AKG D5 Vocal Dynamic Microphone

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.

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

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. It is a quality mic that outshines the SM58 and stands on equal footing with the E935. At this price point, you simply cannot go wrong.

This is a quality microphone, hands down. At this price, you are getting a fantastic mic! However, I purchased this microphone for a very specific reason. Almost every review I read proclaimed that it didn't have the muddy lows that are so prevalent in the SM58 microphone. Unfortunately (at least for my voice) the low end was still too muddy. Even if I addressed the mic On-axis (and not off-axis like they recommend), the lows simply sounded to garbled and brought down the quality. However, this microphone sounds AMAZING on higher register voices, especially female vocals. I am just sorry it didn't work out for me.

Sounds GREAT! The sound quality is amazing. My voice sounds identical on the mic to what it sounds like in person. My audience (I use this for a radio show/podcast I do) noticed the clarity of my voice. There was definitive difference in the bass in my voice - there's a lot less on this mic that the previous one I used. This was rectifiable with my mixer board but if you want a deep resonant tone this might not be the mic for you - but if you want great clarity and sound and seemingly sturdy quality, this is a great mic. I also compared this mic with the Shure SM58 sound wise, and I preferred this mic over that one sound wise - it's not as muddy - it's clearer and that's the sound I was going for so I bought this one. It was a bonus that it costs less.

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!

I’m an AKG convert and stand by this brand 100%. I use this mic on the road and it takes a serious beating. I’ve spilt beer on it, dropped it off stage, and thrown it at my drummer—still works…although I wouldn’t do as do kids!