Sennheiser MD435 Review / Test (Vs. SM58, E835, sE V7, D5, M88 TG, MD445, and More)

Today I review the brand new microphone from Sennheiser, the MD435. This is a handheld dynamic microphone that does a great job at background noise rejection and handling noise rejection. The mic tone is very bright and offers some nice shimmer to singing vocals, but for spoken word I personally think the boost in the top end is a bit too much.
HQ Audio Of Review: podcastage.com/rev/md435
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00:00 - Intro / Price / Disclaimer
00:27 - Setup
00:44 - What’s in the Box
01:12 - Build Quality / Walkthrough
01:49 - Specifications
02:11 - Polar Pattern Test (Tone / Rotation)
02:31 - Plosive Test
02:41 - Distance Test / Proximity Effect Test
02:57 - Background Noise Test
03:14 - Untreated Room Test
03:27 - Handling Noise Test
03:42 - Mic Mount Bump Test
03:56 - Mic Resonance Tap Test
04:17 - Cup The Mic Test
04:29 - Intro to Comparison
04:41 - Lewitt MTP250DM Comparison
05:11 - Shure SM58 Comparison
05:39 - AKG D5 Comparison
06:07 - Sennheiser E835 Comparison
06:44 - sE Electronics sE V7 Comparison
07:20 - Sennheiser E935 Comparison
07:58 - Sennheiser E945 Comparison
08:40 - Beyerdynamic M88 TG Comparison
09:19 - Shure KSM8 Comparison
10:06 - Sennheiser MD445 Comparison
11:10 - Music Test
12:21 - Pros & Cons
13:29 - Overall Thoughts
15:29 - Recommendation
16:52 - Outro
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[@thebreakfastmenu]

Immediately I thought "Oh wow, that's a nice sounding mic." Then saw 500 bucks and went "Oh, that's why."

[@alberto2469]

xD

[@ryan40101]

@Douglas Carmelo Scammer

[@EkkoEEA]

Same lmao

[@adampalooza85]

These reviews are my new favorite thing. Really makes me want to learn more about audio

[@Podcastage]

You are too kind Adam. You're entering a super fun hobby of learning more about audio!

[@Tewahedo]

Don't do it.. or you'll end up in debt for your whole life!

[@drakegostream]

Podcastage fun and expensive we should mention...

[@CybertroninfiniteOfficial]

@@Tewahedo better than cars 😓

[@way2tall1979]

Great review! It’s worth pointing out that this is the same capsule that used to be called the 5235 and the 9235 and was only available on their high-end wireless systems. Only recently did they bring it out in a wired configuration. You are correct that it is not tailored for spoken word but works wonders for live vocals on large stages. It’s the mic of choice for your “idol and “voice” type shows and has been for decades. It is also used by people like Ed Sheeran, Adele, Lady Gaga, P!ink, and others. In a live environment on a loud stage it is hard to beat for its clarity, spl handling, and off-axis rejection. Fantastic review!

[@RIMJAM]

Thanks for doing what you do... between you and Curtis Judd, I've learned so much about microphones, and your reviews have helped me narrow down and pick the right ones for my workflow. Again, thanks for doing these...your reviews have always been most informative, and you always make it a fun experience. Thanks for existing, fellow earthling!

[@notsobizzy]

I'm here for the pizza pronto 🍕 🍕

[@enado18]

I wasn’t a big fan of the MD435 for most of the review, then the solo came up and that was nice. Then the vocals showed up and that was awesome. In all of your review videos I’ve ever seen, this seems to be the all-time winner of the music test.

[@GX700]

I like the smoothness of the V7 in the higher frequencies. Overall, it sounded best to me. I have it, but sadly it is not a good match for my voice.

[@manuelpenaruiz3694]

Same here. Singing with the V7 is absolutely delightful. Tone, clarity and response are just so good IMO (professional singer and audio engineer)

[@BoboButYouCanCallMeTom]

The V7 sounds good with normal talking altough in my experience the mic really start to choke up with loud singing and especially when people sing with a lot of air. The lower midrange gets distorted and muddy. If you EQ that out it becomes thin and if you leave it in it sounds musty. I have heard voices on which it does work wonders but it's very hit or miss.

[@quietpersona]

I love your channel! You're hilarious and super informative. I actually liked the Beyer M88 and the Shure KSM8 better than the MD435, the Shure being my fav. Keep up the great work! You'll be over a million subscribers in no time.

