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Pricing and availability
We compare 600+ stores and found this item at 8 stores. Prices updated .
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Price
Average Price: $3,649
High-end/Boutique
$100
$401+
Price Tier
Budget
Standard
High-end
Price History
Based on price data from 7 merchants for "Neumann U87". Prices shown reflect NEW condition. Tracking began Apr 2, 2026.
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Description
The Neumann U87 Ai is the pinnacle of professional recording technology, adored by musicians and producers for its unparalleled sound quality and versatility. This large-diaphragm condenser microphone is renowned for its ability to capture any instrument or vocal with astounding realism. With its three directional patterns - omni, cardioid, and figure-8 - the U87 Ai can adapt to any recording situation, from intimate vocals to ensemble recordings.
A key feature of the U87 Ai is its flat frequency response and natural midrange, providing pristine sound recordings that truly shine. The mic’s articulate highs, rich lows, and open midrange bring warmth and character to any recording, making it a favorite in professional studios worldwide.
Built to last, the U87 Ai’s premium components and meticulous quality control ensure it will deliver consistent, high-quality recordings for years to come. The U87 Ai is not just a microphone, it's a legacy, a testament to over 90 years of Neumann's tradition of excellence in the world of audio technology.
Key Features:
- Large-diaphragm condenser microphone
- Three directional patterns: omni, cardioid, figure-8
- Flat frequency response and natural midrange
- Articulate highs, rich lows, and open midrange
- Switchable 10 dB pad and low-cut filter
- Extended 20 Hz to 20 kHz frequency response
- Pressure-gradient transducer with double-membrane capsule
- Requires +48-volt phantom power
- Handcrafted in Germany with meticulous quality control
Product specs
| Microphone Type | Condenser |
| Polar Pattern | Cardioid, Omni, Figure-8 |
| Diaphragm Size | 1" (25.4mm) |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz-20kHz |
| Max SPL | 117dB (Cardioid), 127dB w/10dB Preattenuation |
| Output Impedance | 200 ohms |
| Signal to Noise Ratio | 82dB (Cardioid), 79dB (Omni), 80dB (Figure-8) |
| Self Noise | 12dB (Cardioid), 15dB (Omni), 14dB (Figure-8) |
| Low Cut Filter | Yes |
| Pads | -10dB |
| Connector | XLR |
| Weight | 1.1 lbs. |
| Included Accessories | Wooden Box |
FAQs
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What polar patterns does the Neumann U 87 Ai offer?
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The Neumann U 87 Ai features three selectable polar patterns: cardioid, omni, and figure-8, providing versatility for different recording scenarios.
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Is the Neumann U 87 Ai suitable for vocal recording?
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Yes, the Neumann U 87 Ai is highly regarded for vocal recording due to its warm sound and ability to add positive color, making it a favorite in professional studios.
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Does the Neumann U 87 Ai require phantom power?
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Yes, the Neumann U 87 Ai requires phantom power to operate, as it is a condenser microphone.
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What is the frequency response of the Neumann U 87 Ai?
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The Neumann U 87 Ai has a frequency response of 20Hz to 20kHz, capturing a wide range of audio frequencies with clarity.
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Can the Neumann U 87 Ai handle high sound pressure levels?
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Yes, the Neumann U 87 Ai can handle a maximum SPL of 117dB in cardioid mode and up to 127dB with the 10dB preattenuation pad engaged, suitable for loud sources.
