The original German review can be found here.
Microphone and Company: Going Their Own Way
By Harald Wittig
The all-new F.20, large diaphragm, condenser microphone from American manufacturer Equation Audio, exemplifies the company’s operating mission to go their own way, which is non-mainstream as far as sound and design are concerned, as well as the organization is structured.
The Equation Audio F.20 Super Electret Condenser Microphone
The F.20 was launched as the first of a new ‘series’ of advanced microphones developed by Equation Audio – they currently offer a dozen or so models. Though influenced less than the follow-on models under development for 2010 release, the Cameron influence is apparent when listening to the microphone perform. Fred Cameron was a long time microphone guru in the United States, located in Nashville for over three decades, where he spent much of his life enhancing and improving many of the best microphones in the world for a host of professional artists and engineers, including many of the who’s who in the American music market. Production of the F.20 is located in Taipei, Taiwan, which explains the obvious build quality, yet remarkable price-point of the product.
From the outset, the F.20 differs from typical microphones . . It has a large diaphragm electret condenser (24mm case with a 20mm diaphragm) and rather reminds one of the famous RCA ribbon microphones, exhibiting retro design yet unique among others now on the market. Additionally, it is comes packed in a small foam-lined carrying tweed case, like that you know from old Fender amplifiers.
We like the special vintage look of this very well built microphone. It comes with a metal pop filter that also visually offers so much more than the traditional products of this kind. Though the F.20 is an electret condenser, these days that in itself is not a disadvantage. The many tests conducted by Professional Audio revealed that this modern back-electret is on par with true condenser microphones. Furthermore, Equation Audio developed a proprietary head amplifier, which provides low self-noise and very high sensitivity. Professional Audio’s measurement lab was able to confirm this: with an impressive 52.5 mV/Pa, the F.20 belongs with the loudest microphones that we have ever tested.
The Equation Audio F.20 Super Electret Condenser Microphone
The advantage of the high sensitivity, together with a low signal-to-noise ratio of 77.8dB, is that the F.20 helps to eliminate noise, as the gain controls can remain very low. If the F.20 is utilized for percussion, by all means turn on the pad switch, because this increases the maximum sound pressure by exactly 16 dB. An 80 Hz high-pass filter (subsonic noise filter), completes the electronic equipment. Equation Audio shows not only it’s own style in matters of design, but also in matters of sound. With very good resolution and impulse response, on the level of upper class large diaphragm condenser microphones, the F.20 produces a nice warm overall sound and a bass reproduction that is friendly to the ears. The mid and high frequencies are pleasantly balanced and it does not come with the high frequency peak at 8-10Khz, so typical of large diaphragm condenser microphones. Instead, the F.20 sounds pleasantly soft in the high mids and high frequency range with responsive details. The F.20 likes stringed instruments, but also woodwinds, for instance the flute and the clarinet, and manages a disarming quality of sound for the spoken word. We created two sound files – one with a concert guitar and one with a speaker, so that you can hear for yourself the all-in-all convincing F.20. To access the audio files through our sound bank, go to our website.
The above article translated by B. Forbes.
