Topic: DPA Price Increase...Or Not...

[aaronji]

I just bought some mics from a DPA dealer who told me that they are about to increase their prices.  He said he thought before the end of the year, but wasn't exactly sure when (or by how much)...

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I just bought some mics from a DPA dealer who told me that they are about to increase their prices.  He said he thought before the end of the year, but wasn't exactly sure when (or by how much)...

 

thats a hell of a buzz kill from your other thread. 6 months from now, I'd have been totally cool with that, but now? 

[aaronji]

^^^ No doubt.  That's why I acted now, even though (especially at this time of the year) funds are kind of tight...

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^^^ No doubt.  That's why I acted now, even though (especially at this time of the year) funds are kind of tight...

yeah, drastic times call for drastic measures... People may just have to skip Christmas presents from me this year. 

[Teen Wolf Blitzer]

So the Eurozone is crashing into oblivion and their answer is to up their prices?  Good move. 

[mr qpl]

I always think it's a better idea to raise prices than to lower quality. I've seen a number of businesses go down due to lack of service and reliability. DPA sure seems high up there on both counts to me, and I hope they stay the same there. Given that there's still 3-5% inflation, despite the overall unemployment, etc, I wonder how most businesses are managing to keep going.....cheers from a DPA usera and a big fan of their stuff!

[F.O.Bean]

So the Eurozone is crashing into oblivion and their answer is to up their prices?  Good move. 

No doubt. The ONLY upside to that is the gear, used, carries a higher value

[acidjack]

I always think it's a better idea to raise prices than to lower quality. I've seen a number of businesses go down due to lack of service and reliability. DPA sure seems high up there on both counts to me, and I hope they stay the same there. Given that there's still 3-5% inflation, despite the overall unemployment, etc, I wonder how most businesses are managing to keep going.....cheers from a DPA usera and a big fan of their stuff!

One thing that can't be argued with IMHO is that DPA's U.S. service is outstanding - much more convenient and less of a hassle than, say, Schoeps.  Dealing with DPA (I just had cables shortened, so not a terribly complex operation) for me was seamless and took 2 weeks door to door.  With Schoeps you have to have Redding Audio ship your stuff to Germany, where depending on how many holidays are going on (forget about it in August, or this time of year) you're talking a minimum of 2 months. 

They are a great manufacturer and their products are worth what they charge for them. On a related note, I'm not selling my 4021s anymore... 

[F.O.Bean]

I always think it's a better idea to raise prices than to lower quality. I've seen a number of businesses go down due to lack of service and reliability. DPA sure seems high up there on both counts to me, and I hope they stay the same there. Given that there's still 3-5% inflation, despite the overall unemployment, etc, I wonder how most businesses are managing to keep going.....cheers from a DPA usera and a big fan of their stuff!

On a related note, I'm not selling my 4021s anymore... 

hehe smart move

[Ziggz]

So now might be the hour to jump on a pair? Can Core-sound wire them to a 1/8" plug, or just that weird battery box setup?

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So now might be the hour to jump on a pair? Can Core-sound wire them to a 1/8" plug, or just that weird battery box setup?

The 406x series? if so, you might inquire if Ted or Rob can make an adaptor cable so you don't have to get them chopped. I think the Colorado office of DPA sells microdot connectors for use in cabling, maybe not (I'm working off of memory of another thread).

[acidjack]

So now might be the hour to jump on a pair? Can Core-sound wire them to a 1/8" plug, or just that weird battery box setup?

Chris Church chopped my coresound setup to a 1/8".

But I agree with Page - best thing is to not chop it and get an adapter, if it's possible.

[Ziggz]

Thanks. It would probably mess up the warranty having them chopped.

Would 2 of these + adapter
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/282485-REG/DPA_Microphones_4061_BM_4061_Omnidirectional_Miniature_Low_Sensitivity.html

or the kit + adapter do the job?
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/483055-REG/DPA_Microphones_SMK4061_SMK4061_Stereo_Microphone_Kit.html

Or Core-sound's pair into a single mini-xlr without battery box:
High End Binaural microphone set (DPA 4061), configured for Mic2496 (no battery box)


Would prefer an adapter so I can run these into CA-9100 or SP 12v battery box.

[Gutbucket]

Thanks. It would probably mess up the warranty having them chopped.

Nope, just don't cut the serial number tag off along with the connector and the mic will still be warranted.
Waranty on the miniatures is 1 year on the mic but does not cover the connector anyway.

Crimping new microdot connectors requires a special DPA tool.  Not sure if the cable builders here have that.   Core-Sound has the DPA microdot crimp tools and can make new adapter cables.  I got my 1st pair from Len years ago.  The adapters also have male microdots and connect to the mics with female barrel connectors, just like the DPA extension cables.  I've since built my own by splicing previousy cut-off microdots that still had some cable attached to them and buying barrel connectors from DPA.  They are costy little buggers.   Chris Church reported a few months back that he has an alternate, non-DPA source for microdots for probably considerably less cost than waht DPA charges.  I bet he can build adapters.

[Gutbucket]

Wondering if the price increase will effect the miniature series.  Specifically the 4060/1 common around here and the 4099.  I'm considering trying a pair of 4099, but don't really want to jump on it just yet.

[aaronji]

Page is right: you can get DPA to ship you connectors (or drop ship them to a cable maker).  And I also remember reading that Chris Church has a bunch of connectors on hand, so I would ask him...

yeah, drastic times call for drastic measures... People may just have to skip Christmas presents from me this year. 

That's my plan!

So the Eurozone is crashing into oblivion and their answer is to up their prices?  Good move. 

