AudioChainsDB

ShureBeta 87A

microphone

New retail price (MSRP)

$259

Used market: $200*

Check price at ThomannManufacturer datasheet

Specifications

5 of 8 values have a recorded source
Connectors
XLR 3-Pin Male·
Built-in converter
no·
Transducer
Condenser Electret✓
Sensitivity
-52.5✓
Output impedance
150✓
Phantom power required
yes✓
Connection
XLR-Only✓
Indexable Locales
·

Expert Audio Engineering Commentary

Tonal profile

Supercardioid handheld condenser; the tighter pattern costs about 2.5 dB of sensitivity against the SM86 in exchange for a narrower pickup angle.

Gain staging

-52.5 dBV/Pa. The comparison worth making is with its own sibling: SM86 is -50.0, Beta 87A is -52.5, both handheld condensers from one maker, and the entire difference is the polar pattern. Anyone reading sensitivity as a quality ranking gets this exactly backwards.

* Estimated with the depreciation fallback (~77% retained value).