And legend has it that Bandrew had his home repossessed in December 2021, but he walked out proudly holding a u67 suitcase. In all seriousness, I fully support a point that Bandrew Often makes; don’t go into debt over purchasing audio gear.
It's nearly impossible to dislike this reviewer 😃 👍 ! Competent, likeable and entertaining too, for those of being interested in this specific area certainly.... Please keep on doing those reviews, they are always helpful and a pleasure too.
It’s hard to not like this microphone, regardless of price! The one thing I constantly hear are the room resonances since it’s highly detailed. That’s not the microphone’s fault, but definitely something to consider for vocal recording. Man this mic is good!
The first time I listened to this from my iPad with the basic apple earbuds the balanced, warm, and wonderful tone of the U67 was noticeable when compared to all but the best of the other mics. I then went back and listened again with my sennheiser studio head phones and the improvement was clear with all the mics. I’ll never be able to afford a U67 but it since to hear what $7225 will buy you.
Thanks for this one!! One reassuring thing to be noted on gear like this, is that it hardly looses any value over the years, if any. As opposed to spending 7 grand on a car or a new computer, you'll always be able to get your 7 grand back. I also loved how the flathead screws are all level on the power supply, attention to detail!
Edit: I just recorded a vocalist in my studio and I got to borrow my neighbour's vintage U67. We weren't quite feeling it, so we tried my OC818 and ended up using that one. Always depends on who/what you're recording...
Woooowwww! Thank you so much 💓 for sharing this with us!👍🙏 And I'm really impressed by the U67's background noise reduction, because I couldn't here any noise by your new renal dialysis machine. 🙃😎
That mic is insane. Neumann is, and has always been my favorite microphone manufacturer. I had the fortune of using a U87 at a radio station I used to work for, and a TLM103 at another voice over studio I used to work for. Buttery smooth. Neumann mics are just pure luxury. If you can afford it. Which I can't.
Oh my goodness, that sounds wonderful-big, balanced, warm, clear, smooth, all the good adjectives. I don’t know if I’ll ever be in a position to spend $7K on one mic, but based on this demo I don’t think I could say it wouldn’t be worth it.
It's hard to say anything negative about anything you pay that much for! The Rode actually sounded great in comparison. I would like to see a video comparing similar style mics using eq to match and see what is close.
Tengo el 103 es una maravilla lo único que no me gustó es las "s" que suele dejar son muy brillantes además de que son muy sensibles y se pueden dañar con el tiempo si no se los cuidan, de ahi todo bien.
Thank you so much for the kind and supportive words. Life is all about fulfilling your duties, but also finding what you're passionate about and embracing it. I appreciate you watching and commenting.
3:35 I’ve never heard a microphone with that much off-axis rejection! It’s completely dead in the null, the way it should be. Very impressive, Neumann!
Years ago my friend let me borrow his U 87 and I fell in love with it. It was hard to describe what it was about it that made it better than other microphones; it just made my voice sound better. Recently, I did a comparison test of my best microphones (none of which are actually very good) and decided that the one I like the sound of the best for recording vocals and acoustic guitar is my $30 Behringer ECM8000 omni condenser I bought to use with a real time analyzer. I compared it to my Samson C01 and a similar condenser that came with headphones and my Scarlett input in a bundle (CM25), and also to a Lyx SDPC-2 condenser that came in a pair with omni, cardioid, and hyper-cardioid capsules. To your point, in retrospect, I wish I had spent all the money I spent on a bunch of cheap microphones and instead bought a few real good ones. However, if you totaled up how much I have spent on mics you still wouldn't have enough to buy one C-414. Can't help but wonder what it would sound like if I just replaced them all with ECM8000s! Except that it's nice to have some directional mics. My test was done with gobos behind the mics, BTW. You are the only person I have seen who actually does a decent test of microphones, BTW. Thank you for that, it's really helpful.
Beautiful! And perfect review of it. So here's a crazy idea for one of the friday videos: I have always loved the U67 lows/low-mids/fundamental range - so much power! But the highs are a bit subdued. U87 has that sparkling silvery/greyish highs/airs (that can get harsh at times). Bandrew, you are one of the few people on this planet, that can pull this off: Mount the U87 and U67 close (top/down) and blend them (U67 lows and U87 highs) in post. Probably gonna need insane mic technique to avoid phasing and lin-phase EQ, but this might be bliss.
I bought mine a few months back and for me it was worth every penny. I spent years and about $20k dollars going through clones of old Neumann microphones none of which deliver on their promise. Which isn't surprising I guess since it isn't possible to reverse engineer the diaphragm. It's a complicated process that's still an industry secret to this day. And of course the diaphragm manufacture is what will determine your frequency response. You can copy the back of the capsule, the electronics, the transformer, the power supply and whatever else you want but it doesn't matter. It won't give you the sound of the old classic Neumanns because that's in the diaphragm. Save yourself a whole lot of years and a bunch of money and pick this up. It's the OG.
The least I can do is throw a like and remain subscribed. On a serious note, as I listen to this on my iPad, I hear little difference than the other 7,225 mics you have reviewed. Wait, it will dent? For that kind of scratch, it shouldn’t even scratch. Sending thoughts and prayers to your wallet.
You're crazy, Andrew! I don't know what we'd do without you, though. It's awesome the thought you put into the different signal chains that this mic would actually be put through. I think I was both surprised and unsurprised to hear the differences.
Come on! It is handmade, in Germany (I've visited the factory), by very professionell persons, extremly checked and sounds amazing. It is worth every penny :) Thanks for your video.
