Can a £500 Microphone sound as good as a £2000 Microphone? - Warm Audio vs Neumann

[@stephencrane561]

I’m not convinced the gain/levels were comparable in this test. Blind listening suggested Mic 2 was recorded at a noticeably lower level. Loading the de-mux’d audio up into my DAW and doing absolutely nothing other than decreasing the level of Mic 1 revealed less ‘differences’ than are apparent in the original video. Thoughts/comments welcomed and encouraged.

[@adamdanmusic]

I was thinking the same… the volume of the wa sound much lower than the u87.. making you perceive it as “worse”

[@harleyrider9166]

Agreed. How could they not notice that.

[@Camilapachecoandrade]

Talvez seja pelo fato do neumann realmente ser mais sensível, logo o neumann talvez em si tenha mais volume em captação, vamos considerar que o warm áudio é fisicamente muito maior e mais pesado que o neumann para tentar se aproximar mais ao peso e característica sonora do neumann.

[@gordongurley3982]

Keep in mind that the wa87 is modeled after the original U87, which has a darker tonality than the U87AI that was used in this comparison. And as others pointed out, the Neumann tracks seem to be a bit louder in playback, which makes it an unfair comparison.

[@DavidD-un5oy]

I own a WA 87. It’s a substantial mic. I think it sounds great on lower male vocals and acoustic instruments And given the fact that I can’t afford a $2000 microphone it sounds eve more phenomenal.

[@AlexRodriguez_Official]

No doubt, the winner is Neumann U87!!!

[@bySchermann]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@Wilmer778]

Of course, because it costs more

[@scottbelanger9427]

Is the gain not waaaay off in favour of the u87 on the vocal test? or is it just me?

[@frubo_ssg]

Yes, there IS a difference between the Neumann and the Warm. The U87 is more open and detailed in the highs. But am I willing to pay $2000 more for it? I think not, because the WA-87R2 sounds great.

[@adiohead]

I liked the way the Warm vocals sat in the mix.

[@barrnycharlton8951]

obviously the Neumann has gravity on its side as it the right way up so it’s not a fair test

[@almightyEsquilax]

Yeah but what if you're in the southern hemisphere?

[@adiohead]

Or on the ISS

[@mdragon99]

damn you you beat me to it

[@tonzokinawa]

The WA was good but lacked as much high end detail. It had some great mid content but seemed to be heavier in the low mids. Both are very usable mics though and have their uses

[@geoffwebber8272]

Loving these studio insights. Is that the worlds largest angle poise lamp or is Tay Tay very very small?

[@unclemick-synths]

No contest on the vocal: U87. On the piano I preferred the Warm. For the mix on this particular song I'd have the U87 on the vocal and guitar, and the Warm on the piano & drums (just because I'd want the drums to sit back a bit in this one).

[@DojoOfCool]

Definitely a audible difference between the two with the real U87 better high end and definition. the Warm WA87 had almost a muffled sound on the top, but below that it was like the real 87. Now maybe working with gain and EQ the WA87 could be brought closer don't know.

[@blankspace0000]

Honestly I expect the WA to do better. U87 destroys it!

[@Mikas_Emil]

Volume

[@LichtrauschBerlin]

listening to this on AKG812 / Apogee Symphony Desktop I found the vocals to make the difference sounding much more appealing through the Neumann. oh, and the guitar is a beauty !

[@RoomAtTheTopStudio]

From what I gather the Warm Audio mic sounds like a vintage 87 which has less highs than the U87AI. I don't mind that so I'm glad I have ordered a WA-87.

[@Firetracks]

Also what’s “missing” can be achieved in the mix EASILY!

[@Proghead88]

I think I liked the warm audio mic more of the time. The neumann is a little too sensitive at times and I actually preferred how the cheaper mic handled the dynamics and top end. Frequency-wise, they are close enough that I wouldn't spend all that money unless I REALLY want that extra 3-5% improvement in sensitivity and depth (which is arbitrary at this point)

[@romelloverture]

You gotta be kidding with that huge volume difference between the vocal takes. Seriously, does nobody hear that? Just listen to her sing "Gravity is working against me" on both takes.