[@Shipwrckdntweetin]

SE V7 & the Shure KSM8!!! Wow they gave it a run. But for a “bright” mic it’s pretty good. And noticeable anti plosives. I’m listening on HD58X and didn’t pick up the s’s high end. (Damnit KZbin) Normally I catch the harsh stuff esp w/instruments. It sounded great… I’m headed back to your NT fav to hear the difference for neutrality. 🤷🏾‍♂️ ‘Drew you worked for this one. Thx for sharing with us! Always enjoy the coverage.

[@ee1yd]

nice and thorough review, as always

[@SaiChooMusic]

That was a fabulous box throw. Top marks.

[@kesamek8537]

Great video thank you, these reviews are exceptional. This microphone seems to sound somewhat insistent, strident, kind of brassy, perhaps good in its intended setting but alone I don't dig it's character. FWIW I get great use out of a 935, 906, MD421.

[@EsrajGayan.The-Composer]

Your videos are super cool..and very informative. Thank you.

[@marianoservat1]

I'm still in love with my akg d5s

[@SgtStevePH]

I did not expect you hitting the mic on the table. Scary yet funny

[@sung_yun]

He should've hit harder!

[@timmypena241]

Amazing to see the transformation from 5 years ago till now. I really wish I had this kind of dedication in my own life. I’m a shit show to say the least… keep up the good reviews Bandrew!

[@Digital.Done.Right.]

I have no interest in these mics but really enjoy watching you juggling all mics in this test. MORE MORE MORE

[@lance134679]

I feel like the MD435 and 445 were made for metal singers, 'cause it seems perfectly voiced to cut through. Thanks for the video.

[@jamesorrell7462]

It’s a really good-sounding microphone. In the comparison, I would say that my preferred microphone would be the Beyer mic but I do prefer darker microphones and that is what Beyerdynamic does really well

[@deszczak]

It's yet another time the cheap Lewitt sounds the best to my ears and I'm even happier I bought it for myself. Handling noise and plosive rejection sucks but besides this it's truly amazing for the price!

[@enado18]

In the shootout my favourites were the E935 and E945.

[@EzioYuio]

I reached the same conclusion as you after listening to you test this mic. It sounds pretty fantastic on the electric guitar but not noteworthy on acoustic and spoken voice. Maybe it's just how I perceived it and of course, opinions differ from one person to another.

[@Inrumpo]

I found the comparison to the Sennheiser e835 and e935 to be the most interesting ones. The e935 is close. And: Lately this one was at

[@ConnahJay]

I liked the other Sennheiser mics but the MD435 just sounds so good to my ear.

[@manuelpenaruiz3694]

KSM8 and V7 are the best. These two are the most versatile and can do the job with just a hint of EQ. I'm afraid this 435 would demand some serious (professionally done right) EQ

[@FdUpNews]

The MD435 sounded the best.... I'm going to buy one.

[@venture7o7]

Did you buy one? How do you like it?

[@GeorgeWWakim]

Yes. The MD435 is spectacular and full. Second best, I would pick the Shure KSM8, third Beyer M88.

[@marin4311]

It sounds very good on your voice. It is very relaxing.

[@FOHFILMS]

This video, if anything, has made it even more abundantly clear that the sE V7 has no right to *not* cost $500.

[@manuelpenaruiz3694]

Well I'm not into podcast production but as a professional singer I've to say the V7 offers the best sound and control over any other mic I've tried so far (including all models from this comparison and many more) Particularly important is the fact the V7 sounds natural and pleasant in my IEM mix. Natural sparkle, texture and body. It doesn't ask for serious EQ to sound just Right in the mix. The only other mic from this comparison I'd use if the V7 is not available is the KSM8 (for my voice)

[@ronmaison8690]

Thanks for the review , can you please do a comparison between Neumann U87 AI VS Earthworks SV33 VS Beyerdynamic TG V96c (Which is the best warm and clear vocal recording mic).

[@TheBackRowShow]

Great toss

[@dfcx1]

For a very loudness-curve type sound I quite like it, but for that type of profile the E945 sounds just as good to me.

[@dunste123]

I really like the sound of the E835

[@BaktaBak3]

Agree spot on with your opinion.

[@somewhatfrog]

4:30 "How to Bandrew 101" Speaking of review, when you mentioned that you don't like "bright" microphones, it reminded me why I don't like Sennheiser headphones, they are too harsh in the top end to my ears. But those bright mikes sound very good on small devices and room speakers natively without any EQ, while SM58 feels a bit dull. And if used with a pair of good headphones SM58 sounds good and those Sennheisers are a tad harsh. Damn, sound is so subjective.

[@Podcastage]

I went from not liking sennheiser headphones to loving them once I got the HD650's. Now those are my favorite headphones I've ever used.

[@somewhatfrog]

@@Podcastage Deal, I'll try them.

