Product Comparison: Sennheiser E604 vs Shure SM57

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Best Pick

Sennheiser E604 Dynamic Cardioid for Snare and Toms

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Shure SM57 Cardioid Dynamic Microphone

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General Specifications

Brand

Sennheiser

Shure

Model

E604

SM57

Origin

Germany

Mexico

About the Product

Compact dynamic cardioid instrument microphone. Transmits high SPLs without distortion. Compatible with toms, snares, and percussion. Clips-on quickly and easily wherever you choose. Tough, reinforced housing, and clamp.

The legendary Shure SM57 is exceptional for musical instrument pickup and vocals. With its bright, clean sound and contoured frequency response, the SM57 is ideal for live sound reinforcement and recording.

Key Specs

Microphone Type

Dynamic

Polar Pattern

Cardioid

Minimum Frequency Response

40 Hz

Maximum Frequency Response

18 kHz

15 kHz

What customers say about "Key Specs"

Sennheiser E604 Dynamic Cardioid for Snare and Toms

Sounds great on my toms and snare!!!!!! It's a great mic and very versatile.
The tone is clear, snappy without being harsh, yet gets the mid-range tones with good presence so that the earthy tones of hand percussion comes through the mix.
Great for snare drum, absolute must have.
I love the frequency range it offers. I also like this mic for distorted guitars in certain cases. The new e604 has a better shock mount than the older one.
Great drum mics! Added greater clarity on my toms in the studio compared to the competition. I"ll buy more.

Shure SM57 Cardioid Dynamic Microphone

My favorite mic is the Shure BG 2.0, but is impossible to find it at a decent price. The SM57-LC mic has the closest frequency response curve to the BG 2.0, and is a little more sensitive which helps for folks who don't want to "eat" the mic.
A classic dynamic microphone.I have used this 57 to mike an instrumental soloist and in a few other applications. Most often I use these microphones to record pipe organ and/or piano, plus classical saxophone.
I think that the SM57 ironically is a better microphone for speech than the SM58 - it has a wonderful frequency response curve, and also as a dynamic mike, I like the warm punchy sound it generates.
Definitely not for voice, but great for instrument recording.
It worked reasonably well. I do not have much experience with mics. Worked little better than my cheap microphone, but seemed to pick up hiss from the side on flute.

Size & Weight

Height

2.3 in.

6.2 in.

Width

1.3 in.

1.25 in.

Depth

1.3 in.

1.25 in.

Weight

0.13 lbs.

0.63 lbs.

Features

Maximum SPL

160 dB SPL

130 dB SPL

Output Impedance

350 Ω

150 Ω

Microphone Sensitivity

-115.0 dBV/Pa

-56.0dB

Interface

XLR-3

XLR

Power Options

Not needed

Extras

Rugged reinforced glass-fibre body, Low sensitivity to impact and handling noise, Very high sound pressure handling capability

Extremely durable under the heaviest use, Pneumatic shock-mount system, Professional-quality reproduction

Output Impedance
Maximum SPL

What customers say about "Features"

Sennheiser E604 Dynamic Cardioid for Snare and Toms

The e604 uses a capsule similar to the MD421. You can recreate the drum tone with a natural roll off on the highs. I use it to get that clean/deep tom sound.
They work well and hold up. I had to buy a replacement after one of the took one too many direct hits... but after 10 years I cannot complain.
I recently put this on a steel snare with a coated head and without touching a thing it was just an absolutely fantastic sound. Crisp, good body, nice fundamental and just the right amount of ring to it.
I like to use them on toms and snare bottom. Sounds good, and you don't have any extra microphone stands taking up space.
The mic is lightweight (you won't believe your hands) and incredibly durable. It WILL NOT affect your drum's acoustics. The clip is fantastic...no stands, easy to adjust, easy on/off and very durable. It has a cord clip as well that you can make everything neat and accessible.

Shure SM57 Cardioid Dynamic Microphone

Just perfect for live speech in a hall, but also perfect in the studio for recording voice-over work and I believe it compares, or would compare favourably with many higher end condenser mikes.
Useful in a broad range of applications, you just can't go wrong using this on guitar cabs, horns, drums, congas, whatever. Best for live situations, although they can be useful in the studio, too. They're still built like tanks.
Nice for guitar amps. Play around with mic placement for a wide range of tones.
Looks very snappy, so I'm not embarrassed to catch it in my filming. Captures a broader range of sound than the SM58 (which focuses on voice and is omnidirectional).
Broke and sounded flat after 3 months of use, talked to friends and told me they have the same issue with their 57, is a shame, they are not building them like before.
I think this microphone is more suited for drums and electric guitars, and maybe singing. I needed a microphone for more quiet book reading (like making an audio cd) and podcasting.

Warranty / Certifications

Manufacturer Warranty

10 year(s)

1 year(s)

Certifications

CE, EAC

CE, EEC

Other Information

Manufacturer

Link

MSRP

99.95 $