[@harleyrider9166]

Warm Audio for sure. It does good everywhere and isn’t weak in one area like the U-87 was. You guys also cheated on the gain because the audio for the WA-87 R2 was obviously lower in volume. The fact that the first thing you said was that the gains would be matched made me clearly think this video was going to be sus from the get. Unfair comparison for sure, but I still like the WA-87. Side note: the WA-87 R2 was modeled after the original U87 which had less high end than the U87 AI and in this comparison you use a U87 AI so it’s not even fair to begin with…LMAO. A more fair comparison would be the original U87 and the WA-87R2.

[@aviewofroux]

Thanks for doing this comparison. Is there a difference? Of course. Both sound good thanks to the musicianship. Thanks all!

[@Mathcartney]

in the instruments i liked better the WA, but the vocal the u87 wins hands down. The more airy/brighter sound of the WA fits more my tastes for instrument recording and the u87 gets that sweet tone for the voice.

[@beethewizard]

This shoot out was great. There was no question the Neumann would sound better but the difference is so slight with a great performance for those on a tight budget, the Warm is good enough. As a matter of fact this test shows the difference between the original clone by Warm as the gap is larger sonically although this is from personal experience since the prior version Warm 87 was not used in this shootout. Thank you so much for this video, as always I love your videos.

[@melroseboyce4610]

For sure there is a difference on solo instruments. I think in the mix though the difference is less so. Also whatever perceivabke difference there is can be rectified with processing. Get either one you want, but at the end of the day they are both tools, and when you learn to use them their difference won't matter. My opinion.

[@TheFeelButton]

Nice shootout! Cheers!!

[@nathanielbrice8725]

Please do same comparison with U67 and WA67!

[@Czyszy]

Love that giant Pixar lamp!

[@06szymonszymanski]

U87 kicks ass completely. I like Warm audio but Neumann just destroyed it

[@IAMTYNCH]

I see a bunch of neumann natzi's in the comments.. if it not a neumann its a budget mic.. I own both. Im currently Selling my Neumann u87. I feel the Wa87R2 is more Thick, warm and has a high end that is just as smooth as the neumann

[@terencedennis3972]

I agree

[@ramencurry6672]

The volume is mismatched in the first example. Both are equally good

[@micah3823]

I think they would same pretty much the same if the WA87 had a little increase in gain and eq adjustment...Of course I would buy a Neuman but that is beyond my budget so I have had great success with the WA87.

[@Firetracks]

Good shootout. The WA87 is missing the low mids that the u87 has.

[@SonVoMekongDeltaBluesman]

The same positioning, playing the same take (as was done) for each mic is really the only way to have a fair shake when comparing, i.e., the gain staging for the vocal tracks weren't matched for the WA-87r2 against the 87, making that an unfair or inaccurate comparison. And most engineers would never record an acoustic guitar with the WA-87r2 mic in that position. On that note, the WA-87r2 deserves a 2nd chance, and for what it's worth, is most likely much better than what was heard here.

[@supafrost]

I'm glad someone else picked up on that!! I was thinking the same thing. The vocal takes were two separate takes with different mic positioning.

[@billfulton6857]

I thought the WA87 helped the vocal sit better in the mix although soloed on the vox I thought the U87 sounded superior w/a nice quality in the high mids

[@lance134679]

Loving the studio space! So, is all of Guildford Anderton's buildings now?

[@andertonsfan3144]

sadly not... One eyed Jacks (naming is a coincidence) is where Jack does his 'day job'!

[@nicholasflores8100]

U87 wins overall ! Despite it having a lot of unfair advantages in the video. But the WA87r2 proves it can hang with the big dog. A few eq moves and you might not be able to tell the two apart.

