“The WA‑87 R2, however, sounds spookily similar to its inspiration, and where it’s not identical, the very slight differences would give you a welcome choice depending on the source. I ended up using the Warm mic over my U87 for my female vocal recording, for example, as I liked the slightly brighter sound. I don’t know technically what effect age has on components and mic capsules, but the fact that Warm Audio have been able to dial in the sound of a brand new product to match that of a 50‑year‑old one almost identically is very impressive indeed.
The original U87 is a studio classic for a reason, in that it is an all‑round, reliable studio workhorse that can shine on most voices. Warm Audio’s WA‑87 R2 convincingly offers the sound of a vintage U87 at around a quarter of the price, and should make home recordists, and even professional studio engineers, very happy indeed.”
View the full review here.