It’s awesome that someone is…….special enough to review a mic like this, thank you 🙏🏽. Now I first got notification while waiting on hold with only my iPad mini series 2 to listen on……no headphones, and was laughing my arse off at the piss poor reproduction of the tests. I now on my way to watch and listen through something more up to the Challenge. New subscriber.
Brandrew, your pun of a name is as awesome as your knowledge on all of the subjects you cover, as well as audio in general. It is so inviting the way you do your reviews. I had a U 87 AI for a long time, 10 years, and when I ran into financial troubles I sold it. I also remember in my not very well treated room, I tried to do voiceover work on it, and the darn mic was so detailed it picked up everything just like you said in your you 87 review. I hit the back button on this video 10 times or so trying to hear any sonic differences between the 87 and the 67. There is a very slim margin. I'd like to know what you think. And thank you again for being so thorough. I forgot to mention that I did my first commercial voiceover demo in a studio with an original U 67. And I absolutely love the tone. What's not to like? And I loved my you 87. Forgot to mention that.
Good to see you reviewing a true high-end mic. Now all you need is to locate an AKG C-24 to review. It's a stereo tube mic, essentially two C-12's in one body. An original (not the reissue) should only set you back around $30,000. Should make a great podcast mic. (!!!) EDIT: Fixed a typo...
The U67 really sounds buttery and smooth without the harsh sibilance on most of the others. It is very balanced and easy to listen to. The next favorite is the Shure SM7. For the money, you can't beat the Shure. I would never spend $7K on a mic, but it does sound good.
it depends, i use the sm7b and for female rnb singers it always sound pretty bad with very low definition, i guess it works better for rock, i agre though there are superb mics in the market for around 500 bucks, 7000 would give me a panic attack haha but if he can do it why not :)
I've spent the last half year looking through your microphone catalogue and a couple others for a mic that stood out to me. A perfect one. Extreme detail, and perfect tonal balance, something like that. I think this is the one for me. It's beautiful. It isn't over the top but still extremely pleasing. It sounded gorgeous on the preamps. It's probably the best microphone I've ever heard on your voice. I want it so much, but I don't have the money. But I would buy it in a heartbeat. This is what I've been looking for for so long. This is it.
A Nashville recording studio owner friend of mine had two U87s modified into U67s with circuitry changes. This cost him a lot of money, and he is not one to spend money unwisely. The differences are significant. I got to hang one of them in my studio and compared it to the Lawson L47 I normally use. That was quite a shootout, because it also involved a 414 EB, two other L47s, a C48, and an original Telefunken U47. A great joy having big iron like those in my hands to compare, as Bandrew knows.
I wonder in these cases how much the user is placebo'd by the price and brand rep. Would love to see a buddy of yours give you a blindfold test on all these mics and have you rate them. I have no doubt the U67 would still rate VERY high since it's obviously a quality mic, but I do wonder if it would rate hands down #1 for you.
User bias is HUGE, schoeps made a study before where they showed students multiple different colored mics and a "recording by each one of them" (it was the same recording on all done by one mic only) and there was a general consensus on differences between the "mics" (darker colored one "sounds warmer", toyish bright green one "sounded worst" and so on). There is something to the sound of a neumann, sure, but as sound also is so subjective, probably any mic that keeps more "technical issues" like sibilance and so on under control can be a "best microphone" to someone. Audio Test Kitchen can do that for you, they have set up a very nice way of re-recording into different mics as closely as possible, so you can actually make very good comparisons, and in the blind tests, I gotta tell you, Neumann definitely wasn't my first pick often. (My first picks often were the Manley, or high end Lewitt mics).
@@PhenixDj - Thanks for that. I toyed with AudioTestKitchen a bit. I'm not sure what to make of it so far. I could barely tell the difference between a $6000 Manley Reference Gold and a $250 MXL mic whereas I KNOW I could in person in a blind test. I listened on 8 inch studio monitors (M-audio) as well as my 250ohm BeyerDynamic DT770 Pro's. I intentionally went with extreme scenarios to test the accuracy of the recordings but maybe I'm somehow doing it wrong. The wav form changed a bit as I went through various mics. I guess they're running all these through the best hardware pres and compressors? I also tested two mics I own, the WA47 and the SM7B. In person I can easily tell the difference but not in the test kitchen. Will keep messing with it. Either way thanks! Cool software
@@PhenixDj In 1994, Recording Magazine did a blind test with about a dozen mics, including a Neumann, Bruel Kjaar, Beyer, AKG, Shure, etc. The winner was the Audio Technica 4033 (a mic I wish Podcastage would review). The blind test subjects were all seasoned session vocalists, if I recall correctly. The editor wrote a rebuttal, suggesting that the vocalists didn't know what they were talking about and that he was surprised the Neumann (TLM series) mic didn't win. All too often, we listen with our name brand biases. You can buy a budget mic, have it modded, and end up with a boutique quality mic, in terms of performance. But you lose the bragging rights and bling factor.
Mr. Spaceman! Great review, as always. I feel, that this here is somewhat special, indeed. Not-thrown box intended! Plus, I admire, that you sacrificed yourself, to buy "us" a microphone so expensive, u can´t even afford a razorblade anymore! Keep up the good work! We don´t do it, somebody has to do it! Priceless content! Sincerely yours, your goldeneared listening community!
It's insane! Before one hour I received and unpacked my U67. Surprisingly I saw that you upload this video and surely I watched it first! I'm happy for your conclusion. Now I'm going to hear my new microphone. Cheers!
