Who really makes Apex mics?

S

soundchaser59

Reluctant Commander
I found a web site where the guy is a Traynor dealer, and he posted the Yorkville list prices pdf doc on his web page. So I took a look....

I was surprised to find the Yorkville price guide listed Apex mics?? Does that mean Apex Electronics is an arm of Yorkville, just like ART is?? Is Yorkville the real "mic-maker behind the curtain"???

If so, then this makes me reconsider the possibility that the Apex ribbon mics (in particular, the Apex 205 for $90, and 210 for $170) might be better quality than I had first guessed.

Anybody have any idea about Apex ribbons? How it might compare to a Beyer 130? frontendaudio has the Apex ribbons really cheap, while the best I can do on that Beyer 130 is about $430. Is the Beyer really that much better? (I cant afford the Royers, they all seem to be up around the $1000 mark.)

Thanks for any info..... SC
 
Excellent question bro..infact, i keep asking that same question in my head and never let it out. i have an Apex 435 condenser mic...to be honest, it sounds a LOT better than the studio projects B1 considering i got onboard preamps on some behringer 1204fx pro's. i archived the sample of the SP B1 from a site that has all these recording session samples. and i compared the B1 with my apex...my apex sounded much more warmer and clear. thats without any EQ. totally flat, 0 high,mid and low.

what i think is that..Apex uses capsules from different companies and manufacturers it themselves.
 
they are great mics, too many people are focused on the price of a mic on this forum, example, I have a RADIO SHACK microphone (old though, is it realistic? i forgot, whatever, the tandy company), on the inside it's a Shure, they private lable to sell a good product at cheaper while by putting a diffrent name they can allow Shure to sell the same mic at a higher price.

Of course this is an older mic.


-jeffrey
 
Microphones from Apex, Nady, Shiney Box, Behringer are all OEM'd from a Chinese company in Shanghaii call Felio. They just order the mics with small changes and add their own labels. The Apex 460 is the Nady TCM1150. The Nady, Apex and Shiney Box just have different grills. The Felio ribbons are apparently gaining a good reutation no matter which badge they are under.
 
If you check Feilo's websites in both the US and China, there's no evidence of ribbon mics in their product line. Feilo carefully lists their "capabilities" for mic manufacture on both their US and Chinese websites - and neither one has any mention whatsoever of ribbon mics. Dynamics, condensers, headphones, and various other specialty products, but no ribbons.

Alctron has a rather confusing website that appears to show them both as a manufacturer of certain products and a distributor of many others. So it's never entirely clear which products are theirs and which are sourced from elsewhere. But evidence from our recent group buy experience makes it fairly clear that they are the source for Nady, Shinybox, Apex, and others.

However, it is NOT clear that Alctron is actually the manufacturer. Here's another reference that suggests that these mics come from a manufacturer in Ningbo, Zhejiang, China called "Soundking":

http://www.made-in-china.com/produc...zMjM4Njk1M/mic/Soundking_Group_Co.,_Ltd..html

Of course, it's also possible that "Soundking" and "Alctron" are actually the same company. That wouldn't surprise me at all. They share a common location and show some strong similarities in their product lines.
 
Gilliland said:
However, it is NOT clear that Alctron is actually the manufacturer. Here's another reference that suggests that these mics come from a manufacturer in Ningbo, Zhejiang, China called "Soundking":
Click to expand...

I'm pasting some emails I received directly from Henry Peng who is with Alctron-Audio. The information may help in sorting out who makes what. I have X'd out the actual cost of the mics which don't need to be posted. I have more emails on price quotes that are the mics originally posted in this thread. Anyway the following emails should help clarify what is made where. :)

********************************************************

Dear Jim,

How are you!
Thanks for your reply.

Please kindly find the enclosed P/I document for your confirmation. Please note
that the price do not include your logo, we can help you do your OEM products
after you test our products and think the quality is okay for you.

Re:Nady 1150(APEX460, our model number HST-11A).
We have two kinds of package way for the items, please see the enclose package
picture for your reference, one is USDXX.XX with color box, another is USDXX.XX
with plastic box, Nady and Apex use their version color gif box package, which
I add into invoice is plastic box, if you need our color gif box package, please
let me know.

Re:M16 microphone.
We know this microphone very well, also we ever helped one of our customer do this
microphone,the price is USD XX.XX per PC, if you have interest, we can send one set
of sample include wood case for your test.

If you have opportunity to attend CALM EXPO fair, please make sure our booth number
is Hall 3 No 3009, we sincerely welcome you come to our booth for business and
friendship.

Thank you very much, if any question, please let me know freely.

Best regards.

Henry Peng.

