Sennheiser ME66 Mic: How to Identify?

[Miggy Sanchez]

I'm looking at a 2nd hand Sennheiser shotgun microphone on a "for sale" Facebook page.

The seller is having trouble identifying the model of his mic. He believes it's an ME66.

Could anyone tell me if their ME66 is, or should be, labelled with a model number or some sort of identifying feature?

Cheers.

[Miggy Sanchez]

I have attached 2 images from the sale post.

[Brian P. Reynolds]

Yep looks like a ME66

[Miggy Sanchez]

Thanks for that. +1 for ME66.

I'm struggling to understand how there is not some sort of labelling present.

[Adam Bauser]

Mine has a label on the inside of the microphone barrel (where the battery capsule screws into) that says ME-66.

[Steven Digges]

Mine is labeled inside the tube too.

Steve

[Miggy Sanchez]

Steve, Adam and Brian, thank you.

Very helpful.

[W. Bill Magac]

Mine looks just like your photos. The photo with the battery symbol is the K6 power module.

[John Nantz]

The amount of fake and counterfeit mics, headphones, and the like floating around out there is kinda like the North Pacific gyre and it’s trash vortex, in more ways than one, because a lot of it is from Asia.

There is a LOT of stuff out there about counterfeit gear but very little good stuff about how to really tell the fake from the genuine.

Several years ago I bought a ME64 and ME66/K6 from a guy on craig’s list. I did a whole lot of research about how to tell the counterfeits from the real thing but in preparation for writing this post I searched my files but couldn’t locate them. There have been several generations of improvements in the counterfeits as it seems as word has got out about what to look for, so the counterfeiters would improve on it.

I felt comfortable with the purchase at the time as everything was there, including the boxes and the instructions. Also, from the same seller, got a number of other items including a bunch of nice cables, other odds and ends, and a M-Audio mixer that I, hate to say it, have never used. Talking face-to-face with the seller and feeling him out about his purchase was very helpful.

What has made me more leery about buying some used items, though, are the Wasabi FV70 “premium cells” with 2500 mAh batteries I bought last year in lieu of the Sony FV70 1960 mAh ones. Couldn’t resist the price. Well, I can now! They’re a rip off, don’t last nearly as long as the Sony’s. Seller said they may have been a bad batch and sent me another pair. Exactly the same thing. That’s how they do business.

A lot of the gear I have has been bought used via craig’s list and eBay, stuff that basically doesn’t get counterfeited, but lately I’m running out of confidence with the items I’d still like to get, and both are mics. AKG C414 and 100 ENG G3. Will probably buy both new though an authorized dealer, all thanks to the Pacific trash vortex and the counterfeiters. I’ll also save the boxes, paperwork, and receipts for when it comes time to sell them.

Editorial comment: Asian counterfeiters (99%) and their fake imports are harming not only the consumer but also western businesses. Governments needs to do more to stop these fake and grey market imports. Can't trust mic "reviews" either, because one can't be sure the "bad" mic wasn't a fake.

P.S. The pictures of the outside look like mine, too.

[Dave Fisk]

re: counterfeit gear

I really only recommend buying used equipment from someone you know personally or from an authorized re-seller (most dealers have a used equipment section on their site). Craigs list and Ebay are full of counterfeiters and scams.