Well I used the U67 here in several Nashville studio but a studio is all that needs this mic. My podcast Mic is the Rode Procaster (via a cloudlifter) I don't like the SM7b as well but if I get a new mic I may go for the EarthWorks Ethos. I record everything into a Rodecaster and for audio only podcast it as good as needed system. Technical note if you have a professional studio with all the equipment and you listen through studio monitors that are in really good then you can tell why this Mic is so good. BUT, in the compressed world of Podcast and UA-cam DON'T waste your money!
I could have probably watched 3 hours of back-and-forth mics comparisons there. Was slightly expecting the TZ Audio Stellar 2 in there since it was marketing as a TLM103 comp w/ a K67 style capsule.
The microphone sounds just as good on the Scarlett as the UA. I can tell that the UA is maybe a little bit better but less than 1% difference honestly, seems like sound treatment and the microphone are almost everything.
The U67 is smoother than the U87 Ai. It's particularly noticeable in the sibilance. This is the only time I've heard the U87 Ai sound like it has a bit of tizz in the upper treble in direct comparison to another mic. That said, the difference isn't huge. I had to do the aural equivalent of squinting to notice it. These two are clearly cut from the same cloth (same capsule, obviously), and it could be a matter of preference or application for some folks as to which is better. You might even be able to get something close to the U67 sound out of the U87 Ai with a carefully applied low pass filter. While all this means the U67 is the best mic I've heard on here so far, it nonetheless represents an obscenely poor value. At least with the U87 Ai, which is itself already a poor value, you get significantly better sound, IMO, than with literally every other mic reviewed on this channel before the U67. A slightly improved version of the U87 Ai sound is not worth nearly twice the price, unless you're in a situation where cost is no object, in which case by all means get the best tool available.
I thought I could use this microphone to make captain's announcements on my luxury yacht. But I'm pretty happy with my XM8500 ... and I'm concerned that the U67 could have some issues with picking up ambient noise here. 🤔
It's the smooooth dynamics of a singer with a gorgeous vocal range that makes every cent spent on the Neumann U67 worthwhile. I have one of these and use it on a female client whose bluesy smoothness is just incredible. My 67 has paid for itself several hundred times over. My other favourite is the Neumann TLM49. On a set of lower pipes, this microphone is breathtaking.
Standard in EMI studios in the 60s, so Beatles used them. See early pics of them recording and there are the U67's. According to Geoff Emerick the engineer who worked with them, there were special mic techs at EMI and only they could handle the mics. If you moved your amp and needed the mic moved, had to call the techs or big big trouble.
Maybe not the best business decision, but boy does that put a smile on your face. So a really good personal decision. For me, I've got more money than sense usually, but even so I'd have to really think very hard when the U87 Ai is pretty much "there" already if I want that sound. I'd consider getting one for rental should I want to be in that business, but even then the price to rent is going to make potential customers think twice, so... maybe not.
It's specifically complimentary to your voice and narration style . Good luck hope you get many years of functional performance out of it . You have the means to sing a theme song now.
There is nobody online doing better mic comparisons! Thanks Bandrew. That mic sounds incredible but to me, it's not twice as good sounding as the U87Ai. The midrange is slightly more transparent sounding with the U67. At least over UA-cam. I would like to hear a comparison between the U67 and an AKG C12 VR. Bandrew, you will have to sell a lung to buy the C12 but, I can wait for your recovery from surgery. :o)
Thank you for your work in putting out such detailed information. I listened to this review and comparison on crappy laptop speakers where all the mics and preamps sounded basically the same.
We love you, Bandrew. Also, damn the Rode NT1 was the first one that struck me as being in the same ballpark as the U67. That's quite a mic for the price! Also ALSO as soon as that acoustic guitar came in I was like "whoa, I recognize that sound" and "isn't that great."
I was surprised you didn’t compare it to an AKG 414. If you want the Glyn Johns drum sound, you need two of those for the overhead and floor tom positions. I was listening to an interview with him yesterday, and he said he would only use the U67 for that!
Just found your channel today while trying to decide which mic I will purchase, watched a few of your videos while at work. I am home now on my PC and saw this pop up on my feed. Liked and Subbed.
Do I think the 67 Reissue sounds 2 times better than the 87? Yes. Yes I do. I do very much think so!! The elegance of the highs and the high mids are so very sweet, and the fulness og the lows and low mids are so comforting.
Although all the frequent users of this channel really know that this guy was not going to throw the box, maybe we were a little curious and hopeful about it.
Been looking at this one for SOOO long, but I'm also not really complaining using my Neumann U89i :D Would be really interesting to see a direct comparison of the Neumann U67 to a Lewitt LCT 840 tho!
As a VO guy, I’d love to try the U67, but damn… It sounds amazing, but it’s obviously extremely sensitive to placement and you need a good sized professional quality studio to maximize it’s capabilities.
Love what you are doing with the tests The difference is small and when recording music with mixing eq, compression and FX the difference is even smaller
these are going to be the wettest Chrismas ever! congrats for this piece of awesomeness! try to resist the temptation to put it on your pillow next to you Thanks for sharing
It does sound awesome, the best balance between clarity, smoothness and tonality among the tested imo (listening with Motu M2, Moondrop Aria, Equaliser APO enhancements disabled). Its tonality hardly varies within normal conditions in the polar pattern test, and the shock rejection and resonance tests were passed with flying colours too. That price can kill though XD
Yes, it's worth the money. The way a tube handles signals is very different, it's smooth instead of jagged - and I'm NOT referring to the quality of what is recorded, but the waveform that is produced. This is why tubes were and in some cases remain used as power regulators for preamps. But if you have to ask if it's better, it means you don't know why and probably should've be using it or the cheaper mics until you learn.
