2.12.2016

Excellent mic that I bought after seeing a few video reviews of it online. It came down in an Amazon deal, I made a quick decision, and I feel it paid off.The first obvious thing is that there is a nice transparency to the sound the mic picks up, it feels very natural, and if the mic is far enough away there's a moderate but limited sense of the room ambience in the sound, which makes it pretty consistent. I normally use condenser mics (Audio Technica ATM-11 and AT-2020) and a PZM, but wanted a dynamic to mic up my guitar amps, for some vocals, and also for portable recordings I make in different spaces when I'm travelling.The stated frequency response, 70hz-20khz, suits my purposes for vocals,and guitar amps, but the roll-off in the bass above 70hz definitely changes the character of the bottom end if you're mic-ing up a bass part. If you were using a 5+ string bass this definitely wouldn't be the go-to mic (but then again you'd be DI-ing the bass anyway).The supercardioid pattern effect is really obvious, with a marked dropoff if you move off axis, so for bvox you'd be quite cosy with your co-singer if you both wanted to be heard, and "three's a crowd" - a third vocalist would be a bit of a tight fit and probably wouldn't be feasible, it really is that focussed. The upside is that you can use this to advantage once you get the feel for how it picks up off-axis sounds, and it works quite well at limiting the room ambience to what comes off the wall behind you. For my condenser mics I use a portable vocal booth, and while the D5 isn't that isolating, it is a decent compromise. It also seems to have a very low level of handling noise, less of an issue in my workspaces, but noticeably good for such a budget mic.The thing I have a love-hate feeling about is the almost complete absence of a proximity effect. Most of the time I love it, especially if mic-ing up amps, since I get a lot of leeway in mic placement (always bearing in mind the supercardioid directionality it has). Now and then, though, I'd like to just lean in when singing and get a bass lift, and it doesn't seem to happen. If you're used to the Shure SM58 line, you'll know how that can be quite effective when it's necessary, so for some people that may be a deal-breaker. Since I have a fairly light and airy voice this usually isn't important (in fact this mic "likes" my voice!), but the lack of proximity effect means that I don't have that extra artificial reach into the low end when I could really use it. The SM58 gives my voice an option that it doesn't have naturally. Then again, if the D5 was a close-up kind of mic it probably wouldn't have the pop-shield design it has, and go rounded instead.All that said, though, at the price it is a stellar mic, nice and solid, and professionally turned out. Its main physical shortcoming is the lack of an on/off switch, for which you need the D5S instead, but for home/project studio and location work it is less of a problem than for stage because you have other muting options.

25.8.2020

I didn't buy this from Amazon, but thought I'd share my thoughts here for the wider audience.I've always enjoyed singing (totally amateur) and have dabbled in musical theatre and d&b MCing amongst other things over the years. I've recently started mixing hard dance music (should have started 15 years ago really), learning keyboard and music theory, and messing about with a DAW, programming drums and the like. Lockdown cliche or what? For some reason a microphone was late in the list of stuff I've bought but it's had a lot of use since purchase.I nearly ended up with a Shure SM58 as it appears to be the industry standard, but I have absolutely ZERO regrets with choosing this instead. The price,sound quality, apparent build quality, and the supercardioid pattern in reviews were what swung it for me. The only criticisms of this appeared to be from people far beyond my experience and skill level, and they seemed to come across as either fussy, or simply expressing personal preference. At just over half the price of the SM58, I thought this was worth a punt.Being new to this, I have no idea how carefully these need to be handled but had read reports of the D5 being thrown across stage by a small child, surviving the experience apparently unscathed. Being a father of rather rowdy one year old and four year old children, and me often doing 'music stuff' after a glass of wine or six, sturdy sounded good. This thing is built like a tank. I can't guarantee the innards would survive, but the hardness of the mesh used in the windshield is certainly confidence-inspiring. Why any manufacturer wouldn't harden theirs is beyond me, but it suggests a well thought-through design here. The body itself is substantial, but not overly heavy to my mind. You could properly do someone an injury with this though; think Nokia 3210 substantial, if you're old enough. I am very impressed with AKG kit based on this microphone, and would not hesitate to consider their products again.Onto the crucial purpose, the sound. After some teething troubles down to a complete lack of experience (i.e. dynamic mics more for performance than studio), I've got levels I'm happy with, and the sound is amazing, quite frankly. Using this with a 6m Stagg XLR cable into a Behringer UMC22, in Ardour and Audacity on Ubuntu Studio, incidentally. I don't know whether this is common or not, but I actually sound like I think I do when I record with it. I can belt it out into this and it records great. When I think I'm a bit wonky, I am. My four year old can weakly sing his songs into this with the gain turned up, and they come out equally accurate with minimal background noise. I have actually tried to get it to feedback, but as of yet have completely failed. The SM58 may well have provided an equivalent experience, but I really don't care as I have this one for less cash.Upshot: it sounds great, will likely survive family life, and seems incredibly difficult to use incorrectly. Bombproof and idiot-proof.

