Hi remember differnt signal path = differnent sound. In order to do a subjective test you would have to use the same adaptor for both mics thus making the comparrisons MOOT. If you take the output of the mic and connect it from the XLR and just run a phantom supply into our sound analyizer then run the same test with the mic capsule connected to a simple battery box the sound is the same both with an analyzer and with my 20 years of using my ears for a living. You can not say they sound differnt unless you can duplicate the SAME SIGNAL PATH FOR BOTH PHANTOM AND DIRECT BATTERY CONNECTION with the method we have just laid out.
Remember when you use the phantom method you are going to be using an XLR input 150 to 600 ohm when you use the battery box method your terminating to a line input 10k nominal impedence. How can you compair the two? its not a fair test.
The more you load a condenser mic down the more you decrease its high end response these mics are 1kohm Capsules so the only thing that little Phantom adaptor does is A- Provide a bias supply for the said capsule B-reduce the mics output by putting the signal thru a buffer amp C- act as a impedence converter and last but not least D - Create a diferentially balanced output ASK audio Technica they will tell you the same thing I just did.
THERE IS NO CHANGE IN RESPONSE between the two except the XLR adaptor method has a built in HIGH PASS FILTER why?
Because this mic was never designed as a recording mic it was a LAV and a inst mic.
There is a differnce in SPL because the buffer circuit reduces the sensitivity of the mic capsule it has to because mic input is -50 line input is -20 to +4 dB if they boosted the signal in the Phantom adaptor they would overload the mic input on any preamp that did not have a pad.
thus the increased SPL of the mic by using the Phantom method is not actually a real performance increase so much as it is just a pad on the mic capsule that reduces its sensitivity. Thus it can handle high SPL but at a reduced output this is not a problem if your using a good mic pre but it sure is if your not. That is why I feel that using a preamp with out the Phantom adaptor is best because you dont end up reducing the output of the capsule that much thus you end up with a better signal to noise ratio and aint that worth it?
the only reason why you guys that use mic preamps via XLR dont notice the noise is your recording loud source compair the noise floor of the two methods the phantom adaptor and the battery supply / a good unbalanced mic pre and we will see who's signal to noise ratio is better.
Chris Church
In sound quality, there is a night and day difference between non-phantom power at853's and phantom powered at853's. It's like removing a veil off of them (i'm talking about cardioids). Bass is punchy, highs sparkle...total different beast compared to at853's>sp bbox which sounded muffled and rolled off highs.