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[starkid84]

Hello Klaus, and everyone else.  I have 2 neumann capsules, and I am curious if anyone can give me the 411 on these.  One is an older K67, (I assume it has been re-skinned), and the other is a newer k67/87/870... or whatever it's currently called now.  I'm using these in my custom built u67 clone (100% original u67 circut) known as the D-U67 for those who are familiar with groupdiy.com 

I'm curious if you anyone can tell me the age of these capsules (or any other misc info).   

Also I've read that there was a period of years where neumann capsule production seemed to not be on par with the older capsules (until recently, I guess?).

Can any one identify if the newer one happens to be from the "good year 2xxx Neumann capsule period", or the "bad year 2xxx Neumann capsule period"?

Thanks!

[klaus]

Your pictures of the newer K87 (corrected: it's a K67/870) are too blurry to identify the manufacturing year's last digit (the numbers repeat every ten years).
Please reshoot a close-up of both diaphragm sides, preferably without condom.

[starkid84]

Here are some more pics of the newer capsule without the condom...haha!

And also a picture of the side of the older capsule. 

one thing I already have noticed as I've listened to the newer capsule, is that it is brighter than the older capsule.  Not that that's a bad thing, I'm just not sure which is more representative of the original k67 sound. 

I also have been listening to the two sides of the newer capsule to decided which side I like better.  The back side of the capsule seems to be more balanced, while the original front side comparatively seems to have less low end, and be a little more strident on the top end; making it seem a little thinner and less balanced than the back side.  The results were consistent in all polar patterns.  So I flipped the capsule and made the original back side cardioid, because it sounds better (to me at least).

It's a fairly new capsule, with little to no use.  Is it within normal Neumann tolerances for capsule sides to be notably different than the other?

[klaus]

I'm just not sure which is more representative of the original k67 sound. 

None of them would be:
The "old" capsule is a copy throughout, thereby incapable to reproduce Neumann performance.
The new capsule, though its backplate and diaphragm hardware are probably genuine Neumann K87 (corrected: it's a K67/870), has aftermarket diaphragms (corrected: it's a genuine Neumann capsule throughout).

Is it within normal Neumann tolerances for capsule sides to be notably different than the other?

Though neither of the capsules would ever meet Neumann tolerances, because they are not a full-fledged Neumann product, even all-stock, all-original Neumann capsules have a tolerance spread of 4dB (±2dB across the spectrum) when they leave the factory. That is about as tight as any hand-made capsule will ever get.

[starkid84]

Thanks for the response Klaus,

1. So what do you mean when you say the newer capsule has "aftermarket diaphragms"?  The newer capsule was taken directly from a Neumann tml67.   Unless I'm missing something here, doesnt the tlm67 employ a genuine Neumann k67? so shouldn't this capsule consist of all original Neumann parts?

2.  Can you elaborate more specifically about the older capsule being a copy?  Do you mean the capsule does not contain any genuine Neumann parts, and could effectively be considered a replica?

Thanks.

[klaus]

Thanks for the response Klaus,

1. So what do you mean when you say the newer capsule has "aftermarket diaphragms"?  The newer capsule was taken directly from a Neumann TLM67. 

You are right. The diaphragms looked so shiny, and the gold sputtering was so dense that I mistakenly misidentified them as 'aftermarket'. I have inserted a correction into my previous post and also corrected the actual i.d. of the capsule from K87 to K870 in two posts.

2.  Can you elaborate more specifically about the older capsule being a copy?  Do you mean the capsule does not contain any genuine Neumann parts, and could effectively be considered a replica?

The backplate is aftermarket, for sure, and while the diaphragms look somewhat like a dirty Neumann version, I doubt that they are: because Neumann LD diaphragms are not glued to the diaphragm mounting rings, them without immediately losing all diaphragm tension.  Hence my opinion that the whole capsule is a non-Neumann aftermarket copy.