jamesperrett
Active member
In Europe you can buy K701s from Thomann for the equivalent of $120 (including tax). Usually European prices are much higher than US prices so it makes a change for it to be the other way round for once.
Used Ripoffs and Rules? U87.....and a RODE NT2 U87-headbasket
- Thread starter CoolCat
- Start date
In Europe you can buy K701s from Thomann for the equivalent of $120 (including tax). Usually European prices are much higher than US prices so it makes a change for it to be the other way round for once.
spantini
COO of me, inc.
I just jumped over to Thomann's page and. . . OUCH!
You're right. Theirs look exactly like mine - even the Made in China sticker on the headband. The way Amazon's prices are dropping, theirs may be just as low by this time next year.Ouch.. ouch.. oooh.. oohhh .. ouch.. ouch
Last edited:
rob aylestone
Moderator
Oddly, no. That’s another different one, mine is greener. Not sure it’s obvious though in this picture.
Attachments
rob aylestone
Moderator
I definitely have to do a new video - I mentioned I'd ordered an Audix D6 that must be counterfeit, but as I don't know Audix mics very well, I borrowed a couple from a friend. He's had them around 6 months and really likes them - cardioid SCX1. I like condensers in pairs when they are small and light, as I record in stereo quite a bit - so he dropped them off. I have broken the news to him that they're absolutely fakes.
There were little tell tales - and a spelling mistake on the box label was a good one, as they're supposed to be American made, and despite American mangling English (aluminium and using Z's all over the place) they can spell foreign OK - these boxes say 'foregin parts' - but the other giveaway before opening the box is two identical serial numbers and production dates.
Opening the box shows a nicely made, and well printed mic. Clearly, I don't have any to compare to, but the current Audix site shows black, with gold printing. These have grey printing - however, I found older photos in grey - so that's not conclusive. What is, is capsule. You can order these with different capsules - cardioid, hyper and omni. TRhis is cardioid, but when you unscrew it, it reveals a wired in electret capsule - not interchngeable at all. I also note that the end grill is gold in photos, even on the grey labelled older ones, and it is slightly dished, so from the side, it rises in the centre - not much, but just enough to be visible from the side. These ones are flat and grey.
I'll see if I can get them plugged up tomorrow and see what they sound like? I'll do a video to let you hear what they sound and look like.
My friend saw them on-line from a UK dealer - who I have used, but they specialise in cheaper budget audio products. Anyway - make a note of this serial number, just in case. I've told him that if they're actually nice sounding, I'll buy them off him for my collection of iffy mics.
The U87 with no PCB I sold on ebay to a guy who wanted to build his own mic - he reckoned the frame, tube and grill was well worth the £20 I charged him!
There were little tell tales - and a spelling mistake on the box label was a good one, as they're supposed to be American made, and despite American mangling English (aluminium and using Z's all over the place) they can spell foreign OK - these boxes say 'foregin parts' - but the other giveaway before opening the box is two identical serial numbers and production dates.
Opening the box shows a nicely made, and well printed mic. Clearly, I don't have any to compare to, but the current Audix site shows black, with gold printing. These have grey printing - however, I found older photos in grey - so that's not conclusive. What is, is capsule. You can order these with different capsules - cardioid, hyper and omni. TRhis is cardioid, but when you unscrew it, it reveals a wired in electret capsule - not interchngeable at all. I also note that the end grill is gold in photos, even on the grey labelled older ones, and it is slightly dished, so from the side, it rises in the centre - not much, but just enough to be visible from the side. These ones are flat and grey.
I'll see if I can get them plugged up tomorrow and see what they sound like? I'll do a video to let you hear what they sound and look like.
My friend saw them on-line from a UK dealer - who I have used, but they specialise in cheaper budget audio products. Anyway - make a note of this serial number, just in case. I've told him that if they're actually nice sounding, I'll buy them off him for my collection of iffy mics.
The U87 with no PCB I sold on ebay to a guy who wanted to build his own mic - he reckoned the frame, tube and grill was well worth the £20 I charged him!
Attachments
TalismanRich
Well-known member
Yeah I would say that a soldered in electret capsule would be a dead giveaway for a fake. You definitely need to be careful about buying microphones with foregin parts.
As for the aluminum..... I've analyzed the situation and it turns out that it's simply two flavors of the same thing. I apologize if our behavior is offensive, and will endeavor to minimize such errors in the future.
Now, let's discuss your cars having boots and bonnets!
You gotta love the English language!
As for the aluminum..... I've analyzed the situation and it turns out that it's simply two flavors of the same thing. I apologize if our behavior is offensive, and will endeavor to minimize such errors in the future.
Now, let's discuss your cars having boots and bonnets!
You gotta love the English language!
CoolCat
Well-known member
so theres counterfeit Audix D6? never heard of that mic and its kind of in the cheap range already. .. in one way its amazing these companys can build a copy or any microphone, but in another way its too bad they cant have the integrity to build their own design and be legit, as they obviously have the ability to build a mic.
is it just me or has this business increased recently?
