Earthworks SR117 Microphone Review: Uncompromising clarity at a sensible price

Earthworks has built a solid reputation for delivering ultra-precise, transparent sound, and the SR117 sits right in line with that philosophy, while keeping things grounded at a price that won’t make you wince. Headliner dives into the finer details…

I first remember experiencing Earthworks microphones at a Diana Krall concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall. I think it was 2009. I was covering the show as a fairly new freelance journalist, with a decent audio knowledge, most of my commissioned work coming in the field of live sound.

Having seen a number of great and not-so-great shows up to that point, at a scattering of different-sounding venues (including the RAH, which is of course a far from easy space to mix in), this show was the first that jumped out at me as ‘sounding like a record’. I remember at the time mentioning this to Diana’s FOH engineer, who attributed the core reason for this to the microphones being used on stage: all condensers, all by Earthworks.

Fast forward some 12 years, and I get the opportunity to try out the new Earthworks ICON mics: first on the Headliner Radio podcast, where we still use them (excellent clarity, and no need for a pop shield, incredibly); and also on some live band recordings, where they really shine on a driven guitar cab.

First Impressions of SR117

In August 2024, I first got my hands on an SR117 – seven months after the mic won a revered TEC Award at Winter NAMM. I did a little testing in my studio live room with a great vocalist and was instantly amazed at what I was hearing: clean as a whistle, very natural depth, and just such great, in-your-face tone – with nothing on it at all.

A few weeks later, I took five SR117s to Pub in the Park Festival in St Albans, where Headliner put on its first-ever festival stage to support its Aspiring Headliner brand: 23 artists performed across three days, all performances were recorded direct into the excellent QSC TouchMix-30 Pro [mixer], with Earthworks SR117s catering to all vocalists and various bits of percussion.

In the live environment – where, of course, the SR117 is supposed to be – its performance was exceptional. Vocals soared through our QSC K2.0 rig across the weekend no matter what the genre: pop, folk, rock, metal, rap – we had it all going on, and we never lost the headroom.

Kudos to the great PA, of course, but equal applause must be offered to the SR117. The maddest bit was the lack of any feedback, too – no issues whatsoever at any point.

A Closer Listen

When you look at the competition in this price bracket, it’s easy to find good microphones, but the SR117 stands out for the sheer level of transparency and accuracy it delivers. Microphones at this price point can either sound a little cloudy or overly flat, but the SR117 seems to strike an almost impossible balance between the two, offering the type of clarity you’d expect from mics way higher up the food chain.

Plus, it’s a double-whammy purchase for any aspiring artist: you get a great live mic that can also cut it in the home studio environment… What’s not to love?

The SR117 excels in ways that are hard to describe without hearing it, but it’s the detail and resolution this mic provides that are next-level. The sound just presents itself without any artificial colouration, which makes for crisp, extended reverb tails and beautifully rendered high-end information. And it doesn’t bite! A smooth, natural sound allows everything to breathe.

Then there’s the proximity effect. While many mics can give you a nice, rounded bass boost when you get close, the SR117 doesn’t overdo it. The low-end warmth is there, but it’s controlled, and it enhances the sound rather than distorting it. No pops, no feedback, nothing you don’t want.

Ultimately, the Earthworks SR117 is one of those mics that feels like it’s doing everything right, without being flashy about it. There’s an understated quality to the performance: no gimmicks, no unnecessary hype, it just sounds fantastic. And for the price, it delivers way, way more than you’d expect.

The SR117’s clarity and versatility truly make it a standout option; it’s a microphone that will quickly and quietly earn your trust the more you use it.