[@ricardoprieto6401]

Excellent review. Pretty good microphone but the SE V7 sounds very similar to it for $400 less. I’m also surprised at how bad the AKG D5 sounded to me. Very thin and pointy. It sounds like a skinny bright microphone with no bottom end and no body whatsoever. Very fatiguing and harsh. The 88TG also sounds very nice and smooth but man those plosives are a deal breaker.

[@rainy2299219]

I just checked Sennheiser's own descriptions about this mic. "even the soft sound can cut through the loudest environment", So yes it make sense with this high boost. it don't sound much different even you change to the untreated room. In studio it do sound harsh, but for out door... you do need something to cut trough....

[@trickyrickymtb5622]

Just bought 2 e935's really like them.

[@patrickchase5614]

It's easily the smoothest of the "brightly voiced" mics in the comparison in my opinion (with its only real competition being the MD445). With that said I personally prefer (and own) the KSM8, which has similar smoothness, equally strong handling and noise rejection (IMO), unusually well-controlled proximity effect (which the MD435 doesn't have), all with more neutral voicing. It's nice to see the revival in "high end" handheld dynamics broaden and continue, though.

[@josiahblanton8291]

Any DPA mic reviews coming up? I know the prices are outrageous.

[@zaim_ipek]

e945 was definitely my favorite in the comparisons.

[@heathsledger]

dang dat thing sounds amazin ' !

[@jacksonrussellband]

I own several wireless and wired E935s and cannot justify the price difference for the minute difference of the md435. That said… I think both the md435 and the e935 are great with the shure ksm as an honorable mention…

[@gracenotes5379]

That's a pretty crazy amount of treble boost, would prefer a KSM8 in most situations.

[@jttech44]

That KSM42 sounded pretty nice to my ears. I doubt it's as bulletproof as a beta58 though.

[@arildoyen8705]

Way too sibilant for $500 smh. As always - a good and thorough review, Bandrew! Can you review the Presonus Revelator and Icon USB? TIA.

[@colewalker8288]

I wonder if the 445 or the 435 would sound on snare. The frequency response on the md435 is so close to an sm57 other then rolling up at 2k instead of 3k. And boosted slightly more.

[@viper8177]

The majority of the Sennheiser's sounded the same to me. So I think it would make more sense to get the cheaper option the 835. The Beyerdynamic M88 sounded dull and flat. I really liked the sound of SM58 and especially the AKG D5.

[@lionheartroar3104]

You wrote Sennheiser E835 in the description, but when you demonstrated you said it was the Sennheiser E935..which one was it? My least favorites are the Shures

[@christianboddum8783]

E935 did really well to my ear ;-)

[@cpuchip]

Yeah, I have a e935 I picked up last year. Love it. It sounded pretty similar to the md435.

[@dueller29]

Are the t.bone microphones something you would be taking a look at at some point? There are both some ribbon mics e.g rb 500 and Large Diaphragm e.g SC 425 i would love to hear your opinion on.

[@asd44688]

I actually looked up why they set the microphone as it is, and I found all these high-end dynamic capsules (md9235, md5235) have similar frequency response, max SPL, and sensitivity as this one. No wonder why it has a very specific "Cut through the mix" type of sound.

[@davidperez909]

Awesome! Can you review the Monoprice LR100? $100 active ribbon.

[@brandyyn]

what's the best all rounder mic, mainly singing and commentary? i'm thinking sm 58 or E835

[@simonebarbella4118]

Can you review the new audient id4 next time?

[@saasrus]

I suggest you to test 1 inch distance or 0 for handheld mics, cause seldom person will keep 3 inch distance for a long period. Its for compare part of your art. Furt.

[@alexkubik1442]

I like the M88 best, followed by KSM8, THEN MD435. However, The SE V7 was so close, I don't know if I could justify any of the 3.

[@lazywild]

I think the best microphone is the Beyerdynamic tg-v70d. The e935 is good to.

[@cristian-marius-albu]

Greetings! Any plans to review the Presonus Revelator? Thanks.

[@th3soundmachinz]

What's the best microphone for vocals under $100?

[@YungJiGGLive]

Most accurate throw yet!

[@damolin77]

The SE electronics v7 had a awesome sound to it

[@Tim_ArtistName_Tallent]

It does! I used it once on a podcast, then revisited the episode recently to listen and was like hold up what mic was that!?

[@damolin77]

@@Tim_ArtistName_Tallent hahahahaha nice

[@keithferris9574]

I own it and it rules in a band setting on vox.

[@byebaibai]

Aaah... It sounds so smooth...

[@icasiano7]

How is this compared to Senn MD 431 ii ? Sound wise for vocals only, of course. Cheers!

