soony
Member
I haven't lived in an English-speaking country, and my proficiency in English may not be accurate, so expressions could be awkward. Please bear with me.
While searching to purchase the AKG C451B, I came across a clever Chrome browser that, based on collected cookie data, displayed a FAKE version of the C451B through Google ads. Driven by curiosity, I clicked on the ad, only to be faced with a product that unmistakably screamed, "I am fake," as it was boldly black, in stark contrast to the genuine C451B finished in Satin Nickel, as shown in the photos.
Although AliExpress has all sorts of items, including clones of brands like Sennheiser, Shure, Samson, and Audio-Technica, as well as entire product lines imitating Neumann, such as TLM or U87 AI clones, I've mainly been interested in SDC (Small Diaphragm Condenser) microphones typically classified as pencil mics. However, the FAKE C451B captured my attention, and the price of around 180 euros per pair (plus an additional 18 euros for customs!) made it a luxury to purchase based solely on curiosity. The seller operated a very small online store with a cumulative sales volume of fewer than 100 items. When I requested circuit diagrams in our conversation, the seller couldn't provide them or take photos of the circuit. Still, they claimed the product was a one-to-one match and cautioned that the circuit diagram might not be 100% accurate. Despite the hesitations, enticed by claims of remarkable performance, I decided to make the purchase as a New Year's luck test.
Although the distance from China to Korea is relatively short (overland or train trade is not possible, thanks to the pig blocking the way, lol), it mainly relies on sea freight. The seller's item took approximately 2 days to reach the port, half a day for the ship to travel from the Chinese port to the Korean port, 2 days for customs clearance procedures, and another day from customs departure to reaching my home. In total, it took about 6 days to receive the product.
Upon receiving the product and opening the housing, I was astonished. The circuit of this Chinese replica perfectly matched the circuit I had seen in the technical manual of the AKG C451B. Even though circuit board photos of the C451B model couldn't be found anywhere online, the circuit diagram was attached to the technical manual, and I had checked it beforehand. To make a comparison, I immediately purchased one genuine C451B through the official distribution channel that had received certification. Since Korea is a small country, ordering before midnight meant receiving the item by the next day's lunch.
As soon as I received the genuine C451B, I opened it up and discovered that it provided individual frequency measurement values. It was akin to purchasing high-end LG or Dell monitors that come with individual calibration test measurements. As it was my first purchase of a high-end microphone, I was quite amazed. In Korea, the C451B costs around 440 euros. Thomann sells it for 289 euros. Interestingly, on U.S. sites like Sweetwater, it goes for around 600 euros.
On the other hand, among non-domestic microphones of a similar grade, Shure's KSM141 is priced at 409 euros on Sweetwater, 366 euros in Korea, and 493 euros on Thomann. Anyway, getting back to the main point, when I opened up the genuine C451B's housing to reveal the circuit board, I was surprised to see it closely resembling the CHINA451B.
Feeling a pang of conscience, I ordered one more genuine C451B to pair with the original. Well... I don't have much time, so I couldn't do precise recording tests, but I did a rough test with the ambient noise at home. The comparison is between Lauten Audio's LA-120 and CHINA451B. I plan to do a recording comparison between the genuine C451B and the Chinese replica either tomorrow or over the weekend.
Honestly, it's scary. A few years ago, semiconductors like displays and NAND memory were the best products produced by the manufacturing country I live in. However, now Chinese-made LCDs and NAND memory are growing scarily, with China already excelling in making LCDs, and soon they might become the best in producing NAND memory and OLED displays. In the same context, it's not impossible that China might produce very high-quality microphones or speakers. Even for us Koreans, until recently, Chinese-made LCDs were treated as cheap knockoffs, but now many models of LG monitors use Chinese-made LCDs. As for microphones, is today's Chinese copycat a mere copycat, or will it be seen in broadcasting stations or studios the day after tomorrow? Surprisingly, just 20 years ago, Samsung and LG monitors were treated as cheap in the global market, and Japan Display was known for professional use. However, not long ago, all the advanced monitors' LCDs, such as those from Eizo, Dell, and others, changed to LG. Although Samsung acquired Harman Kardon and practically became AKG's parent company, even in Korea, Samsung service centers don't handle AKG products. Distribution networks, repair networks, and services are all handled by small-scale distributors. Interestingly, even in wireless earphone cases like the Buds series, "sound by AKG" is engraved.
Anyway, Chinese products: The rise of products like Edifier in speakers or TAKSTAR in microphones has positive aspects, allowing for high quality at a low price. However, the frightening part is the disappearance of the genuine article.
Of course, the recording was a bit off. It's challenging to compare an upright piano with old background noise in an acoustically challenging environment.
