Sennheiser Pro Audio Sennheiser Pro Audio Wireless Microphone System, Black (MKE600)

The quality of this mic matches other mics in the $800-$1000 range. If you need a truly professional mic and cannot afford to go above this price point then this is the one to get. This is also the only battery powered mic I would consider. The Rode NTG2 sounds weak on AA power and you will notice a decrease in input volume on the Rode. The MKE-600 will still sound punchy and cut through on AA power and one battery provides 150 hours of operational time. I find the MKE-600 mixes well in post production with other common on-set production mics from DPA, Schoeps, Audio Technica. Of course the next level up MKH-416 is more than double the price and has also has a characteristic with a big bump on the high end frequencies which this mic will not capture, but that is unique the 416 over other almost all other Shotgun mics. If I had to compare, the MKE-600 sounds closest to a DPA 2017 which is a $999 mic. You can't go wrong with the MKE 600 and its versatile, nimble, quality capabilities as both an on-camera mic or boom mic.

I liked this shot gun mic! It is very solid and feels professional indeed (an entry level, but very, very respectable). I actually was interested in a less expensive shotgun mic at first, but ended up getting Sennheiser MKE 600 and Sony PCM M10 portable recorder. I was able to compare Sennheiser with several other microphones side by side when keeping the gain constant, and I used 2 different recording devices - Sony recorder and Nikon digital camera. Please check my video review on YouTube to listen to Sennheiser MKE 600 mic in comparison with some other mics (Please search for "Microphones compared: Sennheiser MKE 600, Bronstein BRN-900, BRN-400, Sony PCM M10, Nikon D7000" on YouTube or follow the link in the comment below for this review). This test was designed to compare the ability of the microphones to record a distant (or quiet) misic. I intentionally placed the mics fairly far amd compensated by increasing the gain on the Sony recorder, so the noise level relative to signal is higher compared to when speaking directly to mics. Of these microphones, I liked PCM M10 onboard omnidirectional stereo mics for the high sensitivity, very low self noise and fuller, crisper sound (but it records every ambient noise), and I also liked the MKE 600 shotgun that can help isolate the sound that is natural, loud enough and has a relatively low background hiss. I used this Sennheiser mic with both 48V phantom power from a Mackie mixer and 2 AA batteries (required an XLR to 3.5mm adaptor). The performance was comparable (it is supposed to be slightly better with phantom power, according to the specs). It is a real boon to use AA batteries for such a mic, as I can use it with my Sony recorder or plug directly into digital camera. In addition, the mic comes with a nice pouch. Good job Sennheiser! The microphones I was comparing are not in the same price price category, of course, so it may be not a fair comparison. But I was wondering if cheaper mics will do just fine for my purpose or I need a more expensive one. I initially purchased a relatively cheap mic (BRN-200), but ended up returning it, and then I got a Sony personal recorder and also tried more expensive shotgun mics to supress back/side noises and pickup more distant, fainter sounds from the target source. At the time of each purchase (January-March 2014), Sennheiser was sold at Amazon for $330, Sony PCM M10 for $210, BRN-400 for $130, BRN-900 for $70 and BRN-200 for $50. The price for BRN-400 recently dropped nearly 25%, and the price for Sony increased. Although the more expensive microphones (Sennheiser and Sony) performed much better recording low volume sounds, if you would place any of these, even cheaper mics very close to the source and also optimze the gain on the recording device, the quality of captured sound will likely improve. I personally liked PCM M10 onboard omnidirectional stereo mics for the high sensitivity, very low self noise and fuller, crisper sound, and, of course, I also enjoed the MKE 600 shotgun mic. I think the low frequencies, especially for voice recording, appear to be more faithfully rerpoduced by Sennheiser, compared to Sony recorder, so the voice from MKE 600 sounds a little fuller. But the sound is a little crisper when recorded with Sony recorder without a shotgun mic.

