How to know My new Shure Sm57 & Sm58 are Original or Counterfeit

CatMalone

New member
Hello,

Just lately a few members on the forum recommended me to get dynamic mic SM57 & SM58 so I got both new Shure SM57 and Sm58 mics

Before buying I watched a few youtube videos how do they sound like and I liked their sound quality...
But after buying I myself also noticed that they don't like they way I listened to them in youtube videos so I posted in one of my posts but nobody paid attention so I though may be it's my thin voice that's why so I let it go.

But recently an honorable member of this forum (when we were discussing about some other topic) he listened to my sample recording and told me it looks like SM57 is counterfeit and he suggested me to weigh both the mics so:

I removed the ball grill from Sm58 and weigh both the mics:

SM57 was: 286
SM58 was 280

I also checked the mic boxes and overall packing and accessories they look original as both the boxes and mics had Shure hologram sticker but these mics don't sound like any youtube video which made with Sm57 and Sm58

Also here I post a few pics of both the mics:

Dropbox - _IMG_0602.jpg - Simplify your life

Dropbox - _IMG_0603.jpg - Simplify your life

Dropbox - _IMG_0606.jpg - Simplify your life

Dropbox - _IMG_0614 (2).jpg - Simplify your life

Also I want to mention I paid a lot more than $99 because I had to pay import duty, shipping etc..

Has anyone any idea how to know are these original mics or not?


If anyone is curious to listen the audio samples of my SM57 & Sm58 that how do they sound like then I can also post audio sample here.


Update:

I add this link in case if some needs to listen to the sample recordings:

Dropbox - audio_samples.mp4 - Simplify your life
 
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The spec sheets I saw had the SM57 at 284g and the SM58 at 298g. It would seem the SM58 is farther off spec, but I also do not know how consistent those weights have been historically.

My SM58s from the 70s measured 296 and 303, but both have had bits of foam replaced and one a different pop screen (non-Shure parts).

My SM57, bought used (a damn good fake if one) is over 300 (already I forgot exact number), but I have the Shure pop/windscreen screwed on and not inclined to remove it.

If you are buying new, it's best to only buy from authorized retailers. Used is a crapshoot unless you personally know the seller and know when they bought the mic. Or can get comfortable quickly (in hand) from previous experience.
 
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Interesting. Spec for the 57 lists 284g ..wait that's different than Keith found.. :>)
I Shure can't tell by the sound clips.. seems fine.

Shurely someone that knows will jump in. :>)
 
Shure have deviated from those nominal weights many times over the years. The experience I have had with counterfeits is that the 57 and 58 feel heavy in the hand and counterfeits are lighter. There used to be all sorts of clues, colours of cables, embossing on the XLR inserts etc, but the reality is much simpler. The Shure capsule is mounted in a soft resilient moulding and rubbing your thumb and fingers produces hardly any mechanical noise. ALL the counterfeits and this includes Sennheiser too, react pretty badly to handling noise. In one of the recent topics we had some examples of your 57 and 58 mics. If you speak through them then the lips on the grill sound is warm and pleasant, but the bass gently drops as you move them to around a couple of inches. Counterfeits are never as warm and smooth and go boomy and blast easily close in. From the samples you posted nothing suggests they are counterfeits because they sound exactly like we expected.

The paint finish can also be a giveaway and they both look 'right'. The killer question is did you buy them from an approved Shure dealer? Shure never sell genuine mics on Ebay, but they do supply the popular on-line retailers. If you purchased from a genuine dealer it's fine. Practically all new Ebay Shure mics are dodgy, and a trick is to say they're nearly new, just one recording, that kind of thing. Last point - the cases. The counterfeit Shure cases are poor quality, not tough and thick with decent zips, but plasticy and thin. Your voice is quiet and gentle - but nothing screams counterfeit to me.
 
