A very noticeable upgrade in sound compared to my previous condenser mic, and the raw sound blends easily into the mix due to its ‘flatter’ sound. It has a slight Neumann coloration to the sound despite being the most affordable TLM model as of this review. It is quite warm in the low mids, and you definitely want a low cut filter if you want to be close to the mic. The lack of high boost compared to the TLM 103 means you can further saturate the sound, which still creates a smooth and musical sound that is not harsh and still tickles my ears in a nice way.
I do not recommend modding the mic by taking out the foam filter from the head, as the sound characteristics do not noticeably change and the 2-layers mesh isn’t that fine either, which may introduce dust on the capsule overtime.
The cardioid pattern does change the sound characteristic of the source noticeably when slightly off axis, so care is needed to ensure singer or instrument do not sway too much.