Sennheiser ME66 vs 416

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Daniel.Valle

Member
First of all, I know that the 416 is the superior one as it is twice the price.

My question is, how much of a difference is there, really?

Is the difference noticeable only to audiophiles or is the difference just plain obvious?

Thanks in advance.
 
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Huge difference.

In a blind A/B comparison, the differences will be plain as day to anyone with healthy hearing.

That's not to say that the ME66 isn't a passable mic, but it is overpriced for what you get. The `416, on the other hand, is an excellent value for the money. If you can find a used one in good condition, it'll likely be a real bargain.
 
No question...The 416! I found a good one on eBay for $425...just be aware there are phantom versions (48v) and "T" power versions (12v)...they both sound the same.
 
99% of the sound guys (I'm not one of them, but I've been advised by several) here are going to warn you away from the ME66. There are so many better choices.
 
Yes and then we get bashed for being audio snobs because the ME66 is cheap. The ME66 would be a good deal if it cost about $200; at $500 it is a total rip-off compared to other cheap alternatives out there.

Cheers
 
wabbit said:
Yes and then we get bashed for being audio snobs because the ME66 is cheap.
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By people that don't have a clue...

If someone is going to ask the advice of the experts, then doesn't doesn't take it...why ask in the first place?
 
Blaine said:
If someone is going to ask the advice of the experts, then doesn't doesn't take it...why ask in the first place?
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Couldn't have said it better. Should be the subtitle for the forum.

(as a side note; I do notice the ones most annoyed by the "ME66 bashing" are people who already invested in one. No one wants to hear they perhaps didn't make the best decision. I know I don't)

cheers
 
100% agree, do not get an me66. if you want to spend $500, get an audio technica 4073a. Otherwise just spring for the 416, it does amazing things.... in the right hands.
 
Yeah, I have to agree wholeheartedly with other comments here - don't get the ME66! I used it for four years at college, and it made every audio situation a nightmare and like others have said, it is way overpriced. Even outside in the best conditions, you get passable sounding dialogue - never once did I think "oh that sounds great" and it really wasn't an issue of getting the mic in close enough.
 
Daniel.Valle said:
First of all, I know that the 416 is the superior one as it is twice the price.

My question is, how much of a difference is there, really?

Is the difference noticeable only to audiophiles or is the difference just plain obvious?
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The 416 is an RF condenser that works well and reliably in all conditions - even in the wet. The K6/ME66 is an electret that is excellent value for money for those that can't afford a 416. Works surprisingly well in yth e wet but ius semi-pro rather than pro.
 
John Willett said:
The K6/ME66 is an electret that is excellent value for money for those that can't afford a 416.
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Boy, that's the first time I've ever heard anyone call the ME66 an excellent value for the money. Maybe it's a UK pricing difference thing. Here in the U.S. it is a rip-off for the money. For half the price you can get a Rode, for the same price you can get an AT-4037a, and with either mic you will get far superior sound. Or, for less than an ME66 you can pick up a used 416 and get even better sound.

Phil
 
It's definitely a decent microphone, but not for the same price as the Audio-Technica AT4073a short shotgun microphone. I'll get one if it was $150-$200. I've used it extensively before with other people who owns them and kind of find it okay to use in the field. The quality sounds cheap. Obviously, using it properly will yield good results, but not good enough quality as other shotguns.

Something I've learned is to manage cheap gear well and strive to get the best results. Learn your experience from there. By the time you get some more appreciative audio gear, it'll be SOOO much easier to operate. Don't expect to get killer sounds, but appreciate that you at least have some form of gear to pull you up.
 
dantewaters said:
So isn't the 416 a super unless there is another version -
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=workaround.jsp&A=details&Q=&sku=79502&is=REG
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the 416 is a short-gun mic.

The capsule is a super-cardioid, but it has an interference tube on the front of it. This means that at lower frequencies it is a super-cardioid, but as the frequencies get higher it gets more and more directional (due to the effects of the interference tube).

The correct description is "short gun"
 
I am asking this out of ignorance so please bear with me...

Can someone explain exactly what it is about the ME66 that makes it so poor? Ignore the cost/value side please since I already have it and for all intents and purposes it was "free".

I have used the microphone for some time, but am just now starting to use it to record real dialog. It does absolutely fine for the uses I've had in the past, but this is something new.

Thanks very much.
 
PerroneFord said:
I am asking this out of ignorance so please bear with me...

Can someone explain exactly what it is about the ME66 that makes it so poor?
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The ME66 is not "poor" at all - it's an excellent mic.

It's just that some people prefer something different - that's all.

Very often a "coloured" mic. (or loudspeaker) sound "better" to someone than one that is more neutral and uncoloured; it's only in the long run that the more neutral one can be appreciated. But it's down to personal choice in the end.
 
How about a quick blind test for everyone:

http://upload2.net/page/download/pdB2TZsqgP36Nik/A.wav.html

vs.

http://upload2.net/page/download/8BkdnebIGxcomn1/B.wav.html

One is the 416 and the other the ME66

(I knocked these up very quickly so they are not perfect in setting and I have a cr*p voice - but both mics where at the same distance and recorded at the same time.)

Edit: The file hosting site I used sucks - but if you look towards the bottom of the page (both pages) you will get to the link.
 
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I was given the K6/ME66 at work (had requested the NTG2) and while it works, it's got a very tinny sound and lacks a lot of the rich low-end that makes audio sound good. While it certainly works (and would probably work well for picking up background audio at an event), it's not good for the spoken voice nor does it excell at picking up dialogue for a narrative.
 
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