Topic: MIC COMP: AKG 460 vs 480 vs Naiant Actives with CK63

[Phil Zone]

I was able to get an opportunity to compare the AKG 460 vs 480 one night and 480 vs Naiant Actives another night all with CK63 and the same pre amps. I have been wrestling with what really sounds best and I think the difference between bodies is noticeable for sure, I am not sure I know which is my favorite yet but I lean toward the 480. I just thought I would share incase anyone else is curious as I was.

This was done with the same mic config and with zero post processing other then adding a small amount of gain.

I know there is never a perfect comparison but this at least gives a pretty good sense, Enjoy!

AKG 460 vs 480
AKG 460B
https://archive.org/details/bw2023-02-07.AKG463

AKG 480B
https://archive.org/details/bw2023-02-07.AKG483


AKG 480B vs Naiant Actives
Naiant Actives
https://archive.org/details/bw2023-02-08.AKGCK63.actives

AKG 480B
https://archive.org/details/bw2023-02-08.AKG.483

[Nico11104]

I was able to get an opportunity to compare the AKG 460 vs 480 one night and 480 vs Naiant Actives another night all with CK63 and the same pre amps. I have been wrestling with what really sounds best and I think the difference between bodies is noticeable for sure, I am not sure I know which is my favorite yet but I lean toward the 480. I just thought I would share incase anyone else is curious as I was.

This was done with the same mic config and with zero post processing other then adding a small amount of gain.

I know there is never a perfect comparison but this at least gives a pretty good sense, Enjoy!

AKG 460 vs 480
AKG 460B
https://archive.org/details/bw2023-02-07.AKG463

AKG 480B
https://archive.org/details/bw2023-02-07.AKG483


AKG 480B vs Naiant Actives
Naiant Actives
https://archive.org/details/bw2023-02-08.AKGCK63.actives

AKG 480B
https://archive.org/details/bw2023-02-08.AKG.483

Thanks, Cam!

[unclehoolio]

thanks for posting these comparisons!  Just listened to them (on sony mdr7506 headphones), and my pref in each shootout was the 480 w/bodies.  in the actives vs bodies comparison, I found a more natural sounding sense of depth or air or space in the bodies version, which was preferable to my ears.  And against the 460's, I found the high end of the 480's to be smoother, and the low end to be more extended, and the overall recording to be a little more 3-dimensional.  But I would listen to any of these sources any day of the week, I was always Team AKG back when I was taping 20+ years ago.

[HealthCov Chris]

thanks for posting these comparisons!  Just listened to them (on sony mdr7506 headphones), and my pref in each shootout was the 480 w/bodies.  in the actives vs bodies comparison, I found a more natural sounding sense of depth or air or space in the bodies version, which was preferable to my ears.  And against the 460's, I found the high end of the 480's to be smoother, and the low end to be more extended, and the overall recording to be a little more 3-dimensional.  But I would listen to any of these sources any day of the week, I was always Team AKG back when I was taping 20+ years ago.

I imagine the bodies are better paired with the caps.  I think the only reason to go with the actives are for the smaller footprint and/or stealth.