Neumann M49 Reissue!?

I have had great experiences with tubedepot.com
I do not believe they have the 6s6b. And tube depot is expensive.
I have received tele ef806s tubes from them that have performed well, along with other tubes.

I have also had great experiences with www.kcanostubes.com/

I have also bought tubes from Manley and Rode, though it has been some years. Sometimes buying from a reputable pro manufacturer that is not depending on tube sales, is a good way to go, especially if they are hand picking them from a large lot. It would be nice if Neumann placed a spare in its mic kit if they have a large quantity of these tubes.

Does this mean that a bad tube cannot happen from a reputable dealer? Of course it can happen.

Sometimes a tube goes for some reason that is not the fault of the dealer.

I like to talk to people and establish a relationship. A dealer that uses reliable tests and great reviews is always helpful. Google people. Look for reviews, good and bad.

Sadly, unlike socketed tubes, this is a little more risky. With socketed tubes, it is easier to swap them and test them. So, for instance, if they are inexpensive, one could buy 3 or 5 of them, and then use the best one. With the subminiatures that have to be soldered in place, that is a lot more cumbersome.

And if this is all a headache, that is why we have Klaus who can be sent the mic and check everything, and I assume change out the tube if needed.

Bowie is the definition of a trusted source as for the rest I would have to do some research.

Yes, my experience dealing with Bowie was perfect. 
He was absolutely great.

+1 for Bowie.  Not only knowledgeable and dependable, but a totally nice and helpful person as well.

-09

Upscale is primarily a high end consumer dealer, they have a pretty good reputation in the audiophile world.

Well, they build a giant test jig that can burn in and test 100 tubes at a time, with circuit constants replicated. That’s what I’ve seen a few places and what was also done historically for critical apps. The real cost on a large batch is a couple $ apiece, they can afford to toss them.

well then

That’s awesome! I hope they’ve pulled it off and that they continue to go down the line in bringing back the classics. I’d rather them figure it out now while there are still good vintage units to compare against.

Apparently, the tube is still a mystery. See below - from Klaus's review:

"***Though the tube in my prototype specimen in March looked similar to a 6S6B, a Russian military type, it was not a 6S6B (Neumann did not fully rub out the label, so I could clearly identify it). That tube was changed out on the mic's second trip to Oregon. As the i.d. on the new tube was completely removed, I cannot confirm whether it’s the same or a different type that will be used in the serial M49V (see above)."

Quote from Klaus Heyne article: Neumann M49V: Complete Tear Down and Analysis

germanmasterworks.com/publish/articles/GalleryOfGreats/Neumann-M49V%3A-Complete-Tear-Down-and-Analysis.html
© Klaus Heyne, 2022

I read the same today, looks similar to 6S6B but isn’t.

Tube will purposely remain a mystery, “sounds great when S4 is opened.”

“S4, the left, vertical one selects between linear bass reproduction, with a response flat down to the low teens (switch in the up position), and an audible low frequency cut (down position)”

“I recommend to keep the low-end switch in the M49V in the linear (up) position: the new tube breathes more freely when not choked down via negative feedback.)”

Copyright Klaus Heyne, quotes used as allowed per article.
germanmasterworks.com/publish/articles/GalleryOfGreats/Neumann-M49V%3A-Complete-Tear-Down-and-Analysis.html

the 'operating manual' seems to indicate that the m49v will will ship with S4 the low cut engaged (down).

"At the lower electrical cut-off frequency of 30 Hz (-3 dB), a fixed high-pass filter takes effect in order to attenuate very low frequency interferences. The cut-off frequency can be lowered to 12 Hz with an internal switch S4 in the microphone."


..Might be worth requesting from the dealer before they ship unless you are ready to open the mic yourself.


As Klaus mentions, this will not void the warranty, assuming nothing is damaged in the process.


Thanks for sharing!

Take all this with a grain of salt, but from my reading, the m49b version introduced a 'fixed low cut' filter (per Klaus' linked history post) selectable via an internal wire switch.  

If this original brochure is to be believed, the cutoff appears to be @ 40hz.
recordinghacks.com/pdf/neumann/M49-M50.pdf

Assuming all this is accurate, it seems they may have lowered this to 30hz on the V  .. and of course provided the facility to disengage the negative feedback circuit entirely (per the original/a version), lowering sensitivity down to 12hz.. again by my reading only.

I'm inferring from Klaus' writing that the differences here may have to do with the new tube.. as with the *very slight* hardness in the mids when the negative feedback circuit is engaged.

Makes me wish they were shipping with S4 negative feedback circuit disengaged.  I'm tempted to request this from my dealer now, but I'm not sure it's worth any delivery delay that might introduce.   In practice I doubt this will matter much to me.. but it would remove the temptation to open the mic myself, which I'd honestly rather not do.