Hi all,
From time to time I see a new thread of a diy-er asking for a suitable measurement mic and it usually gets to the point of whether its worth paying the extra premium for an expensive piece of equipment. I thought it might be usefull to post my comparison, perhaps others might join as well.
The pic shows a comparison between two mics: a cheap uncalibrated Superlux ECM999 in red ( afaik the same as the Behringer ECM8000, at least they look the same and internally the circuit board looks like the same ) and a more advanced Beyerdynamic MM1 in green, which was also calibrated down to 6Hz. Test conditions are the same in terms of ambient temperature and humidity, same room, same equipment ( amp is a Stage line MPA-102, the calibration has been done with the same amp ) and position of mic ( 1m ).
My own comments: Up to about 3.5Khz the cheap mic matches the more expensive one quite well in terms of power response and is usable up to 5Khz. One field where it lacks behind is distortion - mic introduces far more distortion figures than the MM1 and I remember that Stereophille tested a whole bunch of mics, quoting the MM1 to be even flatter than their reference B&K mic but with slightly higher distortion. Calibration services show many different graphs with their variety being in the 5-20Khz range, claiming every mic is different. I have not tested so many so can`t comment on this, but this one ( the ECM999 ) was pretty flat out of the box as seen on the graph.
The cheap mic has a rated max SPL of 132db at <1% THD 1Khz where the MM1 in this case is rated at 128db at 1% THD 1Khz, this matters only for near field measurements. Funilly, the cheaper mic has better performance on paper but when tested, it clipped on power levels much lower than the MM1 could do.
From time to time I see a new thread of a diy-er asking for a suitable measurement mic and it usually gets to the point of whether its worth paying the extra premium for an expensive piece of equipment. I thought it might be usefull to post my comparison, perhaps others might join as well.
The pic shows a comparison between two mics: a cheap uncalibrated Superlux ECM999 in red ( afaik the same as the Behringer ECM8000, at least they look the same and internally the circuit board looks like the same ) and a more advanced Beyerdynamic MM1 in green, which was also calibrated down to 6Hz. Test conditions are the same in terms of ambient temperature and humidity, same room, same equipment ( amp is a Stage line MPA-102, the calibration has been done with the same amp ) and position of mic ( 1m ).
My own comments: Up to about 3.5Khz the cheap mic matches the more expensive one quite well in terms of power response and is usable up to 5Khz. One field where it lacks behind is distortion - mic introduces far more distortion figures than the MM1 and I remember that Stereophille tested a whole bunch of mics, quoting the MM1 to be even flatter than their reference B&K mic but with slightly higher distortion. Calibration services show many different graphs with their variety being in the 5-20Khz range, claiming every mic is different. I have not tested so many so can`t comment on this, but this one ( the ECM999 ) was pretty flat out of the box as seen on the graph.
The cheap mic has a rated max SPL of 132db at <1% THD 1Khz where the MM1 in this case is rated at 128db at 1% THD 1Khz, this matters only for near field measurements. Funilly, the cheaper mic has better performance on paper but when tested, it clipped on power levels much lower than the MM1 could do.
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In my opinion cheap measuring mics are perfectly adequat for our intent and purposes IF they are calibrated. A driver manufacturer here tries to make people believe this wouldn't be the case. Not sure why.
Of course one has to understand how to do acoustical measurements but that's true for cheap and expensive mics alike.
Of course one has to understand how to do acoustical measurements but that's true for cheap and expensive mics alike.
If both are calibrated, their frequency response would be identical, what is the point of comparing two identical things? Only distortion would differ.
Even if I am a Christian orthodox when such data pop up I become an total atheist if there is not mentioned the class of the speakers which these measurements came from.
Or the sound card model which recorded those comparisons.
Only expensive monitor category equipment can hand over reliable numbers.
I would trust a dedicated M-Audio sound card, and Yamaha or Genelec monitor speakers, as budget reliable setup for benchmarks, but nothing less.
Or the sound card model which recorded those comparisons.
Only expensive monitor category equipment can hand over reliable numbers.
I would trust a dedicated M-Audio sound card, and Yamaha or Genelec monitor speakers, as budget reliable setup for benchmarks, but nothing less.
When talking about comparing calibration mics, one first needs to read the Earthworks paper. In the home theater forums we sometimes see people doing incorrect DIY calibrations.
"How Earthworks Measures Microphones"
How to measure microphones and the implications relating to measuring loudspeakers.
http://www.earthworksaudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/how-earthworks-measures-mics.pdf
"How Earthworks Measures Microphones"
How to measure microphones and the implications relating to measuring loudspeakers.
http://www.earthworksaudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/how-earthworks-measures-mics.pdf
Hi Mario,
please take a look at this: https://www.hifi-selbstbau.de/grund...0-1000-mikrofonkalibrierungen-eine-uebersicht
Regards
Heinrich
please take a look at this: https://www.hifi-selbstbau.de/grund...0-1000-mikrofonkalibrierungen-eine-uebersicht
Regards
Heinrich
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As long as the speaker and sound card is the same in both measurements it does not matter.
Yes your opinion makes happy the ones who like to do effortless testing, its not a crime, but those test data should always stay in the four walls of you home and not be shared even by Internet.
It about comparing the frequency response of various measuring mics in a relative way.
The frequency response of the mics themselves are not measured.
As long as there's only 1 difference between the measurements, in these cases the measuring mics, you can compare the results.
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