Sennheiser e865 Supercardioid Condenser Handheld Vocal Microphone Reviews

Help our singer cut throw now he doesn't have to yell. He loves it and I have used Sennheiser for years they always have great products.

This E865 replced a E835 which was like going from really good to amazing. Yes, it requires phantom power but will worth it. Dynamic range and clarity are exceptional in my studio and live, on stage.

I did a "shoot-out" with our band for the vocal mic's. Everyone immediately said that the new Sennheiser 865 condenser mic's sounded better than the Shure and Sennheiser dynamic mic's that we had been using. It was no contest. One of the comments was that the bass player could hear the voices more distinct from each other than before. To me, the advantage was that the new condenser mic's seemed less boomy than the dynamics we had been using. Everyone agreed that the condensers had the advantage with no downside observed.

Different voices and different venues require the right tool for the job. This mike is perfect for my voice for my solo gig as it gives me a great tone and allows me to hear what I am singing. If I am playing with a loud band then I might take my Telefuken M-60 as for me it will cut through the mix better. I think I have finally found the right mike for me as I love the smooth sound. But you need to carry a dynamic microphone also in case it might work better for stage you are on and instruments you are playing with.

A - B tested it against an SM 58 on a rehearsal P.A. Just unplugged the 58, plugged in the 865, turned on phantom and sang. Fuller, rounder tone with no feedback. Will use it with other bands and P.A. rigs to check for consistency.

I have been buying sound equipment from Sweetwater for 4 years. They have never let me down one time. I had to return one item during that time and received a prompt and courteous refund. Brian Loney and his team have always been awesome.

I have been on the lookout for the last few weeks for a condenser mic. I already have a good dynamic mic (the Sennheiser e935) and it is fantatstic, but as a vocalist, you always want more for your voice, so I decided to try this one. I will update this review when I give it a proper breaking in.

I am simply incredulous that I got this mic for that price. That's what I paid for my backup Sennheiser e835.

Once again...Sweetwater to the rescue. So when I ordered this mic online… Brian called me to make sure I understood it was on backorder. That, my friends, is called customer service.

Our church worship band has been using this mic for a while now and all I got to say is WOW! This mic picks up all of the nuances of our vocalist voices and it sounds so clear at a really great price. Really do love the pattern of the mic to avoid feedback.

Way to go Sennheiser for making a killer mic!

I'd been using SM57s and 58s forever and was content. Then about 6 years ago I bought an e865 and was blown away. It is perfect for me....smooth, rich and clear. I compared it to a Shure Beta 58 and while the Beta was an improvement on the SM58, it was no where near as good as the e865. It is definitely worth every penny I spent on it. I still carry the SM58 but have bought an e935 as my backup mic.

This microphone is warm, smooth and clear! Definitely worth every dollar spent. I also find it easier to sing with this mic. Two thumbs up! Glad I made this investment in my vocal microphone! You won't be disappointed.

I'm in a 10 piece RB group and we've been using Beta58s for vocals--we purchased a wireless beta 58 and added another lead vocalist so one was using the wireless and the other had the wired mic. The gal with the wired mic always complained that she had no punch-her voice in the monitors (they share two) was as clear. On advice from our Sweetwater rep, Derek, we tried one of these---all problems solved. My only regret is that I've got to get 4 more of these and sell the Betas---any takers?

These are great mics for loud and soft vocals. I bought these for my wife's acoustic duet and used them this past weekend at a small club (75-100 people). Their performances are very dynamic and these mics caught every nuance of their vocal character from whispers to full on "belting" out the vocals. Up close they are very bassy, so I had to roll the bass completely out using my 3-band EQ on my cheap mixer, but once I found the sweet spot these mics picked up everything. Great feedback suppression too. This particular club and stage was laid out in a way that was very difficult to cover the entire floor with great sound. It was a significant challenge to our PA system, so we needed mics that picked up the vocals, but did not feed back. I never tried any other similar mics in this price range, and I dont need to.

I've been a performing musician since 1970 and have used many mics on stage, including some of the old Sennheiser. I've had the e865 now for about 5 years and it's absolutely my favorite! Sturdy, clear sound, heck I even like the shape. I alwasys carry a SM58 with me as a backup, but so far I've never had to use it. Go Sennheiser!!!

I've used a lot of "excellent" dynamic microphones on the stage for vocals, such as those by Shure, Sennheiser, AKG, EV, and others, but when you step up and shell out a little more money for this condenser, it will send your voice into another realm. The e865 is a super stage microphone packed with power, presence, clarity, and smoothness. If you can afford a little more, buy this thing. You won't regret it.

I got this mic on some sort of super-stupid special deal - over 60% off. At it's full price, it would've been a good value. At the price I paid, it's like buying a basketball and having LeBron deliver it and show you how to play.

