low end and less humm or hiss than the others. The MKE 600 is clear and has the next least amount of hiss or humm in it. Those two are the clear choice depending on if you the low end tone or a tad bit more clarity with the 600
I've watched this 15-20x now. On different devices, on different volume levels, in different ambient "venues," and continually come up with C, A, B then D. I'm impressed with the MKE-600, will be adding one to my tool kit here shortly.
Great test! Interesting when the psychology kicks in after you find out which one is which. A a bit thin but decent, B was crap, C and D were close and the winners. I own a 600 BTW - works for what I need but do love the 416.
I really hoped that the ones I liked the most were the Sennheiser options, as I've liked them best using them so far. Glad I was hearing correctly. Thanks for the test.
Fantastic real life review; made the point very clear. I'm a voice actor and I am looking for one of these. Without giving it away (you'll have to watch till the end), my ears told me: 1. C (Perfect amount of lows, mids and highs, including a tolerable noise floor) 2. A (Almost as good as C, but definitely the clear winner as far as noise floor and all around quieter mic) 3. D (Just off a little in the highs, but very close to the two mentioned above. Definitely didn't expect it! I didn't care too much for B.
I was easily able to point out which mic was which before the results. I really dislike the artificial boominess the Rode mics carry. Also, I'm impressed by how close the MKE 600 is to the MKH 416!
This was a great comparison of these mics. Overall, I preferred A on male and C on female. C did seem to have a slightly unnatural mid boost, but not too distracting. I also liked the sound of D overall, but found that it was a bit too noisy... B would have to be eq'd to roll off some of the bass and I found it a little muddy in the mids. You have provided a great service! Thank you!
Thank you for this very informative video! My ranking was CDAB. I will do a comparisson soon with the MKE400, MKE600 and NTG2 with as reference the NT2. Not for voice but for music. Will also do a comparisson in the backyard (without NT2) for nature sounds. My video camera Sony FDR AX 53 does not support phantom power supply and the NTG2 is weak on 1,5V (AA) so I will also do a test on 3,6V (AA).
A to me sounds like what I would use for a neutral tone, B is more dramatic, would work well for breaking bad, C sounds more like what I would use for a pop music video or an aggressive speaker or for Poppy. D is similar to A in some ways, I would be least likely to use it I think
Tornado of Souls! Thanks for the comparison. It became very clear to me that I much prefer the Sennheiser mics over the Rode... at least for the male voice.
This was cool! Listened all the way through on Klipsch Sixes. A and C were the most pleasing. B was painful, which surprised me at the reveal. I'm gonna listen again on the phone and see. I've owned MKE 600 for about four years and love it. Buying a new mic soon, thinking about upgrading but seems like the 600 works for my ear hole.
B is more pleasing sound broadcast a like. And then a is second one. D is the worst here with background noise and coloration voice. C a little to bright for my taste. Nice video
I Just thought the NTG3 was the MKH416, because the excelent lo-end response (maybe, excessive) In fact, i just think the MKH 416 is the most linear mic, but i'm in love with the color that the NTG3 gives. MKE is very good, unfortunetly I it have no high frequencies than the other mics and the ntg2... sounds good, but i notice this is the worse noise floor between those Excelent video, thank you! +1 sub for darkstonecastle
Thanks for the tests! I always wonder why people don't do a "blind" test when comparing products. Its the best way to be unbiased (unless the presenter messed up the syncing) Thanks again. The Sennheiser MKE was my preference. Then the 416. The other 2 just didn't sound natural to me. What was your preference?
I'm always asking myself (and we own the zoom h5 too) if it's the zoom which has a soooo ridiculous bad preamp built in, that it's sounds terrible with headphones, because there is a unbearable background noise (not noise, but like electric rustling). Anyone hearing this too, listening the sound of this video? Thanks for your review anyway!!!!
B=C; A=D; the NTG-3 and 416 are by far better, but I can’t say which is better of the 2. The NTG-2 and the 600 are also very similar, maybe the 600 a bit better. From all these, I only own the NTG-2…but still it is not a bad mic
For some reason I felt C and A are Pleasing to the ear. I was liking C and then A...So I can finally go for the MKE 600 .. its too close to MKD416. Buying it now
For me B on male vocals, C on female vocals sounded best. Overall, B,C tie in first D third, A fourth. Heard by themselves I'd be happy with any of them I suspect. Perceived ranking before knowing which was which. B distinctly more bass heavy, A sounded a little thin.
