Topic: Fake Oktava microphones

[tchoub]

I don't know if this has already been posted on this board, but Oktava microphones have recently been counterfeited.
Counterfeits are made in China and seem to be of poor quality...
A few usefull links for Oktava users/buyers :

An email from Gennady Ulyanov (General Director of OAO Oktava, Russia)
Russian vs. chinese Oktava mics
Official european Oktava dealer
Official american Oktava dealer

[Andi]

That is terrible.  I bet they sound like crap.

[JasonR]

There's two sides to every story...
http://www.debris.com/journal/1280

Personally I doubt they're 'fakes' at all.  This sounds like a contracts dispute with the consumer stuck in the middle.

The Oktava 012s were generally regarded as poorly manufactured microphones, at least with regard to consistency of part selection.  I remember an article on DAT-Heads years back where someone disassembled a pair and found different parts from one unit to the next... same values mind you, but that's hardly going to make for an ideal pair.  I would think that modern Chinese manufacturing far exceeds what the Russians were doing years ago, though either should be capable of excellence today.

Guitar Center is selling the disputed mics, so expect to see them sold by various trusted merchants.

- Jason

[poorlyconditioned]

There's two sides to every story...
http://www.debris.com/journal/1280

Personally I doubt they're 'fakes' at all.  This sounds like a contracts dispute with the consumer stuck in the middle.

The Oktava 012s were generally regarded as poorly manufactured microphones, at least with regard to consistency of part selection.  I remember an article on DAT-Heads years back where someone disassembled a pair and found different parts from one unit to the next... same values mind you, but that's hardly going to make for an ideal pair.  I would think that modern Chinese manufacturing far exceeds what the Russians were doing years ago, though either should be capable of excellence today.

Guitar Center is selling the disputed mics, so expect to see them sold by various trusted merchants.

- Jason

This was discussed at length on the newsgroup "rec.audio.pro".  Do a google groups search if anyone is intersted.  Lots of info there...

  Richard

[Cooker]

ingenious plan, really, nobody would suspect something as originally shoddy as an oktava mic would be a fake.

that's like making fake blublockers.  or a fake Daewoo.

don't flame, i run oktavas and i spent hours matching them as best i could.

[Chuck]

The part about actually selling a Dorsey mod version was interesting too.