I suppose the second a company sends their design and drawings to China , for example, its not long before "counterfeits" start showing up and with the internet and AliExpress type places easy black market. ...put up a site, take it down, create a new site, delete it, open a new site selling stuff on black market.
wonder what percentage Neumann thinks they lose in U87 sales due to this? I will guess its pretty low as most buying a U87 would know the details and buy.
Even I can read and find details of what to look for.
Must be weird to be such a legend that so many are cloning and copying your design like a U47 or U67, U87.
is it just me or has this business increased recently?
I suppose the second a company sends their design and drawings to China , for example, its not long before "counterfeits" start showing up and with the internet and AliExpress type places easy black market. ...put up a site, take it down, create a new site, delete it, open a new site selling stuff on black market.
wonder what percentage Neumann thinks they lose in U87 sales due to this? I will guess its pretty low as most buying a U87 would know the details and buy.
Even I can read and find details of what to look for.
Must be weird to be such a legend that so many are cloning and copying your design like a U47 or U67, U87.
Attachments
rob aylestone
Moderator
I've done the video - and worse, the mic hissed like crazy when I reviewed the recording.
CoolCat
Well-known member
amazing how they get the machining done pretty well but the electronics is off.
then going the extra mile to put in metal objects for weight....to match the real one.
who are they really tricking or ripping off? I assume its stores who buy 20qty and sell them as real ones?
and if the retailer is selling them for 70 pounds whose making any money? unless they can make them really cheap which doesnt make sense to me.
machine shop labor and time is expensive, the really well done paint job and even the effort in the box, seems like a lot of effort.
now your friend, had he paid regular price then maybe no one would have thought it was "off" and "suspicious".
9 of 10 probably dont even know these imitations are not real.
great video as always. my mind is even more skeptical now....
then going the extra mile to put in metal objects for weight....to match the real one.
who are they really tricking or ripping off? I assume its stores who buy 20qty and sell them as real ones?
and if the retailer is selling them for 70 pounds whose making any money? unless they can make them really cheap which doesnt make sense to me.
machine shop labor and time is expensive, the really well done paint job and even the effort in the box, seems like a lot of effort.
now your friend, had he paid regular price then maybe no one would have thought it was "off" and "suspicious".
9 of 10 probably dont even know these imitations are not real.
great video as always. my mind is even more skeptical now....
rob aylestone
Moderator
He used them to record drum overheads - he'd not even noticed the noise!
TalismanRich
Well-known member
Wow, that first mic was really dreadful.
There is another red flag. A true Audix mic comes with one of two cases, either a nice wood case, or it appears that the latest ones have a smaller fabric case. Did your mics come with anything other than the cardboard box and some foam?
There is another red flag. A true Audix mic comes with one of two cases, either a nice wood case, or it appears that the latest ones have a smaller fabric case. Did your mics come with anything other than the cardboard box and some foam?
rob aylestone
Moderator
No - just the box in the video. The working one wasn't awful, but just a typical small electret sound.
spantini
COO of me, inc.
With the authentic SCX1 mics having interchangeable capsules, I wrongly assumed each mic would come with all three. Then I go to the Audix site and see the mics can be ordered with one of three capsules. So I looked around on the Audix site for capsules and found none. A google search turned up some, but none were from Audix, and they were difficult to find. What's up with that? You can't buy replacement capsules from Audix?
TalismanRich
Well-known member
I know they make 3 basic models.
If you go to their website, and choose the SCX1 mic, it will give you a SELECT OPTION drop down and you'll see 4 options, SCX1, SCX1HC and SCX1O, plus SCX1MP for a matched pair.
I don't see the capsules by themselves anywhere, but you might be able to call them and see if they are available if you already have one of the models.
If you go to their website, and choose the SCX1 mic, it will give you a SELECT OPTION drop down and you'll see 4 options, SCX1, SCX1HC and SCX1O, plus SCX1MP for a matched pair.
I don't see the capsules by themselves anywhere, but you might be able to call them and see if they are available if you already have one of the models.
spantini
COO of me, inc.
I'm thinking that's really odd - no additional capsules listed for sale. Sometimes a user manual/guide will have replacement parts and order instructions listed in their back pages, but I don't see anything other than their spec sheet.
I just might have to go to the Caribbean on another fact finding tour.
I just might have to go to the Caribbean on another fact finding tour.
Last edited:
rob aylestone
Moderator
What is the point in all the cleverness of interchangeable capsules, if you cannot buy them? That's a bizarre idea. If you select the one you want, and have to double up on the headamps and body parts, that makes no sense?
EDIT
The Audix D6 turned up. It works. It's also plastic , not metal and it is welded shut - no way to look inside. The mould joint marks are quite obvious.
EDIT
The Audix D6 turned up. It works. It's also plastic , not metal and it is welded shut - no way to look inside. The mould joint marks are quite obvious.
Attachments
Last edited:
rob aylestone
Moderator
I just got a 2nd hand Rode NT2 - the original one I think - and it's really nice - my memory from the 90s when I first had one was dead right and it still looks and sounds great. I paid £60 - I'm very pleased. An ebay search for Road Microphone worked well.