On 2003-06-10, redneck roundup gave this Sennheiser PA a 5...(5052)
Purchase: I recently aquired the e865 from a Lukert Productions, motion picture production company who happened to be a Sennheiser dealer. No one else in the Phoenix area had them in stock, but they had plenty. Interestingly, they said they sell a lot to churches because they're so rugged. Had seen them dropped of scaffolding onto concrete without ill effect. I paid $249. Have been in search of the perfect vocal stage mic for years, have gone through SM-58's, a number of EV mics and most recently an AKG D-3700.
Pros: Crystal clear highs, great punch, good bottom end without being boomy, little need for EQ. Sounds great EQ'd flat. The hype said Sting wanted a mic that has "air" and that's true. There's no distortion even if you scream into it, (I don't, but someone else did, actually cupping her hand around the end). Good feedback rejection and no handling noise. There's a clarity and spacial sound that you just don't get with a dynamic mic. This results in not having to sing with as much effort to be heard.
Cons: Nothing, as close to perfect as you can get. Included items are a little Spartan, just a clip and a nylon pouch, but I'd rather have all the money go into the mic, and not some fancy carrying case anyway.
Quality: High quality, good finish, good looks. Comfortable in the hand, although I play guitar, so it's on a stand. Mic clip is also good quality, not cheap-looking and holds the mic securely.
Summary: I know the Celine Dion also uses this mic, don't know who else. I just know my search is over. I have a very dynamic vocal style and this mic suits me to a "T". I don't know anyone who wouldn't like it, unless someone wanted the muddiness of say, an SM-58 to cover up flaws in their vocal timbre, or a funky sound. Singing through this mic is like being in the studio. I don't think many people are that aware of this mic, appears only intermittently in the MF catalogs, so at this point it's like a secret weapon. People will think you sound better and they won't know why. It's not cheap of course, and you have to have phantom power to run it, but most PA's have phantom power any more. It carries a 10-yr warranty unlike many other mics. Just save that documentation... and don't let it out of your sight.
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On 2002-02-23, Bluesrover gave this Sennheiser PA a 5...(1762)
Purchase: Purchased from House of Guitars,Rochester,New York for 229.00
I needed a mic that wouldn't need to be equed so heavily in the monitors when playing out live.
Pros: This mic out performed my trusty sm58 by leaps and bounds. Of course it's a condenser mic so it has a lot more guts than a 58. I used it live for the first time and was amazed at the tight cardiod pattern it produced allowing me to not have to cut all my high frequencies to kill feedback in the monitors. It has a smooth attack and lots of presence which really helped to save me from over singing. This is a phantom powered mic so that must be taken into consideration when purchsing it.
Cons: I like everything about this mic.
Quality: Professional looking.Gotta be carefull not to drop it though as the condeser mics are much more delicate than passive mics.
Summary: A great value, a strong performer and it helps your overall performance by letting you hear more of the frequencies that you need to be hearing especially in a rock situation where the sound levels are up there.
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