I'm kind of blown away by the difference in the top end between the Focusrite and the UA - It's not something you necessarily notice if you're listening at a very quiet volume, but the Focusrite is much more forward and has a slightly 'grainy' top end. This could actually work to the U67s favor when used as a vocal mic a mix as it is naturally so smooth and this characteristic might help push it forward in the mix a bit.
At the beginning they sound different because of the position of his mouth vs mic. But from 7:19 onwards, focusrite and Apollo sounds almost identical. I'm listening with sennheiser hd650. Maybe focusrite has just a tiny tiny bit of highs, but I am not even sure
For a voice like yours it definitely seems worth it but I think my voice would be better off with a sub-$1k dynamic. I couldn't imagine myself needing the nuance of a U67
honest review and it was good, posi on the U67. I was almost wondering if it held up. Its a lot of cash. Neumann become some ROLEX watch brand offering the best with the Brand Name...its not boutique but its the brand. I listened on a TV speaker and the $20 mic sounded as good. But your honest comparison was the U67ri is near perfection somehow....capsule, the board, the tube....a lot of people shun the U87AI and offer up many others as good or better. Didint hear that with the U67ri review. Only that it costs a kidney and the screen can bend, and if you scratch it the price drops $500.
@@andrewgreening3202 haha Podcasters better get some SM7Bs and be happy. No sense in spending money on a mic like this unless you about to record something that's about to make you big money.
7k plus ... for voice over ... No. 7k plus ... for music - people listen too via phone or a tiny boombox ... No. 7k plus ... for the joy to work with it ... YES!
I haven't used every Neumann but I've extensively used their starting line up. Vintage 67's and vintage 87's, 87Ai's, 103's, vintage and telefunken reissue 47s, and to me the 67 is the best of the bunch. It was beating every mic in the comparison test until you got to the 49. That sounded nice and when you switched back to the 67 I was a little disappointed. The 87 sounded like a slightly anemic version of the 67, and surprisingly the 103 sounded cheap in comparison. I prefer the 103 over the 87 but when you remove the 87's anemia (by using a 67) it bests the 103 in everything that makes the 103 good. But DAMN that 49 sounded good. And that Telefunken TF47 wasn't too shabby either. And the WA67's low end lacked finesse. I was hoping it was going to be good.
I'm 90sec in and it's goooorgeous. Stupendous. I've been through half the mics you mention you *could* buy instead but I'd still take this and basically forget the rest. Game over. That said the tlm49 was pretty dang good too wow!
U67 sounds great. TLM 102 was the surprising 2nd favorite followed by the u87 which would probably win once gainstaged to compensate. Omni mode can help match, too, as it can affect the output voltage, etc.
What about a review of the Sony C800-G? It's not that much more expensive than the U67... 😜 The U67 has to be the best mic ever made. Those highs are sooo smooth.
I am a dislike button.
LoL Don't steal my real life job! 😁
my friend i am too poor to look at that mic
Dislike his comment to like this video twice.
Those who sent you the mic could have afforded to send a star singer to test it on your channel
One use case would be as a gift for a star singer
The mad lad actually did it.
I gotta say...these mic reviews are absolutely brilliant. I don't think anyone on the entire internet does these mic reviews better.
Agreed
Oh, madonna mia, I am so jealous.
Come on over, I’ll you use the mic.
Same could only afford getting a u87ai 😭
@@Podcastage Be right there.
@@BoothJunkie come over to my house. I’ll use it for you. Just watch me.
@@BoothJunkie Looing forward to the Booth Junkie / Podcastage crossover ;)
And legend has it that Bandrew had his home repossessed in December 2021, but he walked out proudly holding a u67 suitcase.
In all seriousness, I fully support a point that Bandrew Often makes; don’t go into debt over purchasing audio gear.
1,000,000% accurate!
I say if you are going to go into debt you might as well do it buying audio gear
It's nearly impossible to dislike this reviewer 😃 👍 ! Competent, likeable and entertaining too, for those of being interested in this specific area certainly.... Please keep on doing those reviews, they are always helpful and a pleasure too.
The mic does sound great but I wonder how much of that is the extra resonance created from missing a kidney.
It’s hard to not like this microphone, regardless of price! The one thing I constantly hear are the room resonances since it’s highly detailed. That’s not the microphone’s fault, but definitely something to consider for vocal recording. Man this mic is good!
The first time I listened to this from my iPad with the basic apple earbuds the balanced, warm, and wonderful tone of the U67 was noticeable when compared to all but the best of the other mics. I then went back and listened again with my sennheiser studio head phones and the improvement was clear with all the mics. I’ll never be able to afford a U67 but it since to hear what $7225 will buy you.
Thanks for this one!! One reassuring thing to be noted on gear like this, is that it hardly looses any value over the years, if any. As opposed to spending 7 grand on a car or a new computer, you'll always be able to get your 7 grand back. I also loved how the flathead screws are all level on the power supply, attention to detail!
Edit: I just recorded a vocalist in my studio and I got to borrow my neighbour's vintage U67. We weren't quite feeling it, so we tried my OC818 and ended up using that one. Always depends on who/what you're recording...
@@lukecyrus maybe his vintage u67 has a different tube? Maybe it got replaced or something.
Woooowwww! Thank you so much 💓 for sharing this with us!👍🙏
And I'm really impressed by the U67's background noise reduction, because I couldn't here any noise by your new renal dialysis machine. 🙃😎
You're dearly welcome!
That mic is insane. Neumann is, and has always been my favorite microphone manufacturer. I had the fortune of using a U87 at a radio station I used to work for, and a TLM103 at another voice over studio I used to work for. Buttery smooth. Neumann mics are just pure luxury. If you can afford it. Which I can't.
