Updates
- 11/1/18.
- 1/26/21. Article/link cleanup.
1,074-word post, approx. 2-3 min. read
Let’s start with a quick chart!
Comparison Chart
Hello there friend and Welcome aboard!!
Before we dive into the Sennheiser e945 vs. e935, grab a snack, sit back and relax because…
You’ve come to the right place!!
What I will bring you in this review
Today I will outline the Sennheiser e945 and then compare it with the 935 towards the end. 🙂
- Ratings/Price
- Specifications
- Summary
- Pros
- Cons
- Video Review
- Who this mic benefits?
- What you will need?
- Thoughts from Stu’s Notepad
- Consensus/Conclusion
- Similarities & Differences
- Final Word
Now without further ado, let’s get rolling!!
Sennheiser e945
Ratings/Price
Check Amazon! | Check Sweetwater! | Check B&H! | Check eBay!
Specifications
- Microphone Type: Dynamic. Condenser mic vs. Dynamic mic.
- Polar Pattern: Supercardioid.
- Frequency Response: 40Hz – 18kHz
- Output Impedance: 350 Ohms
- Color: Black
- Connector: XLR. What is XLR?
- Weight: 0.73 lbs.
Summary
Like the e835 and e935, this puppy continues the tradition of cutting through the mix, but also bringing out warmth in your voice. It’s very noticeable when singing soft, breathy parts. You will be blown away by the clarity and detail that gets revealed.
A big advantage of the 945 is that it does nicely with feedback rejection. This was a common praise in reviews.
Pros
- Crisp, with nice clarity, definition, and warmth and richness like Richie Rich.
- Heavy and durable. Built like a tank. Will survive drops.
- Clean through the mid-range and treble.
- Cuts through the mix very well, and accentuates the high end beautifully.
- Will reveal more nuance and subtlety in your voice.
- High gain before feedback.
Cons
- Mic clip a bit cheap.
- No On/Off switch.
- A bit piercing at times. Use a pop-filter/windscreen, EQ it out, or a de-esser works well too.
Video Review
Who this mic benefits?
- Vocals and live vocals.
- Church/worship music.
- Female voices, including High soprano, as well as Mezzo-Soprano and Alto.
- Baritone/Tenor voices for males.
- Home theater/Karaoke.
- Live vocals/recordings.
- Screamers and Growlers.
- Classic rock. Cuts through wonderfully.
- Grungy rock (Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Audioslave, Guns ‘n Roses, Whitesnake).
- Lounge acts.
- Metalcore.
- Acoustic rock.
- Recommended pairing them with 3-way speakers.
- Country
- Rock ‘n Roll.
- News events/production.
Not as good for:
- Guitars
What you will need?
If you’re in the studio, you won’t need 48v phantom power, but you can still use your Audio interface or mixer to power this mic. Just make sure that the 48v phantom power switch is OFF. What does an audio interface do?
You will also need:
- Pop-filter or windscreen
- Shock-mount (optional)
- Mic stand
- Acoustic Sound Treatment never hurt! I mostly recommend treatment for Condenser mics, as they pick up a lot more. However, it’s still good to have it regardless. Dynamic mics tend to reject noise better, but another option is a channel strip. These are very hands-on and intuitive, and you can edit your vocals in real-time. A good example of one is the DBX 286s.
Thoughts from Stu’s Notepad
- Because the e945 is super-cardioid, it will cut a lot of background noise and reduce feedback, even more so than a regular cardioid dynamic microphone. Condenser mic vs. Dynamic mic.
- The mic is very directional and works best when you’re really close to it and straight on.
- You won’t have to turn the gain up very high with this one, which is nice if you’ve come from Condenser microphones that sometimes need that extra boost.
- You may have a problem with plosives, but a de-esser works wonders and the issue is an extremely minor one.
- A funny but sort of tragic story I read on Musicians friend was a guy that said his motor home went up in flames and $34,000 worth of gear was completely destroyed. But what survived you ask? 4 of these e945s in a paper box. WOW. Enough said.
Consensus/Conclusion
Cuts through the mix phenomenally. Built like a tank. Great feedback rejection. No On/Off switch. Plosives may present a slight issue, and you should be right in front of it for best results, but overall this microphone is top-notch.
Similarities & Differences
Similarities
- Both are dynamic microphones.
- Both lack an On/Off switch.
- Both look nearly identical.
Differences
- The e945 may be cleaner through the mid-range and treble than the e935.
- The e945 has more headroom than the e935.
- The e945 has less feedback than the e935.
- The e945 has more clarity than the e935.* This is because it rejects background noise better.
- The e945 has a better mid-range than the e935.
- The e945 has crisper highs than the e935.
- The e945 has a better low end than the e935.
- The e935 is cardioid while the e945 is super-cardioid. What is a Cardioid capsule? This basically means that the e945 has a smaller, more restrictive area that you can effectively sing into. The upside is that it rejects sound from the sides better, but the downside is that you have to be pretty much directly in front of it to get the best sound. The e935 on the other hand has a bit less of a restrictive area that it will pick up sound, but the trade-off is that it will pick up more sound from the left and right.
- The 945 is a little more expensive.
- The e945 is more resistant to feedback.
Final Word
The e945 is a bit better in every aspect than the e935. If you’ve got any of the above voice types and need a mic that delivers with the mentioned genres and vocal types, or if you’re a female, the 945 is the mic for you. I would say that they both do very well with the same types of applications and voices, but the 945 is a little better overall.
SEE IT FOR YOURSELF ON AMAZON!!
If you’re more prone to singing off-axis, the e935 will probably fare better for you, as it’s a bit more forgiving. So if you’re a live vocalist who moves around a lot, the e935 is your boy.
SEE IT FOR YOURSELF ON AMAZON!!
Well, that’s about it for today my friend! I hope you’ve enjoyed this Sennheiser e945 vs. e935 comparison.
Questions? Comments? Requests? Did I miss the mark on something? Looking for something else? Please let me know down below or Contact me!!
Which one of these tickles YOUR pickle? I would love to hear from you. Until next time…
All the best and God bless,
-Stu
Be sure to check out my Reviews and Resources page for more helpful and informative articles!
6 comments
Great review!
I would agree with most of things here. I tried both E935 and E945.
Both are great, but I like the sound of E945 a bit better as well.
E935:
– bigger sweetspot ( this is great when you get carried on while singing soul music – you cannot miss!)
-sounds more natural
-does not picks so much deep bass
-favors when monitor is directly in front of singer
E945:
-sounds more refined and round, has a smooth bass response.
-smaller sweetspot (I do not like this….I can get pretty wild on stage 😀 I like to feel free when I am singing)
-favors the side placement of monitors. This is good. I actually prefer it that way.
If I were a girl I would go with E945 every time.
But as a baritone soul vocal powerhouse I must say that E935 is sometimes better – gives you more freedom in singing because of big sweet spot. And I do not need additional bass response of E945 as my voice is full and powerful as it is.
Thanks man! This is extremely valuable information for people so I very much appreciate you giving your thoughts. Should really help steer people in the right direction. What type of music do you sing?
Thanks for the review (and reaction)! The part about the sweetspot is valuable. Something not all reviews cover.
Thanks Joost! Let me know if you ever need help in the future with anything.
amazon is selling the e945 for $99. buyer beware that it’s probably a counterfeit. there is no way you can get this mic, brand new, for $99. i’ve seen the fake e945’s. it is possible to tell them apart if you know what to look for. check youtube. btw, i own both and the e945 does sound better.
Thanks for the tip, Todd! How can you tell them apart?