I agree. I’m bidding on one on eBay right now. Might get to for 450. I found B during the test to be my favorite. When it was over I felt like I won a mini jackpot. ☺️
So glad I found this video before ordering the mic I was looking at. I would have been making a huge mistake. Thank you for making this. Any way we could get a comparison to the audio technica at897?
For me, B sounded best for male voice probably because it favored the low end. C sounded best for female voice probably because it favored the high end. A sounded balanced and good for both male and female voices. D didn't appeal to me.
Gerat Test Bro! Quick Question: I got mic D at the moment and looking forward to buying A :) This video helped me a lot, but one question remains: How are the Output levels compared between these 2?
Actually, I found it to be more conditional. The NTG3 seemed too boomy on the male voice, but the MKH 416 ended up being too sharp on the female voice. I think the one I’d pick would have a lot to do with the voice of the person I was recording.
@@Matthew_Raymond Ultimately, these mics are not the same quality as major film productions and that is the goal I want to achieve. I see where you’re getting at tho. I’m more involved in front of the lens and still wonder at what lengths of editing in sound production is taken to achieve the major film quality that is obviously the standard, other than the mic themselves. The most experience I have is editing voice for music and podcast. So yeah, def still different from film, I imagine.
Got mic A last week, it was recommended in place of D for my use case (and sounded ok in the test room). Hearing *this* test, I’m happy I did not go for D. Price ranges are close enough, and B and C (while more pleasing to me) are out of budget for now. Thanks! The methodology is excellent.
mind blowing. slight distortion on all mics, maybe TH-cam? for me: male voice CDAB , and on the female voice DCAB. impressed with the NTG2. the bass boost in the NTG3 is not helpful.
Dude, that NTG2 must be broken or the recorder can't push it enough or something. There is so much crap in the background that is clearly not the mic...
I just hate the sound of the 416 given it's price. Completely overrated. I hate how its got a scooped out mid section. The 416 is the microphone equivalent of flared trousers. I own the NTG 3 and for me it always wins. It's got extended low end but that's easily remedied in post.
Can you add a new video adding Diety S-MIC 2 in this mix? I think a lot of people are comparing this to 416, but your testing method is the best with sequential clips of the same line. Tnx.
The test was interesting. But the only reason to use a shotgun mic is when recording something from a distance. 18 inches is not far enough away. Shotguns are typically used to record from many feet away. More like 5' or 10' or 15' or 20' etc. Recording from 18" or less, you might as well use a stand dynamic or cardioid pattern condenser. Still liked your test, but recording yourself from 10 feet away would have shown greater differences, IMHO. If you had compared these to an AKG 414 mic, that costs about $500 - $1000, it would have blown them all away. That's because it is NOT a shotgun. Shotguns by nature don't sound that good. But they isolate sounds extremely well; that's their applicaiton.
Really useful comparison. Impressed by the MKE 600.
Thank you for doing a blind test. This is the best test between these mics I've seen (heard) on TH-cam thanks man. Further solidifies my choice to pick up the 600 now the 416 later.
By the way the end music for the reveal got me so pumped!
Ha. Ha. 😀
Test pre-results: “hum, C is amazing, A is missing air, B is on steroids and D sounds like my film university projects” nice tests.
Great blind test!!! I like the MKH-416 and the MKE-600, which I will seriously consider getting!
I went pretty deep lately in that shotgun mic comparaison hole and I can confidently say your video is one of the best.
Best test on the TH-cam!) Thank you!
Thank you
Thank you! I've heard other MKH 416 vs NTG2 test and all of them I couldn't tell the difference. This video allowed me to judge by my ears and not by what I was expecting. I could definitely tell the differences and now have made my purchase choice based on this video. Thank you again!
Awesome video. Love the music too!!! Thanks!! Love the background too.
Clear winner is C (MKH-416) really natural and pleasant sound. I hear somewhat more room in A (MKE 600), B (NTG3) has more gain, sound almost like it's closer to mouth than others and D (NTG2) sounds really weak in highs. Listening on KRK VXT4 monitors.
Having a full blind test was amazing, and having it with male AND female voice was a plus too ! Thank you for your work (even tho it's been 4 years) :D
I was looking for good reviews as I'm thinking about a shotgun microphone and well... I'm not disapointed here and it just confirmed what I was thinking overall.
For me :
A : A bit "shy" but really balanced microphone, I love it because it fits pretty anything and will not cause any pain in post.