The spec sheets I saw had the SM57 at 284g and the SM58 at 298g. It would seem the SM58 is farther off spec, but I also do not know how consistent those weights have been historically.

My SM58s from the 70s measured 296 and 303, but both have had bits of foam replaced and one a different pop screen (non-Shure parts).

My SM57, bought used (a damn good fake if one) is over 300 (already I forgot exact number), but I have the Shure pop/windscreen screwed on and not inclined to remove it.

If you are buying new, it's best to only buy from authorized retailers. Used is a crapshoot unless you personally know the seller and know when they bought the mic. Or can get comfortable quickly (in hand) from previous experience.


>If you are buying new, it's best to only buy from authorized retailers.
BTW :) as I said I bought it (I attached the pics, shot in my home studio, may be you haven't seen them).

Shure has authorized only one distributor / Importer in my country and both boxs have sticker of that importer as well. Shure sent to Importer and The retailer bought from Importer and selling to end user like me. I bought each of them from 2 different retailers and both have Shure authorized Importer

I precisely checked all the details on the box and from all prospects it's seems original BUT (a big but) they doesn't sound like SM57 & SM58, I myself had a doubt when I first recorded the audio and then an old and reliable user ( [MENTION=43272]Steenamaroo[/MENTION] ) of this forum also confirmed on his own that they don't sound like original and may be counterfeit.

BTW have you listed to audio sample which I attached, do they sound like your SM57 and SM58 (I know you bought way long back but I guess the element is still same which is going on...)
 
Current spec says 284 grams, and 286 is awfully close. I doubt that's a counterfeit.

I think 284 and 286 has just 2gms difference that doesn't say it'd be a counterfeit (at least I speculate). It could also be possible from where I managed to weigh both of these mics, the weighing machine might always shows 2 gram extra. But the main issue is they don't sound like the way Youtube videos show demo as I explained in main post.
 
Cat - as we cannot see how you recorded the clips, the tonal differences could be placement but the sound of counterfeits is nothing like your clips - nothing at all. They are either bright and very thin. for a bit mellow. If you are really worried I'm sure I can dig up a dodgy SM57 and do you a quick recording between the real one and the counterfeit.

I tried to find the list I produced of the weights of all mine, but the alloy they use and the transformer mean that from year to year the weight changes. Counterfeits I have had have ALWAYS been lighter, some substantially so.

If you want me to record a bit with the two for comparison, let me know and I'll do it for you. However - if you got them from a genuine dealer in your country try to not worry.

Who says the Youtube videos have not been compressed EQ'D and tweaked?
 
I think 284 and 286 has just 2gms difference that doesn't say it'd be a counterfeit (at least I speculate). It could also be possible from where I managed to weigh both of these mics, the weighing machine might always shows 2 gram extra. But the main issue is they don't sound like the way Youtube videos show demo as I explained in main post.

I agree. Any fakes I've seen have used a very cheap lightweight plastic diaphragm instead of the rather heavy solid metal unit used by sure.
With a fake like that I'd expect to see a pretty obvious weight difference.

The thing that struck me was that your 57 sounded much less bassy than the 58 which shouldn't really be the case,
but it's possible you were just slightly farther from the mic I suppose. A little as an inch or two could make that kind of difference.
 
I tried two SM57s a long time apart - one from 1976 when it cost me near on a weeks wages with a recent one from a couple of years back - vs the counterfeit one. This shows the slihtly weaker bottom end Steenamaroo mentioned above. Looking at the video, the counterfeit actually has a slightly shorter grill opening - I'd not noticed that. Sorry about the pops, but this is direct to the .wav file - no EQ, no processing of any kind.
 