Videos
Podcastage
Neumann U87 Ai Mic Review / Test (Compared to NW700, AT2020, NT1, SM7b, KSM44a, C414 XLII)
Neumann U87 Ai Mic Review / Test (Compared to NW700, AT2020, NT1, SM7b, KSM44a, C414 XLII)
Podcastage
Get Real, Get the Original | The Neumann U 87 Ai
Georg Neumann GmbH
Neumann TLM103 vs Neumann U87 Ai Comparison (Versus Series)
Podcastage
Neumann U 87 Ai: The Industry Standard for World-class Sound
Sweetwater
Neumann U87 AI Demo On Acoustic Guitar
Vintage King
Reviews
PROS
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Exceptional sound quality with perfect EQ spectrum
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Built-in noise gate-like quality minimizes background noise
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Accurate reproduction of source sound, setting studio standards
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Versatile, ideal for a range of vocals and instruments
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High-quality build and materials ensure durability
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Multipattern capability with high pass and attenuator adds flexibility
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Vintage models praised for deeper, natural sound
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Complements well with high-end preamps for superior sound
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Recognized as a classic, practical tool in professional studios
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Company provides excellent customer support
CONS
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Significantly more expensive than other high-quality options
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Newer U87Ai models considered to have less depth than vintage
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Requires regular maintenance, especially vintage models
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Some users find the price not fully justified by the performance
Owner Insights
We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Neumann U87.
Build quality
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The U87 Ai is often counterfeited; due diligence is required to verify authenticity, especially at unusually low prices.
Source
Use cases and applications
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The U87 Ai excels in capturing detailed sound, making room acoustics crucial; untreated spaces can severely impact the recording quality.
Source -
The U87 Ai is more suited for controlled environments; users warn that it will capture every detail, including unwanted room acoustics.
Source -
For loud vocals, raising the U87 and tilting it down can prevent harshness, offering a simple positional adjustment for better results.
Source
Setup and maintenance
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Heavy base boom mic stands are recommended to safeguard the investment of a U87 Ai.
Source
Mods and upgrades
Comparisons
Features and functionality
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The U87's built-in high-pass filter is considered too severe by some, leading to a thin sound; using a preamp HPF or plugin is recommended instead.
Source
User experience
Critic Reviews
5.0 out of 5
Based on 9 Reviews and 90 Ratings
156
Originál U87 je totální klasika
A bavím se samozřejmě o originálu, který používám Neumann U87 ne o verzi Ai. Velmi rád používám tento vintage mikrofon, je to takový univerzál, který sice není vhodný pro každý hlas, ale rozhodně to můžete zkusit a z tohoto bodu se odrážet dále k hledání jiného mikrofonu pro daný úkol. Tento nástroj mám v mém nahrávacím studiu Sunteem records.
129
Fantastic
This is a workhorse mic and I really love how it sounds on acoustic guitars, female vocals, and drum overheads. I combine this with a UA-610 mic pre and it has a silkyness to it that is reminiscent of Frank Sinatra.
40997
similar capsule to the recordings of Frank with a U47 and U67... not the same as the Tele ELAM251 they put in front of him and way different than his earliest work when all that was available n the USA were ribbon mics, usualy RCAs... but you can't go wrong with any Neumann's, they come in different flavors but are al tasty
129
Amen to that!
275
Wonderful Mic
Used in conjuction with four other microphones to record an Orange OR120 for my band's debut album Also used to record vocals on the same record
236
A Classic
People love it so much for a reason. If you can I'd recommend tracking down a vintage model over a newer AI.
134
Best Microphone
Ever since I heard about the Neumann U87, I didn't believe that this would make my vocals sound so amazing.
Artist usage
Add artist
"He also used a Fender Bassman on about four songs and a Vox AC30 for some clean tracks. Four microphones were used to mic Kurt's speaker cabinet (he would pick which mic he liked best for each song and its signal was sent through the Neve console at Sound City): a Shure SM57, an AKG 414, a Neumann U87, and occasionally a Sennheiser 421."
We also know he used an AKG C414 to record 'Polly' and 'Something In The Way'
Used for room mics on Nevermind, as stated by producer Butch Vig in this March 1997 Sound on Sound interview.
"In the case of Dave Grohl's kit I used an AKG D12 and a FET 47 on the kick, and then we built a drum tunnel consisting of old drum shells attached to the bass drum and extended out about six feet. That way you can move a mic back three to four feet, and the FET 47 was a little farther away from where the front head would have been. By having the drum tunnel, you isolate the room, so that you don't get all of the cymbal bleed, or whatever."