[@fals2000]

How about for once comparing mics at the same price point..???

[@distortingjack]

Something about either the supplied frequency response chart of this mic or the E835 is wrong. If you see both, they look essentially identical. When I saw the MD435 chart I assumed it would sound exactly the same. However, it seems smoother and far bassier, so either there's something iffy about the response chart of this mic, or about that of the E835...

[@jcstrabo]

Frequency response graphs aren't more than a very loose guideline and don't say much about how a microphone sounds compared to another, even done with the same equipment by the same company in the same room. Too much other influences come into it once you actually sing or talk into a mic.

[@habibullahsamander2798]

Sennheiser e 818 S II vs Shure Beta 58A? Which do you recommend for speaking?

[@Mitt27]

Any recommendations for a desktop mounted microphone that will reject cherry mx brown typing, banging etc?

[@kronk358]

It sounds good. 5 times the cost good, though?

[@devilsdoorbell]

Honestly, I liked the Sennheiser E835 and 945 as alternates for less money.

[@risk5797]

Hi! I'm new on this channel. I'm looking for a "female opera singing" microphone, in general something that does not warp the sound on high notes. I have no idea of what and how to look for, I'm watching some reviews of 60-80$ microphones but I'm starting to think that I have to spend a bit more. Do you have any suggestion?

[@CluckYou21]

Please help. I have an Sm7b/Focusrite solo 3d gen/ Fethead. I continuously have cracking/popping sounds. I have changes wires, updated drivers, reinstalled windows.. changed settings. I have only had this preamp for around 7 months, could it have failed?

[@jeffsancricca7041]

Interesting change for Sennheiser, they’re mics are usually on the warmer side. Not excited about the sound of that mic

[@GoreMelian]

Where was the xm8500?

[@aleneftekhari4311]

Any recommendion For harsh and growl vocal (metal) mic , under 150 $?

[@Tim_ArtistName_Tallent]

Sounded really great when I heard it first in your podcast. Question , what does it take to achieve low self noise on a dynamic mic? Some of these tones sound ideal for podcast, especially with the off axis rejection, if only the self noise was quieter

[@Podcastage]

Most dynamic mics don't even list any kind of self noise. I was surprised to see it even listed here. Most dynamics also don't include a max spl. Another figure I was shocked to see.

[@Tim_ArtistName_Tallent]

@@Podcastage good point, very interesting. Perhaps this is a question for Julian Krause lol

[@jcstrabo]

According to Neumann you can't get below 17-18 dB(A) of self noise with a dynamic microphone even with the best equipment, and I assume they and their parent company Sennheiser and their engineers know their stuff. www.neumann.com/homestudio/en/will-a-better-preamp-give-you-lower-noise

[@Tim_ArtistName_Tallent]

@@jcstrabo honestly that makes perfect sense, because if and when I see a dynamic mic’s self noise listed it’s 18 every time. Interesting. Thank u

[@PileOfEmptyTapes]

Self-noise on a dynamic mic is voice coil resistance thermal noise. It thus is only affected by sensitivity and impedance, IOW conversion efficiency. This ultimately relates to acoustic design and very basic dynamic driver parameters - diaphragm area, magnetic field strength, voice coil inductance and fundamental resonance. Oh, and ambient temperature, but its influence does not vary much over the limited range that humans tend to prefer. ;) There are relatively few things you can do to improve efficiency, notably use stronger magnets (you may have noticed the higher sensitivity associated with neodymium) and narrow the air gap (requiring tighter production tolerances). This is why a cheap dynamic mic is a 600 ohm job yet generally not any more sensitive than -54 dBV/Pa either... they can't afford the tightest of air gaps nor overly powerful magnets, so they need more turns on the voice coil in order to get enough voltage out. Another parameter that you can vary to influence sensitivity is fundamental resonance (Thiele-Small parameter FS), i.e. suspension stiffness. This is turn is tied to low-end response - generally the higher FS, the sooner bass response will drop as well, but in return midband sensitivity is up. This is why you can buy a 12" PA woofer that'll go insanely loud at about 95 dB / W / m but barely make it below 100 Hz, while a subwoofer driver of the same size would dig below 40 Hz but barely make it to 85 dB / W / m sensitivity. In a dynamic mic that's supposed to sound decent still, you only have so much leeway. (I'm guessing the AKG D5 must be tuned very high, it's got this typical "classic dynamic mic" sound to it with overblown lower mids and no lows. 🤢) Diaphragm area is one that is hard to vary because it directly relates to increasing high-frequency directivity. You may have noticed that dynamics generally stick to 1" (25 mm) capsules. This has turned out to be a good compromise between directivity and efficiency. Some vocal mics will use elements up to 40 mm in diameter, but their directivity is just too variable across the audio band for general purpose use. Ideally you want directivity that is as even as possible, so that sound sources sound the same both on and off axis as far as possible. Which is why a lot of instrument or ambient recording applications will use small-diaphragm (pencil) condenser mics with 16 mm capsules. Having to point a mic at a sound source super precisely to capture the high end properly gets old really fast, and what do you do with extended or multiple sound sources? Overall, dynamic mic efficiency generally remains confined to a fairly narrow band of maybe 6 dB or so, and that's about as much as you can do about self-noise. 17 dB(A) isn't by any means _bad_ - do I have to remind anyone of the ~21-23 dB(A) figures delivered by affordable LDCs in the 2000s, like typical Samson or Behringer models? For a vocal mic, this is quite sufficient. I sure can't hear any objectionable levels of hiss in Bandrew's recording.

