Austin, TX (October 5, 2023)—The WA-8000 large-diaphragm tube mic has been a hit for Warm Audio ever since the company first released it two years ago this month; now the company has introduced a limited edition of the microphone in gold finish—the WA-8000G.
Other than its exterior, the WA-8000G is identical to the original model—and that in turn is strikingly similar to the revered Sony C800G, an iconic mic in the worlds of hip-hop and R&B, having been used on touchstone records by artists like Dr. Dre, Mariah Carey, Boyz II Men, Rihanna, Drake and many others. But while the C800G runs upwards of $11,000, the WA-8000s cost a fraction of that, although they are still not an impulse purchase.
Warm Audio WA-8000 Mic – A Real-World Review
Regardless of the exterior, both versions of the WA-8000 feature a custom “K-67-inspired” all-brass capsule; a Lundahl Sweden transformer; a NOS 6AU6 tube; and a 5-meter, 7-pin cable from Gotham Switzerland. The capsule features a gold-sputtered, dual large diaphragm, single backplate, and more. Similar to the C800G, the WA-8000 sports its own onboard heat sink, designed to keep the microphone at an optimal temperature so it doesn’t overheat, while also reducing self-noise and distortion as a result.
Offering cardioid and omni polar patterns, the mic’s self noise is 15 dB cardioid and 17 dB omni. Similarly, it can handle maximum SPLs of 131 dB (cardioid) and 134dB (omni). Each mic comes with an external power supply, IEC power cable, shock mount and custom hard case.
The list price for the traditional black WA-8000 remains $1,199 while the limited-edition gold WA-8000G version is $1,299.
