I also use the Heil GM-5, and the reason Heil makes mic's with that element, and also the HC-4 element, too push your audio through.
I use my GM-5 on the broadband element when conditions are good and I share a strong signal with the station I'm having a QSO with, when conditions get weak, or I'm trying to make a DX contact I switch to the HC-5 element, my audio still sounds good to the other stations yet it has the added punch to get through.
I run an old Kenwood TS-130S, a very bare bones radio, I do have a good extension speaker connected to it, however the radio is only capable of hearing a very limited range in audio, as are many others. A lot of Ham's put way too much time and effort in making themselves sound good, in the process they are killing their signal.
I've sat on 80 meters listening to guys play with their audio settings for hours trying to get FM music quality voice out of their radios on SSB, and all these guys do is sit on 80 all day rag chewing with the same group, but for whatever reason they put a lot of emphasis on their sound quality. I'm just happy as a clam if someone else actually hears me, how good I sound is secondary to that.....
