Underrated Mic Battle: Lewitt 240 Pro vs. 440 Pure

The Lewitt LCT240 Pro is an impressive microphone at an equally amazing price, but how does it compare to the higher end and more expensive LCT 440 Pure? Is it worth the extra cost and what is the sound difference between a small and large diaphragm condenser?
•Lewitt LCT 240 Pro: geni.us/4fww (Amazon)
•Lewitt LCT 440 Pure: geni.us/ygRb95l (Amazon)
•Samson Desk Stand: geni.us/Ayyv (Amazon)
•Rode Desk Stand: geni.us/rodeds2 (Amazon)
•Shure Extension Tube: geni.us/7hECd (Amazon)
•Rodecaster Arm: geni.us/bOkzyk1 (Amazon)
•White Noise Machine: geni.us/Jfspb (Amazon)
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⏱️Chapter Markers:
0:00 - Lewitt 240 Pro vs. 440 Pure
0:46 - Capsule Size
1:40 - Mic Stand & Accessories
3:15 - Price
5:17 - Handling Noise & Plosives
6:13 - Condenser vs. Dynamic Mic Background Noise
8:21 - White Noise Test
11:10 - Which Should You Get?
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Episode 379: Pure Awesomeness: Lewitt :LCT240 Pro vs 440 Pure

[@ObscureMics]

The 440 sounds great....dangit, now I want one

[@tombuck]

Yeah, it's a pretty stellar sounding mic!

[@celpabedn]

@@tombuck Is it true, you need to sound proof treat your room? Is that really a problem?

[@BrettYoakum]

Some good timing on this review! I just bought the 440 and was worried I made a bad choice. Hearing your voice on it convinced me that I made a good decision. Thanks for the review :)

[@tombuck]

It's definitely a good choice. I've compared them before a little bit, but this video really helped me to hear the difference between them, and it's pretty huge. They're both awesome, just different.

[@ahmedlaimouna9406]

Great video, great insights as always Tom

[@tombuck]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@TimmyHBlack]

well done! just the kinda video I was looking for.

[@tombuck]

Happy to hear it!

[@Santan_Audio]

Thanks for doing this Tom!!

[@tombuck]

Hope it was helpful!

[@pattalkstoparakeets2235]

Really great video!!

[@smoloms]

the 240 on it's own not compared to anything else sounds great, but when you switched between them it was noticeable how the 440 captures a bit more detail.

[@tombuck]

Yeah, it's funny because the 240 usually dominates comparisons but then the 440 kind of takes the cake here 😁

[@knowyourjoe8826]

I kinda phase in and out of audio equipment reviews.

[@williedeuel]

I love my 440! Probably the only LDC I'll ever buy for my home studio.

[@portersblackboard]

I have been waiting to hear your take on the difference between these two mics. Often on these kinds of videos, my untrained ears don't hear a difference. But I could easily hear it here. Thanks so much!! And on an aside, I heard another benefit of shaving your legs for cycling is if you crash and get road rash, it helps in the healing process.

[@dangerdaveball]

Hey Tom love your content. I have an elgato Wave mic and it was created with the help of Lewitt and I wonder how well it holds up against another electret like the 240. I found the Wave sounds fantastic for the price!

[@wolfgilbert]

Tom, a great review (as always) and fantastic to hear them both side by side. I agree with you that the 240 is a fantastic mic and a great price point. I do think that you may have been (unintentionally) mis-leading about the price difference though. You pointed out that the pop filter and the shock mount are separate and so the ~$120 becomes ~$185 if you include them (which in my opinion you really need to), but what wasn't clear was that the $289 for the 440 Pure includes them both. The net difference between the two is ~$100 (give or take a sale or two) - when comparing apples to apples, the 240 is not "significantly less than half the price" of the 440, it's ~$100 less, and that's the trade off folks need to make. The 440 is undoubtably the "better" sound - but is it worth the extra $100 for YOU...that's kinda like your "hairs on your legs" analogy....some will have everything else lined up so well that the difference will be well worth it...others should save the cash and put it towards a nice camera, audio interface, sound treatment or any of the million other things that would have a larger impact. Again, great review, I always enjoy your show.

