Some Cheap Chinese Microphones I recently bought and a warning

[TimG]

Hello,
I wanted to share the results of a a series of CHEAP microphone purchases from Alibaba and Aliexpress.
I was looking for a U87 type body for a Vintagemicrophone PCB kit.
( I got the M style with the transformer mounted to the PCB and It might take a Chinese U47 to fit! How about some other suggestions?)

The first contender is the “Big U87” from Jiangmen Huluwa Electroacoustic Equipment Co., Ltd. was $8.67 ($35.30 with shipping) and arrived after about a week, drop shipped to USA and shipped from there. Fast! Maybe because I first tried to get a free sample. MOQ of 1.
I don’t see the listing I got mine through anymore but this is similar. No stickers or engravings. Metal is ok? Finish is pretty good, price cheap!!!!

The second contender is a result of being frustrated at GoodWill and other auctions because shipping usually starts around $15.
So I ordered a BM800 microphone from Aliexpress and it was shipped to me for $13.83 total!

Too small, utterly unremarkable. Will likely put it up at Christmas time for shipping cost on DIY.
11.19US $ 59% OFF|Professional Condenser Microphone Bm 800 Set For Pc Computer With Tripod And Shock Mount Microfone Bm800 Kit Studio Mic - Microphones - AliExpress

Some idea of scale. Should have ordered up a size!

The third one is the Warning!
On Alibaba I saw a Sinbosen U87 style with three switches! For $113! In a wood box with a shock mount!
And a novelty badge or something taped under the label. Maybe not affixed? I haven’t looked yet.
Sinbosen High Quality Cardiold Microphone U87s Studio Wired Microphone Professional - Buy Studio Microphone,Professional Studio Microphone,Microphones For Studio Product on Alibaba.com


Looked pretty good in the pics…
The only question I asked of the seller, Guangzhou Xinbaosheng Audio Equipment Co., was whether this mic does in fact have the three switches. She double confirmed to me it was the model with 3 switches.
I ordered it no problem and it came in about a week via DHL. And of course you can’t buy a 3 switch U87 for $113!

I disputed my order (BEFORE clicking you have Received it) and asked for a refund as the only recourse in their Trade Assurance orders. I had screen shots of the conversation, the ad, and photos of the mic. And they gave me all the money back. The seller said “I told you I have three levels of microphones!”, but he didn’t and I won. No hassle.

They also sell a $674 model that maybe has switches? Same photos! I can’t say?!?!
U-87 Three Polar Pattens Omni Cardiold Figure-8 Condenser Recording Wired Microphone - Buy Recording Microphone,Condenser Microphone,Three Polar Pattens Omni / Cardiold / Figure-8 Product on Alibaba.com

 

[living sounds]

Well, it says cardiod in the listing...

There is also a listing on Aliexpress that actually has labelled the switches for decoration puposes only in their "ai", you need to buy the more expensive "pro" version for them to actually work.

In the case of the "Sinbosen" you also got a shockmount looking cheaper than the one in the photo...

Does the body have the tight fitting and rubber lining at the connection point like the real thing? The "wings" that keep the metal tube tightly in place?

Some of the stuff on Aliexpress/Alibaba is completely absurd. There is a "U87ai" on Alibaba for more than 2000 EUR, but its country of origin is Malaysia...

Buyer beware.

 

[TimG]

Well, it says cardiod in the listing...

There is also a listing on Aliexpress that actually has labelled the switches for decoration puposes only in their "ai", you need to buy the more expensive "pro" version for them to actually work.

In the case of the "Sinbosen" you also got a shockmount looking cheaper than the one in the photo...

Does the body have the tight fitting and rubber lining at the connection point like the real thing? The "wings" that keep the metal tube tightly in place?

Some of the stuff on Aliexpress/Alibaba is completely absurd. There is a "U87ai" on Alibaba for more than 2000 EUR, but its country of origin is Malaysia...

Buyer beware.

I haven’t taken it’s pants off yet, it looks reasonably well finished.

I’ll take photos when I do, but it will be a yawn of a mic if it’s anything I expect. I’m not sure what I would try to cram inside for a more for a more “convincinglooking switchless cardioid in my locker.
the shock mount is definitely less substantial than the product images.

I’ll try to get a scope on it too. The cheap one’s frequency only went down to 40 instead of 20 according to specs? Thats the only difference I saw in the ad texts.

 

[rogs]

Although - as you describe - BM800 mic bodies are pretty unremarkable, they can be useful as cheap bodies for some experiments.
Just a heads up though -- there are more and more 'BM800' style mics that are are actually made of plastic - even thought the Aliexpress adverts say 'metal'...

See HERE for example

These are of course totally useless for any Hi-Z experiments.

The visual give away that they are plastic (assuming the photos are accurate?! ) is that the XLR socket surround is black and not silver, and the head-basket verticals are 'seamless'. (A single plastic moulding, rather that a welded seamed structure )

I've already been caught out.... Hopefully only this once!

 

[Icantthinkofaname]

Well, it says cardiod in the listing...

There is also a listing on Aliexpress that actually has labelled the switches for decoration puposes only in their "ai", you need to buy the more expensive "pro" version for them to actually work.

In the case of the "Sinbosen" you also got a shockmount looking cheaper than the one in the photo...

Does the body have the tight fitting and rubber lining at the connection point like the real thing? The "wings" that keep the metal tube tightly in place?

Some of the stuff on Aliexpress/Alibaba is completely absurd. There is a "U87ai" on Alibaba for more than 2000 EUR, but its country of origin is Malaysia...

Buyer beware.