9.6.2013

I've recently received my new AKG D5 microphone from a different supplier and am extremely satisfied with it. I found it reproduces the lower harmonics of my baritone voice excellently, which helps maintain the roaring power when recording and performing rock vocals in the range of Bruce Springsteen and Joe Cocker. In actual fact I find that not only this D5, but also the Behringer XM8500 (which is almost half the price of a D5 and quarter that of a Shure SM58) reproduces my voice and its lower harmonics far better than condenser mics such as Behringer B-1 and the very highly rated (and much more expensive) Audio Technica AT2035.It's widely accepted now that the Behringer XM8500 is equal,

19.12.2017

I bought this because I'm a nerd. I didn't want to just make it easy/lazy, and go with the what's popular, the Shure SM58.What I like about this mic? Well, it's brighter and more accurate than my ATR 2100 IMO, which is exactly the reason I bought it.You pretty much don't really need an extra windscreen or pop filter with this mic. It's actually a challenge to make it pop.What I don't like about this mic. It has a permanent 100 hz high pass filter enabled, that I didn't realize when I ordered it. When I attempted to cancel the order, it was too late, even though the product hadn't even shipped. Which for those of you reading, if you don't already know this, don't ever bother paying for expedited shipping.

3.7.2012

Excellent Mic, I made the switch from Shure SM58 two years ago having used one at a larger gig with a hired PA company. It made my voice sound warmer, more rounded! The sound engineer had an SM58 set up for me originally, but my voice sounded a bit nasal & Honky? He changed the mic to an AKG D5 and the difference was amazing, so much so that I went out the next day & bought one. I play with a number of Bands, mainly playing drums & singing backing vocals, I found an immediate difference when we used our own PA. The only Problem was I was getting a lot of spill from the kit especially when I moved the mic away for numbers I did not sing on. So the ideal solution was to get a D5 with a switch!

9.9.2017

If you can sing, this is the best mic for you. But if you are not pitch perfect, there is no room to hide. I researched mics for jazz singers and this one came up on the geek forums as being suitable for quieter gigs, say folk, accoustic etc. My background is opera and jazz, I have a strong, clear voice and this mic reproduces my voice insanely well. It also masks background sound. Promoting the singer. It really gives you the best possible chance of carrying off a song. You will instinctively hear and feel the difference between this and say the SM58. (There is no way I will sing through a muddy mike again.) For lower notes, just get your lips to it, and for more power, stay a few inches away,

19.1.2021

Only had a chance to use it in the house thus far for spoken word, with hopes that I’ll be able to use it Live for singing soon. Very well built, robust microphone that equals anything I’ve used before. I own and normally use a Rode M2, but was looking for a dynamic to give options. Sold my Rode M1 a few months back and then bought some of the T-Bone Beta mics, which were ok but still lacking. Then I bought a Tourtech vm50 from guitarguitar for £10 after watching an Andertons review on YouTube and having used it once Live (at a Christmas event) it was actually really quite impressive.But, having had an eye on the d5 for a number of years, I can honestly say that I’m somewhat frustrated that I didn’t opt for it years ago,