[@tombuck]

Oh dang, I forgot that the 440 includes both things- you're totally right!

[@AlphaXray]

I was one of the stand question askers a couple weeks ago lol. Nice of you to answer in video format as well as directly to my comment. Just wanted to say I really enjoy your channel! I think a big part of it is all the colors, as silly as that sounds.

[@TenTaxi]

There is so much fun to have with stands. Currently I have a combination of a K&M 23250 and a K&M 21140 on my desk. Combined the price-point is probably somewhere in between the two stands presented today. It sneaks neatly under my keyboard and still manages to reach my mouth quite well. Not sure it would work with a really heavy mic, but the Shure Beta 58A is even handled at full arm-extension in the direction of the stand-plate. I am still not sure whether or not I should get a condenser, but I believe I can understand why you like those two by Lewitt. Maybe I'll get one myself

[@tombuck]

Condensers are fun! I would definitely recommend having at least one to experiment with, and there are so many awesome options out there. 😎

[@carelesstv4111]

The level of wordplay in that intro is nothing short of PROlific ;)

[@teh_realdeadpoole9036]

I’d love to get a condenser mic (I think they look super cool), but I’m planning to use it for streaming and it would seem that a dynamic would do a much better job of cutting out clickity clackety keyboard typing

[@gentlemanlygerry]

Nice review as always Tom. While I can see why some or most prefer the 440, I prefer the 240 over the 440, myself. But then again, i prefer as flat, natural, minimal or at least lesser proximity effect as possible sound, don't own an LDC, and use SDCs, dynamic vocal stage mics, and Ribbon mics for voice, but we're all different so too each their own. And either way, for the most part it all sounds good,. Regardless your videos are informative and pun-derful, and I thank you for them. All the best to you and Heather in 2024. 👍👍. Stay safe, stay awesome, and be well. Gerry 🙃✌️

[@Steizem]

Hi tom, you think that be a lot of diference with lewitt 440 and lewitt 441 flex? i think that the sound is similar but the 441 have a lot of polar patrons and is more versatil. What do you think?

[@jonathanramsey]

I’m tempted to but I’ve off each these and try them, sending the one that I don’t like as much back. First, I’ll likely get a pair of the LCT441 mics to record guitar and vocals together. I’ve been dying to that that with a pair of mics that have a figure-8 pattern.

[@tombuck]

Honestly that's not a terrible plan. There's only so much you can decide based on hearing someone else use a mic. Once you're able to use them in your space and on your voice, it'll probably be much easier to figure out which one is the right one to get.

[@zepsi5538]

Hey Tom, I really like the sound of the 240 pro. In your video your talking about background noise and how condenser or dynamic doesn't matter too much in a relatively good treated room. I am wondering if this is also the case for keyboard sounds. I would like to buy and use the 240 for livestreaming but I am worried the mic picks up too much keyboard noise in comparison to a dynamic alternative. any thoughts?

[@tombuck]

It's funny you mention the keyboard thing because I was going to include a whole part of it in this video. I'll be honest and say that, for me personally, I've never really noticed any difference in how any of my 30+ mics pick up keyboard noise. I guess it might be slightly more noticeable with some than others, but they all clearly pick up the sound 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@levelupwithmikenewman]

⁠@@tombuckthe only mic that got my attention with keyboard reaction was the Ethos. Only time I did a keyboard test and noticed a difference

[@Nunbawon]

Hey there! I was curious if you know of a Foam pop Filter that can fit on the Lewitt 240 Pro, 440 Pure or the Maono PM500! Thanks !

[@intellectualnomadsss]

I would love to see you compare the MXL 990 to the Lewitt 240. The MSRP on the MXL black 990 is is around 90 heard some influencers using it and sounding beautiful

[@tombuck]

Loving all these recommendations! I’ll have to look into that one- good budget options are always great to know about.

