C725

From PMT Audio:

Both of my clients that have purchased a C725 from me have reported that it is the best microphone they could imagine. After one of them explained to me that there was something he described as an aura, although admitting he could not really describe what he was hearing, I checked in with David Josephson to ask for his perspective. Because of the unique grill and the microphone’s design Mr. Josephson explained that it was all of the things that happen with other microphones without these features that my client, for the first time, wasn’t hearing.

This would be my first choice when filling my microphone locker with high-end vocal mics.

From Josephson Engineering:

The C725 provides classic studio microphone performance using a hybrid of vacuum tube and solid state technology, and our advanced dual-diaphragm capsule used on the C700 and C716 microphones. A separate high voltage regulated power supply is provided, with five switchable directional patterns and a unique warm/cool selector to optimize the signal path. The C725 is suitable for detailed vocal and instrument pickup.

The head grille uses Josephson’s patented aluminum foam, fused to the housing for physical and electrical protection, with only an ultrafine highly open mesh used for contamination protection. No other structure is needed, so internal reflections are random and minimal, allowing clean, detailed sound pickup. The capsule assembly is internally shockmounted so the microphone can be attached directly to a stand through its yoke mount. The C725 features a satin nickel finish for durability in studio use.

The internal circuitry is related to other Josephson mics, with a cascode topology for best linearity. Instead of two FETs to build the cascode, in the C725 the voltage-gain section uses a custom low-noise FET, while the current gain stage uses a new production pentode vacuum tube. This allows the low noise of the FET along with the dynamic characteristics of the vacuum tube. The output is provided through a custom nickel-core transformer, which has independent windings for output and gain control.