Hello

I have been looking on Aliexpress recently and came across this microphone (linked here)

This makes me curious...are they trying to copy Nuemann?

Have any of you ever bought any microphones from Aliexpress?

 

Have you factored in import fees/duty? There is also the possibility of having to cancel & reorder due to failed arrival. Some items never leave port.

Do an Amazon search for large diaphram microphone. You see the exact price with shipping & expected time of shipping & arrival. Items from Asian region take 2 to 6 weeks on average. There are plenty of branded/non-branded items in the same price range there.

Also check vintageking & sweetwater

A site for setting price alerts & finding reduced pricing - camelcamelcamel

 

Last edited: Jan 24, 2021

Chinese copying stuff?
The best you can get for cheap is warbler. Ebay it. Otherwise look for clones.

Just looked and I assume they are good for their price. They are really having fun with those neumann clones now . That wasn't the case 2 years ago.

I bought a "BM 800". Of course it was worse than phone mic.

Neumann U87AI clone for $650 looks pretty good tho. I would probably buy one if they had a comparison video of sound and internals.

Otherwise, you don't really know what you get...

 

Actually the Neewer NW700 has the Neumann gril design but it's only a little condenser electret. It is the mic I use for youtube videos and works great once you mod it by removing the inside foam and add a panty hose layer around the grill head of the mic.

The Neumann grill design is critical to it's sound ( the slanted grill design and layering weave).

I can't be sure in 2021 but I believe Neumann only assembles their mics in Germany and everything comes from China including the condenser pickup units.

Bought 2 acoustic guitars from there that I would not trade for any $5000 guitar assembled here.

It's a hit and miss, sometimes they make a product that exceeds the originals, bought tons of stuff off ali and never had anything brake down so far, only a few items that needed some price differences ( features that did not match the add) with some disputes ( all going my way) so I have no complaints.

They are getting better and eventually will take over ( buy them out) the original companies ( that is not up to the discussion anymore only time in 2021)

Thanks for the info nice Mic.

 

man, its just ordinary chines shitty junk. without mylar capsule, without big foil capacitor, without any transformer,
without anything

of cause. it has shitty chines sound. i tested it a lot. nothing close to AudioTechnica (cheapest ordinary japan mics).
if you wanna good mic for "home aplication" looks for HEIL mics (PR35, PR40, dynamic mics)
SM7B good also but no ways against HEIL.

if you need CONDENSER mike, check all Oktavas, all AudioTechnicas, may be Blue mics (old Blue ~$300-500, not new junk Blue)

great condenser mic cost at least $400-$500. All stuff cheaper than $300 - total junk, trust me

Oktava (stunning mic for money):
https://reverb.com/item/37156212-oktava-mk-319-large-diaphragm-cardioid-condenser-microphone

Heil pr35 (best dynamic mic):
https://reverb.com/item/1380227-heil-sound-pr35-dynamic-hand-held-dynamic-microphone-pr-35

Shure 32 (good studio horse):
https://reverb.com/item/38335721-sh...ioid-condenser-microphone-sustainably-shipped

AKG 214 (cheapest version of legendary 414):
reverb.com/item/839673-akg-c214-microphone-large-diaphragm-condenser-mic

Rode nt1 (i hate it but a lot of "blogers" use it without any problems):
reverb.com/item/1649326-rode-nt1-a-cardioid-condenser-mic-recording-package-tripod-base-mic-floorstand

 

Last edited by a moderator: Jan 23, 2021

The Neumann TLM103 is transformerless cardioid condenser.
FET VS Transformer they have their uses.

As I said most of the parts for Neumanns are not made in Germany only assembly.
Germany was the first country to actually have factories in China back in the 1950's.
Seinheiser is assembled in Germany "Made in Germany" but they are manufactored in China not Germany.

If you take an AKG 414 apart, take it's internals and put them in a different shell would it cost the same as the AKG 414? NO because you are paying for the name, warranty, look of the Mic.
The internals of the 414 are no more than $200 worth of parts but how much does the 414 cost?
Same issue with iphones $250 worth of parts for $1500 at OEM cost.