[@erikhall9776]

More brightness in the WA in my opinion. Hard to tell these things with KZbin compression. But the Neumann for certain has a tiny bit darker sound, and seemed a little more flat. If money were no object, I would go with the WAU87 on this one. (By the way, I own the Neumann)

[@cgtspl]

New to this whole thing, but tell me... Who lays down the first track? I mean are you listening to the singer when you did the guitar and piano or the drummer? An if so, what are they listening to :) BTW, love the channel and thanks for doing these comparison things, it could save me a motza $

[@jackduxbury1632]

Hey 👋 thanks so much for watching mate - really appreciate it. With this we first played in the basic chords to a click track so that Natalie could then sing a guide track. Then Tay Tay played drums to that then Piano then Guitar. From memory Natalie’s “guide” track sounded great so she didn’t need to re-record her part. Important thing that makes this all possible is all working to a Click Track and having an agreed arrangement. Hope that makes sense. Many thanks again X

[@grahamjeffery]

blimey, no contest. the Neumann sounds miles better on everything - more presence, more sparkle, it's just 'there'.

[@rjkhanijaon6717]

the u87 is significantly louder. unfair test

[@GigiDAmico]

the voice on the u87 is in another league, the rest can be easily fixed on the mix

[@unclemick-synths]

A question - how does the Warm take EQ? Could a gentle high shelf have put it closer to the air and clarity of the U87?

[@woksrandomchannel]

I was going to ask. I might try the WA87r2 that just came in with the Maag, which as you know, has a nice air band to it. Maybe I can tweak it and upload the results.

[@lanesaudio2597]

I just got a warm audio wa87 and am happy to report that, in my experience, it takes to eq and compression very well! It also has an incredibly narrow pick up pattern, considering the type of microphone that it is, and I found that particularly impressive as well. The only disadvantage to that, is the Face shifting and other anomalies that happen if you’re not quite positioned well. This is why I think some things did not sound as good on the warm as they could’ve in this video.

[@unclemick-synths]

@@lanesaudio2597 thanks for letting us know how you got on with it.

[@MidnightMiik]

The U87 had a bit more weight in the low end which could be why the WA87-R2 sounded a tiny bit airier but in a good way. I was totally expecting the U87 to mop the floor with the WA87-R2 but I actually preferred the WA87-R2. I’m very familiar with U87s both vintage and ai. No 2 vintage U87s sound the same. They all sound good but some are brighter than others. The WA87-R2 stands up well against them. It’s not just a good mic for the money, it’s a good mic.

[@jakecal6802]

WA-87 is the besttttt for that price it’s ridiculously good

[@robertsimpson5801]

It seems like the Wa-87 captures a lot of the high end detail in a similar manner to the Neumann, but it lacks the lower midrange body of the U87. It is most evident to me in the full mix.

[@JphreshOfficial]

Can’t decide between the rode Nt1a, WA 47 jr or the 87 r2 …. Help 🤣🔥

[@armpiano]

Beyond any doubt, the Neumann 87 sounds better in every test of the video. As a pianist, I appreciate the warm and full spectrum of the U87 compared to the WA87 which sounds a bit "compressed". With the U87 you here a whole sonic world that comes after the instrument is played. It gives much more life to the sound. The WA87 seems to cut off this spectrum. Would be curious to hear the same shootout with the WA87 R2. From what I read and heard, they improved some aspects.

[@melodychest9020]

I thought he said and showed that this was the R2 version in the opening.

[@terencedennis3972]

87 R2 sounds just as good in the mix. U87 was killing it until the end. The WA 87 R2 came back strong. I'd invest in the WARM Audio far sure

[@iamjiroe]

They both sound good but honestly the WA87 is missing the main roundness that makes the u87 sound like a u87.

[@mikebottiaux5850]

I love my Neumann!

[@MisterRorschach90]

I actually like the warm most. Weird.

[@antoinemcnabb3696]

Good to know I like the Warm Audio WA-87 more. Its warmer and less dry. Better for the wallet !

