Buying used mics off ebay a good idea?

newbie

Active member
Do mics often suffer from much sample variation? I.e. are some samples of mics very good while others are just duds? The reason for this question is that duds tend to appear on ebay more often than the good ones...

Do mics last for long or do they brake often?

Any advice on this is appreciated, thanks!
 
Thanks.

I´m a bit surprised about your opinion about Rode since their owners are pretty pleased with them.

If I don´t get lucky on ebay, which is pretty hard these days, I was thinking of buying the Rode NTG-1 shotgun and maybe NT1-A for voice over, if it is much better than NTG-1 for V/O.
 
I bought a Schoeps off ebay and ended up sending it to the factory for servicing. It was okay but not as brilliant as it should have been. At $200+ for the servicing it's now good as new (actually the capsule is practically new after all that was replaced), but it doesn't seem like such a great deal anymore. On the other hand, Sennheiser seems to be very reasonable about cleaning/repairing their mics. I was told the max charge to service the internals of a 416 is under $100. My best advice is don't buy unless it's a killer deal and/or you feel very secure about the person you're buying from. I also bought some stuff from someone who wasn't exactly dishonest, but tended to over-rate the condition of the items.
 
Thanks Adam.

I have used ebay quite alot with a good success, but there aren´t many killer deals now as they used to be.

So, I think I´ll just go for a new Rode NTG-1 shotgun. My only question is: is it also good for V/O or would a need e.g. NT-1A for that?
 
Sennheiser 416 are often up for sale on ebay and are very durable mics. Depending on the seller I wouldn't hesitate to purchase a used 416 for around 600 or 700.
 
I demo'd the CS-1 early this year. Smaller than others, but a little too mid-heavy for my tastes. Sounded a little "nasely" to me. Because of the design of the MKH-416 it reproduces a clear crisp sound where others do not. It's really hard to beat the MKH-416 for sound or dollar.
 
thisiswells said:
I demo'd the CS-1 early this year. Smaller than others, but a little too mid-heavy for my tastes. Sounded a little "nasely" to me. Because of the design of the MKH-416 it reproduces a clear crisp sound where others do not. It's really hard to beat the MKH-416 for sound or dollar.
:beer: I heard the demo. I bought the cs1. 'Nuff said.:beer:
 
wabbit said:
Sennheiser 416 are often up for sale on ebay and are very durable mics. Depending on the seller I wouldn't hesitate to purchase a used 416 for around 600 or 700.
Are all Sennheiser 416 the same, e.g. 416T, and if not, what should I buy for the DVX?
 
416 48 ph

the T(Tonador) version( called also A-B parallel ) couldn't be powered directly from you camera you will need ether converter ( 48phto 12 t)) or T power box .
 
ExileOnTheMainStreet, not sure if you are a Geaorge Best fan or that's your name but it was reported on the news tonight that George Best is now close to death at the age of 59, after a life blighted by booze. Sad end to a great footballer.
 
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