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....
I precisely checked all the details on the box and from all prospects it's seems original BUT (a big but) they doesn't sound like SM57 & SM58, I myself had a doubt when I first recorded the audio and then an old and reliable user ( [MENTION=43272]Steenamaroo[/MENTION] ) of this forum also confirmed on his own that they don't sound like original and may be counterfeit.
...
I don't want to contradict [MENTION=43272]Steenamaroo[/MENTION], but I have no idea how I'd know from the recordings you posted whether they sounded like an SM58 or SM57 or not. I mean, do you have recordings of your actual voice in the same space with known SM58s and SM57s? For me, that would be the only way to compare. What are you comparing to?
 
I fixed the video I put up last night - youtube didn't like it.

It does strike me that unless you have two mics supposedly the same model, you really cannot be certain.

I was playing at a festival last year and the PA company had bought a batch of dodgy 58s, and only when we plugged in our own, did they notice the difference. They'd got maybe 12, and of course they all sounded exactly the same.
 
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Shure have deviated from those nominal weights many times over the years. The experience I have had with counterfeits is that the 57 and 58 feel heavy in the hand and counterfeits are lighter. There used to be all sorts of clues, colours of cables, embossing on the XLR inserts etc, but the reality is much simpler. The Shure capsule is mounted in a soft resilient moulding and rubbing your thumb and fingers produces hardly any mechanical noise. ALL the counterfeits and this includes Sennheiser too, react pretty badly to handling noise. In one of the recent topics we had some examples of your 57 and 58 mics. If you speak through them then the lips on the grill sound is warm and pleasant, but the bass gently drops as you move them to around a couple of inches. Counterfeits are never as warm and smooth and go boomy and blast easily close in. From the samples you posted nothing suggests they are counterfeits because they sound exactly like we expected.

The paint finish can also be a giveaway and they both look 'right'. The killer question is did you buy them from an approved Shure dealer? Shure never sell genuine mics on Ebay, but they do supply the popular on-line retailers. If you purchased from a genuine dealer it's fine. Practically all new Ebay Shure mics are dodgy, and a trick is to say they're nearly new, just one recording, that kind of thing. Last point - the cases. The counterfeit Shure cases are poor quality, not tough and thick with decent zips, but plasticy and thin. Your voice is quiet and gentle - but nothing screams counterfeit to me.

Sorry for the delay in replying but I'm going to address each of your comment one by one (as I believe I must do that because I'm grateful to those who taken time to read my thread and reply it, above all tried to help me, so nice of you and other members :) )


>The killer question is did you buy them from an approved Shure dealer?
Shure has authorized only one distributor / Importer in my country and both boxes have stickers of that importer as well. Shure sent to Importer and The retailer bought from Importer and sell it to end users like me. I bought each of them from 2 different retailers and both boxes have same Shure authorized Importer sticker.

I precisely checked all the details on the box and from all prospects it's seems original BUT (a big but) they doesn't sound like SM57 & SM58 they way youtube video demonstrated: SM58 was bassy and SM57 sound better.

>The counterfeit Shure cases are poor quality, not tough and thick with decent zips, but plasticy and thin.
Yes I checked the case came with is tough, thick and have decent zip.

BTW I ended thinking about which caused me to start this thread but I wanna share it with you:
1. The reason I started this thread not because of I invested more than $99 in each of that mic because I have to pay import duty + shipping charges (US to my country), importer adds all that cost in the cost (which is huge) of mic so it costs a lot more than $99 nut also from my prospective it was a good idea, to investigate to make sure it's genuine and also ask for help in the forum which is considered Prevention is better than cure, (and if it was proven then at least I could raise a complaint with retailer).

2. Secondly, as far as youtube is concerned where I watched many videos before buying the mics (BTW I used my due diligence to watch only which looks legitimate) and one which I considered seriously was this:



As you said in other post YT videos are eq etc... this video was created by Bruno and he's Sound Engineer and used raw sound of SM57 and SM58 in the video and EQ was flat so I was trying to compare my mics sound with this video and it doesn't match lol

I'm sure you must believe that no matter from where we buy Shure SM57 or SM58 in the world (as far as Shure supplies to that country), the same mic(s) are shipped all over the world, if that is so then they must sound same, isn't?