Otherwise the drum miking was fairly standard: a Shure SM57 on the snare, along with an AKG 451, Sennheiser 421s on the toms, AKG 414s and Neumann KM84s on the cymbals, and Neumann U87s for distant room mics.
Used as an ambeint mic for the electric guitar on Continuum, as stated by recording engineer Chad Franscoviak in this October 1, 2006 Mix Online interview.
Miking Mayer's guitar rig depended on the song's mood. On “The Heart of Life,” Franscoviak threw a ribbon mic in the middle of the main room as a pair of amplifiers boosted Mayer's tracks. On the majority of the tracks, though, Franscoviak would put a Shure SM57 and a Beyerdynamic M88 right next to each other, about two fingers' width from the guitar cabinet's grille. He would take that track, blend it and send it to one channel. In addition, Mayer likes to hear room ambience on his guitar tracks. To accomplish that, Franscoviak would point either a pair of U67s or U87s about three feet from the edge of the semi-circle of amps, and then either a U47 or a Telefunken 251 in front of them all.
“Then, every once in a while, if he wanted a beefy sound, I would use a [Yamaha] NS10 speaker that had been reversed,” Franscoviak says. “I would put that right up on the cone of one of his cabinets to get that real low-end thing.” The best example of that, he adds, is the solo in “I'm Gonna Find Another You.” Mayer's acoustic guitar chain was an AKG C24 microphone into 1073s.
Used for the Univox J series organ on "Icky Thump", as stated by recording and mixing engineer Joe Chiccarelli in this October 2007 Sound on Sound interview.
"The synthesizer was an old 1959 Univox that he found in New Zealand. It’s a suitcase synth with a speaker built into it, no DI. It’s very reedy, very mid-rangy, and it sounded so good in the room that the ambience you hear on it is just the room ambience." (...) “I probably didn’t do much to that, because I liked the way it sounded on tape. So it was just a matter of balancing the level.” (...) "The Univox sounded great acoustically in the room and was miked with a U87 across the room, going into a Chandler TG2 preamp and then some slight compression with an LA2A."
This is restated by Chiccarelli in this October 1, 2007 Mix Online interview.
While the Stripes sound has its foundation in a guitar and drum combination, there were a handful of songs on Icky Thump that included some new instrument choices. For instance, the title track features a vintage Univox synthesizer that Jack White purchased in New Zealand. The keyboard doesn't have a direct out like most keyboards; it has a built in speaker, so Chiccarelli put an 87 about five feet away from it. “It had so much personality that you didn't want to put a mic inches away from it — you really wanted to capture how it sounded in the room.”
Used for Gilmour's guitar on Dark Side of the Moon, as mentioned by recording engineer Alan Parsons in this March 9, 2012 Premier Guitar interview by Mitch Gallagher.
What about with Gilmour on Dark Side of the Moon?
Probably a [Neumann] U 87, possibly a U 86. I’ve carried that through right to the present day.
Did you use both of those together or did you use them separately?
Just one or the other.
Despite Parsons' uncertainty, a U87 is visible next to Gilmour in this footage from the Dark Side of the Moon sessions at 3:55.
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Kevin appears to be using a Neumann U87 for vocals in this studio pic from his instragram page.
Used on Lullabies to Paralyze for guitars. Sound engineer Joe Baressi : "When I want more low end, I may have an AKG 414 on there, and when I'm after a little more personality, a Neumann 87, backed up a foot, or a ribbon mic — like the Royer 122, or an RCA BK5 or 77."
