It was very difficult to tell the difference. They both performed well.

Amazing that throughout the entire thread there was no mention of how much subtle differences in the performance, particularly the strength of the picking/strumming, can produce wild variations in high frequency information.

But if this test establishes anything it’s that the 184 is not the terrible mic the mic snobs would have you believe it is.

Anyway, I have a pair of 183s that live on a Steinway grand. No complaints here.

I'm not a mic snob. The KM184 is brighter than the KM 84. I think it was developed during the last stages of the analog tape era when people were trying to print as much HF as possible against the inevitable HF loss from analog tape. The KM184 sounds hyped to me. The KM 84s I've heard do not.

It looks like this km84 was showing its age.

Possibly it's the capsule, maybe internal dirt.
Mine didn't work at all when we bought it, after taking it apart and putting it back together it got a sound like that (mids... mids..).
It was cleaned and adjusted and... wow, so wonderful, still with its war-worn look, that beautifull and perfect sound...

Then after some years its sound gradually dulled again, until it is unusable today.

- What I am going to say has already been said a hundred times, I just wanted to add the anecdote of my good old "boy". The sound of the 184 is a tad, a little bit, more "common" in the mids; nothing to discredit it.

Once upon a time Will Wittman was told that both, with and without transformers microphones, could be good, just for different purposes.
He replied "I agree. For example, microphones with transformers are good for making music, and transformerless ones will be good for something else."

It's not such a big deal (seems that poet's blood runs through Mr. Wittman's veins); That analog sweetness can be provided by a preamp, equalization, ITB; or not be necessary in some elements.
Obviously a new km184 is better than a km84 in trouble. Even for me. And better I don't think about it too much!! :P

Saludos!