[@valerie98]

I once saw a post of the engineer from Doja Cat, saying that he recorded "Won’t Bite” on the 240 pro - so I believe this mic is even more underrated... they usually used THE 251 Marvin Gaye sang “What’s Goin’ On” into, so I think price tags don't mean anything these days... if you're not a snob, you can do hit records on everything!

[@tombuck]

That’s so cool to know! Fun bit of trivia for sure.

[@ItsRyukin]

the black one on the thumbnail (and at the end of the video) got a pink xlr cable. 😄 sounds “pretty” cute to me.

[@tylerbeaty]

Intersting - On my Airpods Pro 2 I preferred the 240 for the clarity, the 440 sounded boomy, BUT on my Meze 109Pro's I preferred the 440 for the density. HMMMMMMM always important to remember that microphone sound preference is SO dependant on WHAT your listening to them ON.

[@UnkoPants]

and!!!! the 440 pure has a CRAZY low noise floor. But man, that 240 SHURE would look nice on RODE's new white color way PSA1+ boom arm! lol Mahalos for the vid!!!

[@tombuck]

Ooh, that would be a good color combo!

[@techmed-rainer]

Nice blue/turquoise enjoyable video, thank you, Tom! I prefer the sound of the 440 pure. It gives voice recordings a bit more heft, and to my ears, it sounds more natural. Concerning the value proposition I'm not sure about the 240 Pro. I think there are similar sounding mics for less in the market.

[@tombuck]

Really love the 440! But I do think the new Rode NT1 gives the 240 a run for its money- although when you can find the whole shock mount/pop filter kit for the $120-ish price point then it's a killer deal 🤯

[@milesian1]

@@tombuckI got my Neat King Bee II for $119. I wonder why KZbinrs stopped talking about that mic. It's awesome.

[@GoTellJesusSaves]

Lewitt mics sound so good!

[@homestudioacademy]

Awesome review Tom! The 440 Pure and the NT1 are my favorite budget condensers for sure! Quick question: where do you get the colorful xlr cables?

[@tombuck]

They're the Rode XLR cables. I love 'em.

[@homestudioacademy]

@@tombuck thank you for sharing! 😊

[@haydenwayne637]

I bought the 240 and liked it so much I then went and bought the 440 as well.

[@topofthemorningpodcast_]

Bought the 240 pro the other week and love the sound. Had the DS2 also but returned it ☹️

[@PawFromTheBroons]

Any reason you'd return your DS2? I was eyeing it to replace my DS1.

[@topofthemorningpodcast_]

@@PawFromTheBroons I just didn’t feel it: 1: was really worth the price of $90 after using it 2: It didn’t personally give my workspace an advantage HOWEVER. It could work for you so try it and see. Don’t wanna discourage anybody from getting it

[@ROBOTRIX_eu]

..in previous tests, the Lewitt was the one sounded best on your voice, in the pole you made once.. and i like a lot hot it looks... .... ..I have or had a Marantz mic that i liked in my voice, but my son and nephews forgot where they put him once, when cleaning.. maybe one of the mics with best pre-amps, or wouldn't they be one of best amplifiers brand on music industry in Europe..They don't produce many mics, and i don't know if they are available in USA, but if you have the chance to test one, the price here in Europe, is excelent! I think it gets sholder to sholder with mics known to be in much higher class..

[@tombuck]

Interesting! I haven't heard of those before.

[@horchatakevin]

I know this might be random but what camera did you use for this video?

[@tombuck]

The Sony FX3 👍

[@prcrash]

I'm still waiting for those colored earpads to come out for everyone... I would love to buy a pair.

[@tombuck]

Seriously. I love them and I want more colors 😁

[@danav3387]

Tom, what are the advantages of this mic type vs an out of frame boom mic? I guess some philosophy of use intel would be interesting. To me the boom mic is a superior set up. Is there an advantage to this type of mic over a boom? I’ve searched to see if you have a video on this subject, maybe I’m missing it. As always thanks…

[@tombuck]

The biggest advantage is usually just overall sound quality. Having a mic close to the speaker/sound source picks up everything while de-emphasizing more of the room tone and reverb or other unwanted sounds. There are some great shotgun and pencil condenser mics out there that can pick up sound from quite a distance, but you'll still generally need to be a bit more aware of sound treatment and maybe even do a bit more editing to have everything sound it's best. Personally, for podcasts I use mics like these to get the best possible sound, but for most of my videos I stick with the Sennheiser MKH50 boomed out of frame because it still sounds fantastic and then I don't have to have a mic in the shot. I usually do need to add a slight bit of Voice Isolation in Final Cut Pro when editing, but then it can sound pretty darn close to a regular mic. 👍

[@danav3387]

@@tombuck Thank you!

