Topic: Differences between AT853 and U853 bodies..

[(Evan)]

Can someone tell me what the differences are between the old AT853 bodies, and the newer U853s? Are the older ones RF shielded?

Thanks

[taperwheeler]

http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,75092.msg1003151.html#msg1003151

I've done a search before "at853 u853" and found a handful of threads stating various and different info.  There's some who prefer the newer caps, at least 1 who prefers the old.  I've never seen any real world comparisons.

[(Evan)]

Well I know that the caps sound different, but I'm wondering about the bodies.

[SmokinJoe]

The air around us is full of electrical noise.  My understanding is that the U853s are designed with better RF shielding to pick up less of that noise (like that sizzle from the cell phone in your pocket).  I own both styles, use the older style most of the time, and I can't say that I've had a problem with electrical noise with either.  Then again, I always turn my cell phone off.

[(Evan)]

The air around us is full of electrical noise.  My understanding is that the U853s are designed with better RF shielding to pick up less of that noise (like that sizzle from the cell phone in your pocket).  I own both styles, use the older style most of the time, and I can't say that I've had a problem with electrical noise with either.  Then again, I always turn my cell phone off.

So would you say the overall sound quality of the two is the same?

[SmokinJoe]

So would you say the overall sound quality of the two is the same?

I haven't done side by side comps, but most people say, as whole mic systems, they sound a little different.  Whether it's real, or just nonsense that everyone keeps repeating, I don't know.  The problem is that you can't really compare the mics unless your power supply/preamp/recorders are the same too, and they are mounted together on the same stand.  IF there is a difference, I think the MOST of the difference is probably in the caps, more so than the bodies.

[Will_S]

I've done a side to side comparison recording my stereo with new vs old capsules in the same old bodies into the same recording chain.  I heard a difference, not night and day, but I could tell the samples apart blindly (I'd post them, but I deleted them).  New vs old bodies, I don't know if there are any audible differences as I never tried that.  But I would suspect, like SmokingJoe, that the capsules make most if not all of the audible difference.

I've only experienced cell phone noise once, but that one time was enough to ruin the song.