Ela M 260 ?

[kats]

Anyone know the deal on this mic? I've never heard of it before, or in it's current incarnation.

Ela M 260

[cuby]

Funny it stress that Telefunken products are "meticulously handcrafted" in USA, but with price of $999, it's pretty much sounds like the shameless M-16 claim again. That power supply and box alone would cost more than $1k if it's "meticulously handcrafted" in US. On the other hand, that means we can find the exact copy from the same factory at 1/5 the price. Anyone got a word from ADK yet?

[kats]

That was my first thought, however Peluso is doing a Valve SDC for the same price and the only "chinese" part is the body - to which I doubt anyone cares.

I'm more interested in which AKG mic this is supposed to be modelled after - anyone know?

[jomo1234]

The Peluso looks to be a clone of the AKG C28.....IMHO a wonderful and underrated microphone. Anyone heard the Peluso yet. I am quite curious. Does it take AKG capsules?

Originally Posted by kats

That was my first thought, however Peluso is doing a Valve SDC for the same price and the only "chinese" part is the body - to which I doubt anyone cares.

I'm more interested in which AKG mic this is supposed to be modelled after - anyone know?

[mixerguy]

Originally Posted by cuby

Funny it stress that Telefunken products are "meticulously handcrafted" in USA, but with price of $999, it's pretty much sounds like the shameless M-16 claim again. That power supply and box alone would cost more than $1k if it's "meticulously handcrafted" in US. On the other hand, that means we can find the exact copy from the same factory at 1/5 the price. Anyone got a word from ADK yet?

I was told quite directly by a Telefunken USA guy at AES that there was some Asian manufacturing involved with this mic....

[not_so_new]

Originally Posted by mixerguy

I was told quite directly by a Telefunken USA guy at AES that there was some Asian manufacturing involved with this mic....

Imagine.....

dfegad

[kats]

Don't you guys think it's a good idea to take advantage of Asian manafacturing yet? I mean things like bodies, PSU casings etc etc. The things that don't really matter as to offer a better price point?

I mean why would you want to pay double for something just because a white guy made the box it came in?

[Rob Murray]

Originally Posted by kats

Don't you guys think it's a good idea to take advantage of Asian manafacturing yet? I mean things like bodies, PSU casings etc etc. The things that don't really matter as to offer a better price point?

Part I: Its a great idea to take advantage of Asian manufacturing, but calling it handmade in the USA afterwards is deceitful, and last I checked somewhat illegal.
Part II: You don't think bodies matter? Bodies matter much more than you might think, though Chinese bodies with some modification can be made decent. i.e. not those thin shitty pieces that feel/look like aluminum cans.
Part III: I dont know enough about Peluso, so correct me if Im wrong. But isn't the whole mic chinese, except he reskins and sputters the capsule? (and assumably he replaces some components) Im pretty sure all the machining is chinese though. (if someone knows about the guts if they're chinese american or hybrid please chime in.)

[kats]

Here's the blurb from their RFT series:

"Utilizing standardized microphone parts from overseas, NOS tubes and a combination of high quality components made in the United States, Telefunken USA’s new large diaphragm condenser microphone is a low cost alternative to the Telefunken microphones which have gained popularity among today’s top producers, engineers and musicians."

Fair enough, eventhough the link to the "handcrafted in the USA" is still on the bottom of the page.

The Platinum section (under which the 260 is listed) does not have the above quote regarding sourced parts, which would lead me to believe that this particular mic is made (or "handcrafted") in the USA.

But really, this is becoming rediculous. I mean where is the solder, wiring, paint etc made? If it's sourced does that make their claim illegitimate? How far do we go with this? What about the screws, the hinges on the box, or the box itself?

Obvioulsy we have to draw the line somewhere. The question is where - what do you guys think?

[Greg B]

Originally Posted by kats

Here's the blurb from their RFT series:

"Utilizing standardized microphone parts from overseas, NOS tubes and a combination of high quality components made in the United States, Telefunken USA’s new large diaphragm condenser microphone is a low cost alternative to the Telefunken microphones which have gained popularity among today’s top producers, engineers and musicians."

Fair enough, eventhough the link to the "handcrafted in the USA" is still on the bottom of the page.

The Platinum section (under which the 260 is listed) does not have the above quote regarding sourced parts, which would lead me to believe that this particular mic is made (or "handcrafted") in the USA.

But really, this is becoming rediculous. I mean where is the solder, wiring, paint etc made? If it's sourced does that make their claim illegitimate? How far do we go with this? What about the screws, the hinges on the box, or the box itself?

Obvioulsy we have to draw the line somewhere. The question is where - what do you guys think?

The Telefunken R-F-T Series uses parts sourced from multiple countries, including USA, China, and others and my understanding is that they are still assembled and tested here in the U.S.A. Each model may vary, but they have high standards of quality control, and it keeps the cost low enough to be affordable by any serious studio. I think the statement "handcrafted in the USA" is a fair statement since quite a bit is still done in the USA. The word "crafted" is a fairly vague term and can pertain to any part of the creation process. What matters of course is the resulting quality and sound.