This was my first Sennh'r. Even though it's indicated to be specifically a vocal mic, I just happen to love condensers and this one would enable me to have a standard-form mic in condenser format that I could use singing live.
It hasn't disappointed: it sounds freaking GREAT with vox; it's very sturdy/solidly built (none of that 'delicate condenser' thing). I sing into a stand-mic, but apparently this mic has amazing handheld shock-mounting for live use.

Recently I've use it in a mic shoot-out I'm doing in studio, mic'ing acoustic git'r with various condensers. It didn't blow the pack away, but did a VERY respectable job representing my acoustics...if anything, it has a very distinct sound that made me consider this an alternative selection if I'm not liking how my small-diaphram Mogami/MXL is sounding.

Overall - a good choice for a useful, versatile,

I have been performing and singing at live venues for 40 years and have mostly used Sure Sm-58 and Beta-58 microphones. My trusty 20 year old Beta finally gave out so I purchased the Sennheiser. From the very first note I knew I had something special. This is beyond a shadow of a doubt THE best sounding mic I have ever used. I'm now hearing details that I have never heard before. The good news is that it has far better punch, clarity, smoothness and detail. The bad news is that I feel the need to improve my performance because of all the detail I'm now hearing. I love my new Sennheiser and I'll never go back to the "other" brand again. It's always a pleasure doing business with the pros from Sweetwater.

I bought two of these in October of 2015 from Sweetwater. I was looking for a couple of dedicated vocal mics for studio AND live use! ...a kind of "Live at Darryl's House" application. To this end I'm happy with the purchase. I've used them live and in the studio with great results. One of the bands I'm working with has a vocalist with a Beta 58. Listening to this person sing through that mic and this mic I can hear more presence in the vocal. It comes across as more "pro-sounding" to me. I've compared it in the studio to some large diaphragm condensers that cost a lot more and it holds its own place. Bottom line- if you're looking for a "double duty" mic for live and studio use, this is a very good option. Maybe not the best- hence a less than 5-star rating- but very good!

Greetings world! I just did a review of an AKG C5, and thought to share my findings here.

I've had this mic for a couple years, and it's been great. I consider myself to have a bit of a thin voice, so I purchased an e865 to fatten/beef things up with it's "pronounced presence and vocal 'punch'", yet maintaining a clarity that cannot be found on nearly any dynamic microphone, and for these things, the e865 delivers as promised!

...but I also just purchased an AKG C5, and when I A/B the two mics, they sound nearly identical. The C5 features a "Presence cap" (a plastic cap with a hole, that snaps onto the capsule), which helps deliver the "pronounced presence and vocal 'punch'" as well!

Both mics seem built rugged, have a useful side and rear rejection (though the e865's pickup pattern is a bit tighter), and have very little handling noise, especially for condensers! The feel and weight of both are similar, except that the Sennheiser is a bit more comfortable with it's smooth curves. The C5 has a recessed AKG logo which may feel distracting, but the overall texture is less slippery so it gives a slightly better grip.

With the presence cap removed, the C5 sounds a bit thinner and yes, a bit more detailed...closer to how I remember an Beta87A sounding...

Unless you demand the slightly tighter SuperCardioid pickup pattern for optimal feedback rejection, anyone considering an e865 (or Beta87A), should consider a C5 and possibly save around 70 to 90 clams! :)

My vocal mics include an AE3300, Rode M1 and EV 767A. I was looking for an easy to use super or hyper cardioid condenser mic for solo vocal performances with an acoustic guitar. The AE3300 is a wonderful mic, but it picks up the guitar too much (which is a problem with processors like the VoiceLive).

The Sennheiser e865 is well built and it's easy to get a nice clear, rich sound without hassle. It's plossive protection is fair to good. It's proximity effect is less pronounced than some. Off axis rejection is just what the doctor ordered.

For me, doing two or three church services a month through a flying PA of Mackie, QSC and JBL quality, I can't see needing more.

Having owned 4 of the e865s for just over a month, it's been a great a great microphone for our church. The mic certainly has the rich clarity of a condenser with a definite presence, that is noticeable. It's certainly not the most knock out of its class, but does handle the task. Although it has a super-cardioid pick-up, if you have noise bleed behind the mic at all it will be noticeable. However this is a decent mic overall for the price!

This mic sounded okay, but in it's search for warmth it sacrificed clarity. I had a vocalist that was almost more than my AKG C535EB could handle, so I tried this one. She noticed right away the lack of clarity compared to the 535, and so did I. The AKG is more expensive than this mic and picks up a bit more ambient sound, but unlike this mic it's actually worth the price.

I returned this mic, and went back to the 535.

The odd thing was that I have the wireless version of this mic and it seemed much clearer and more detailed. I highly recommend the wireless, which does indeed sound amazing for it's price.