$1300 vs $269 Microphone: Lewitt LCT 440 Pure or Neumann TLM103?

Hear how the Lewitt LCT 440 Pure mic ($269) compares to a Neumann TLM103 ($1300) for voice recording. Can a sub-$300 microphone sound as good as a professional studio standard?

Buy the LCT 440 Pure here:

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[WhaleBluePRS]

I had to sell my TLM 103 due to pandemic to pay bills. I REALLY liked it on my voice. I replaced it with an LCT 440 PURE and it's an outstanding replacement for my voice. I wouldn't hesitate to get a second one so I have a pair. I did find the Neumann just a little "mellower" for my voice than the LCT but the difference is negligible. I could do far more sonic damage with poor EQ, mic placement etc versus the difference between the two mics. I wasn't able to record them side by side on the same day, just A/B-ing separate performances from the 2 mics in the same song context. I wouldn't hesitate for a moment to get another TLM 103 but I can't justify it for the price of 2 LCT 440 PUREs and enough left over to get another pair of mics like the Lewitt LCT 040 Match or something similar. I don't think anyone would have any reasonable complaints about the LCT 440 PURE. It really is a fantastic mic.

[OhanaFilms]

Neumann sounds a touch “warmer” but it’s really close. Impressive.

[ernestthompson]

Alex, wonderful video. My experiences mirror yours precisely as it relates to direct comparison between these two great mics for voice over. Just purchased
the Lewitt 440 a couple days ago as a "on the road" backup mic. My vocal tone is a deep bass. It is amazing how close the overall sound quality and performance
of this Lewitt is to my TLM 103. Side by side direct comparison, what an absolute "WOW" moment. This truly is a real find at this price point . Highly recommended.
Thank you for your video share. It led to my purchase. Subscribed to your channel.
FYI: Forgot to mention. With the Lewitt 440 having the built in pop-filter, doesn’t take up any “visual space” as you are looking at your vo copy. In other words, you don’t have to look around the assy. pop-filter because of it’s size and positioning, while you are reading script.
A Really Cool Feature in and by itself.

[Old_SnakeTwitch]

440 seems to be just about the best damn mic in terms of price to performance, its insane!

[the_yungchubbz]

103 sounded more full and warm when you got closer. Thank you! The algorithm definitely worked today!

[cbarchitect]

Yesterday I ordered the Lewitt 441 Flex, the multi-pattern version of the 440, for Black Friday price of $299 US. My first condenser mic, and I look forward to creating with it! cb

[officialsylt]

I have a Lewitt LCT 440 in my studio, it’s pretty much great that I expected, it’s got a warmer tone and sounds lot natural than the Rode NT1A or 2A. Good for what they offer

[albertkinng]

This is amazing. I always used a Newman at my work and my dream was having one in my home studio setup. It’s great to know that I can have the same quality for less money! Thanks for this video

[Valekraft]

I love this brand so much. The 440 pure is great but is also their lower mid range option on price. Even the smaller 240s are incredible.

[AlexChornyMusic]

LCT440 is awesome, the mic is bright for sure (EQ does the job), but I've never had any problems with sibilances (compared to NT2000). The big plus is a compact size + magnetic pop-filter. Unbeatable price/value IMHO.

[biglittlepeakester]

Great video comparison. Easy to hear the differences in frequency response. Not crazy about the word, "harsh." Looked at the graphs from both companies. The Neuman begins to rise just before 5k and the Lewitt begins to rise about 1.5k and is up a fair amount by 5K. This could create some "splatter" of ess's but the air and presence of the Lewitt is impressive. With processing in place they ARE very similar. Price difference is worth a bit of eq attenuation when needed. Nice job on the video without a bunch of subjective opinions (or cursing.) Nice switching and designation of which mic we are hearing too. My 440 is on order. This will help to know what to expect next to my C-214 and a TLM 102 (not 103, ) so, Thanks!

[PaulMDiaz]

Good video, thank you. I do hear a significant difference. The LCT is harsh and sibilant in this comparison. The TLM is a bit warmer and more rounded. I think the LCT 540 S is the one that compares and sounds more like the TLM 103

[thejonathandoan]

With this video, it sounds to me that the Neumann is more accurate and detailed, which translates to being able to hear more of the environment surrounding it. I can hear more room reverberation with the Neumann, and the bass is a little more pronounced. The Lewitt sounds a bit more focused, with less low end and more mid/high presence. Great work. Thanks for the comparison!

[ScrewballMcAdams]

Thanks for this video. It told me all I need to know about the Lewitt..a mic I've been contemplating buying. You made my decision to buy it much easier.

[fannyingabout]

I have the Lewitt and it’s absolutely fantastic.

[MichaelW.]

Thank you for this comparison. I always look for reviews of the LCT 440 Pure. Some thoughts about this review: The Lewitt LCT 440 Pure indeed sounds more sharp. This is something, that was apparent to me already, when i saw a comparison between it and the RØDE NT1. In fact, i wished i would see a review of the TLM103 and the RØDE NT1 from you, but the NT1 has been around for some time and buying the NT1 naturally is out of the question. If you need less gain on your audio interface for the same level, you get less self-noise, relative to the loudness of the sound you're recording. So in this regard, the LCT 440 Pure would actually be in a slight advantage. That is, if the impedance of the microphones doesn't count here But as far as I know, the impedance of the microphone connected does directly influence the noise behavior. The Neumann TLM 103 has an impedance of 50 ohms, while the Lewitt LCT 440 Pure has an impedance of 110 ohms. To be fair, the rated load impedance on both microphones is the same at 1kHz. So I cannot tell, whether the impedance off load does make any difference here. To me, the fact that the big brother of the LCT 440 Pure, namingly the LCT 540 S has an Equivalent noise level of 4 dBA, as opposed to the TLM103's 7dBA becomes really interesting. In fact, the RØDE NT1 is interesting in that regard, coming in at 4.5dBA of equivelent noise at a price tag similar to the LCT 440 Pure. Or lets say, it would be, if I had a really dead silent recording room with no reverb. Because if you don't, the really low noise level of microphone X doesn't count for much. It doesn't matter, what kind of noise it is - both degrades the sound quality if you have to deal with it.

[AndreasRavizzoniSongsForYou]

I am using the Lewitt LCT 640 TS for recording my YouTube videos live and I can say it’s the best mic I’ve ever tried. This Lewitt pure sounded harsh to me in your video. You’re totally right. Neumann sounds better! I wonder how it would go side to side with the 640. I almost bought the Neumann TLM 102 when I was choosing the best options for me. I hope more people start trying the Lewitt stuff because they are awesome!

[tunemaster]

This vid was mad nice, it really made me feel more confident in my purchase of a 440

[Jamminn]

Great comparison and insights, Alex. As always. Vocalists and VO folks I know like the Lewitt mics in general. Great value. Thanks very much for posting.

[jhudstudio]

It took a little while to hear the difference but I really think it caught my attention after 4:25 from the lewitt to the neumann, the neumann sounds more full.