B : I didn't really like it. It sounded good tho, but way too bassy and it became quite painful at some points and really took off understandability/ clarity in the voices. Tho, I liked it on female voice because the more bass heavy sound made it close to a "podcastish" sound
C : Clear winner here. The balanced sound of the A but better. Clarity, precision and all. It may sound a bit too flat to some persons, but I love this as it's meant to be post-processed and it will be really easy with that balanced sound.
D : It sounds just... weak ? More noise, high metallic/ cheap sound, a lot of wind/ Esses, it sounds really unpleasing in this comparison.
So my tier-list would be : CABD, but in my situation, I'd go for the A at the moment because more affordable for a close to perfect sound, even if C is better but waaaaay more expensive :D
B and C are clearly better. Out of the mic I think that C is more pleasant than B, but B makes it very clear that it captures a great range of vocal tones and can be equalized a ease.
Love this blind test! Thank you! I own the NTG3 and could spot the sound straight away. I hate it. Muddy low mids, awful to EQ, just the worst. The MKH416 sounded best and no wonder it's industry standard. Gonna pick up the MKE600. It's not a perfect sound but it's got the clarity and presence that I want and WAY cheaper.
Awesome comparison. That best I found yet. I will go for NTG3. It is true: It is not as accurate, BUT it sounds so much warmer and is overall the most "pleasing" sound. And that is my most important point. Especially when listening to B and switching to A, you lose this feeling of "comfort" ;-)
The 416 did stand out for me from the beginning. Actually pretty impressed with the Rode NTG2 also.
Thanks! Since I plan to connect straight to camera via 3.5mm (not XLR), would you recommend the MKE600 or the Rode VideoMic NTG?
Amazing, the one I came here looking for sound samples was the one I liked the most on the bind tests!
listening with headphones on the ntg3 has more low end and less humm or hiss than the others. The MKE 600 is clear and has the next least amount of hiss or humm in it. Those two are the clear choice depending on if you the low end tone or a tad bit more clarity with the 600
I've watched this 15-20x now. On different devices, on different volume levels, in different ambient "venues," and continually come up with C, A, B then D. I'm impressed with the MKE-600, will be adding one to my tool kit here shortly.
Great test! Interesting when the psychology kicks in after you find out which one is which. A a bit thin but decent, B was crap, C and D were close and the winners. I own a 600 BTW - works for what I need but do love the 416.
I really hoped that the ones I liked the most were the Sennheiser options, as I've liked them best using them so far. Glad I was hearing correctly. Thanks for the test.
I've watched / listened this video 10 times now.
Very honest comparison. Thx for posting.
Thank you for the comparison, that was helpful.
Fantastic real life review; made the point very clear. I'm a voice actor and I am looking for one of these. Without giving it away (you'll have to watch till the end), my ears told me:
1. C (Perfect amount of lows, mids and highs, including a tolerable noise floor)
2. A (Almost as good as C, but definitely the clear winner as far as noise floor and all around quieter mic)
3. D (Just off a little in the highs, but very close to the two mentioned above. Definitely didn't expect it!
I didn't care too much for B.
C was a clear winner for me. I just ordered one ;) But also own NTG-2 and NTG-1 - not bad at all.
416 > 600 > NTG3 > NTG2
I was easily able to point out which mic was which before the results.
I really dislike the artificial boominess the Rode mics carry.
Also, I'm impressed by how close the MKE 600 is to the MKH 416!
This was a great comparison of these mics. Overall, I preferred A on male and C on female. C did seem to have a slightly unnatural mid boost, but not too distracting. I also liked the sound of D overall, but found that it was a bit too noisy... B would have to be eq'd to roll off some of the bass and I found it a little muddy in the mids. You have provided a great service! Thank you!
Thanks for the input :)
Wow I loved the blind test, I came here thinking I’d love the Sennheiser but ended up loving (B) the Rode NTG3.
Dang it, i like the expensive ones :(
yeah, you can easily tell B was the best, the signal to noise is so much lower
Thank you for this very informative video! My ranking was CDAB. I will do a comparisson soon with the MKE400, MKE600 and NTG2 with as reference the NT2. Not for voice but for music. Will also do a comparisson in the backyard (without NT2) for nature sounds. My video camera Sony FDR AX 53 does not support phantom power supply and the NTG2 is weak on 1,5V (AA) so I will also do a test on 3,6V (AA).
I found I liked "A" for male voice and "D" for female voice... Just personal preference...