[@TheDrVtachShow]

where did buy the blue cushion for your rode headset ????? I've been searching for weeks

[@tombuck]

Rode sent them a while back, and I hope it means they're going to start selling them, but I haven't heard anything. I'd love to buy more in other colors.

[@Yusaku_VCP]

My 720 quality old phone loud noise so loud from my fan, but when I use my 1080 main phone. It's so less background noise, without using my condenser mic. 😅 Just wanna share mine, lol!

[@AndreSjoberg]

I am not buying *anything* that doesn’t have AI in the product title, what is this, 2022?? When will we get microphones that just knows what we are about to say and does it for us?

[@tombuck]

I should change the title to “AI NFT Mic Comparison Elon Musk!” 😁

[@AndreSjoberg]

@@tombuck excellent, gotta make that mic pay for itself :D

[@knowyourjoe8826]

LOL@@tombuck

[@RaghuRoxx]

We have Lewitt Ray now!

[@FharishAhmedPortfolio]

I have a question, it might be basic.. I have the 2i2, and two microphones. Do I always have to unplug/lower the volume of one or the other... To use it on OBS? I have different scenes set up. I plugged in that shotgun mic, and was thinking about using that with Zoom and the Lewitt for streaming or something. Like is said, it might be something I'm not getting. Not actually an audio guy. Edit: The microphones do not show up, only the Scarlett shows up in OBS. 🤔 Probably should have started of stating that. 😅

[@FharishAhmedPortfolio]

... And, another dumb question, can somebody use multiple Scarlett DACs? 😅

[@tombuck]

You're doing everything right- the software will just see the 2i2 as a single device and can't tell how many mics are connected to it, so that means you do ned to manually adjust the volume of each mic if you're switching a lot. It's one reason why mixers are popular- it's easy to adjust/mute/solo channels on the fly, but it's still definitely possible to do it with the 2i2. As for connecting more than 1, I really don't know 😬

[@Deal_Advisor]

Please make a review on Presonus Relevator Dynamic!

[@sheep7255]

Have you tried the mic for the NTH100?

[@tombuck]

It's surprisingly capable! Prone to plosives, but really great overall. It pops up in a few of my mic comparison videos.

[@donkeyhead68]

I have both mics. The 440 is my choice. It is amzing. I love the 240 anyways....

[@tombuck]

Making this video really did help me appreciate how great the 440 sounds 👍

[@annebokma4637]

Just bought the ds2 stand. Might put a BMD micro G2 on it, small lens, prompter... Should work right? 😊

[@tombuck]

I think it depends on positioning. Could be a bit too heavy, but if the arm isn’t extended too far it could balance really nicely.

[@techmed-rainer]

Danke!

[@tombuck]

Thank you sir! Hope all is well in your world!

[@techmed-rainer]

@@tombuck I'm fine, thank you! Hope you're doing well, too!

[@uncle-english]

I've got both of them, and I have to say, having them makes me quite happy. No question about it. In my opinion, the difference could be that the LCT 440 sounds a bit more articulated, rich, and detailed. On the other hand, the LCT 240 comes up with a stronger mid-range presence. Connecting them to the RCP2 can somehow make up for the difference since we can always switch on DSP functionality like the compressor. I mainly use these two mics for recording spoken words. In this case, the higher noise level of the LCT 240 doesn't bother me at all. It's true that the LCT 440 is more sensitive to ambient noise. However, that's also why it is more capable of capturing the subtle changes in tone and volume. As a teacher, I think the 240 is very handy in online classes or podcasts. On the other hand, the 440 does a fantastic job in recording important materials like directions, presentation demos, or even listening tests.

