I review the CAD e100s

So I finally picked up a CAD e100s. Of course, it’s been officially retired from CAD's product line, so you can’t buy it new (bummer). The one I got isn’t too noisy*, and captures warm, smooth vocal characteristics I don’t always find with my Neumann TLM 103. I noticed more of a bass presence without the high-pass filter, but liked it, and with some some help from an audio pro, this thing is sounding damn near perfect. Now whenever I record with this mic, it sounds like someone is adding a little bit of vinyl crackle - subtle but effective.

*A few years ago, CAD issued returns on “noisy” versions of this model, but used models are still available.

Pros

• Impressive sound and simple user interface

• Versatile and effective

• Affordable ($500-$600 range)

• Built-in -10db PAD switch and bass rolloff

Cons

• Still a bit noisy at higher gains

• Shock mount isn’t easily detachable