I agree. I love my TLM 102.
Oh my goodness, that sounds wonderful-big, balanced, warm, clear, smooth, all the good adjectives. I don’t know if I’ll ever be in a position to spend $7K on one mic, but based on this demo I don’t think I could say it wouldn’t be worth it.
Love the reference to the original U87 review ;)
funny to see you here
It sounds pretty good of course. The Warm Audio clone mic doesn't sound anything like it.
ya w.a. sounds like a different mic
True, but sounds really good as well.
Another real u67 probably wouldn’t sound exactly like this u67!
Great comparison. I’m a musician / singer ….. I appreciated the u67 and the u87 ai. Great job thank-you.
I gently liked this video in case it would damage the microphone.
I'm pretty sure that mustache counts as a pop filter. Hearts.
TLM-49 seems such a fantastic Microphone. Loved the quality
It's hard to say anything negative about anything you pay that much for!
The Rode actually sounded great in comparison. I would like to see a video comparing similar style mics using eq to match and see what is close.
Tengo el 103 es una maravilla lo único que no me gustó es las "s" que suele dejar son muy brillantes además de que son muy sensibles y se pueden dañar con el tiempo si no se los cuidan, de ahi todo bien.
The TLM103 is an excellent microphone. You will get decades of use out of that thing. Money well spent in my opinion.
I'm watching this on my 3 year old Motorola cell phone without headphones. This mic sounds great!
I LOVE this review. You are both crazy and passionate about your business. Forget the Buyers Remorse. Enjoy this mic and keep making GREAT video's.
Thank you so much for the kind and supportive words. Life is all about fulfilling your duties, but also finding what you're passionate about and embracing it. I appreciate you watching and commenting.
3:35 I’ve never heard a microphone with that much off-axis rejection! It’s completely dead in the null, the way it should be. Very impressive, Neumann!
All the Neumanns are pretty well matched I would say. Sound from them is very pleasing.
I completely agree on the music, Bandrew. The Mids and Highs were detailed but so smooth and buttery. Sounded great on acoustic as well.
Years ago my friend let me borrow his U 87 and I fell in love with it. It was hard to describe what it was about it that made it better than other microphones; it just made my voice sound better. Recently, I did a comparison test of my best microphones (none of which are actually very good) and decided that the one I like the sound of the best for recording vocals and acoustic guitar is my $30 Behringer ECM8000 omni condenser I bought to use with a real time analyzer. I compared it to my Samson C01 and a similar condenser that came with headphones and my Scarlett input in a bundle (CM25), and also to a Lyx SDPC-2 condenser that came in a pair with omni, cardioid, and hyper-cardioid capsules. To your point, in retrospect, I wish I had spent all the money I spent on a bunch of cheap microphones and instead bought a few real good ones. However, if you totaled up how much I have spent on mics you still wouldn't have enough to buy one C-414. Can't help but wonder what it would sound like if I just replaced them all with ECM8000s! Except that it's nice to have some directional mics. My test was done with gobos behind the mics, BTW.
You are the only person I have seen who actually does a decent test of microphones, BTW. Thank you for that, it's really helpful.
Mojave MA 201 fet is best budget Cm.
Ah, a classic...reissued! I love the original one. Definitely bougie.
Bougie means candle in my french language, i doubt it costs the price of a candle lol
Beautiful! And perfect review of it. So here's a crazy idea for one of the friday videos: I have always loved the U67 lows/low-mids/fundamental range - so much power! But the highs are a bit subdued. U87 has that sparkling silvery/greyish highs/airs (that can get harsh at times). Bandrew, you are one of the few people on this planet, that can pull this off: Mount the U87 and U67 close (top/down) and blend them (U67 lows and U87 highs) in post. Probably gonna need insane mic technique to avoid phasing and lin-phase EQ, but this might be bliss.
I still like the TLM49 the most in this review. It just has that super smooth creamy sound and kinda sits between the 67 and 87.
I bought mine a few months back and for me it was worth every penny. I spent years and about $20k dollars going through clones of old Neumann microphones none of which deliver on their promise. Which isn't surprising I guess since it isn't possible to reverse engineer the diaphragm. It's a complicated process that's still an industry secret to this day. And of course the diaphragm manufacture is what will determine your frequency response. You can copy the back of the capsule, the electronics, the transformer, the power supply and whatever else you want but it doesn't matter. It won't give you the sound of the old classic Neumanns because that's in the diaphragm. Save yourself a whole lot of years and a bunch of money and pick this up. It's the OG.
The least I can do is throw a like and remain subscribed. On a serious note, as I listen to this on my iPad, I hear little difference than the other 7,225 mics you have reviewed.
Wait, it will dent? For that kind of scratch, it shouldn’t even scratch.
Sending thoughts and prayers to your wallet.
I must have seen about a hundred such videos.... but this one is world class and I'm enjoying every second! Thank you thank you thank you!
You're crazy, Andrew! I don't know what we'd do without you, though. It's awesome the thought you put into the different signal chains that this mic would actually be put through. I think I was both surprised and unsurprised to hear the differences.
Probably some of the best vocal shootouts on UA-cam for sure!
Come on! It is handmade, in Germany (I've visited the factory), by very professionell persons, extremly checked and sounds amazing. It is worth every penny :) Thanks for your video.
The US really seems to get screwed when it comes to the price of Neumann microphones. The U67 costs £4,500 over here.
It’s awesome that someone is…….special enough to review a mic like this, thank you 🙏🏽. Now I first got notification while waiting on hold with only my iPad mini series 2 to listen on……no headphones, and was laughing my arse off at the piss poor reproduction of the tests. I now on my way to watch and listen through something more up to the Challenge. New subscriber.
