Sontronics Solo vs Sennheiser e935

TJT1979

A while back I asked a few questions regarding the Sontronics Solo microphone, and got no replies at all. It's not a well-known brand so this wasn't surprising. I've now owned a Solo for about a year, and about 6 months ago I also got a Sennheiser e935. Here is a few notes on how I think they compare to each other. There is no 'winner' - as always with vocal mics, it all depends on your voice, the sound system and monitor setup etc.

Sound:

My first impression when A/B-ing them was how similar they sound. With time, as always, the differences become more clear. These are both 'modern' sounding microphones. Comparing to an SM58, they both have quite a lot more gain, which means turning down a bit at the mixer to get the same output level. They are both much clearer and cleaner sounding than the Shure, particularly in the high-end, which is where we tend to associate with definition. The SM58 sounds a bit dead and muffled in comparison.

The Solo has noticeably more gain than the e935. Not a huge difference but to get the same output level it requires a small tweak at the mixer. Although they both sound open and clear, there are some EQ differences between them. I'd say the Solo is slightly scooped. It definitely has more in the low end (I'll talk about proximity effect later), and perhaps a touch more in the highs. It's not lacking in the mids necessarily, they are just a little further back than the lows and highs. The Sennheiser is, to my ear, a little flatter. Definitely less in the lows but perhaps more accurate to the source. There appears to be a bit more in the mids, and also a different texture here. 

On my voice through our really crappy passive monitors, the Solo sounded a tiny bit better, because the extra low end added body to an otherwise boxy sound. We've just bought a couple of active monitors which sound MUCH better so far, and I suspect the flatter EQ of the e935 will sound much better now than it did before. I haven't A/B'd them in a band setting with the new monitors yet, as we're on 'pause' for a while until the Coronavirus situation gets under control.

Both these mics are excellent in terms of sound - as always, it's a case of which one works better with your voice.

Polar pattern/feedback:

The Solo is Supercardioid, whereas the e935 is Cardioid. This is a great example of these terms being far less black and white than people realise. The Sennheiser is more resistant to feedback than the Solo, in every situation I've tried. Obviously the orientation of the microphone in relation to the monitors should be changed when switching between Cardioid and Supercardioid, but even taking that into account, the e935 is a little better in this regard. I should clarify that the Solo is still very good in this sense, and if there is feedback, a notch on the board is always enough to get rid of the issue.

The e935 picks up a tiny bit more from the sides but for a cardioid mic, it's extremely tight. MUCH tighter than an SM58 for example. There is a noticeable lobe behind the Solo, but it's quiet and only seems to get certain frequencies.

What is interesting is that, singing on-axis but varying the distance to the mic, the Solo gives you a bit more freedom to back off but still have a healthy signal. The Sennheiser is tighter on-axis - it quickly sounds a bit thin, and there is a point where it just drops off quite quickly. Which is best depends on your needs.

The proximity effect on the Solo is stronger than the e935, as you'd expect. It can get a little boomy if you're right on the grille (but, as noted above, sounds stronger and fuller as you back off than the e935 does).

Plosives & sibilance are very similar in both. Perhaps the e935 is a tiny bit better on both of these, but it's negligible.

TJT1979

Using them handheld:

I play guitar so I never hold a mic in my hand. Other than a few mins playing around I don't have any real experience using them handheld. The Sennheiser is definitely better in terms of handling noise. Both are pretty good, but the e935 is the clear winner here. The Solo is much thicker in the body, and I'd say possibly more comfortable to hold for a whole show, but as I've never done that take this with a pinch of salt. The anodised finish on the Solo is slightly more slippery-feeling than the powdercoated e935, but I can't imagine this making much difference.

Build quality:

Excellent! Both are really well made, high quality mics. The Solo is CNC machined out of a solid billet of aluminium, and anodised. The e935 is also aluminium but moulded I would imagine. They are both heavy - the e935 feels a touch heavier in the hand but almost exactly the same. Both much heavier than an SM58.

I can't see myself ever having an issue with either of these mics, but Sontronics offers a lifetime guarantee, whilst Sennheiser's is 10 years.

Accessories:

Both came with a soft pouch and a clip. The Sontronics pouch is really nice. Tough faux-leather. The Sennheiser pouch is much cheaper feeling - more flimsy and softer padding.

The clip on the Sennheiser is fine - nice and springy and grippy. It does the job and won't fail. The Sontronics clip, unfortunately, did fail. The last year we've had very few live gigs so it's been sat on the stand in our practise space without being taken in & out much. The clip I got is ABS plastic and very rigid - not flexible at all. The fatigue of holding the mic tight eventually caused a crack along the bottom, and the clip no longer grips the mic. I emailed Sontronics yesterday, and they got back to me immediately, saying around the time of my purchase they had a bad batch of clips with brittle plastic - most were caught or recalled but a few got through. They have sent me a new clip and assure me that the new one will not have the same problem. 

The customer service at Sontronics is second-to-none - I've emailed them a couple of times now, and got replies from the owner and then (I assume) his wife. If I were to have an issue, I have no doubt Sontronics would make things right immediately. 

I trust the new clip which is on the way will be fine, but there is an issue with the Solo... having such a thick body, if you do break/lose a clip then not many generic clips will fit it. I was lucky enough to have one floating round which fits perfectly, but most will not fit the Solo.

Conclusion:

Both are excellent mics, which will last a lifetime if you look after them. To my ears they both sound way better then an SM58 on every voice I've tried so far. I prefer the Solo for it's more forgiving response as I back off on-axis. Both sound excellent, although is slightly different. With my new (much better) monitors, the e935 sounds a little more natural, with the Solo sounding slightly scooped in comparison. Which is better for me? I don't know yet - it will depend on me using them with the noisy band, though my new monitor (not going to happen for a while!). I have a feeling the e935 might be the one I use myself, but we'll see.

These are both fantastic mics, and I would be happy with either one as a live mic. They are both, to my ears, much clearer sounding than the SM58, which helps me sing better (by highlighting how badly I'm singing!).

TJT1979

Update, just in case anybody ever reads this:

Roughly a year later, I was using the e935 for most of that time and it's a great mic.

However, for soft, breathy pretty low baritone parts I found it lacking authority a little.... on a whim I tried the Solo again and boom! Big, deep, warm sounding. I'll be sticking to the Solo from now on. (I'd like to try a Lewitt MTP 550 and a Beyer M88 but not sure when that will happen!

The e935 is definitely better on plosives and handling noise, but I find the Solo with a foam windscreen sounds bigger and clearer ON MY VOICE.

On the other singer in the band they both sounded equally good. I would venture that the e935 might work better on a wider variety of voices, but not positive on that yet.

Cirrus

Thanks for taking the time to write that up, I've been curious about the Solo for a while.

TJT1979

I really like the Solo. But with the caveats of not using it handheld and using a foam windshield to get rid of the plosives. You need to be more aware of mic technique and sing from a certain distance to avoid boominess but once you’ve got that down I really like it. 

TJT1979

Also note that I have a fairly deep voice. With a higher/lighter voice tone it might also work well but I can't say! I find that most mics roll off too much bottom end which can remove some of the weight/authority when I sing.

Clitheroekid1001

I haven't owned either of these mics but Sontronics are great company. I have a a STC3 which is great. Easily the best but not the priciest condenser I own. Thanks for the detailed and on going review. So often the new toy is great until it isn't!