Condenser microphone · hand-built in East Los Angeles · new at Thomann
Ohma WorldOhmie
One capsule, two voltages. A switch on the back runs it at 48 V, natural and relaxed, or 80 V, about 5 dB louder and more forward, both on ordinary phantom power. Below: will it get loud enough on your interface, what the switch really changes, and how quiet 8 dB(A) is.
$392€349 at Thomann 8 dB(A) self-noise32 / 57 mV/Pa200 g
01Sound check
Will your interface get it loud enough?
Pick what you record, how close, your interface and a mode. The grille fills up to your level: solid for the average, light for the peaks.
How we count: typical average levels at 30 cm (speech 70, soft voice 45, singing 88, fingerpicked guitar 72, strummed 85, a loud amp 108 dB SPL; yours may differ by 10 dB), 6 dB less per doubling of distance, peaks 10 to 15 dB above the average. Sensitivity and maximum SPL from Ohma and Thomann. We aim at about 0 dBu into the converter, roughly −18 dBFS on a home interface; interface gain as Thomann lists it. A sketch for planning, not a measurement.
02Two voltages
What the switch really changes
Ohma publishes the Ohmie’s frequency response in both modes. Drawn at their real levels, the 80 V curve sits 5 dB above the 48 V one across the whole range. Level them at 1 kHz and they are within 0.5 dB of each other from 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
So when you compare the two modes, match the levels first: the louder one almost always sounds better. Then listen for what Ohma describes, 48 V natural and relaxed with 5 dB more headroom, 80 V more immediate and defined.
48 V
- Sensitivity
- 32 mV/Pa
- Max SPL
- 138 dB
- Self-noise
- 8 dB(A)
Natural, relaxed, balanced. For loud singers, strummed guitar and sharp transients.
80 V
- Sensitivity
- 57 mV/Pa
- Max SPL
- 133 dB
- Self-noise
- 8 dB(A)
Immediate, defined, 5 dB hotter. For quiet voices, distant sources and gain-hungry interfaces.
03How quiet
8 dB(A), next to everything else
Self-noise is the hiss a microphone makes on its own, given as the sound level that would produce the same signal. The Ohmie’s range runs from 8 dB(A) to 138 dB, 130 dB from its own hiss to its limit. Here it is next to rooms, voices and other microphones.
What it means: a quiet room sits more than 20 dB above the Ohmie’s own hiss. With a mic this quiet, the room, the computer fan and the preamp set your noise floor, so spend on a quieter room before a quieter microphone.
Self-noise figures as Thomann lists them. Room, voice and instrument levels are typical values; your own will differ.
04Other mics
The Ohmie against the mics around its price
Large-diaphragm microphones at Thomann from about $200 to $550, at today’s prices, plus the Shure SM7B that so many streamers compare against. Specs as Thomann lists them.
| Microphone | Price | Self-noise | Switches and extras |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rode NT1 5th Generation Black | $205 | 4 dB(A) | Built-in DSP, also works over USB |
| Aston Microphones Origin | $224 | not listed | −10 dB pad, low cut, built-in pop filter |
| Lewitt LCT 440 PURE | $302 | not listed | Magnetic pop filter included |
| Warm Audio WA-47jr | $304 | 9 dB(A) | −10 dB pad, low cut |
| Warm Audio WA-87jr | $324 | 9 dB(A) | −10 dB pad, low cut |
| Aston Microphones Spirit | $354 | not listed | Pads, low cut, built-in pop filter |
| Ohma World Ohmie Dual Voltage Condenser | $392 | 8 dB(A) | 48 V or 80 V capsule voltage |
| AKG C214 | $420 | not listed | −20 dB pad |
| sE Electronics T1 | $425 | 9 dB(A) | Pads, low cut |
| Shure SM 7 B | $447 | dynamic mic | Bass roll-off, presence boost |
Makers measure self-noise and maximum SPL in slightly different ways, so a gap of a dB or two on paper is not a verdict. Prices update every night from Thomann’s feed; links to Thomann are affiliate links.
Where it sits among 332 large-diaphragm mics in stock
05Questions
Questions about the Ohmie
What does the 48 V / 80 V switch do?
It sets the voltage on the capsule. At 48 V the Ohmie gives 32 mV/Pa and handles up to 138 dB SPL; at 80 V it gives 57 mV/Pa, about 5 dB more signal, and handles up to 133 dB. Ohma describes 48 V as natural and relaxed and 80 V as more immediate and defined, and says to pick by ear: both are sounds, not settings for particular sources.
Do I need an 80 V power supply?
No. Both modes run on standard 48 V phantom power from any interface or field recorder. Circuitry inside the mic generates the higher voltage for the capsule in 80 V mode.
Does 80 V add noise?
Ohma lists the same self-noise, 8 dB(A), in both modes. 80 V gives you 5 dB more signal before the preamp, so you need 5 dB less gain, and the preamp adds less hiss of its own.
Is the Ohmie good for streaming and podcasts?
It is quiet (8 dB(A)), loud (32 to 57 mV/Pa) and built for camera. In our sound check a speaking voice at 15 cm needs about 41 dB of gain at 80 V, against about 75 dB for a Shure SM7B at the same distance, so it works on any interface without an inline booster. As a condenser it also hears more of your room than a dynamic mic does, so a quiet, soft room matters more.
What is 8 dB(A) self-noise in practice?
Quieter than any room you are likely to record in. A quiet bedroom at night sits around 30 dB(A), more than 20 dB above the mic’s own hiss. With the Ohmie, the room sets your noise floor, not the microphone.
Does it need a shock mount or a pop filter?
The capsule sits on built-in shock absorption and the Ohmie comes with Ohma’s own isolation clip, so there is no shock mount to buy. Ohma’s magnetic pop filter snaps onto the front and is sold separately; for close vocals and voiceover it is worth having.
How big and heavy is it?
157 × 56 × 25 mm and 200 g, with a standard XLR connector. It draws 8 mA of phantom power.
How much does the Ohmie cost?
At Thomann today $392 (€349). It costs more than 115 of the 332 large-diaphragm microphones Thomann has in stock.
Is this page sponsored?
It is a special project made for a Thomann campaign. The tools and the data are ours, our rankings are not affected, and links to Thomann are affiliate links.