Brandrew, your pun of a name is as awesome as your knowledge on all of the subjects you cover, as well as audio in general. It is so inviting the way you do your reviews. I had a U 87 AI for a long time, 10 years, and when I ran into financial troubles I sold it. I also remember in my not very well treated room, I tried to do voiceover work on it, and the darn mic was so detailed it picked up everything just like you said in your you 87 review. I hit the back button on this video 10 times or so trying to hear any sonic differences between the 87 and the 67. There is a very slim margin. I'd like to know what you think. And thank you again for being so thorough. I forgot to mention that I did my first commercial voiceover demo in a studio with an original U 67. And I absolutely love the tone. What's not to like? And I loved my you 87. Forgot to mention that.
Congrats! Interesting comparison. Happy to own the Rode NT1 ✌🏼
Good to see you reviewing a true high-end mic. Now all you need is to locate an AKG C-24 to review. It's a stereo tube mic, essentially two C-12's in one body. An original (not the reissue) should only set you back around $30,000. Should make a great podcast mic. (!!!)
EDIT: Fixed a typo...
The U67 really sounds buttery and smooth without the harsh sibilance on most of the others. It is very balanced and easy to listen to. The next favorite is the Shure SM7. For the money, you can't beat the Shure. I would never spend $7K on a mic, but it does sound good.
it depends, i use the sm7b and for female rnb singers it always sound pretty bad with very low definition, i guess it works better for rock, i agre though there are superb mics in the market for around 500 bucks, 7000 would give me a panic attack haha but if he can do it why not :)
hey homie
Just get a Neumanm U87 with tube mic pre and you might get the same sound.
I've spent the last half year looking through your microphone catalogue and a couple others for a mic that stood out to me. A perfect one. Extreme detail, and perfect tonal balance, something like that. I think this is the one for me. It's beautiful. It isn't over the top but still extremely pleasing. It sounded gorgeous on the preamps. It's probably the best microphone I've ever heard on your voice. I want it so much, but I don't have the money. But I would buy it in a heartbeat. This is what I've been looking for for so long. This is it.
A Nashville recording studio owner friend of mine had two U87s modified into U67s with circuitry changes. This cost him a lot of money, and he is not one to spend money unwisely. The differences are significant. I got to hang one of them in my studio and compared it to the Lawson L47 I normally use. That was quite a shootout, because it also involved a 414 EB, two other L47s, a C48, and an original Telefunken U47. A great joy having big iron like those in my hands to compare, as Bandrew knows.
The new comparisons are gonna be lit.
You also said the U87 was the most expensive mic you'll ever likely review.
I give it a year before you review the Sony C-800.
Can't wait.
I wonder in these cases how much the user is placebo'd by the price and brand rep. Would love to see a buddy of yours give you a blindfold test on all these mics and have you rate them. I have no doubt the U67 would still rate VERY high since it's obviously a quality mic, but I do wonder if it would rate hands down #1 for you.
User bias is HUGE, schoeps made a study before where they showed students multiple different colored mics and a "recording by each one of them" (it was the same recording on all done by one mic only) and there was a general consensus on differences between the "mics" (darker colored one "sounds warmer", toyish bright green one "sounded worst" and so on).
There is something to the sound of a neumann, sure, but as sound also is so subjective, probably any mic that keeps more "technical issues" like sibilance and so on under control can be a "best microphone" to someone.
Audio Test Kitchen can do that for you, they have set up a very nice way of re-recording into different mics as closely as possible, so you can actually make very good comparisons, and in the blind tests, I gotta tell you, Neumann definitely wasn't my first pick often. (My first picks often were the Manley, or high end Lewitt mics).
@@PhenixDj - Thanks for that. I toyed with AudioTestKitchen a bit. I'm not sure what to make of it so far. I could barely tell the difference between a $6000 Manley Reference Gold and a $250 MXL mic whereas I KNOW I could in person in a blind test. I listened on 8 inch studio monitors (M-audio) as well as my 250ohm BeyerDynamic DT770 Pro's. I intentionally went with extreme scenarios to test the accuracy of the recordings but maybe I'm somehow doing it wrong. The wav form changed a bit as I went through various mics. I guess they're running all these through the best hardware pres and compressors? I also tested two mics I own, the WA47 and the SM7B. In person I can easily tell the difference but not in the test kitchen. Will keep messing with it. Either way thanks! Cool software
@@PhenixDj In 1994, Recording Magazine did a blind test with about a dozen mics, including a Neumann, Bruel Kjaar, Beyer, AKG, Shure, etc. The winner was the Audio Technica 4033 (a mic I wish Podcastage would review). The blind test subjects were all seasoned session vocalists, if I recall correctly. The editor wrote a rebuttal, suggesting that the vocalists didn't know what they were talking about and that he was surprised the Neumann (TLM series) mic didn't win. All too often, we listen with our name brand biases. You can buy a budget mic, have it modded, and end up with a boutique quality mic, in terms of performance. But you lose the bragging rights and bling factor.
The U67 is the mic of the gods, wow! what a fun review to hear all of these mics--- serious drool! Thank you Bandrew!!!
Mr. Spaceman!
Great review, as always. I feel, that this here is somewhat special, indeed. Not-thrown box intended!
Plus, I admire, that you sacrificed yourself, to buy "us" a microphone so expensive, u can´t even afford a razorblade anymore! Keep up the good work! We don´t do it, somebody has to do it! Priceless content!
Sincerely yours, your goldeneared listening community!