 

TLM103 - good tranformless design for voice dubbing
but i can't trust neumann and senheizer. This mikes was legendary decades ago, not now.
We have a lot of great american engineers (and european like FLEA as example) who produces great clones of 87, 47, and C12 mics
with amazing hand-made capsules, with stunning transformers (i like transformer sound), and cheaper
than "neamann bla bla bla" (actualy made in china, not in europe as we known)


so, i agree!

 

Exactly what I've done!
I actually use that inside foam as a pop-up filter covering the grill outside.
These Neewer NW700 are not as bad as people may think (OK, not a "professional mic), but for YT videos and some voice-over, they work fine.
Best 15€ I spend and comes with a scissor arm.

 

I have two fantastic Gefell mics which have in house skinned capsules and are wonderful tools, the UMT70S and the 930. Gefell and Neuman split after WW2, Gefell stuck behind the wall and Neumann out front.

 

This mic even though it does not say that it is good for it, works great for recording upright bass.

 

My OLD Studio Projects B1 still kicks MOST mics costing 2 to 3 times more.
So before ANYTHING, listen to comparison tests.

Because mics is where MOST money come from FAME
For 100 bucks, you can get a nice mic.
For 200-300 bucks you can get an amazing mic.

Above ? No way (for me)
Because everything else need to follow the same curve

 

My old B1s still work great but from user reports it seems that they have changed the design and build in the currently available model, not sure about their sound quality.

 

Neumann mics are made in Germany , capsules and all.
https://www.neumann.com/homestudio/en/why-are-neumann-microphones-so-expensive

 

It uses the cheapest capsule (and smallest) thats still considered "large diaphragm". Its got the standard Schoeps circuit found in all chinese mics. Its just in a Neumann-esque housing.

Two things to know about mics.
1) that there are only 3 styles of capsules shared by all mics, the Neumann U47 and U67 (most common) designs, and AKG C12 design.
There is a 4th style that is chinese design thats what this and most sub $100 mics use.

I believe Neumann still produces their own capsules based on the u67 in house. Other high end makes commission china to make them with their own tooling, mid to high end makes bin the generic capsules.

2) All mics under about $250 are based on the same Schoeps circuit.
This is why all budget LDCs sound almost the same with the same characteristic shrill high end, the only thing differentiating them is the body and head basket designs.

Aston microphones buy chinese mics and run them through stringent QC, they reject something like 3/4 mics they receive.

 

Reminds me of an "Analog Obsession" plugin. Which is just one brand out of many that tries to deceive people with looks. Speaking of hardware as well as plugins.

 

If you want a in the ballpark sound neumann like mic super cheap take look at the ugliest mic in the world ;).
the neat king bee
Look at the self noise ;). Watch some YouTube reviews.
I think it is getting a face lift at the moment You can not buy it new. A decision that is definitely not that bad judging the look.

 

I had a B1 and now I have a B3 (Edit: The B1 I bought in 2008 and B3 is from 2010, so it's the old models) but I think the top end on both sounds so cheap and annoying. I guess they are okey for recording acoustic instruments but I don't like them on either female or male voices. I haven't used it for a year or so now and I should probably sell it.

After I bought my first Lewitt mic, the Lewitt LCT440 Pure, I have pretty much only bought Lewitt after that. I did try the Rode M5 small diaphragm condenser pair but I didn't really like the top end on those either so I returned them and bought the LCT 140 AIR matched pair instead!

If you want a cheap and really good condenser, try the Lewitt LCT440 Pure! You won't regret it!

 

Last edited: Jan 23, 2021

FAKE NEWS!

 

Last edited: Jan 23, 2021

Aliexpress =
The same applies to Amazon...
As customer I would never support such parasite companies.

 

Last edited: Jan 26, 2021

that's a really funny one:


whoever buys these products will then be sentenced to the punishment of using them

 

Last edited by a moderator: Jan 23, 2021