MBHO KA200Ns: worth it for an AK40 fan?

[Pieteker]

Hi all,

I'm seriously tempted to buy a pair of these MBHO KA200Ns:
https://www.hetaudioatelier.nl/mbho-ka200n/a3566

Coming from someone who loves his Neumann AK40s and is looking for a solid backup pair, I'd love to hear your impressions of the KA200Ns before I take the plunge. The plan is to pair them with nBob active cables from Nick.

Thanks!

[jbell]

I would get another set of Neumann caps!  Makes more sense to me.   

[daspyknows]

Why?  You will just sell them in a week or two.  Stick to the gear you have and learn it would be my advice.  You have run through more gear in a year than I have in 40 years of taping.  You have Neumann AK40s, use them for 6 months and then decide.  

[jbell]

Why?  You will just sell them in a week or two.  Stick to the gear you have and learn it would be my advice.  You have run through more gear in a year than I have in 40 years of taping.  You have Neumann AK40s, use them for 6 months and then decide. 

While I totally agree with you, I believe he wants a second set of cards.  I don't think he wants to unload the ak40's.  I think adding ak43 or ak50 caps for options would make more sense instead of two sets of cards.  

[daspyknows]

Why?  You will just sell them in a week or two.  Stick to the gear you have and learn it would be my advice.  You have run through more gear in a year than I have in 40 years of taping.  You have Neumann AK40s, use them for 6 months and then decide. 

While I totally agree with you, I believe he wants a second set of cards.  I don't think he wants to unload the ak40's.  I think adding ak43 or ak50 caps for options would make more sense instead of two sets of cards. 

Maybe but do a bit of searching.  He is buying and selling gear more frequently that most people change underwear. A few months ago he posted about  the perfect stealth rig which has already been replaced twice.  Now the new mixpre is already for sale.   

I also agree with you regarding the ak43 or ak50 as better options. I think there should be a plan or strategy with gear purchases unless someone falls into the unlimited funds gear slut category. Buying then selling gear doesnt indicate that.  Different pickup patterns was my approach with Schoeps and I own 3 different pairs of caps.  2 types of recorders and 4 battery boxes/preamps accumulated over the years.

[aaronji]

If the AK40s are THE cap for you, I would buy a second set of those. I did this when my 4015s got dinged at Melkweg. They are my absolute favorites, so I bought another pair. I haven't gotten around to sending the dinged pair in for repair yet, but I will do so in the near future. Then, I will always have a pair of 4015s even if disaster strikes.

If you want to experiment with different cards, looking for something you prefer to the Neumanns, go for it, but spend some time listening to recordings out there to see which mics you like before you buy.

Personally, I think trying some other polar patterns would be of interest. The wide-cards and the hypers that jbell mentioned would be good options; staying within a manufacturer's "system" makes it easier too.

[goodcooker]

MBHO makes fine mics. The cardioids have some bass rolloff which may or may not be what you are looking for. Since you have AK40s already, if it was me I'd look into getting a pair of the KA300 wide cardioid capsule. It's the best capsule that MBHO makes. Very linear and really shines outside and in good sounding rooms where you want the full bass response of an omni with (some of) the directionality of a cardioid.

If expense is a consideration MBHO is a fantastic option. You can get a pair of KA200 capsules for less than half of the cost of a single used Neumann KA capsule (if you can even find one). I searched for a pair of AK40 capsules for 2 years with no luck. Had the bodies, mounts and extension cables only needed the caps.

Like you, I cycled though a lot of gear trying to find the thing I like the most and the ideal point of cost vs performance. After 2 decades of taping I finally caved in and bought a pair of Schoeps. I sold them after 1.5 years. Just not my thing. Don't listen to people that say "just buy Schoeps and be done with it". Many people tried Schoeps and found them too dark, with muddy bass that requires extensive EQ and don't want to have that much money tied up in something that they found is not as suitable as was told to them for their intended use case.