UPDATE 2 - September 2020 - MKE 600 vs. MKH 416 I recently received a new Sennheiser MKH 416 for my VO projects and can now directly compare the two microphones. In my opinion, the MKE 600 is still the better microphone for voiceover despite the long and storied history of the 416. The 600 just has a smoother overall tone, particularly on the highs. The 416 has a "big" sound but can easily become quite boomy and sibilant. The 600 does not have this problem thanks to a more forgiving EQ curve. For most VO talent, I would recommend the MKE 600 over the 416, unless you have a client or studio that specifically requires a 416. The battery option on the 600 also means that I can use it as a travel microphone or for quick auditions and reads away from the studio. UPDATE 1 - November 2017 I've now used my MKE 600 to record hundreds of voiceover jobs for several well-known American brands. This mic has performed superbly through all of it. I no longer use the high-pass filter but instead speak at an angle into the mic; this controls plosives while also yielding a fuller sound. The MKE 600 will continue to be my go-to voiceover microphone for the foreseeable future. ORIGINAL REVIEW I purchased this microphone for voiceovers. I have not found any reviews online of the MKE 600 for voiceover purposes, but I figured I would give it a try since its big brother, the MKH 416, is a voiceover industry mainstay. After recording about a dozen demos with the MKE 600, I can say it's by far the best microphone I have ever used for spoken word. The pickup pattern is very tight -- much more focused than I thought it would be since this is a shorter shotgun mic. Off-axis noise rejection is very good. I personally find the frequency response of the MKE 600 to be outstanding. My voice is deep and boomy; and the high-pass filter works great to roll off that boominess. The high frequency boost is also in a different place than is found on most condenser mics. This one boosts around 7 kHz instead of 10 kHz which gives the mic a smoother sound with greater presence. For anyone looking for a great voiceover mic, particularly those who might not be working in a fully treated space, get this MKE 600.

The product arrived as expected and on time. no assembly needed. The clarity of this mic is amazing. I would highly recommend it for those who maybe interested in purchasing this product. I’m so happy with this product. 😊

Great shotgun mic. Excellent for off-camera video recording as well as studio audio recording of stringed guitar.

I'll start by saying, there is a lot to like about this shotgun mic. It has exceptional build quality (all metal), great sound, and is probably one of the most versatile mics on offer. You can use it directly plugged in to an audio recorder, interface, camera, or even something like a Rode Wireless Go II (which acts like a wireless recorder). It needs phantom power but takes a AA battery for when you are on the go. It has a very directional pickup pattern and can be used for dialogue, VO, and to create sound effects. The self noise is very low, and the reliability of Sennheiser is second to none (they are the sister company of Neumann). Honestly, I don't see a reason to move up to the more expensive (industry standard) MKH 416. This will get you 95% of the way there and adds versatility via 1 AA battery. I would absolutely recommend this as mainly a dialogue mic (for outdoors) but can absolutely be dubbed the jack of all trades (master of some).

Using this mic primarily with a Sony a6400. Wanted to upgrade my sound and I use my camera in a variety of settings from video shoots, to live streaming, to online lessons. I wanted to really get better audio especially while speaking and for the price this really delivers. Not a fan of the included shockmount and ended purchasing a cheap $10 mount from amazon for using with mic stands (i am a musician have a ton of these around the house). The capability of running off of phantom or battery power is real handy along with the xlr output. While a bit cumbersome to use with my a6400 (because i need to use a cable adapter) this a small trade off for the quality of audio this thing puts out. Plus my eventual goal is to upgrade to a camcorder with professional xlr inputs and also will eventually add an external audio recorder to my setup. The xlr output of the MKE600 ensures that this mic will be in rotation for many years as my rig changes. I mostly use this mic indoors, in a nontreated room that is quite reverberant (which is not ideal) but the audio is always high quality and useable. Outdoors just as great (can't wait to get a blimp for this mic!). Great when mounted overhead and captures dialogue nicely, i find it to be quite forgiving for such a directional mic. If you are looking at other mics in this price range I would highly recommend this one!

Very good build quality and the sound is great. It’s quite expensive, but honestly it’s worth the money for the performance you get. The only downside: it eats battery very fast for a mic like this. If the battery life were better, it would be perfect.