*******************************************************
ALCTRON ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.NINGBO
Address:Rm -720./7F, Penglai Mansion, No.293, Rainbow South Road, Ningbo, 315000, China.
Factory Address:Qianhu South Road,Dongqian Lake Industrial Park,Ningbo,China
EMAIL: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
TEL: ++86 574 87890543 87890544
FAX: ++86 574 87890541

*********************************************************

Dear Jim

How are you !

We have a lot of studio professional microphones include professional ribbon microphone can recommend you,such as HRM-2,HRM-7,HRM-8 etc.

Could you let me konw your email adress and website? so that I can directly send these information to you by attachment. Because I can not eclosed any ribbon microhone photo to you in Alibaba.com.

We have not distributor in USA, but we do OEM for USA NADY, you can find our products RSM-2 in their website(http://www.nady.com), our export price is USDXX.XX per PC, if you have any interest, please do feel free to contact me.

Thank you very much.

Look forward to hearing from you!

Best regards.

Henry Peng
****************************************
ALCTRON ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.NINGBO
Address:Rm -720./7F, Penglai Mansion, No.293, Rainbow South Road,
Ningbo,315000, China.
Factory Address:Qianhu South Road,Dongqian Lake Industrial
Park,Ningbo,China
EMAIL: [xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx[/email]
TEL: ++86 574 87890543 87890544
FAX: ++86 574 87890541

************************************

Dear Jim,

How are you!
Thanks for your reply.

Please kindly find the attached picture for your reference. The defference is only
on grill shape between HRM-1 and HRM-2, the grill of HRM-1 is round, and HRM-2 is
flat. Nady RSM-2 is same as our HRM-1, not HRM-2.

HRM-7 and HRM-8 is our very new products--small ribbon microphone, The difference is
only on grill shape and color between HRM-7 and HRM-8. The two items are smaller than
HRM-2 on outer shape aspect, and the inside ribbon is same as HRM-2, only different on
transformer and magnet

Pleas kindly find the fellowing quotation for your reference.
HRM-1 and HRM-2
USDXX.XX/set with white box package,FOB Ningbo.
USDXX.XX/SET with Aluminum case package FOB Ningbo.
If you need Gold grill for microphone,it need add USDX.XX.

WHOLE SET PRODUCTS INCLUDE THE FELLOWING ACCESSORIES.
a) REAL CLASSIC RIBBON MIC
b) NEUTRIK XLR CONNECTORS ATTACHED
c) HIGH QUALITY SILVER FINISH CRAFT
d) QUALITY COLOR BOX OR ALUMINUM CASE
e) WITH HIGH QUALITY EVA FOAM AND W/CARRY BAG INSIDE PACKAGE
f) GOLD PLATED XLR PINS.

HRM-7 and HRM-8:
USDXX.XX/set,Aluminum case package, Fob Ningbo

It is no problem if you need samples for your test, and if you think the above price
is ok for you, I can send you the P/I document include air freight and bank information,
once we received your payment, the samples will be sent to you immediately.

If any question, please contact me again.
Thank you very much.

Best regards.

Henry Peng.

*******************************************************
ALCTRON ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.NINGBO
Address:Rm -720./7F, Penglai Mansion, No.293, Rainbow South Road, Ningbo, 315000, China.
Factory Address:Qianhu South Road,Dongqian Lake Industrial Park,Ningbo,China
EMAIL: [xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx[/email]
TEL: ++86 574 87890543 87890544
FAX: ++86 574 87890541
 
Big Kenny said:
Feilo is the guy with the orangutan that puches out fat bikers
Click to expand...

...Feilo and Clyde just celebrated their 30th anniversary together (28 grandkids!)...
 

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So......I gather that there are not a ton of strong opinions here against the Apex ribbon, just not a ton of experience with it either. Considering what I've gotten from other sources, it all adds up to feeling like I should save the extra $$$$ and wait for the Beyer 130 instead.

However, I am not deaf to the person above who said his Apex mics are working just fine for his needs. For $90 or $170, it really is an affordable "experiment" just to see how it sounds with my gear.......especially if I can return it, something which many places dont like to do.

Thanks for the info, people......
 
ljmaxx said:
I'm pasting some emails I received directly from Henry Peng who is with Alctron-Audio. The information may help in sorting out who makes what.
Click to expand...
I read the letters and came away with the same conclusion that I had before. Alctron clearly sells these microphones to the market outside China. And Alctron clearly has a close relationship with the manufacturer. But I didn't see anything in the letters that makes it clear who the actual manufacturer is. It may be Alctron. It may be Soundking. And it may be that they are one and the same.

As long as Alctron is the distributor to the OEM market, I guess it really doesn't matter anyway. The important thing is that we know where to get them for the next group buy! ;)
 
Hey, why you guys buggin?

Sadly, Clyde perished when he lost his arm to a lamp post and bled to death while executing the "right turn Clyde" move. At least he left lots of fat bikers in his wake.
 
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