Sennheiser Profile Streaming Set Review: Pro Sound, Amateur Price Leave a comment

A trio of controls set conveniently on the Profile’s entrance facet enables you to simply dial in ranges on the fly. There’s a knob on the high for mic enter; a headphone quantity knob on the backside; and in between, a mixer knob to regulate the steadiness between the mic’s direct output and your laptop output. That final inclusion is nice for video calls, letting you fine-tune the combo between you and your caller to perfection.

Possibly the best function for calls is the Profile’s onboard mute key, which glows a deep purple if you’re muted or a pleasant inexperienced if you’re not, assuring that different callers solely hear you if you need them to. The LED additionally lights up orange in case you push the Profile’s cardioid diaphragm to distortion, although you’ll actually should belt to get there. You’re extra more likely to distort on the digital facet, particularly in case you’re utilizing direct monitoring.

The one time I had to make use of any software program settings was after I needed to bypass the headphone output for my audio system. In fact, the shortage of software program means there aren’t any further results or EQ, however that’s superb by me. Any first rate digital audio workstation affords plug-in choices inbuilt, and also you’ll doubtless discover there’s no must EQ the Profile anyway.

It’s value stating that there’s no option to change the mic’s polar sample, however except you’re hoping to share it with a colleague or use it as a room mic, this shouldn’t matter a lot.

Luscious Sound

To start out issues with a bang, I recorded what might be the silliest faux podcast intro within the style’s brief historical past. My objectives have been twofold: to guage the mic’s total sound signature and to see how a lot pop and proximity impact (further bass if you’re near the mic) the Profile incurs at completely different distances. Making my spouse roll her eyes was only a bonus.

I did most of my recording on the fundamental 44.1 kHz and a 16-bit depth, which produces smaller information for fundamental setups, however you’ll be able to step as much as 44.8 kHz at 24 bits.

The first takeaway is that the Profile sounds phenomenal for spoken recordings. My foolish little monologs, which completely included a run of Peter Piper’s peppers, sounded splendidly clean, clear, and balanced. I listened over headphones, screens, and my Mac’s onboard audio system, the latter of that are much less forgiving for poor recordings than you would possibly suppose.

You may most likely get away and not using a pop filter in case you again off the Profile and converse rigorously, however in case you’re severe about your craft, you’ll greater than doubtless have a heavy breath or a hard-popped consonant to try to repair later. Your most secure guess is simply to filter them out to start with.

I additionally did some fundamental vocal and guitar recording, together with each concurrently, and the Profile stepped up properly. Centering the mic between devices, it picked up nice definition with a remarkably regular output for a chunk of {hardware} that begins comfortably near $100. For those who’re doing rather more than track demos, I’d nonetheless advocate contemplating an ordinary microphone and interface, however the Profile did a swell job for a stand-alone setup at this worth.

I took a number of video calls with the Profile over a few weeks, and once more the outcomes happy my ears in addition to these of my callers. One colleague informed me I appeared like I used to be “within the room,” and WIRED editor Parker Corridor mentioned the Profile appeared like a Shure SM7B, a legendary studio and radio standby. On my facet, I discovered myself actually having fun with the dulcet tones the Profile produced, which most likely made me a extra prepared and glad participant.

Whereas I want Sennheiser would have included a pair extra equipment within the Stream Set, the Profile is a implausible microphone for a number of use instances. Whether or not you’re constructing an entry-level studio, stepping into podcasting or live-streaming, or just trying to spruce up your video chats, Sennheiser’s entry-level choice is a killer option to increase your sport with out breaking the financial institution.