Can you guess which one is the LAUTEN between TEST1 and TEST2?
While searching to purchase the AKG C451B, I came across a clever Chrome browser that, based on collected cookie data, displayed a FAKE version of the C451B through Google ads. Driven by curiosity, I clicked on the ad, only to be faced with a product that unmistakably screamed, "I am fake," as it was boldly black, in stark contrast to the genuine C451B finished in Satin Nickel, as shown in the photos.
Although AliExpress has all sorts of items, including clones of brands like Sennheiser, Shure, Samson, and Audio-Technica, as well as entire product lines imitating Neumann, such as TLM or U87 AI clones, I've mainly been interested in SDC (Small Diaphragm Condenser) microphones typically classified as pencil mics. However, the FAKE C451B captured my attention, and the price of around 180 euros per pair (plus an additional 18 euros for customs!) made it a luxury to purchase based solely on curiosity. The seller operated a very small online store with a cumulative sales volume of fewer than 100 items. When I requested circuit diagrams in our conversation, the seller couldn't provide them or take photos of the circuit. Still, they claimed the product was a one-to-one match and cautioned that the circuit diagram might not be 100% accurate. Despite the hesitations, enticed by claims of remarkable performance, I decided to make the purchase as a New Year's luck test.
Although the distance from China to Korea is relatively short (overland or train trade is not possible, thanks to the pig blocking the way, lol), it mainly relies on sea freight. The seller's item took approximately 2 days to reach the port, half a day for the ship to travel from the Chinese port to the Korean port, 2 days for customs clearance procedures, and another day from customs departure to reaching my home. In total, it took about 6 days to receive the product.
Upon receiving the product and opening the housing, I was astonished. The circuit of this Chinese replica perfectly matched the circuit I had seen in the technical manual of the AKG C451B. Even though circuit board photos of the C451B model couldn't be found anywhere online, the circuit diagram was attached to the technical manual, and I had checked it beforehand. To make a comparison, I immediately purchased one genuine C451B through the official distribution channel that had received certification. Since Korea is a small country, ordering before midnight meant receiving the item by the next day's lunch.
As soon as I received the genuine C451B, I opened it up and discovered that it provided individual frequency measurement values. It was akin to purchasing high-end LG or Dell monitors that come with individual calibration test measurements. As it was my first purchase of a high-end microphone, I was quite amazed. In Korea, the C451B costs around 440 euros. Thomann sells it for 289 euros. Interestingly, on U.S. sites like Sweetwater, it goes for around 600 euros.
On the other hand, among non-domestic microphones of a similar grade, Shure's KSM141 is priced at 409 euros on Sweetwater, 366 euros in Korea, and 493 euros on Thomann. Anyway, getting back to the main point, when I opened up the genuine C451B's housing to reveal the circuit board, I was surprised to see it closely resembling the CHINA451B.
Feeling a pang of conscience, I ordered one more genuine C451B to pair with the original. Well... I don't have much time, so I couldn't do precise recording tests, but I did a rough test with the ambient noise at home. The comparison is between Lauten Audio's LA-120 and CHINA451B. I plan to do a recording comparison between the genuine C451B and the Chinese replica either tomorrow or over the weekend.
Honestly, it's scary. A few years ago, semiconductors like displays and NAND memory were the best products produced by the manufacturing country I live in. However, now Chinese-made LCDs and NAND memory are growing scarily, with China already excelling in making LCDs, and soon they might become the best in producing NAND memory and OLED displays. In the same context, it's not impossible that China might produce very high-quality microphones or speakers. Even for us Koreans, until recently, Chinese-made LCDs were treated as cheap knockoffs, but now many models of LG monitors use Chinese-made LCDs. As for microphones, is today's Chinese copycat a mere copycat, or will it be seen in broadcasting stations or studios the day after tomorrow? Surprisingly, just 20 years ago, Samsung and LG monitors were treated as cheap in the global market, and Japan Display was known for professional use. However, not long ago, all the advanced monitors' LCDs, such as those from Eizo, Dell, and others, changed to LG. Although Samsung acquired Harman Kardon and practically became AKG's parent company, even in Korea, Samsung service centers don't handle AKG products. Distribution networks, repair networks, and services are all handled by small-scale distributors. Interestingly, even in wireless earphone cases like the Buds series, "sound by AKG" is engraved.
Anyway, Chinese products: The rise of products like Edifier in speakers or TAKSTAR in microphones has positive aspects, allowing for high quality at a low price. However, the frightening part is the disappearance of the genuine article.
Of course, the recording was a bit off. It's challenging to compare an upright piano with old background noise in an acoustically challenging environment.
Can you guess which one is the LAUTEN between TEST1 and TEST2?