A to me sounds like what I would use for a neutral tone, B is more dramatic, would work well for breaking bad, C sounds more like what I would use for a pop music video or an aggressive speaker or for Poppy. D is similar to A in some ways, I would be least likely to use it I think
Best test on the TH-cam! Thank you! :)
Thank You for this test, very interesting. Helped me to make my decision.
Tornado of Souls! Thanks for the comparison. It became very clear to me that I much prefer the Sennheiser mics over the Rode... at least for the male voice.
This was cool! Listened all the way through on Klipsch Sixes. A and C were the most pleasing. B was painful, which surprised me at the reveal. I'm gonna listen again on the phone and see. I've owned MKE 600 for about four years and love it. Buying a new mic soon, thinking about upgrading but seems like the 600 works for my ear hole.
UPDATE: They all sound the same on my crappy phone listening outside lol
B is more pleasing sound broadcast a like. And then a is second one. D is the worst here with background noise and coloration voice. C a little to bright for my taste. Nice video
I Just thought the NTG3 was the MKH416, because the excelent lo-end response (maybe, excessive)
In fact, i just think the MKH 416 is the most linear mic, but i'm in love with the color that the NTG3 gives.
MKE is very good, unfortunetly I it have no high frequencies than the other mics
and the ntg2... sounds good, but i notice this is the worse noise floor between those
Excelent video, thank you! +1 sub for darkstonecastle
Thanks for the tests! I always wonder why people don't do a "blind" test when comparing products. Its the best way to be unbiased (unless the presenter messed up the syncing) Thanks again. The Sennheiser MKE was my preference. Then the 416. The other 2 just didn't sound natural to me. What was your preference?
Thanks! I preferred the MKH 416 over the others.
great test, it was on 1 de NTG38
I'm always asking myself (and we own the zoom h5 too) if it's the zoom which has a soooo ridiculous bad preamp built in, that it's sounds terrible with headphones, because there is a unbearable background noise (not noise, but like electric rustling). Anyone hearing this too, listening the sound of this video? Thanks for your review anyway!!!!
Yep. It's definitely noticeable.
B=C; A=D; the NTG-3 and 416 are by far better, but I can’t say which is better of the 2. The NTG-2 and the 600 are also very similar, maybe the 600 a bit better.
From all these, I only own the NTG-2…but still it is not a bad mic
Got everyone right :)
Just bought the mke 600, but my favorites where C > A > D > B
For some reason I felt C and A are Pleasing to the ear. I was liking C and then A...So I can finally go for the MKE 600 .. its too close to MKD416. Buying it now
@@atultayade I'm very happy with mine. mkh416 is just the extra 10% of goodness but too expensive for my case
For me B on male vocals, C on female vocals sounded best. Overall, B,C tie in first D third, A fourth. Heard by themselves I'd be happy with any of them I suspect. Perceived ranking before knowing which was which. B distinctly more bass heavy, A sounded a little thin.
NTG3 was warm deep, perfect
I agree. I’m bidding on one on eBay right now. Might get to for 450. I found B during the test to be my favorite. When it was over I felt like I won a mini jackpot. ☺️
Of the 4 mics featured in this video, I think the only one that sounds better than Audio-Technica AT897 or AT875R is Sennheiser MKH416.
C,A,D,B a few minor tweaks in post and that mke 600 would sound almost identical to the 416 I think that's what I'm going for the 600
C is the best in your voice...Thanks for this great review! Btw, you have some noise in the bkg!
Ha! Great video! Very well done. Dang it! I liked C the best which is the more expensive 416.
😄 Same here!
order for me was C > B > A/D. Unfortunately that was also the order of prices so... rip.
Ha ha... same here!
Thank you sir!
Do you recommend buy zoom h1n and rode ntg 2 with 3.5mm to xlr adapter?
Which do you recommend between ntg3 and mke600?
@@머리속에수레바퀴 mke600
@DarkStoneCastle even if it's the same price? (need to make film production)
So glad I found this video before ordering the mic I was looking at. I would have been making a huge mistake. Thank you for making this. Any way we could get a comparison to the audio technica at897?
What were you chossing between and what did you get eventually?
What is that “zzst zzsst zzst” sound in the back of the voice ??
sounds like a bad xlr cable
For me, B sounded best for male voice probably because it favored the low end. C sounded best for female voice probably because it favored the high end. A sounded balanced and good for both male and female voices. D didn't appeal to me.
great lighting too, How many lights are you under?
