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MXL 2003A

Cardioid Condenser Microphone

MXL’s 2003A is a revamp of the popular model 2003. Both are side-address, large-diaphragm, fixed-cardioid, transformerless FET condensers with a tapered body style made famous by the U-87.

That said, the 2003A “is for all intents and purposes a completely new microphone,” according to Roy Harper of MXL.

The 2003A capsule measures 32mm and uses a 3-micron diaphragm. The front diaphragm is gold-sputtered and center-terminated; the rear is clear Mylar. The front backplate appears to be a K67 type; the rear backplate has fewer, larger holes. According to MXL, the 2003A capsule is tuned differently than the capsule in the original 2003

The amplifier circuit was redesigned, resulting in (among other changes) a decrease in sensitivity, from 16 mV/Pa to 7.1 mV/Pa, and a decrease in self-noise from 18dBA to 11 dBA. The circuit is transformerless, and is built with through-hole components.

If the published frequency plots can be believed, the new version of the mic does away with the +5dB HF peak above 10kHz, resulting in a significantly flatter response.

Like the 2003, the 2003A ships with an elastic shockmount (MXL p/n MXL-56).

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The mic was released in 2009.

Specifications

Frequency Response - CardioidClick Graph to Compare!

Pickup Patterns	Pads & Filters
Cardioid (7.1 mV/Pa; 20 - 20,000 Hz)	Filter: HPF: -6dB/octave @ 150Hz (Via Switch)

Capsule Dimensions	Impedance	SPL/Noise
Diaphragm diameter: 25mm Capsule diameter: 32mm Diaphragm gauge: 3 microns	200 Ohms (Low)	Max SPL: 152 dB Self-noise: 11.0 dB(A)

Weight	Length	Max Diameter	Interface(s)
454g (16.01oz)	190mm (7.48'')	50mm (1.97'')	3-pin XLR male (1)

Power Specifications
Requires phantom power Phantom voltage: 48 ± 4v

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