Manley Reference Silver Microphone (Used)

Front End Audio acquires previously owned gear through our Buy-Back program. You can purchase used gear at a great price but there are no manufacturer warranties with these items. These items have been inspected and/or tested by our staff to make sure each one is in working condition and comes with our commitment to service. This Manley Reference Silver Microphone looks great, functions perfectly and includes everything as if it were brand new. Its a great deal for a great microphone!

The Manley Reference Silver Microphone features an American built capsule by David Josephson and a Manley designed circuit, this microphone has a warm and rich tone. After 27 years since the debut of the first Manley Reference Gold and Reference Cardioid tube microphones, which have since become modern classics, Manley introduces the Reference Silver Microphone. The audio inspiration for this handcrafted beauty begins with the 1950s classic Sony C-37a microphone, and specifically with California capsule maker David Josephson's fantastic recreation of the C-37’s C-3 capsule which features an adjustable acoustic chamber on the rear of the capsule for the user to switch between Cardioid and Omni pickup patterns. This distinctive capsule is the heart of the rich and creamy tone that the Manley Reference Silver Mic delivers today, and reliably with a five year factory warranty. The old SONY mics are super-rare at this point, if you can find a decent working example of one!

Inside the mic, Manley is using a different circuit from their other two microphones. The fragile high impedance signal from the capsule first hits a FET sitting underneath the 5670 vacuum tube’s cathode which then amplifies the signal into a more robust voltage that our hand-wound Manley IRON microphone output transformer sends out to your microphone preamplifier. Output level from this mic is a wee bit lower compared to our other two microphones, but after careful consideration coming through the Beta-testing phase of development, they decided to leave it there as this mic will find a forever-home in front of your loudest instruments such as snare drum, guitars, and toms. It's a real natural there!

Sonic character of the Reference Silver is on the rich and warm side. You'll find this microphone stunning with female vocals and saxophones, with a round character that is never sibilant or boxy. A brass section will sound rich and cohesive. This microphone with its bountiful and warm middle tonality also is a natural for drum overheads where you might have too much brightness off the cymbals from other microphones. It is a very classic sounding microphone, which is to be expected since its innovative capsule design harkens back to the 1950s. Use the Manley Reference Silver Microphone where you might be thinking about a ribbon, and use it with confidence!

Driven by Manley Power
The power supply was designed for Manley, designed for vacuum tubes, and designed especially for audio fidelity. Numerous listening comparisons again prove the sonic superiority of this power supply. All lines are regulated, all rails come out at super-low impedance, and there is zero 50/60 Hz ripple component present in the chassis as the module runs at a much higher frequency well above the audible range. It is an efficient design in the high 90th percentile, and it functions it any mains input voltage from 90 to 250 V AC meaning no reconfiguration is necessary when traveling around the world. Just plug it in! It is a well-smart invention light years ahead of older linear power supply designs.

Proprietary Precision Suspension System
A proprietary precision suspension system is provided with each Reference Microphone (the capsule itself is mounted onto a rubber shock-mount.) Because the entire working "guts" of the microphone may be removed for service in one piece from the housing, it is envisioned that the microphone need not be removed from the suspension. Manley also provides a very useful swivel of their own design with every REFERENCE MICROPHONE; its T-bar handle and locking clutch action require no tools to adjust. And no MANLEY microphone would be complete without a genuine leather capsule protector which slips (and ties) onto the end of the microphone to protect the capsule when not in use.

Hand-Assembled in the USA
Like the other Manley Reference Microphones, all of the metalworking and construction is hand-assembled in the USA by our experienced staff in our Chino, California factory, located just 35 miles east of Los Angeles. We are sure you’ll love the organic nature of the intriguing artistic finish of the Silver Microphone as it will remind you about how natural and alluring the sound of this microphone is.

Manley Reference Silver Microphone Features

• Condenser Transducer based on vintage Sony C-37A Hand Made in USA by Josephson Audio
• Single-Sided Large Diaphragm Capsule Edge Tensioned
• 5 Micron Evaporated Gold Diaphragm 1" diameter
• Dual Pattern Cardioid or Omni Directional adjustable via vent on the backplate
• 5670 Internal Vacuum Tube Head Amplifier
• Constant Current Source for Tube Minimizes Noise and Tube Selection
• Hand Wound Nickel Core Manley Iron Output Transformer

Manley Reference Silver Microphone Specifications

• High Pass Filter Switch: -3dB @ 55Hz 6dB/8va
• Output Impedance: 30 Ohms
• Frequency Response: 10Hz-30kHz, AMP to 60kHz
• Max input SPL: 150 dB SPL at Capsule
• Sensitivity: 7mV/Pa
• Amplifier Type: 2 Triode Gain Block Lo Z Output
• Output Polarity: Balanced XLR, Pin 2 Hot, Pin 3 Low
• Amplifier Distortion: Less Than 0.05 % THD+N BW 22-22 kHz (1kOhm Load, 1kHz -40dBV Output)
• Amplifier Noise: Typically -108 dBV “A Weighted”
• Body: Etched Silver Anodized Aluminum
• Mic Weight: 1.5 lbs
• PSU Weight: 2 lbs
• Mic Size: 2" x 9.7" x 4.5" (including suspension)
• PSU Size: 5" x 8.2" x 3.4"
• Power Consumption: 15 Watts
• PSU External Mains Fuse: 5mm X 20 mm, 2A @ 250V, CERAMIC, Slo-Blo

Manley Reference Silver Microphone Includes

• Manley Reference Silver Microphone
• Shock Mount
• Power Supply
• Rugged Carrying Case
• 7-Pin Cable