AKG C104, C114 & C151

AKG’s trio of affordable studio mics have more in common than just the letter C.

For many years now, AKG’s line‑up of capacitor microphones has been divided into two ranges. Mics targeted at professional applications have a model designation beginning with the letter C, whilst the company’s more wallet‑friendly designs have appeared under the Perception brand. But the gulf between the two has been eroded by the appearance of more affordable mics in the C‑series range, where classics like the C414 and C12 VR are now joined by the much more accessible C214 and C314. That trend continues with the release of three new C‑series mics that are aggressively priced, and which explicitly replace models from the Perception line.

The multi‑pattern C114 is an externally polarised large‑diaphragm capacitor mic that supersedes the older Perception P420, while the C151 is a fixed‑cardioid, small‑diaphragm ‘pencil’ mic with an electret capsule. Once again, this displaces a Perception model, in this case the P170. Finally, the fixed‑cardioid C104 is an interesting half‑way house. Although it’s described as a large‑diaphragm mic, and shares the same shell as the C114, it actually uses a 22mm electret capsule intermediate in size between those of the 114 and 151. The C104 is the successor model to the P120.

In each case, AKG have done much more than simply repackage existing designs and, consequently, the specs of the new models are significantly different. For example, the C151 is actually a little noisier than the P170, at 21dBA against 19dBA, and is also slightly less sensitive. However, the C151 can handle sound pressure levels of up to 145dB without the need for the P170’s switchable pad. By contrast, the C114 is 3dB quieter than the P420, and some 6dB less hot. It offers the same three standard polar patterns, but without the P420’s switchable low‑cut filter. Likewise, the C104 is quieter in both senses than the P120, and also omits the filter. One improvement that everyone should welcome concerns the way in which these new models are manufactured and delivered. The bodies are made from recycled metal, and the packaging is fully recyclable.

The shell of the C104 and C114 bears an obvious visual resemblance to current C414 models, which slightly round off the...