2
Excelente vídeo! Muito bom.
I guessed the Sennheiser's correct and reversed the Rode's which makes sense as I use Sennheiser and don't care for Rode.
Gerat Test Bro! Quick Question: I got mic D at the moment and looking forward to buying A :) This video helped me a lot, but one question remains: How are the Output levels compared between these 2?
Ha Megadeth. Thanks for the comparison, good test for noise.
Goooooood video!! BTW, this guy is sooo dark in his soul!! :D :D :D
overal they sound all acceptable, the ntg3 jumps out, than the mke600 because of the lowest noise floor
WOW! I love the comparison with a female voice. I would have bought a mic that muffles my voice but is perfect for male voices. Thank you!!
hi, just curious, which mic you felt would have produced muffled sound for female voice?
Senn MKE 600 (A) and Rode NTG3 (B) were the best sounding, personally for me.
Actually, I found it to be more conditional. The NTG3 seemed too boomy on the male voice, but the MKH 416 ended up being too sharp on the female voice. I think the one I’d pick would have a lot to do with the voice of the person I was recording.
@@Matthew_Raymond Ultimately, these mics are not the same quality as major film productions and that is the goal I want to achieve. I see where you’re getting at tho. I’m more involved in front of the lens and still wonder at what lengths of editing in sound production is taken to achieve the major film quality that is obviously the standard, other than the mic themselves. The most experience I have is editing voice for music and podcast. So yeah, def still different from film, I imagine.
Tornado of Souls! Nice!
Thanks fella, have to say I liked A and C the best, with the clarity of C winning. RIP my wallet at $1000
Agreed
MkH 416 my go to
C- Sennheiser MKH 416 smoked them all by a huge margin
Of course, I liked the most expensive mic. Darn!
For me C, maybe “in your face” and brightest, but the most detailed as well. These stroke me.
hola cual es el C?
Unbelievably useful, thank you.
Got mic A last week, it was recommended in place of D for my use case (and sounded ok in the test room).
Hearing *this* test, I’m happy I did not go for D. Price ranges are close enough, and B and C (while more pleasing to me) are out of budget for now.
Thanks! The methodology is excellent.
mind blowing. slight distortion on all mics, maybe TH-cam? for me: male voice CDAB , and on the female voice DCAB. impressed with the NTG2. the bass boost in the NTG3 is not helpful.
Dude, that NTG2 must be broken or the recorder can't push it enough or something. There is so much crap in the background that is clearly not the mic...
I had (1)B (2)toss up between A&C (3) D was rubbish.
Before I see the answer I like a,c,d,b in that order.
I just hate the sound of the 416 given it's price. Completely overrated. I hate how its got a scooped out mid section. The 416 is the microphone equivalent of flared trousers. I own the NTG 3 and for me it always wins. It's got extended low end but that's easily remedied in post.
Can you add a new video adding Diety S-MIC 2 in this mix? I think a lot of people are comparing this to 416, but your testing method is the best with sequential clips of the same line. Tnx.
I like to but I don't own it. Maybe some day...
@@DarkStoneCastle thanks. hopefully they can send you a demo or rent it from a house.
B is really best . If you say c or d you are reaally deaf
C,A,B,D.....why wins the 1000 Dollar Mic :( boooooh ^.^
All I’m hearing is tornado of souls
Jeepers!
@@DarkStoneCastle seriously, though. This was really helpful. 🤟🏻
Megadeth!!!
I've recognized the B=Rode NTG3 cause has way more bass. I really liked also the D and was surprised to know it is a NTG-2
The test was interesting. But the only reason to use a shotgun mic is when recording something from a distance. 18 inches is not far enough away. Shotguns are typically used to record from many feet away. More like 5' or 10' or 15' or 20' etc. Recording from 18" or less, you might as well use a stand dynamic or cardioid pattern condenser. Still liked your test, but recording yourself from 10 feet away would have shown greater differences, IMHO. If you had compared these to an AKG 414 mic, that costs about $500 - $1000, it would have blown them all away. That's because it is NOT a shotgun. Shotguns by nature don't sound that good. But they isolate sounds extremely well; that's their applicaiton.
Let me see if I can guss I think a is cheaper sinhi b is cheap other brand c is expensive senhi and d is expensive other brands
Whas that even right I watch the reveal like 5 times but I'm 2 deslexic for fancy shit like that to many numbers
DarkStoneCastle definitely the right name.