Except that they're not in the Eurozone (they use the krone)...Besides, one small manufacturer's pricing decisions are probably not going to tip the balance...Does suck, though.  Curious how much they'll go up...

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Curious how much they'll go up...

I'm particularly interested in when. It's not going up tomorrow at any rate. I called my dealer of choice (Justin at Pro-Sound) and he put in a call to their distributor. Afterward, he quoted me a price good for the next 6 months but couldn't project past that.

[F.O.Bean]

Curious how much they'll go up...

I'm particularly interested in when. It's not going up tomorrow at any rate. I called my dealer of choice (Justin at Pro-Sound) and he put in a call to their distributor. Afterward, he quoted me a price good for the next 6 months but couldn't project past that.

Justin is THE man

[aaronji]

Curious how much they'll go up...

I'm particularly interested in when. It's not going up tomorrow at any rate. I called my dealer of choice (Justin at Pro-Sound) and he put in a call to their distributor. Afterward, he quoted me a price good for the next 6 months but couldn't project past that.

Looking back through my old e-mails, it is possible I misinterpreted the price increase thing: it may only be for some products as opposed to an across-the-board increase.  I was inquiring about a stereo pair of the reference standard mics with the compact bodies and this was the response:

The stereo kit costs a bit more than buying individual mics but they are matched in the kit. They [DPA] also told me to expect price increases in December but they don't know how much more things will cost. Supply is still tight, but, at this time, they can deliver a set.

So it may be that the prices are only going up for the reference standard pairs...Kind of hard to parse in retrospect...

[page]

Curious how much they'll go up...

I'm particularly interested in when. It's not going up tomorrow at any rate. I called my dealer of choice (Justin at Pro-Sound) and he put in a call to their distributor. Afterward, he quoted me a price good for the next 6 months but couldn't project past that.

Looking back through my old e-mails, it is possible I misinterpreted the price increase thing: it may only be for some products as opposed to an across-the-board increase.  I was inquiring about a stereo pair of the reference standard mics with the compact bodies and this was the response:

The stereo kit costs a bit more than buying individual mics but they are matched in the kit. They [DPA] also told me to expect price increases in December but they don't know how much more things will cost. Supply is still tight, but, at this time, they can deliver a set.

So it may be that the prices are only going up for the reference standard pairs...Kind of hard to parse in retrospect...

hmm, dunno, I asked about a the reference line 4015s in particular. It could be that I got the new prices, but they generally jive with what B&H is publicising currently and I don't remember them being different.

[aaronji]

^^^ Did you ask about the matched stereo pair or just the mics themselves?  I paid a bit less for the stereo kit (factory matched with Pelican box, wind screens, and holders) than twice B&H's price for the mics alone.  So maybe they will be increasing the prices for the matched pairs?  Those seem to be barely available at this point in time, so that might be the explanation...

I am dying for a pair of those 4015 caps.  My next mic purchase for sure...

[Gutbucket]

For much of the recording I enjoy the most, the 4015 is a dream mic.  I can't justify the cost of a pair, but if I could buy any non-miniature DPAs those would be it.

[bhadella]

Looking at B&H, the short body (c) appears to be cheaper than the rest.  I wonder why?

[bhadella]

Oh, and my next set of mics are dpa wide cards (or gefell hypers). 

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Oh, and my next set of mics are dpa wide cards (or gefell hypers).

that's my ideal setup right there. I'm going for the 4015 compacts first because I have more opportunity to do recording where they will be favorable this year, and second, a remote version of the m2x series isn't yet available.

Looking at B&H, the short body (c) appears to be cheaper than the rest.  I wonder why?

maybe due to the amount of electronics involved. Of the 3 bodies, I think they are the simplest.

^^^ Did you ask about the matched stereo pair or just the mics themselves?  I paid a bit less for the stereo kit (factory matched with Pelican box, wind screens, and holders) than twice B&H's price for the mics alone.  So maybe they will be increasing the prices for the matched pairs?  Those seem to be barely available at this point in time, so that might be the explanation...

I am dying for a pair of those 4015 caps.  My next mic purchase for sure...

I asked for a matched pair, but not the kit, spaced on that. Really, I asked if there was going to be a price change but the price was volunteered anyway.

[aaronji]

I asked for a matched pair, but not the kit, spaced on that. Really, I asked if there was going to be a price change but the price was volunteered anyway.

I really hope I was misinformed and the prices stay the same for a while!  As Gutbucket noted, those 4015 caps aren't cheap.  They are sweet, though, and perfect for a lot of the situations in which I record.  Hopefully, I can scrape the cash together before any increase...

[Gutbucket]

Oh, and my next set of mics are dpa wide cards (or gefell hypers).

that's my ideal setup right there.

read my mind.  both are at the top of my list.

[F.O.Bean]

Oh, and my next set of mics are dpa wide cards (or gefell hypers).

that's my ideal setup right there.

read my mind.  both are at the top of my list.

DPA wide cards do SMOKE I would go w/ Geffel hypers THEN DPA Subs

[aaronji]

I contacted DPA USA to ask about the (supposedly) imminent price increase.  They told me that there is NO impending price increase, but stressed that could change at any time:

...anything can change at anytime...All I can ever say to anyone is that I have not heard of any price increases at this time.

Curious where the DPA distributor that initially mentioned the increase got that idea...Well, anyway, sorry for the false alarm!!!

I also asked them about the availability of matched pairs of 4015 caps:

The 4015 capsules are available as factory matched pairs but are special order and would have to be brought in from the factory.