[@AndertonsKeyboardDept]

It's a great Microphone for the money and kept up well against the £2000 Neumann

[@brandionrbarnard]

Neumann really shines in the lower frequency which gives it a thicker more fuller sound. Warm was a bit thinner in the low-end and the high rolled off a little. Without a doubt U87 is the greater more rounded Mic.

[@zzarap4ik]

agreed! Also warm is more noisy, you can hear it on the guitar

[@johananGR]

thank you! Now I want a Neumann...

[@BorisBarroso]

Neumann sounds better especially in the voice

[@haidar6280]

Awesome video

[@AndertonsKeyboardDept]

Thanks for tuning in!

[@CodyMWI]

What’s with that noise floor 😢

[@weedanwine]

U87 is obviously better, but the Warm Audio sounds great and for £500 it's a bargain all-rounder.

[@danyjr]

U87 is hotter and has more top end. Just a better microphone. Would you pay 4 times as much for it, now that is the question.

[@Ohio_Greg]

The Neumann just sounds more musical. Both Sound good. I think the Warm sounds good but the Neumann sounds “more correct.” Weird! It’s like asking... which microphone is lying and which is telling the truth when replicating sound. But that’s not a question about a microphone being a replica. It’s just an analogy of how our brains and spirits interpret the sound. Weird!

[@DuroSamples]

Mmmh right away... a problem. Dont use fancy pre amps. Plug it straight to the interface like your average joe who wants to buy WA products. Also whatever you are using is very noisy.

[@LanceisLawson]

The U87 was more articulate ane more detailed. I didn't care for the WA-87 at all.

[@gelatosamurai]

Not very level matched. The Neumann was louder by a foot.

[@gelatosamurai]

In fact just turning up on my Grace m904 Monitor controller for the WA 87 shows that its sounds quite close to the U87.

[@soundcheckstudio5887]

A own

[@woksrandomchannel]

Of course the U87 will do better. It's like trying to make KFC at home and fumbling with the recipe. Maybe you can get it pretty close. Yet it is so, so far away. For amateurs and hobbyists like myself, I am happy enough with the WA-87. I tried it yesterday, and it is a nice upgrade from the popular NT1A. I loved the way it sounded on voiceover when I was streaming. I still plan to use that as well. One day, one day... I will get the real deal. And enjoy a real KFC chicken wing.

[@woksrandomchannel]

@@lawrencebiancardi9363 I agree, it is overrated. My point was duplicating the secret flavor.

[@whovisionsCGI]

As usual with yet another budget Warm Audio product competing to be a clone of a more expensive mic, it sounds very sibilant again on the top end. Their WA 47 tube mic has the same problem. This will be emphasised even more when adding a little compression and will need de-essing. More expensive mics sweeten that top end to be less sibilant with a smooth roll off. However there are other good mics out there at this price point that are less sibilant. This WA would probably be good on guitar but it wouldn't be my go to vocal mic.

[@almightyEsquilax]

Below

[@philnicol8072]

Plus in the key of G Major. The Warm Audio WA-87 sounds even more the better. 🧨🎇🎇 👍

[@Rancochannel]

C'è poco da confrontare...Se L' u87 come tanti mic storici sono usati anche oggi dopo 50 anni un motivo ci sarà ;-)

[@DuroSamples]

WA is noisier

[@Fidtz]

Problem with this kind of test is that no one would ever do these "no EQ", "put the mics in the same place regardless of their chatacteristics" type mixes. I would like a "we got the best out of these we possibly could in this studio, here is the result" mix too.

[@risla-prods2001]

This is a bad comparison, the volume leveling of 2 mics is so bad

[@MoreMeRecording]

God that WA mic is as pale as I recall the 1st time I used one. All their stuff is pale....

[@russellvanwyk7214]

Tune your drums

[@stanleyassor3172]

neumann easily

[@tubeDude48]

Get someone that can sing!

[@jackduxbury1632]

Are you alright Pi-Duino?