Mike E. wrote:

Given the 103's low self-noise, by comparison the 416's higher noise
floor is
noticeable....

If the selfnoise of your MKH-416 is noticeable, you've got a problem with it.
(Or, like Scott said, maybe you're just hypersensitive.) I'm inclined to
believe you might have a problem, because the 416 is very quiet.

If you have an older 416, the caps in the RF circuit change over a long period
of time, de-tuning the circuit, possibly decreasing the output and increasing
noise. If your 416 is old enough to be silver, it might need a tweek from
Sennheiser.

Another possibility is that you've got a 416T that you're running off P48V
phantom power using a converter. Sometimes those don't work as well as a
dedicated T-power supply, which you can get for around $100 bucks.

Or, maybe you're just hearing things. Remember that using headphones not only
presents a superquiet listening environment, but many phones sport a brilliant
peak in the upper-mids and highs. Sony 7506 and Sennheiser "Ultra Linear"
snicker come to mind.

Are you actually hearing the selfnoise on speaker monitors at a *reasonable*
level? In my studio into a Symetrix 628 digital voice processor, the selfnoise
of my TLM103 and 416 are inaudible below the room noise even with heavy
compression and EQ.

Jeff Jasper
Jeff Jasper Productions, West Funroe, La.