In the competitive market, microphones are plentiful so choosing one from these vast brands and variations is a hard job to do. But don’t worry, we are here with the two best microphones in the market for you, they are Beyerdynamic M160 and Coles 4038.
Both have great brand value and the most positive customer reviews, but if you need to buy one, you have to know which one is better for you, so let’s find out which one will be best among Beyerdynamic M160 vs Coles 4038.
Beyerdynamic M160 Microphone
Beyerdynamic M160 ribbon microphones are made in Germany. This M160 mic comes with a rugged, compact, and user-friendly design which is very convenient for outdoor usage.
The length of the Beyer M160 ribbon mic is 156mm with 23 mm shaft diameter and 38 mm head diameter, and the mic’s weight is only 156 g without cable. So you can carry and hold it for hours without using any stand.
This Beyer ribbon mic directly comes with XLR 3-pin connection type support, so you don’t need to use any additional XLR adaptor to use the microphone. So overall, it is a very compact designed microphone that ensures maximum portability for outdoor uses.
The mic has a double ribbon microphone transducer, which includes a hyper-cardioid polar pattern to reject all off-axis sounds. And to prevent glare from broadcast lighting, the microphone has black and chromium platting.
Along with a pure aluminum membrane, the microphone can be able to receive a warm, silky, and natural sound profile with excellent transient and transparency response. Beyerdynamic M160 frequency response is 40 Hz – 18,000 Hz, which is really topnotch level.
Along with this extended frequency response, you will get excellent stringed instrumental sound from this microphone, especially guitar amps and drums sound. The 200 Ohm nominal impedance ensures the quality of the sound you want.
The microphone also comes with a mic clip, bracket and case so you can get a quick setup for your studio room.
Coles 4038 Ribbon Microphone
Coles ribbon microphones are made in the UK and have been well-known for over 50 years. The 4038 mics have been designed in a way where the shape of the microphone body can able to enhance the acoustic performance.
The microphone is made of strong gauge perforated brass backed with Black stove enamel textured paint finishing. The microphone length is 197 mm with 83 mm shaft diameter and 61 mm head diameter, and the weight is about 1.08 kg.
This 4038 Coles mic also has a rotating hinge connection support where you can tilt the mic up to 90° and can able to turn it in any direction you want but make sure the mic is in free-standing condition.
On the other hand, Coles 4038 pairing is very easy as it comes with 3-pin jack connection support and includes an XLR adapter that goes directly to the amplifier. I must say the design of the mic is ingenious and unique.
However, to control transient response Coles 4038 ribbon microphone includes a pressure gradient transducer and low mass damped ribbon.
And along with a bi-directional curved shape polar pattern, the Coles microphones 4038 has an excellent transient response where you will get 30 Hz to 15 kHz flat substantial frequency response.
Additionally, with 300 Ohms impedance, the mic can reproduce natural, balanced, clear, and high-fidelity sound. The mic has -65 dB of sensibility for smooth sonic texture response and 125 dB of maximum SPL.
So you will get extremely low distortion, less than 1% at 125 dB SPL. Apart from this, you will get all the necessary accessories with this 4038 Coles microphone, including a 4069 to XLR adaptor, a plastic carrying case with foam-lined rigid, Soft fabric protective bag, and a rigid 5/8″ mic stand mount.
Beyer M160 vs Coles 4038 Comparison
Deign wise Beyerdynamic M160 and Coles 4038 both microphones are entirely different. Beyer M160 ensures better portability, whereas Coles 4038 is not made for outdoor purposes. You can use the M160 directly with an XLR- 3 pin cable where you need an additional XLR adapter for 4038.
The Beyer M160 has a double ribbon microphone transducer with a hyper-cardioid polar pattern, and Coles 4038 has a pressure gradient transducer and low mass damped ribbon with a bi-directional curved shape polar pattern.
Apart from this, 4039 mic ensures maximum flexibility with a rigid mic stand that M160 is omitted.
On the other hand, the specification wise they are also different from each other. M160 has a 40 Hz – 18,000 Hz frequency response with 200 Ohms nominal impedance, whereas 4038 has a 30 Hz to 15,000 Hz frequency response with a 300 Ohms impedance.
So, as they are different from each other in every condition, I don’t think it will be hard for you to choose one between these two. Both are pretty good in their category; just select one which suits you the most.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Does Beyer M160 need a phantom?
Ribbons microphones don’t need any phantom power, so the Beyer M160 also doesn’t need phantom power rather, it can damage the microphone’s dynamic transduction and ribbon by applying extra voltage.
2. What do the two dots on the Beyer M160 mic signify?
You will get two red dots on the housing, which is for indicating the orientation of the microphone. As the M160 comes with a hyper-cardioid polar pattern, the perfect positioning of the mic is essential.
3. Do Coles 4038 need phantom power?
As I mentioned earlier phantom power destroys the ribbon microphone’s ribbon instantly and may damage the dynamic transduction, too. So never use your Coles 4038 with phantom or “T” powered mic inputs.
Final Words
From the above discussion, I hope now you know all about these two microphones. Now make up your mind about which purpose you need the microphone if you want to use the microphone in outdoor conditions,
most of the time, we will suggest choosing the Beyer m160, and for indoor conditions, Coles 4038 will be the better option. If you are still confused between these two, you can take help from the YouTube video review. And remember to check practically before buying one.