It's insane! Before one hour I received and unpacked my U67. Surprisingly I saw that you upload this video and surely I watched it first! I'm happy for your conclusion. Now I'm going to hear my new microphone. Cheers!
Well I used the U67 here in several Nashville studio but a studio is all that needs this mic. My podcast Mic is the Rode Procaster (via a cloudlifter) I don't like the SM7b as well but if I get a new mic I may go for the EarthWorks Ethos. I record everything into a Rodecaster and for audio only podcast it as good as needed system. Technical note if you have a professional studio with all the equipment and you listen through studio monitors that are in really good then you can tell why this Mic is so good. BUT, in the compressed world of Podcast and UA-cam DON'T waste your money!
I could have probably watched 3 hours of back-and-forth mics comparisons there. Was slightly expecting the TZ Audio Stellar 2 in there since it was marketing as a TLM103 comp w/ a K67 style capsule.
The microphone sounds just as good on the Scarlett as the UA. I can tell that the UA is maybe a little bit better but less than 1% difference honestly, seems like sound treatment and the microphone are almost everything.
Not sure if I’ll EVER need or be able to afford this mic, but so cool to see/hear it! I appreciate you making this review very much👍
it's worth checking out and comparing this to the gefell UM92.1S! great microphone.
The U67 is smoother than the U87 Ai. It's particularly noticeable in the sibilance. This is the only time I've heard the U87 Ai sound like it has a bit of tizz in the upper treble in direct comparison to another mic.
That said, the difference isn't huge. I had to do the aural equivalent of squinting to notice it. These two are clearly cut from the same cloth (same capsule, obviously), and it could be a matter of preference or application for some folks as to which is better. You might even be able to get something close to the U67 sound out of the U87 Ai with a carefully applied low pass filter.
While all this means the U67 is the best mic I've heard on here so far, it nonetheless represents an obscenely poor value. At least with the U87 Ai, which is itself already a poor value, you get significantly better sound, IMO, than with literally every other mic reviewed on this channel before the U67. A slightly improved version of the U87 Ai sound is not worth nearly twice the price, unless you're in a situation where cost is no object, in which case by all means get the best tool available.
I feel You on everything. But I own both mics now and the 67ri nos tele sounds 5x better than my 87ai. My ai sounds like a toy next to it
@@DreTheEngineer You sure you’re not over exaggerating?
Thanks so much for this thorough review, I was torn between this and the Behringer XM8500!!
I thought I could use this microphone to make captain's announcements on my luxury yacht. But I'm pretty happy with my XM8500 ... and I'm concerned that the U67 could have some issues with picking up ambient noise here. 🤔
Totally fkn worth it!!! You are awesome, so many in-depth tests, your work is a gem!
It's just the best. So clear audio! Unbelievable!
for a second legit thought you'd uploaded the U87 video again on accident
It uses the same capsule so it kind of is. Ha.
@@Podcastage it wasn't just the look I also remembered the kidney reference at the beginning of the video!
@@redscott7179 Haha. Yeah same bit. They got the other kidney for this mic. Next I wonder what they'll take? Heart or Brain?
It's the smooooth dynamics of a singer with a gorgeous vocal range that makes every cent spent on the Neumann U67 worthwhile. I have one of these and use it on a female client whose bluesy smoothness is just incredible. My 67 has paid for itself several hundred times over. My other favourite is the Neumann TLM49. On a set of lower pipes, this microphone is breathtaking.
Standard in EMI studios in the 60s, so Beatles used them. See early pics of them recording and there are the U67's. According to Geoff Emerick the engineer who worked with them, there were special mic techs at EMI and only they could handle the mics. If you moved your amp and needed the mic moved, had to call the techs or big big trouble.
Maybe not the best business decision, but boy does that put a smile on your face. So a really good personal decision. For me, I've got more money than sense usually, but even so I'd have to really think very hard when the U87 Ai is pretty much "there" already if I want that sound. I'd consider getting one for rental should I want to be in that business, but even then the price to rent is going to make potential customers think twice, so... maybe not.
It's specifically complimentary to your voice and narration style . Good luck hope you get many years of functional performance out of it . You have the means to sing a theme song now.
There is nobody online doing better mic comparisons! Thanks Bandrew.
That mic sounds incredible but to me, it's not twice as good sounding as the U87Ai. The midrange is slightly more transparent sounding with the U67. At least over UA-cam.
I would like to hear a comparison between the U67 and an AKG C12 VR. Bandrew, you will have to sell a lung to buy the C12 but, I can wait for your recovery from surgery. :o)
Thank you for your work in putting out such detailed information. I listened to this review and comparison on crappy laptop speakers where all the mics and preamps sounded basically the same.
I hummed a middle A throughout this video and your voice sits well on this note. A prevalent frequency
We love you, Bandrew.
Also, damn the Rode NT1 was the first one that struck me as being in the same ballpark as the U67. That's quite a mic for the price!
Also ALSO as soon as that acoustic guitar came in I was like "whoa, I recognize that sound" and "isn't that great."
I was surprised you didn’t compare it to an AKG 414.
If you want the Glyn Johns drum sound, you need two of those for the overhead and floor tom positions. I was listening to an interview with him yesterday, and he said he would only use the U67 for that!
Just found your channel today while trying to decide which mic I will purchase, watched a few of your videos while at work. I am home now on my PC and saw this pop up on my feed. Liked and Subbed.
Do I think the 67 Reissue sounds 2 times better than the 87?
Yes. Yes I do. I do very much think so!! The elegance of the highs and the high mids are so very sweet, and the fulness og the lows and low mids are so comforting.
