Microphones
Shure SM58 vs Audix OM5
Quick answer
The SM58 at $109.00 is the right microphone for a rota of volunteers, because it forgives a singer who moves. The OM5 at $179.00 reaches about 1.4 dB further at the same gain and suits one disciplined vocalist in your loudest room.
Shure SM58 Pro XLR Dynamic Vocal Microphone
$109.00A cardioid with a distance factor of about 1.7, forgiving of off-axis movement and familiar to every musician who will ever visit your church.
Best for: Every vocal position that does not need to be wireless
Check price on Amazon
AUDIX OM5 Hypercardioid Handheld Dynamic Vocal Microphone for Stage Singers
$179.00A hypercardioid with an unusually tight pattern and very high gain before feedback, which punishes a singer who moves off axis.
Best for: A disciplined vocalist in the loudest room you have
Check price on AmazonThese cost $109.00 and $179.00 and they are aimed at different singers, not different budgets. The SM58 is the microphone you hand to anyone. The OM5 is the microphone you assign to one person who has been shown how to use it and who stands still.
The OM5 does genuinely reach further before feeding back, and the number is smaller than the reputation. A hypercardioid distance factor of about 2.0 against a cardioid 1.7 works out to roughly 1.4 dB, which is real and useful in a room that is already at its limit. What gets a church into trouble is that the narrow pattern also means a singer two inches off centre drops out of the mix.
Side by side
| Model | Price | Microphone type | Polar pattern | Needs phantom power | Frequency range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shure SM58 Pro XLR Dynamic Vocal Microphone | $109.00 | Dynamic | Cardioid | No | 50 Hz to 15 kHz |
| AUDIX OM5 Hypercardioid Handheld Dynamic Vocal Microphone for Stage Singers | $179.00 | Dynamic | Hypercardioid | No | - |
Three patterns and where each one rejects hardest
The choice of capsule sets where your wedges can live. This is the table to take to the platform with a tape measure.
A hypercardioid OM5 has a distance factor of about 2.0 against 1.7 for a cardioid SM58, which is roughly 1.4 dB of extra reach at the same gain and a much narrower window for the singer to stand in.
| Microphone | Pattern | Deepest rejection | Distance factor | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shure SM58 | Cardioid | 180 degrees, straight behind | 1.7 | Anyone, including a guest who has never held a microphone |
| Shure Beta 58A | Supercardioid | About 126 and 234 degrees | 1.9 | A lead vocal on a loud platform |
| Audix OM5 | Hypercardioid | About 110 and 250 degrees | 2.0 | A disciplined singer who stays on axis |
| Audix OM2 | Hypercardioid | About 110 and 250 degrees | 2.0 | Backing vocals that need the pattern but not the price |
Distance factor is the standard directivity measure. Converting 1.7 to 2.0 gives about 1.4 dB of additional reach at the same gain setting, which is worth having and is not the transformation the marketing implies.
Choose the SM58 for a rota, a guest list and a normal room
If different people sing every week, buy the SM58 and stop thinking about it. The wider cardioid pattern means a singer can move several inches without the level collapsing, which is what actually happens when a volunteer is concentrating on the words rather than on the microphone. At $109.00 you can equip the whole line and keep two spares.
It is also the microphone a visiting musician expects to find on the stand, and that familiarity has practical value. Nobody has to be briefed on how close to work or how far they can turn their head. For a church running a guest speaker rota or a youth band, that is worth more than a decibel.
The honest limit is a genuinely loud platform. If the drummer is unshielded, the wedges are loud and the lead vocal is still buried, a tighter capsule will help. So will lowering the stage volume, which is usually the cheaper fix and is covered in reducing stage volume.
Choose the OM5 for one trained voice in your loudest room
The OM5 is the right answer for a lead vocalist who sings every week, has been shown how to work the microphone, and is fighting a band in a room where the wedges are already as loud as they can go. The tight hypercardioid pattern rejects more of the platform than either Shure, and the extra reach means the preamp gain can come down.
Place the wedges into the nulls at roughly 110 and 250 degrees, which means off to the sides rather than directly behind. A hypercardioid, like a supercardioid, has a rear lobe, so a wedge straight behind the singer is the one position guaranteed to waste the upgrade. Work through the worship band guide before moving anything.
The cost is discipline. A singer who drifts off axis on an OM5 does not simply get quieter, they get quieter and duller, because the off-axis response is not flat. If your lead vocal changes every week, this is the wrong purchase and the OM2 at $99.00 is the more sensible way to get some of the pattern benefit across several backing positions.
Sources
- Shure published SM58 specifications
- Audix published OM5 and OM2 specifications
- Standard distance factor figures for cardioid, supercardioid and hypercardioid patterns
Frequently asked questions
How much more gain before feedback does the OM5 really give?
About 1.4 dB from the directivity difference alone, comparing a hypercardioid distance factor of 2.0 with a cardioid 1.7. In practice churches report more than that, because switching capsules usually comes with moving the wedges into the nulls at the same time. The pattern change and the placement change are two separate improvements.
Does the OM5 sound different from the SM58?
Yes. The Audix is generally more open and detailed in the upper midrange with less of the presence bump the SM58 is known for, which some singers love and others find unflattering. The only reliable way to decide is to put both on the same voice through your own system and let the vocalist choose.
Can I mix SM58s and OM5s on one vocal line?
You can, but expect to equalise each channel separately and to hear the blend change when people swap positions. A cleaner approach is one capsule type across the backing vocals and a different one on a clearly defined lead position that never moves, so the difference is deliberate rather than accidental.
Is the OM5 more fragile than an SM58?
Both are professional stage dynamics built for touring, and neither is delicate. The SM58 has a fifty year reputation for surviving abuse that no other microphone quite matches, so if the microphone is going to be dropped by a teenager on a concrete floor most weeks, that reputation is a legitimate tiebreaker.
Which should we buy for a small church with one band?
Start with SM58s across the whole vocal line, because the consistency and the familiarity are worth more than a decibel in a room that is not at its limit. Revisit the question only if you have already lowered stage volume, moved the wedges and fixed the gain structure and the lead vocal is still fighting the band.
Researched, not professional advice. This page is compiled from published manufacturer specifications, operator manuals, FCC rules, published standards and owner-review consensus, not hands-on testing. Sound system design, rigging loudspeakers overhead, and any electrical work are jobs for a qualified professional: have flown loudspeakers and their attachment points signed off by a structural engineer or a certified rigger, and have all wiring done by a licensed electrician to your local code. Wireless microphone rules change, so confirm the current FCC position before buying. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.