AKG Pro Audio D5 WL1 Professional Dynamic Microphone Head

Very nice and professional sound Mic.. I love it !!!

This is my favorite mic for live settings. Especially very rough, dynamic singers. In especially rough situations, the grill will pop off. I have mine taped on. But even then, after years of the diaphragm getting exposed, it works great. Had it for many years, used and abused it for maybe a thousand shows.

I already own an AKG D3800 which was discontinued years ago but is my absolute can't-live-without microphone. I bring the D3800 with me everywhere I go when singing with other people. So, when I started looking for additional mics for other people who sing with me, I wanted to find "affordable" mics that had the best sound quality. I wanted to find a mic that I would use myself if I didn't have my D3800.The MAIN thing that matters to me is microphone sensitivity and quality/tone of vocals. It can be hard to compete with all the other instruments (especially during practices and with guitar players with amps), so the microphone MUST be able to pick up my voice without me having to scream to be heard.This AKG D5 does the job and is absolutely the best for this price range. It's *almost* as good as my D3800 (which cost more than twice as much).I compared the AKG D5 to the Sennheiser e835. The AKG D5 is louder and has more high end.And as far as comparing to the Shure SM58... I can't stand the Shure SM58. Why do people keep buying those?? They're horrible for vocalists. They don't pick up the sound as well, and they're muddy, in my humble opinion. The Sennheiser e935 is slightly better than this AKG D5, but it's also a lot more expensive.I'm so happy with this AKG D5 that I'm going to buy more of them to have on hand for the other vocalists who practice with me. I definitely recommend this microphone. Happy singing!

Decent build quality, looks and feels solid. That said, it is made in China. Through the D5's life there were made in Austria variants, Austrian with parts from Poland, and now this Chinese one. For less than $70 that's ok, but only time will tell on dirability. Sound wise they sound like the older D5's, and it really is a nice mic in the realm of the Shure Beta or Senn 945. This is used exclusively on guitar amps, and the frequence range and voicing work well.

I've been using this microphone for over 3 years ever since I bought it during a flash sale on Amazon. It's hard to go wrong with a dynamic microphone these days. Out of the box, this microphone sounds great for my voice which is I think in the baritone range, but whether or not this mic will be fitting for your voice will have to be determined by you. How you like the sound is all just preference. I've been using it with a Behringer UMC204HD audio interface and it just works. I do tend to talk very close to the mic which causes it to sound a bit boomy, so I do cut off some of the low and high end frequencies with an EQ, but that's nothing out of the ordinary. It's solidly built with an all-metal construction and looks sleek in all black with the gray ring accent over the capsule grill.

I bought this mic as an additional option to the other $100 category vocal mics that I own. Namely, the Shure Beta 58 and Audix OM-2, which are also very popular vocal mics. In comparison, this mic falls in between these two. The Shure Beta 58 is the hottest of the three and has the most pronounced high mid frequencies. This also makes it more prone to feedback. The OM-2 is a very smooth and even sounding mic. More high end sizzle than the 58 and more lows as well, but less mids. So this is where the D5 fits in the mix. It has the same lows and highs as the OM-2, but just a little more high mid presence. Not as much as the 58. So in order: Audix OM2 - Very smooth/even response. AKG D5 - Smooth/ even repsonse and Shure Beta 58 - pronounced high mids. The Shure has the least amount of handling noise, while the others are a little louder but not too bad. The next mic I want to add to my arsenal is the Blue Encore 100, which I've heard is also very good. You can't go too wrong with any of these four mics, but if you are looking for subtle differences to accomodate different vocalists, hopefully this review can help you. For the price, it's worth a try.

I don't currently have the industry standard Shure SM58 to compare it to, but on it's own, it sounds great to me. Having had experience with Shure and others in this price range I can say that this mic is exceptional. I did compare it to the other decent mics that I do have on hand (just above the bargain basement) such as EV 737, Sennheiser E840, Audix OM3. The D5 presents a nice mix of power, clarity, warmth and feedback resistance. In a band situation, it helps serve with the reality of plugging into a small PA where I do not have control over the settings. The D5 helps me stand out just enough over the other mics generally being used, all of which are set more by eye than ear and kind of squashed down to a barely adequate volume and eq. If I plug in the others, then the AKG, I feel like I gianed a little more headroom and dynamic range over the others, which I would mean to say is a ringing real world endorsment

A great mic for vocalists.. Especially powerful vocal performers... The D5 has a excellent SPL (Sound Pressure Level) of 149 dB at 1% THD and 152 dB at 3% THD.. no one is ever going to output that kind of vocal pressure but it means that you can sing real close to the mic .. 1 to 2 inches etc.. and have no distortion singing powerful notes.. Great tone and cuts out any side noise.. Rugged tough build on the D5, solid mesh grille this thing is built to last.. Has DUAL shock absorbers inside eliminate handling noise.. and the AKG Varimotion Diaphragm..which ensure natural vocal tones.. Cuts through the mix everytime.. use it wisely and you have a fantastic mic .. Very clear ..I like it anyway and I sing very strong notes and all styles from Hard rock, blues, country, pop, power ballads and down to soft tones and styles.. so it does a good job on dynamics.