But again I'd say I ended thinking about which caused me to start this thread so I'm happy with what I got :)


BTW I'm grateful that you listened to the sample recordings and gave your feedback.
Again Thank you so much :)
 
then they must sound same, isn't?

Yes and no.

They would sound the same if you recorded the same sound in the same environment with the same settings then played it back with the same equipment and settings in the same environment.

Different voices recorded in different places and played back on different systems will result in different sounds
 
The only way to know that you don't have counterfeits is to buy from reputable sellers / stores. Check this video out YouTube

Alan.

Check this video out

 
You don't have a remotely similar voice to these people in the clips, me included, so you cannot possibly judge what you are getting. The variables are always microphone AND voice. You may just have what is a lightweight voice? This is evident in the Shure and Mxl clips we've heard. It's just your very softly spoken voice. If you are really worried, I will send you one of my SM57s in the post. Well that set your mind at rest? I'm happy to do this because you're clearly worried.
 
I agree. Any fakes I've seen have used a very cheap lightweight plastic diaphragm instead of the rather heavy solid metal unit used by sure.
With a fake like that I'd expect to see a pretty obvious weight difference.

The thing that struck me was that your 57 sounded much less bassy than the 58 which shouldn't really be the case,
but it's possible you were just slightly farther from the mic I suppose. A little as an inch or two could make that kind of difference.

Thanks for all the help and sharing insights and I'm really grateful to you :)
 
Cat - as we cannot see how you recorded the clips, the tonal differences could be placement but the sound of counterfeits is nothing like your clips - nothing at all. They are either bright and very thin. for a bit mellow. If you are really worried I'm sure I can dig up a dodgy SM57 and do you a quick recording between the real one and the counterfeit.

I tried to find the list I produced of the weights of all mine, but the alloy they use and the transformer mean that from year to year the weight changes. Counterfeits I have had have ALWAYS been lighter, some substantially so.

If you want me to record a bit with the two for comparison, let me know and I'll do it for you. However - if you got them from a genuine dealer in your country try to not worry.

Who says the Youtube videos have not been compressed EQ'D and tweaked?

I agree with you and more important for me is you've yrs of experience so I must pay attention to what you say.
Thank you for being so helpful, and diligent :)


I tried two SM57s a long time apart - one from 1976 when it cost me near on a weeks wages with a recent one from a couple of years back - vs the counterfeit one. This shows the slihtly weaker bottom end Steenamaroo mentioned above. Looking at the video, the counterfeit actually has a slightly shorter grill opening - I'd not noticed that. Sorry about the pops, but this is direct to the .wav file - no EQ, no processing of any kind.


I watched you video 2 times and it's so helpful. I can't say thanks in words that you created a video to help me.


You don't have a remotely similar voice to these people in the clips, me included, so you cannot possibly judge what you are getting. The variables are always microphone AND voice. You may just have what is a lightweight voice? This is evident in the Shure and Mxl clips we've heard. It's just your very softly spoken voice. If you are really worried, I will send you one of my SM57s in the post. Well that set your mind at rest? I'm happy to do this because you're clearly worried.

I agree with you :)


>If you are really worried, I will send you one of my SM57s in the post. Well that set your mind at rest? I'm happy to do this because you're clearly worried.
I'm happy now. I'd say it again that I can't say in words that you're so helpful to me.

You jumped out of blue on my thread and being so helpful so far, I'm genuinely grateful to you and added your name to my list (I can't say much about that now...)

Thank you for being so generous and kind to me, you don't need to send me SM57 via post :)

I agree with your opinion that I got the original mic and I gladly accept your advise and what you're trying to teach me (or guiding me in a right direction).


Rob, I might not be able to help you in Sound or music industry as you've already have tons of experience in this stream but as far as my stream is concerned you're most welcome to ask me for anything / any help, I'd be more than happy to do something for you :)
 
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