Topic: Sennheiser MKH416 vs. MKH8060 self noise?

[kringlefar]

I’m getting tired of my hissy Sennheiser MKH416, so I was thinking about upgrading it to a MKH8060, for a quiet setup in combination with my MixPre-6.

Can anyone tell how big difference in self noise is between the 416 and 8060?

Thank you!

[DSatz]

The difference between their spec-sheet values is 6 dB.

--best regards

[kringlefar]

Thank you. I just received a secondhand Sennheiser MKH8060, and did a quick comparrison between it and my old MKH416:
https://youtu.be/cqa-U8GqBz0

I was expecting a bit bigger difference in self noise, but maybe I just had too high expectations?

I recorded into my Sound Devices MixPre-6 at around 45 dB gain.

[DSatz]

Try listening without turning up the volume more than necessary. The audible difference is quite significant in the region between about 1 kHz and 5 or 6 kHz.

When you listen to recordings with the volume turned way up, you hear far more low-frequency content than you would otherwise, and that skews the comparison (though the 8060 is quieter all across the spectrum).

I've attached spectrum graphs based on the YouTube video (gain boosted 12 dB for both samples for no really good reason).

--best regards

[EmRR]

The 8060 is definitely quieter of the two.  The hiss seems high, I'm wondering what level changes exist outside of the 45dB gain you mention, maybe a youtube gain adjustment.  My MKH105, MKH406, MKH30, and MKH800Twin are much quieter at 45dB into a vintage tube preamp from the 1940's, which has its own hiss contribution, and I record fairly quiet classical guitar performance with those.   Are you recording loud live shows, and they still do not overcome and mask the hiss?  To ask the dumb questions (I don't know the MixPre-6), all pads are turned off, and no limiter is engaged?  I know my DR-701D limiter automatically increases the hiss level quite dramatically.  What is the sound comparison?