[@shaniell.mathur6372]

I actually liked the sound of the shure sm58 during the comparison you were doing . Sounded warm .

[@Podcastage]

That's why I include the samples so that you can determine which one you like the sound of. I'm really happy this was able to help you determine that.

[@f.l.infinite8444]

Could you compare the Samson Q2U to the Samson Q8X? I currently use the Samson Q2U, and I wanna know how better the sound gets with the more expensive option.

[@DavidKhoirul]

Q8x sounds amazing. It has a wider frequencies response and supercardioid pattern.

[@EagleBen]

Can you please review the Hyperx Solocast? Hyperx came out with a 60$ mic that is a toned down version of the quadcast. Thanks.

[@thiagocursinomusic]

It's not very good. It captures a lot of room reverb. It's really worse than an audio-technica AT2020

[@ramoncisneros5601]

Could you do the AKG C535 EB next???

[@_-_Michael_-_]

On mine Iphone 6S speaker they all sounded wonderful 😂

[@hh-dr4db]

e935 sounds similar, but with less bass response. I really don't care since I'll EQ that out anyway.

[@maestrohound]

Please do Lewitt MTP550DM and Audio Technica ATM98.

[@Hermiel]

Your interface provides eight identical preamps. Why not simply line up all the mics and move between them as you talk? If that's too much then how about just plugging in the two that you're comparing in the moment as that will reduce the listening gap and provide a sharper contrast between them.

[@tigresen5660]

Wasn’t the hugest fan of this microphone’s sound overall. SM58 happens to be a 5th of the price and I honestly found myself preferring the sound, even though the 58 lacks in high end.

[@romari2706]

The Se V7 is still the best of these microphones because it has a supercardiod polar pattern which is better than cardioid pattern mics for keeping noise out of the recording.

[@sirnigelcogs]

It sounds pretty good but for that price it better come with a personalized thank you note.

[@cowboytonydee]

Could you compare it to the Telefunken pleeeeease!

[@Honjoi]

0:45 What A Good Throw

[@zoltanvamos4757]

Very very clean tone mic, and but artificial sounding but still good, maybe not 750$CAD sounding but good. Btw, I will be doing my review on the WA87R2 extremely soon, hope to see you there Bandrew!

[@stevetimko1461]

I thought the Beyerdynamic sounded best. Anyone else?

[@jgurtz]

I did like that one too!

[@sajaehyuck]

me too but handling, pop, breath noise... beyerdynamic needs improvement Overall, the TG version is a failure.. Write TG and read it as cost reduction. The m88 and m88n were the best vocal, voiceover, and instrument microphones. The moment the TG was written, it just turned into a kickdrum cabinet mic.

[@VisionPointMedia]

It would be good to see how the AKG C7 & D7 do with against these mics.

[@user-cs8kc9ns4y]

Shure KSM8 and Sennheiser MD445 the Bests!!!

[@Snoogleheimer]

MD445 for the win.

[@TotalSmashTV]

Boi knows how to chapter a video

[@Podcastage]

I love me a good chaptered video.

[@hydraphisx]

Please review blue kiwi

[@CrowJamz]

hate youtube. stopped recommending your videos in my recommended. get to catch up today!

[@DarkPa1adin]

1:20 e835 is on your right hand, e935 = in blue :)

[@johnlane6459]

I find all sennheiser mics to toppy for me.

[@aerenh_]

Right now I have a 30$ mic. One day I'll have this...

[@CybertroninfiniteOfficial]

You can get some really good e935s for cheap

[@Lutzifer31337]

it really sounds very "german" just because of the sibilance of it, but i never found it too harsh.

[@janvalecek1045]

Please make a video with FIFINE K678 😥