"Mic-wise, when it came to recording Alex Turner’s vocals (and the backing vocals sung by Matt Helders), Abbiss moved between a Shure SM7 and a Neumann U67 and U87. “If Alex was doing a vocal live, we used the SM7, ‘cause it’s really good at rejecting spill from anything else. The U67 they’ve got there is good and middly sounding. Matt never did his BVs as part of the live takes, he concentrated on his drumming. The 87 was there for the BVs.”- Jim Abbiss, producer of "I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor".
Naumann U87 mics were used by Daft Punk and their crew to record the Fender Rhodes, as well as guitar cab.
A Neumann U87 microphone, identifiable by its shock mount, is used to mic Jonny Greenwood's Vox AC30 amplifier in a screenshot from Radiohead's "From The Basement" performance of "Bodysnatchers" on April 2, 2008.
Unfortunately Calvin Harris shared a photo of this Neumann U87 mic broken in half. We're betting he managed to fix this beautiful piece of gear.
Linda actually came up with some parts on her own — the entire backing vocals on ‘Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey’ consists of the two of them — but when she needed a hand, Paul was great with her. We used a combination of U87s — if we were working on something smooth — and Shure SM57s for the rockier stuff throughout the album. Paul didn’t care what mic you put on him, although he did like the U87. He’s such a great singer.
Album Usage
The Neumann U87 has been featured on the following albums:
Gloria: In Excelsis Deo (RCA Demo)
Patti Smith (2025)
Thank You New York Knicks
Busta Rhymes & Rakim & Styles P (2025)
Now Is The Time
Rakim (2025)
BK Harlem
Masta Killa (2025)
Please Don't Break My Heart
Method Man (2025)
Why You Claim It
Teena Marie (2025)
Automatic Yes (feat. John Mayer)
John Mayer & Zedd (2024)
Short n' Sweet
Sabrina Carpenter (2024)
![Neumann U87 as heard on Something In The Way (From "The Batman") [Piano Version] by Kurt Cobain (2023)](https://images.equipboard.com/uploads/album/image/260283/something-in-the-way-from-the-batman-piano-version.jpg)
Something In The Way (From "The Batman") [Piano Version]
Kurt Cobain (2023)
Every Breath You Take
Stewart Copeland & Stewart Copeland (2023)
Hackney Diamonds
The Rolling Stones (2023)
From The Start
Laufey (2023)
Keep Going Up
Justin Timberlake & Timbaland & Nelly Furtado (2023)
Ribbons
Ryan Beatty (2023)
Buffalo Stance
Mapei & Robyn & Neneh Cherry (2022)
Meth Lab Season 3 : The Rehab
Method Man (2022)
10:35
Tiësto & Tate McRae (2022)
Non dovevo farlo
gIANMARIA (2022)
![Neumann U87 as heard on Bang a Gong (Get It On) [Outtake] by T. Rex (2021)](https://images.equipboard.com/uploads/album/image/28842/bang-a-gong-get-it-on-outtake.jpg)
Bang a Gong (Get It On) [Outtake]
T. Rex (2021)
NEVER LEFT
Lil Tecca (2021)
![Neumann U87 as heard on Something in the Way (Teaser Trailer From "The Batman") [Medieval Style] by Kurt Cobain & Celestial Aeon Project (2020)](https://images.equipboard.com/uploads/album/image/260284/something-in-the-way-teaser-trailer-from-the-batman-medieval-style.jpg)
Something in the Way (Teaser Trailer From "The Batman") [Medieval Style]
Kurt Cobain & Celestial Aeon Project (2020)
Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath of God (Reloaded)
Busta Rhymes (2020)
Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath of God
Busta Rhymes (2020)
Parasite Eve
Bring Me The Horizon (2020)
Virgo World
Lil Tecca (2020)
Between Da Protests
KRS-One (2020)
THE GOAT
Polo G (2020)
Someone You Loved (Sped Up)
Lewis Capaldi (2019)
Five Feet Apart (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Brian Tyler & Breton Vivian (2019)
Firepower
Judas Priest (2018)
?
