Review on Neumann TLM Condenser Microphone Cardioid by Liz Wolfe

The mic itself looks great, it's an attractive condenser mic with a well-executed design, compact enough not to take up much space but big enough to capture every sound. The sound quality is comparable* to your standard 700.00 mic, I won't sell what the sound offers because again it compares to other mics at the same price but you automatically know you are paying for the brand. Neumann has a decent reputation, you can only buy it because it's Neumann, the "Porsche" of microphones. Unfortunately, the TLM 102 is no match for the TLM 103 at all. As far as vocals go, it's clear that the TLM 103 will do better in every respect. When using the TLM 102, it is noticeable that the overall sound is "flat", which is not necessarily a bad thing. The flat sound provided can boost confidence when singing because the microphone cannot pick up the exact pitch. However, this is a great all-around mic. Highly recommended for drums, bass or vocals, but any other instrument will sound muddy without the brightness of the reproduced sound, that's a job for the TLM 103. In summary, the TLM 102 mic makes your setup look great, it is smooth and matte surface really shines. If it weren't for my "professional ear" I would have given this mic a 5/5 star rating, unfortunately it doesn't and instead I was a bit disappointed with its performance. While it's great for everything, it won't excel at everything.