Warm Audio WA-67 - Teardown

[kingkorg]

I'll be happy to help you with this, but let's not hijack the thread. Maybe start a new one, or drop me a pm.

 

[Whoops]

This has got to be a really poorly thought out mic then. I don't know how flat the dark K67 is, but I'm guessing way more high end is rolled off than is supposed to be due to the capsule.

I haven’t tried it next to an U67 yet, but my guess is that it’s darker due to the different capsule used.
I will compare it to an U67 and I have also some spare K67 capsules to try out and change in the mic while comparing.

I have no idea of why did Warm Audio used a wrong capsule for the circuit when they state their goal was to be true to the U67.

Anyway the mic sounds good as is, even though it has a wrong capsule for the U67 stock circuit and the soldering was pretty bad, my mic output was even unbalanced due to a factory solder bridge, but it sounded pretty good anyway.
As I showed before I redid all the soldering, rearranged the capacitors placement and removed the solder bridge.

Today it’s being used in recording for Doublebass duties and sounds great,
Will post some pics later on

 

[Whoops]

I’m recording today Andre Carvalho, a Doublebass player and composer.
It’s a really interesting project, it’s called Lost in Translation and each track is based on a specific word that exists in one language but has no direct translation to other languages.
It’s the forth record we do together

Here’s today’s setup with the Warm Audio WA-67 on low-end duties in the double bass

 

[kingkorg]

Awesome @Whoops , please share some samples once you're done.

 

[Snatchman]

its been said in this thread the WA-67 circuit is exactly the same of the Neumann U67, only exception is the output capacitor which the WA uses an higher value than the original. But all the capsule de-emphasis circuit is exactly the same

Hello Whoops and thanks for your replies so far. Not trying to beat a dead horse here but if Warm say they copied the U-67 circuit, why does it look so different implemented and can you actually stray this far from a design and still have the expected results?.......I'm just a novice solderer here...Thanks..

 

[Snatchman]

I’m recording today Andre Carvalho, a Doublebass player and composer.
It’s a really interesting project, it’s called Lost in Translation and each track is based on a specific word that exists in one language but has no direct translation to other languages.
It’s the forth record we do together

Here’s today’s setup with the Warm Audio WA-67 on low-end duties in the double bass

View attachment 96104

View attachment 96105

Wow..This look like a great sounding room..!

 

[Whoops]

Wow..This look like a great sounding room..!

Well it’s a very small theatre,
they allowed us to record here for 3 days.

It’s quite dry. The only problem I have is the spillage, because they are playing all in the same room, specially the Sax getting quite loud into the Doublebass microphones.
I don’t mind spillage, as it makes the sound more “roomy” which I personally like, but last record we recorded here they were not fans of a too much Roomy sound

 

[Whoops]

Not trying to beat a dead horse here but if Warm say they copied the U-67 circuit, why does it look so different implemented

does it?
Im not sure, the transformer is pretty good, it uses a good tube, the circuit is true to te original there’s just a different value in the output capacitor.

Capsule is wrong for sure,
And the PSU benefits of some work

and can you actually stray this far from a design and still have the expected results?

Is not that far.
the capsule used will just make it darker than what it should be

We all have to keep in mind the price point, it’s a very inexpensive microphone.
The Neumann U67 reissue costs 5500€ , this mic costs 990€, for DIY people like us it’s really easy to do some small mods and make it very close to an U67

 

[rock soderstrom]

does it?
Im not sure, the transformer is pretty good, it uses a good tube, the circuit is true to te original there’s just a different value in the output capacitor.

Capsule is wrong for sure,
And the PSU benefits of some work



Is not that far.
the capsule used will just make it darker than what it should be

We all have to keep in mind the price point, it’s a very inexpensive microphone.
The Neumann U67 reissue costs 5500€ , this mic costs 990€, for DIY people like us it’s really easy to do some small mods and make it very close to an U67

View attachment 96117

This is certainly a good microphone (especially for the money). Visually, I find it ugly, at least on photos. Does it also look so cheap in real life?

 

[Whoops]

Does it also look so cheap in real life?

I guess that’s quite subjective.
I also prefer the looks of the Neumann U67/U87 mics but I think I already got used to it.
Although I understand if you find the body looks a bit “Chinese”

Anyway if you pick up the mic it doesn’t feel cheap at all, the body is actually quite solid and heavy, it’s made of thick metal, it weights more than a real U67, so it feels like a serious mic.

The looks I understand that some people will like it and others don’t,
I think it has more to do with the body shape, specially the rounded headbasket top.

I personally think the Warm Audio clones of the 47, C12 and C800 look much better, but I don’t mind as long as the sound is good

 

[rock soderstrom]

Thanks for feedback.

I think it has more to do with the body shape, specially the rounded headbasket top.

I think you are right, the bodyshape and rounded headbasket top makes it a little bit cheap looking. In the end, it is microphone for recording, not a foto model.

 

[RuudNL]

Compared to the U67, it is a very BIG microphone.
I suppose they use the same body for the WA-87 (R2), which is (IMHO) not bad at all, but there is some room for improvement.

 

[Whoops]

Compared to the U67, it is a very BIG microphone.
I suppose they use the same body for the WA-87 (R2), which is (IMHO) not bad at all, but there is some room for improvement.

That's what I feel about the WA-67, the price is really good and there's also room for improvement, which is something not that hard for us.

 

[soliloqueen]

Thanks for feedback.

I think you are right, the bodyshape and rounded headbasket top makes it a little bit cheap looking. In the end, it is microphone for recording, not a foto model.

it looks like this because neumann slapped them with a C&D on their original design haha