[@MTheKing09]

Came for the content, stayed for the wordplays (even I can't stand when my father does them haha).

[@tombuck]

The painfulness is the best part 😁

[@MTheKing09]

In the few videos I've watched so far, your content is genuinely interesting and valuable though, so thanks for that! I'm looking at improving my work from home setup and it's been great. @@tombuck

[@cmd_f5]

Awesome demo and caparison. :) I bought the 240 Pro a couple days ago, it's quite nice for the price. Might spring and get the 440 Pure later. It's just a bit fuller, but also more sparkly. Can always take care of that with some EQ in post though. I'm also sad the 240 has such a high EIN compared to the 440. In my somewhat treated room it doesn't matter that much, but comparing it to my NT1 5G there's a massive difference. I'm hoping Lewitt can make a lower noise mic in the 240 Pro price bracket in the future. cheers :D

[@lolilollolilol7773]

EIN ???

[@RodPriester]

I realize you need phantom power for the Lewitt, but do you need a preamp booster like a fethead phantom?….I use a scarlett 2i2 for an interface.

[@AngloSaxon1]

I do like Lewitt microphones, but the self noise of 19db in the LCT240 is a bit much, If rode can bring out reasonably priced microphones with a self noise of only 4db why cant Lewitt?

[@danielpilver]

the Rode NT1A's self noise (according to Rode), is 5db. By comparison, the 440 PURE has a self noise of about 7db. The LCT 540S is the mic with a 4dB noise floor. Which is a Lewitt.

[@AngloSaxon1]

I realise that Lewitt do produce some of the best microphones today and on their higher priced microphones the self noise is a lot lower. But I am refering to the microphones that are on a budget level, such as the Rode signature series which goes for about $156 and has a self noise of only 4db. I do have some pro microphones as well as some a lot cheaper but the highest self noise I have ever had on a microphone is 13db and that is from a good mic, which is the sE 4400, the newest version. But I cant see why Lewitt cant produce their budget range with a much lower self noise?@@danielpilver

[@tombuck]

I honestly don't know, but like Daniel mentioned, Lewitt does have higher end mics with lower noise. They've always sounded so good to me that I never really noticed 😬

[@KaiDown]

That intro was too smooth, wordplay on wordplay on wordplay. The 440 being a little beefier and less present is what lead me towards it over the 240. Seems to suit my nasally voice better than the 240 would've.

[@tombuck]

The 440 has a really nice rich sound. I love it! And yeah...I'm probably a bit too proud of that intro 😁

[@jonathanramsey]

That and… 😊

[@MrBobbyBrown2006]

Gosh the play on words is exhausting to listen to. I know it's your thing, and not everyone can be pleased (as viewers), but I'm just so conflicted. I love the information and technical side of the channel and have been a sub since 10k, but the more time goes on the more I just can't make it through a video because of the constant play on words. This one started strong with them and I lasted 15 seconds. This is meant as constructive feedback. I'm not some troll. I've mentioned this before and you have responded kindly, and I mean no malice in my opinion. I just feel KZbin is a place for positive and negative objective feedback and it would offer value to hear both sides from viewers as a content creator. Wishing you all the best, but hoping you can walk back on the play on words in future videos and just stick to great content.

[@tombuck]

I appreciate the feedback and the longtime support! I totally get the goofy wordplay isn’t for everyone but that’s literally just how my brain works. Sometimes it cranks out more than others, but when it comes to KZbin I’ve learned that I’m happiest when I can be myself as much as possible.

[@knowyourjoe8826]

What polite statement to make regarding your viewpoint. Well done sir.

[@knowyourjoe8826]

What a nice reply to someone stating their viewpoint. @@tombuck

[@tombuck]

@@knowyourjoe8826I really appreciate how polite the critique was. Constructive feedback can always be helpful 👍

[@goactivemedia]

I like my 240 but it picks up every sound and noise all around. Even a dog barking down the street I have to quit using it and move back to a mini shotgun