The balls you have to have to sell obvious fake U87s for 2/3 the price of a real one.

 

[Icantthinkofaname]

Although - as you describe - BM800 mic bodies are pretty unremarkable, they can be useful as cheap bodies for some experiments.

Some of them are quite solid, and some of them are quite crappy feeling and resonant. Personally I like the BM-700 body better because I like the sloped grille. I think the ones Khron used for 3 pattern mics with Chinese edge terminated capsules were really good, the couple I've used were pretty poor though. But they came in kits that included pop filters and stuff so the accessories were worth the cost.

 

[kingkorg]

Bm-800 style mics have one huge plus in my book. The bodies and the sleeve are pretty much non resonant, due to use of cheapest possible materials. Most of the bodies used these days ring as church bells.

 

[Icantthinkofaname]

Bm-800 style mics have one huge plus in my book. The bodies and the sleeve are pretty much non resonant, due to use of cheapest possible materials. Most of the bodies used these days ring as church bells.

I tried the Neewer NW-700 and NW-800 and mine rang like crazy. Maybe it was the boom arm it came with, but if so that thing was so resonant the mics picked it up clearly even when they were on stands.

 

[living sounds]

The balls you have to have to sell obvious fake U87s for 2/3 the price of a real one.

If you factor in the taxes it costs roughly the same as a real U87 retail here in Germany...

 

[Nen'O]

Did Vintagemicrophone U87 PCB kit fit into Big U87” from Jiangmen Huluwa Electroacoustic Equipment Co., Ltd?
Looks like it's the same u87 body as the one you can buy from WGT Center

https://wgtcenter.com/collections/s...ophone-condenser-classic-neumann-vintage-body

Thanks

 

[blakeyboy]

I've had a chap called 'Antony' pushing chinese crap into my inbox all year- he has a ribbon mic that has 'MICROPHONE' written in big letters across the front.
He couldn't understand why this could be in any way a problem.

I pointed out that an Aston Martin V8 Vantage doesn't have 'SPORTSCAR' written across the bonnet....

 

[TimG]

Did Vintagemicrophone U87 PCB kit fit into Big U87” from Jiangmen Huluwa Electroacoustic Equipment Co., Ltd?
Looks like it's the same u87 body as the one you can buy from WGT Center

https://wgtcenter.com/collections/s...ophone-condenser-classic-neumann-vintage-body

Thanks

I think it's slightly different than the WGT? I wouldn't want to say for sure it is any nicer.

The D87T tapered might fit, it would be close but maybe enough to shave a bit down. It defintely would not fit my D-87M fat blue one with the transformer integrated into the PCB. I am going larger.

Jiangmen Huluwa actually showed me another new model (UPDATE:$10.20 ea or 29 bucks shipped to me) they have that should hold larger pcbs (4.8 cm!), but not look too odd, Like a like a couple out there. U87 Condenser Microphone For Live Streaming,Reconding. Diy Microphone Body - Buy U87 Microphone,Reconding Microphone,Live Streaming Product on Alibaba.com

 

[TimG]

I got that new mic from Jiangmen Huluwa Electroacoustic Equipment Co., Ltd. And it’s pretty cool!!
It’s big and heavy!!
M is for magnetic head head basket but the body is not.
M is also for the D-87M pcb from Vintage Microphone PCB kit.

Size comparison with a well known DIY mic body.

It cost $10 plus $20 shipping to USA via Alibaba.
No box or clip.
I’ll definitely keep it for a project!

 

[wjohn]

Adding on to this thread because I may have found these bodies by following from a link here...

Anyway, these are from 'DIYmicrophone Store' on AliExpress. The C12/251 style is the same size and weight as my bodies from Chunger, NOS, and BadAax. This one is advertised as 'white', but is actually a glossy light cream (lighter than the Warm Audio color) with very small glitter grains mixed in - I really like it. US$50 delivered. Good fit and finish; the headbasket mesh is lined up perfectly and soldered well inside. The end cap is slightly lighter/thinner than the other HT11A bodies I have.

The other body has a very thin aluminum sleeve; similar to an MXL R40 in size and weight. US$20 delivered. Bought to try out a 3D printed ribbon motor design.

Both came with about 25 screws for some reason

 

[MicMaven]

Adding on to this thread because I may have found these bodies by following from a link here...

Those look good, Wjohn. I purchased what appears to the be bkack/silver model on eBay for the same cost delivered. Mine matches your description of what you received.

I like the lovely longer cream-colored model. It looks really nice. I hope it stays nice and clean and the paint does not stain over time from handling, used, etc. It will make your build look expensive.

Thanks for the uptake. James

 

[TimG]

Ok I took down the panties on the Sinbosen, and it looks like a pretty nice mic inside!

Im less certain about the capsule but hopefully someone will clue us in!

 

[kingkorg]

Cant say for sure, but Takstar uses that same type of screws on their capsules, and it sure looks like one of their models.

 

[Drosselmeier]

Ok I took down the panties on the Sinbosen, and it looks like a pretty nice mic inside!

Absolutely noname. Bought last year on alibaba. Schematically identical to U87Ai.

 

[TimG]

Does the U89 mean anything? I saw on RGO folks talking about the U89 circuit being used in Chinese U87i mics. And that Neumann also has a U89. U 89 i mt

Yours above look very similar but with differences in the styroflex capacitors on the printed side of the PCB?

 

[Khron]

There might just be enough diodes and caps on the oscillator board for that to indeed be the full circuit, as in +/-60v AND +/-12v or whatever is used for the intermediate patterns. Just as the one in the AKG Perception 200/220, as discovered by Henry Spragens.