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Author Topic: Authenticating U67 Capsules  (Read 4793 times)

fffaustino

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Authenticating U67 Capsules
« on: December 11, 2015, 11:37:56 AM »

Hi Klaus,

I am Alfredo, a music producer from Spain and this is my first post.

I recently acquired a pair of Telefunkens u67 from 1968 - aprox - with close serial numbers. They sound good and i think that the capsules seem to be original (the plastic diaphragm rings, ivory color) but only one of them has some numbers written, and i really don´t know if any of them or both have been reskinned.

Is it possible to determine if the capsules are the originals or the reskinned ones?

thanks in advance and sorry for my english..!

Alfredo

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klaus

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Re: telefunken u67 capsules
« Reply #1 on: December 11, 2015, 06:23:59 PM »

Please post a head-on, not angled, close up of both back sides. That should clear things up.
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Klaus Heyne
German Masterworks®
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fffaustino

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Re: telefunken u67 capsules
« Reply #2 on: December 12, 2015, 10:57:24 AM »

hi again Klaus,

i hope these new pics help,

thank you so much for your time!

Alfredo

(capsule nº1)
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fffaustino

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Re: telefunken u67 capsules
« Reply #3 on: December 12, 2015, 11:00:08 AM »

(capsule nº2)
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fffaustino

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Re: telefunken u67 capsules
« Reply #4 on: December 12, 2015, 11:05:31 AM »

(capsule nº2 again)
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klaus

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Re: telefunken u67 capsules
« Reply #5 on: December 13, 2015, 02:27:08 AM »

Capsule #1 looks reskinned, #2 looks authentic (including corona oxidization). If both mics came from the same period- around 1967 to 1969, when the corona problems were most pronounced, it is feasible that someone thought this to be a big enough problem to attempt re-diaphragming.

Have you swapped capsule heads on the same mic*? How do they differ in sound?

*Using the same mic limits the variables to one (capsule heads) in this comparison test. You always want to limit variables in audio tests to one. That's why I tell the audiologist to use the same headphone on each ear when making a hearing test. Were I to use his left and right headphone for each respective ear, as is common, a second variable in addition to my ears (the second headphone with its unknown response curve) would be introduced, and hearing sensitivity comparisons for left and right ears would be less reliable.
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Klaus Heyne
German Masterworks®
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fffaustino

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Re: Authenticating U67 Capsules
« Reply #6 on: December 13, 2015, 05:34:04 PM »

Hi again Klaus!

thank you for your info, i really appreciate it.

I had tried the microphones before looking the capsules and i realized that one of them had a more balanced sound, better top end and nicer mids.

Now i have tested them again swapping the capsule heads and, yes, the vintage capsule sounds better to my ears than the reskinned one. 

I can only compare them with my reskinned u87i from the seventies, and both u67s sound much more nicer than the u87. But i think that the sound of the reskinned u67 is a bit congested (i think that i read some similar description before) compared with the vintage one, darker and with lower output. 

It is my first experience with telefunkens u67 so maybe my appreciation is not very useful but the differences between capsules are easily audible.

Thank you so much and best regards from Spain!

Alfredo Diego
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klaus

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Re: Authenticating U67 Capsules
« Reply #7 on: December 13, 2015, 07:26:54 PM »

Try to find a used K67/K870 capsule. If its diaphragms are healthy, it will sound more authentic and pleasing than any re-skinned aftermarket capsule, used or new, and by a long shot.
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Klaus Heyne
German Masterworks®
www.GermanMasterworks.com

fffaustino

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Re: Authenticating U67 Capsules
« Reply #8 on: December 14, 2015, 05:03:07 AM »

Sure, I will do,

thanks!
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fffaustino

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Re: Authenticating U67 Capsules
« Reply #9 on: April 26, 2017, 11:11:05 AM »

Hi again Klaus!

after many months passed i have finally gotten a used capsule to my u67...

It´s a plastic diaphragm rings one and very similar to the others i have, but i would need your help to date it because despite being an ivory color one (1966-1980 acordlying to your guide) it is marked with a black paint single digit ("4") which i thought it was a characteristic for more modern capsules.

Thanks for your time and sorry for my english..

best,

Alfredo
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klaus

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Re: Authenticating U67 Capsules
« Reply #10 on: April 26, 2017, 12:31:31 PM »

That is either  1974 or 1984- the appearance did not change much during that decade. Judging from the size of the hand writing, I guess 1974.
Best, KH

P.S.: I have assembled a good 100 different K67/87 capsule pictures on my desktop computer, which I will label and upload to my website, so these inquiries may become a bit easier in the future to answer.
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Klaus Heyne
German Masterworks®
www.GermanMasterworks.com

fffaustino

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Re: Authenticating U67 Capsules
« Reply #11 on: April 26, 2017, 02:05:24 PM »

Thanks for the info and your fast reply!

and best regards from Spain!

Alfredo
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