XXXTENTACION (2018)
Anthem Of The Peaceful Army
Greta Van Fleet (2018)
Meth Lab Season 2: The Lithium
Method Man (2018)
Wonder Years
Sean David Grant (2017)
Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho
HUNCHO JACK & Quavo & Travis Scott (2017)
Luv Is Rage 2
Lil Uzi Vert (2017)
Paper
David Banner (2017)
Rewrite The Stars
Zendaya (2017)
SVIIB
School Of Seven Bells (2016)
Song for the Life
Jerry Jeff Walker (2016)
Do What Thou Wilt.
Ab-Soul (2016)
Plotting
Dizzy Wright (2016)
Sweatshirt
Jacob Sartorius (2016)
You Want It Darker
Leonard Cohen (2016)
Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight
Travis Scott (2016)
Drones
Muse (2015)
Repentless
Slayer (2015)
Oz
Missy Higgins (2014)
Random Access Memories
Daft Punk & Daft Punk (2013)
Le Milleuna
Demetrio Stratos (2013)
Take Me to Church EP
Hozier (2013)
States
The Paper Kites (2013)
Ghostory (Deluxe Version)
School Of Seven Bells (2012)
Sneak Peek: Finally Rich
Chief Keef (2012)
Boys & Girls
Alabama Shakes (2012)
True
Solange (2012)
Audio, Video, Disco.
Justice (2011)
Live in Paris: I Just Wanna Rock
Joe Satriani (2010)
Pássaro De Fogo
Paula Fernandes (2009)
Sex On Fire
Kings of Leon (2009)
Congo Square
Teena Marie (2009)
Only By The Night
Kings of Leon (2008)
Mood Muzik 3 (The Album)
Joe Budden (2008)
Professor Satchafunkilus and the Musterion of Rock
Joe Satriani (2008)
Funplex
The B-52's (2008)
Because Of The Times
Kings of Leon (2007)
Icky Thump
The White Stripes & Jack White & Jack White (2007)
Curtis
50 Cent (2007)
Kickin' Out The Footlights... Again: Jones Sings Haggard, Haggard Sings Jones
Merle Haggard & George Jones (2006)
Continuum
John Mayer (2006)
Back To Black (Deluxe Edition)
Amy Winehouse (2006)
I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor
Arctic Monkeys (2005)
Lullabies To Paralyze
Queens of the Stone Age (2005)
Occasion: Connick on Piano 2
Harry Connick, Jr. (2005)
Late Registration
Kanye West (2005)
Deliverance
Bubba Sparxxx (2003)
Tha Last Meal
Snoop Dogg (2000)
Pop
U2 (1997)
The Colour And The Shape
Foo Fighters (1997)
Dreaming Of You
Selena (1995)
Sueño Stereo (Remastered)
Soda Stereo (1995)
Superunknown (Super Deluxe)
Soundgarden (1994)
Second Coming
The Stone Roses (1994)
Linger
The Cranberries (1993)
Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?
The Cranberries (1993)
Infamous Angel
Iris DeMent (1992)
Into The Great Wide Open
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (1991)
Nevermind
Nirvana (1991)
Mosquitos
Stan Ridgway (1989)
Cosmic Thing
The B-52's (1989)
She Blinded Me With Science
Thomas Dolby (1987)
Seven and the Ragged Tiger
Duran Duran (1983)
Ark
The Animals (1983)
Alturas de Macchu Picchu
Los Jaivas (1981)
Back In Black
AC/DC (1980)
Women and Children First (Remastered)
Van Halen (1980)
Van Halen II (Remastered)
Van Halen (1979)
Who Are You
The Who (1978)
Metrodora
Demetrio Stratos (1976)
Rocks
Aerosmith (1976)
The Dark Side of the Moon
Pink Floyd (1973)
Let's Get It On
Marvin Gaye (1973)
What's Going On
Marvin Gaye (1971)
Genre Usage
Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.
Used With
Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Neumann U87, it is most commonly used with the following gear.
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