Sony’s C-80 condenser mic is an “accessible” take on the prestigious C-800G and C-100 microphones
A more affordable alternative for all types of recording artists.
Image: Sony via YouTube
Sony has unveiled the C-80, a unidirectional condenser microphone that takes features from the coveted C-100 and C-800G microphones.
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In this new model, the C-80 comes with Noise Elimination Construction, which should cut acoustic vibration and offer a cleaner, refined sound. Its diaphragm is made with the same material as found in the diaphragm of the C-800G and inherits the microphone capsule used in the C-100.
It has a mid-low frequency range described as “powerful and rich” by Sony, and has a dual-diaphragm configuration that ensures stable recording and distribution by suppressing sound characteristic changes with distance.
There’s a low-cut filter switch and a -10dB pad switch to offer more headroom and minimise distortion caused by transient peaks. Sony says the C-80 is more “accessible” than its prestigious $10,000 C-800G mic and is aimed at the entry-level recording artist or content creator with an at-home studio.
You can get a closer look in the video from Sony below:
Its technical specs include:
- Frequency response of 20Hz – 20kHz
- Uni-directional
- Sensitivity of -30 dB (deviation ±3 dB)
- Output Impedance: 90Ω±15%, balanced
- Dynamic Range: More than 125.5 dB
- Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 81.5dB
- Inherent Noise: Less than 12.5 dB SPL (0 dB=2 × 10-5 Pa) (IEC* 61672-1 A-Weighted, 1 kHz, 1 Pa)
Sony’s C-800G mic has been used by some of the most iconic producers and artists of all time and has been dubbed as the quintessential hip-hop microphone. We look forward to reviewing the C-80 and learning how it performs in comparison to its extravagant sibling.
In June, Sony released its first-ever gaming headsets with 360 Spatial Audio support for the Inzone range. Its WH-1000XM5 headphones also saw major upgrades from its predecessor, the WH-1000XM4, when they were launched last May, hosting two processors for ANC and a mighty eight microphones.
Sony is planning to release the C-80 in November 2022 in the US and Canada, priced at $500.
Find out more at pro.sony.
