Looking At The Prices Of

[Mark7]

The higher end AT40 and the Shure KSM ranges in Europe, I'm convinced that there's a gap in the market for a range of good mid priced European designed and built condensors.

So why has no one come up with one?

 

[chessrock]

Gee, I don't know, Mark7. Maybe no one feels like it.

 

[Mark7]

Well, they should. There's nothing between the Chinese originated mics and the German ones other than imports. Which miraculously double in price between Japan/California and Europe.

 

[mshilarious]

What about this one--don't know anything about it though:

http://www.dv247.com/invt/8924

 

[MISTERQCUE]

I read somewhere that the UK is not known for having good singers!

 

[noisedude]

Is there any particular reason you aren't willing to use microphones based on how they sound rather than in what country they were made? Having been unemployed your entire adult life, Mark, I wouldn't think you were in a position to be fussy.

 

[Mark7]

What about this one--don't know anything about it though:

http://www.dv247.com/invt/8924

I already knew about that (and the AKG C?K range), and it certainly competes price wise with the AT4033 and beats the pants off the, quite appallingly overpriced, KSM32 for value.

And, Nick, it's not about country of origin, it's about the fucking outrageous premiums we pay for these MOR mics.

 

[noisedude]

I agree that we get ripped off over here. It's mostly our government's fault.

 

[Mark7]

But is it?

 

[mshilarious]

I already knew about that (and the AKG C?K range), and it certainly competes price wise with the AT4033 and beats the pants off the, quite appallingly overpriced, KSM32 for value.

Then I don't understand the issue

 

[Robert D]

I read somewhere that the UK is not known for having good singers!

What about Boy George?

 

[mrface2112]

But is it?

uhhhh......well......a rudimentary study in the taxes and tariffs required on pretty much any/all imports into the UK will show you that YES, it is your government's fault.

and again, there's a reason these things are far cheaper in the US......again, it's the government's fault.

if i had to deal with the outrageous tax rates in the UK, i'd move.


cheers,
wade

 

[Mark7]

But we have nothing that compares price wise with the AT4040 and KSM32, the AT4050 and KSM44 and the AT4060. At least not if you take US pricing (plus VAT) as a guide.

 

[Mark7]

But isn't it also partly Shure's fault for not getting a single European distributor sorted out?

 

[mrface2112]

But we have nothing that compares price wise with the AT4040 and KSM32, the AT4050 and KSM44 and the AT4060. At least not if you take US pricing (plus VAT) as a guide.

Like i said, it's b/c of taxes and tariffs that are placed on the importers by the governments. the price of the "raw" mic costs the same (essentially) from the manufacturer, regardless of the destination. however, b/c the destination governments tax imports so highly, the local distributors have to pay those taxes on all imports.......the cost of which they happily pass on to you. that's why your imported mics cost so much more in the UK than the US.....it's import tariffs and taxes that are directly responsible for the difference. it's not as if it really costs any more to ship a batch of 4040's from China to the UK than the US.......

oversimplified, this is one of the fundamental economic differences between the UK and the US (and also an underlying reason why many in the UK despise the US.....when, IMO, they really oughta be despising their governments and their taxation levels).


cheers,
wade

PS--and no, Shure has no control over this--the EU distributor would still have to pay those taxes. Econ 101, my man.

 

[mshilarious]

But we have nothing that compares price wise with the AT4040 and KSM32, the AT4050 and KSM44 and the AT4060. At least not if you take US pricing (plus VAT) as a guide.

True about the KSM32. But the KSM44 is pretty close to the TLM103/AKG 414 range, and the AT4060 is the same price as those.

Also there's the Blue/Violet stuff . . . technically European, even if marketed as US as in Blue's case.

 

[Mark7]

Good luck with trying to find a multi-pattern B.L.U.E. mic for less than £1K. But the C414 is cheaper than a KSM44.