This is one of Sennheiser's budget "e" line mics. The e614 is a small diaphragm condenser or pencil mic. It connects with an XLR cable that needs to supply the mic some phantom power or else you won't get anything out of it. Since it's a small diaphragm you are going to get a relatively quick transient response, and that that holds true with these mics. The high frequency content of sources tends to come through very nicely on small diaphragm on pencil mics, but unfortunately I wouldn't give this mic a high rating in that area. The upper register of this mic definitely sounds a little harsh or grainy. It sounds like the high end is very hyped, and to me it makes the overall sound of this mic kind of harsh. I tried it for cymbals and acoustic guitar at a studio, and both times ended up switching out the mic for something else due to the unpleasant harshness of the treble. If you are featuring an instrument that has shimmering highs, you want them to be smooth, and this mic doesn't deliver there. The pickup pattern on this mic on this is a cardioid that seems a little too tight. If you are using this for drum overheads, you should want a little bit of spread to help get a full picture of the drum set. On this mic, you can definitely hear the elements of a kick that are not right in front of the mic getting some attenuation and comb filtering.

OVERALL OPINION

I used these on a couple sessions a while ago, but never ended up using them on the recording because I didn't get suitable results. Overall I really feel that these mics were not very good. I am surprised, because most of Sennheiser's offerings are great, even at lower price points. Your money would be better spent elsewhere for a lower end small diaphragm condenser mic. It's not really a very good value because the quality isn't up to par.