Audix
i5
Dynamic · Cardioid · 50–16,000 Hz
- Audix's graph shows a lift of about 5 dB around 130 Hz and a presence peak near 5 kHz — body and crack for a snare before any EQ.
- Shorter and fatter than a 57, so it clears a hi-hat that the longer body would be fighting.
Frequency response
Redrawn from Audix’s published response graph (approximate, ±2 dB) on the fixed MicSense scale — 20 Hz–20 kHz, −20 to +15 dB — so two microphones can be compared at a glance. No image is copied; it is a guide to the shape, not a measurement. The maker’s graph (Frequency response, spec sheet p.2).
Polar pattern
Generated from the first-order directivity formula for cardioid. It illustrates the pattern type — it is not a measurement of this individual model.
Specifications
| Manufacturer | Audix |
|---|---|
| Model | i5 |
| Type | Dynamic |
| Form factor | End-address |
| Polar pattern | Cardioid |
| Frequency range | 50–16,000 Hz |
| Sensitivity | 1.6 mV/Pa · ≈ -55.9 dBV/Pa |
| Max SPL | 140 dB SPL (THD not stated) |
| Self-noise | — none (passive capsule) |
| Impedance | 280 Ω (output impedance) |
| Connector | XLR3M |
| Powering | None (dynamic) |
| Weight | 248 g |
Specifications: Audix datasheet · last checked 2 Oct 2026. These are the maker’s published figures for this model. A dash never means zero: “not published by the maker” means the maker’s documents give no figure; “not yet checked” means MicSense has not confirmed one yet. Spotted an error? Tell us.
MicSense notes
| Price tier | Mid |
|---|---|
| Introduced | 2003 |
Price tier and “a rider regular” are MicSense’s own judgement, not the maker’s.
What it gets used for
- Snare top
- Guitar cab
- Horn / brass
- Toms
MicSense tags microphones by the job on a live stage, not by studio category — so you can filter for “kick in” or “monitor vocal” instead of working backwards from “large-diaphragm condenser”.
i5 alternatives: closest in published specs
Based on published specifications only — always listen at soundcheck. These are the microphones in the MicSense library whose datasheet figures sit closest to the Audix i5’s for the same live job, with the reasons. It says nothing about how they sound.
-
Shure
SM57
- Same job: snare top, guitar cab, horn / brass
- Same type: dynamic
- Same cardioid pattern
- Same form: end-address
- Similar published response shape (≈ 2.8 dB apart on average, 100 Hz–10 kHz)
- About the same output — within the datasheets’ tolerance
Not comparable: max SPL not published by the maker
-
sE Electronics
V7 X
- Same job: snare top, guitar cab, horn / brass
- Same type: dynamic
- Same form: end-address
- Similar published response shape (≈ 2 dB apart on average, 100 Hz–10 kHz)
- About the same output — within the datasheets’ tolerance
- Supercardioid instead of cardioid — deepest rejection at ±126°, not 180°: check where the wedge sits
Not comparable: max SPL not published by the maker
-
Shure
PGA57
- Same job: snare top, guitar cab, horn / brass
- Same type: dynamic
- Same cardioid pattern
- Same form: end-address
- About the same output — within the datasheets’ tolerance
Not comparable: response curve not redrawn yet · max SPL not published by the maker
Compare it against the alternatives.
MicSense lets you put up to four microphones side by side — spec table, overlaid response curves and polar diagrams on one screen. Free with a free Squaresmile account.