4.11.2011

Like some other users here, we run strictly acoustic events where artists demand accuracy and an extremely clean, natural sound. We run everything through an Allen & Heath desk and a dual Fishman SA-220 line-array based system. We also have to work with instruments that can be challenging to mic well, and where feedback can be a real issue. On all counts the D5 satisfies. It really does have amazingly good rejection of off-axis sources, and sounds much more 'condenser-like' than a typical dynamic vocal mic. I say "vocal" mic, because although it is indeed superb for vocals, we also find it knocks the spots off several well-known and very respected instrument mics! Great on fiddle, mandolin,

2.5.2012

This Mic does beat the industry standard and by a fair margin. First the sound, it is much clearer and more articulate than the Shure. Feedback is reduced and so is handling noise. It seems to be extremely well built but I've only had it two years. I'd endorse the comment about it having a condenser like quality to the sound, it has an airiness about it and vocals sound much more natural. The proximity effect (bass boost when you get up close) is reduced too.We had an enforced A to B comparison when mixing for a female vocalist when her SM58 started to play up (actually the lead, to be fair the Shures are reliable) We swapped for my D5. Once we had turned down (the AKG is much higher output)

28.4.2014

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.

12.9.2017

I've been using Shure SM58s for decades. I have also used the beta version, but when I played a set at a friend's gig who used an AKGD5 I was very pleasantly surprised at the sound. For female vocals, I think you would have to spend a lot more money to get something better than this. The mic is very clear without being cold or harsh. I tested it side by side with my SM58 several times before finally admitting that the SM58 sounded positively muddy compared to the AKG. The AKG quality is as good as the Shure, I have now been gigging with it for almost a year and it hasn't let me down. I ended up selling the Shure and will not go back unless they significantly improve their products and keep the pricing low.

19.5.2012

I own both this and the Shure SM-58 and can tell you that though the SM-58 looks and feels better, the AKG D5 is a very serious contender.The AKG D5 competes and, in my opinion, wins on smoothness and heaviness of sound, as well as on price. But of course price shouldn't take precedence when choosing your ideal microphone.Both are musical, powerful, and rugged. Of the two, the Shure SM-58 is smaller in size, and perhaps more resistant to feedback. But I always feel I get a bigger and more musical sound with the AKG D5.Ultimately, it is a matter of personal preference. I have SM-58 days and D5 days but if push comes to shove, and taking everything into consideration including the big price difference,

1.2.2016

This thing is a really solid choice if your primary goal is reducing background noise an bounce-pickup in an otherwise sloppy, bouncy, untreated room. I suppose that's owed in no small part to the hypercardioid diaphragm. For any decent amount of clarity, you gotta get pretty close to it, but more importantly you gotta be directly in front of it. None of these things are complaints, mind you, as this is exactly what I wanted. I even ran tests with my friends talking to each other only 5-10 feet away from me and they weren't even picked up in the recording. Gooooood stuff. Great choice for podcasting or general web chat via skype/discord. If you're going to use it at your desk,

2.1.2021

For a while I used cheap Shure copies, then I stepped up to an Audix OM2 because it seemed to be rated alongside the Shure SM58. I was happy with it, apart from the flimsy connector socket. Used it for years with a lead taped to it.Then I bought the AKG D5 for backup, in case the Audix failed. Tried it at a rehearsal and everyone said it was better than the Audix. It responds differently and took a little while to get used to, but it really is superior, with more clarity. A £50 mic should not out-perform a £90 mic but there you go.It may be that the Shure SM58 is tougher and will survive being dropped more times, so it is still the go-to mic for vocalists,

6.4.2016

For years I had been using the Shure SM58 for live performance and was always satisfied until a few months ago when I started playing with a band and noticed that the mic sounded muddy and muffled compared to the Sennheiser E935 our bass player uses. I was going to purchase the Sennheiser E935, but it is pretty pricey, so I decided to explore other options. After reading reviews and conducting research on various microphones, I settled on the AKG D5 and after using it with the band in a concert setting, I am pleased to report the mic is absolutely fantastic. Crisp, clear, and loud, it cuts through the mix beautifully and sounds great. It sounds as good as the E935.

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