Although all the frequent users of this channel really know that this guy was not going to throw the box, maybe we were a little curious and hopeful about it.
Can you make a tier list of microphones you reviewed at the end of every year? Based on their overall value, build quality, actual sound, etc.
Been looking at this one for SOOO long, but I'm also not really complaining using my Neumann U89i :D Would be really interesting to see a direct comparison of the Neumann U67 to a Lewitt LCT 840 tho!
As a VO guy, I’d love to try the U67, but damn… It sounds amazing, but it’s obviously extremely sensitive to placement and you need a good sized professional quality studio to maximize it’s capabilities.
I love the sound of it and how it seems close off the room sound so well.
Nice to see Bandrew finally hit puberty and started growing what I think is a mustache. :)
Seriously love your work!
Love what you are doing with the tests
The difference is small and when recording music with mixing eq, compression and FX the difference is even smaller
Good ole diminishing returns
that U67 is way amazing and outperformed every other mic.... after the U67, I liked the U87 Ai, the TF47 and the NT-1
I love the way the tlm 49 sounds to my liking
when my cheap usb mic sounds like a Nuemann U67 at 180-degree off axis, I see this as a win! /s
these are going to be the wettest Chrismas ever! congrats for this piece of awesomeness!
try to resist the temptation to put it on your pillow next to you
Thanks for sharing
I call this mic the Linkin park mic
Since Mike shinoda has like 4 of them in his home studio
It does sound awesome, the best balance between clarity, smoothness and tonality among the tested imo (listening with Motu M2, Moondrop Aria, Equaliser APO enhancements disabled). Its tonality hardly varies within normal conditions in the polar pattern test, and the shock rejection and resonance tests were passed with flying colours too. That price can kill though XD
Yes, it's worth the money. The way a tube handles signals is very different, it's smooth instead of jagged - and I'm NOT referring to the quality of what is recorded, but the waveform that is produced. This is why tubes were and in some cases remain used as power regulators for preamps.
But if you have to ask if it's better, it means you don't know why and probably should've be using it or the cheaper mics until you learn.
I think this is the best mic I've ever heard. Thanks for this. Perfection.
I'm kind of blown away by the difference in the top end between the Focusrite and the UA - It's not something you necessarily notice if you're listening at a very quiet volume, but the Focusrite is much more forward and has a slightly 'grainy' top end. This could actually work to the U67s favor when used as a vocal mic a mix as it is naturally so smooth and this characteristic might help push it forward in the mix a bit.
At the beginning they sound different because of the position of his mouth vs mic.
But from 7:19 onwards, focusrite and Apollo sounds almost identical. I'm listening with sennheiser hd650. Maybe focusrite has just a tiny tiny bit of highs, but I am not even sure
For a voice like yours it definitely seems worth it but I think my voice would be better off with a sub-$1k dynamic. I couldn't imagine myself needing the nuance of a U67
honest review and it was good, posi on the U67. I was almost wondering if it held up. Its a lot of cash.
Neumann become some ROLEX watch brand offering the best with the Brand Name...its not boutique but its the brand.
I listened on a TV speaker and the $20 mic sounded as good. But your honest comparison was the U67ri is near perfection somehow....capsule, the board, the tube....a lot of people shun the U87AI and offer up many others as good or better. Didint hear that with the U67ri review. Only that it costs a kidney and the screen can bend, and if you scratch it the price drops $500.
The noise rejection of this thing is actually pretty damn amazing. But who's gonna use this outside a very well treated studio anyway?
A few of these around a table would make a great podcast mic, if money was no object haha
@@andrewgreening3202 haha Podcasters better get some SM7Bs and be happy. No sense in spending money on a mic like this unless you about to record something that's about to make you big money.
The review I’ve been waiting for! 🤩
LOL..thank you for the review! I am pretty happy with MV7 you recommended.
7k plus ... for voice over ... No.
7k plus ... for music - people listen too via phone or a tiny boombox ... No.
7k plus ... for the joy to work with it ... YES!
I haven't used every Neumann but I've extensively used their starting line up. Vintage 67's and vintage 87's, 87Ai's, 103's, vintage and telefunken reissue 47s, and to me the 67 is the best of the bunch. It was beating every mic in the comparison test until you got to the 49. That sounded nice and when you switched back to the 67 I was a little disappointed. The 87 sounded like a slightly anemic version of the 67, and surprisingly the 103 sounded cheap in comparison. I prefer the 103 over the 87 but when you remove the 87's anemia (by using a 67) it bests the 103 in everything that makes the 103 good. But DAMN that 49 sounded good. And that Telefunken TF47 wasn't too shabby either. And the WA67's low end lacked finesse. I was hoping it was going to be good.
I'm 90sec in and it's goooorgeous. Stupendous.
I've been through half the mics you mention you *could* buy instead but I'd still take this and basically forget the rest.
Game over.
That said the tlm49 was pretty dang good too wow!
Sounds really good and that off access rejection is impressive.
U67 sounds great. TLM 102 was the surprising 2nd favorite followed by the u87 which would probably win once gainstaged to compensate. Omni mode can help match, too, as it can affect the output voltage, etc.
U67s are beyond reproach❣They were Al Schmitt's desert island mics. They're tied for my top 1/2 with the AKG C12A.
I was expecting 25 "Hellllooooo Neummmmaann"'s. Great vid by the way.
I didn't want this video to remove people's ability to feel happiness.
What about a review of the Sony C800-G? It's not that much more expensive than the U67... 😜
The U67 has to be the best mic ever made. Those highs are sooo smooth.
The Sony C800-G is literally the most over-rated microphone in the world.
@@Fos3tex In my opinion that's the 251.