Sennheiser MD 425
A supercardioid vocal dynamic that fixed the one thing everyone griped about on the MD 421, and it came in anodized blue.
Overview
The MD 425 arrived as the newest member of Sennheiser's "Classic" line of dynamic microphones, alongside the MD 441, MD 431 II, and MD 421 II. EQ (November 1996, p.26) covered the launch and listed it at $395. It's a pressure-gradient dynamic with a supercardioid polar pattern. The published specs read like a working vocal mic, not a showpiece: a frequency response of 10 Hz to 18,000 Hz, sensitivity of 1.6 millivolts/Pa (±3 dB), nominal impedance of 350 ohms at 1 kHz, and a minimal terminating impedance of 1000 ohms.
What made the 425 interesting to anyone who'd spent years wrestling with a 421 was the mount. That accessory was backward-compatible with both the classic and the newer MD 421-II. In practical terms, that's a mic designed to survive a stage, not a shelf.
The body is built for touring. EQ (November 1996, p.26) described a steel-mesh basket around the element to protect it from shocks and bumps, with an internal damping system to reduce handling noise. The on/off switch is a reed type for noiseless operation, and it can be locked to the "on" position to avoid onstage accidents. The low-profile, anodized blue finish keeps the mic visually unobtrusive, which helps for podium work where a chrome grille would be a distraction. Dimensions are 44 mm maximum diameter by 207 mm length, and it weighs 320 grams.
The supercardioid pattern is the point of a mic like this, and Sennheiser's numbers back it up: maximum rejection angle of 120 degrees, greater than 20 dB at 1 kHz. EQ (November 1996, p.26) drew the practical conclusion that stage wedges used for monitoring should sit to the side of a vocalist rather than directly in front. A magnetic field distortion level of less than or equal to 35 microvolts rounds out the published spec sheet. The connector is a standard three-pin XLR with pin 2 hot.
EQ (November 1996, p.26) positioned the 425 as the newest member of the Classic line and described it as primarily designed for vocals and intended to withstand heavy use under live sound reinforcement and touring conditions. That's launch-piece framing, but it lines up with the mount, the damping, and the switch lock.
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