MINT Neumann M49 Stereo pair (consecutive serials) plus all extra's DREAM-PAIR!

FOR SALE  ( the shipping price is pretty high, but this is related to the insurance value, i verified this with my shipping company )


Do you want to sound like  Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, Miriam Makeba, Simon & Garfunkel, Tony Bennett, Adele, Nancy Sinatra and Norah Jones????? Forget it !!!  but if you want to use the same microphones they used, now you can !!!



A pristine pair of Neumann M49-B(c) microphones.
Consecutive serials.
With 2 original PSU's  also with consecutive serials-- re-capped and totally checked -- the lithium battery voltage regulating system is replaced with a much better ( stylish/vintage looking ) system, the original parts, caps and battery's come with the PSU's . As the original battery system lasts about 20 years, i think there are no PSU's in existence with this system still functionally installed.


 100% original cables

Matched pair ( mics and PSU's consecutive serials )  -- the original matching documents were regretfully lost in a basement flood  ( documents storage, the mics were not in this basement! )  but they were absolutely originally sold as a matched pair.

"99%Mint" condition  ( some very VERY light signs of use, but these are the best ones i have ever seen )
100% ORIGINAL --no re-skin, all original parts.
The original K49 capsules  ( same as K47, which were used in the U47 ) are in absurdly good condition.

AC701 tubes -- one " K spec" and one " red dot /03 " ( which is  " K spec" )   these mics were serviced by Neumann all their live, and the red dot has been selected / placed by them.

The "dampfung" etc. badges above and beneath the small DIN connectors can be removed before shipping if wanted, they are the remains of a "impedance switch broadcast upgrade"  which was placed in place of the small DIN connectors by NEUMANN, i left them there on purpose because some people like a bit of history on their gear.


THE SOUND!!
My jaw absolutely dropped trough the floor when i heard these microphones!! I am a very spoiled man and i have had / used all of the famous "U types" and many other comparable godly microphones. I had heard the M50 before, which i adored, but when listening to these mic's i immediately realized that i had never heard / used these ones...  they are without any doubt THE VERY BEST microphones i have ever heard! ( i know " best" is a relatively subjective term, but i am just talking about my personal experience )

They are WARM, OPEN, FAT, ORGANIC, TIGHT, BIG, and extremely MAGICAL!!! and these superlatives  still don't do these mics justice... they evoke immediate emotion unless you are made of concrete..

THIS SPECIFIC TYPE ( M49-B(c)
My personal view is that these are the best revision of these mics, a simple elaboration:  the B stands for more dynamics/lower noise by use of a "better" transformer, and the ( c) addition after the serial number stands for another small improvement, these are NOT "C type mics"  ( which are also incredible as i understand )  the "C" version came shortly after this version, and has a printed circuit-board. In other words, this version still has the point to point soldered board, but does have all the improved specs.
Beneath here i have placed some comments by Klaus H. about the different revisions.



The  first M49 was introduced around 1951. Though not marked as "a" this was the first series, and used the Hiller MSC2 triode tube, M7 capsule and a single-leg output transformer optimized for the MSC2.

Around 1955 the tube was changed to AC701, but aside of the supply voltages and its corresponding components, everything else inside the mic remained the same.

Around early 1959 (transition periods always make it hard to pinpoint a date with accuracy, as mics would be shipped to different clients at different times)
the 'b' version was introduced. From then on the mic had a humbucking transformer with 4dB more output which also could be switched between 50 and 200 ohms output impedance. The mic received the new Mylar/Polyester K49 capsule and had a few additional circuit updates, like solderable low-end cut, wire switch for cardioid only operation, etc.

In 1961, while still called 'b', the serial number plate started to be punched with a small suffix "c' after the printed letter "b".
When the "b" serial number plates ran out, all subsequent  M49 plates were printed only with suffix "c" (around late 1963)
Fairly soon after, all M49s were equipped with a printed circuit board instead of the earlier point-to-point wiring.  

The M49b/c had as improvement a new way of biasing of the tube (self biasing) which lowered the internal noise floor of the mic's tube and reduced stray hum and noise interference from outside sources as well.

The mic was discontinued in the early 1970s, with some stragglers having been shipped through the late 1970s. Original spare parts were shipped from Berlin until quite recently.

Regarding preferences:

I would cull the various models and transitions into two main, desirable series, without any preferrential weight assigned between them:

- The first AC701- equipped series has a very fine and sexy sounding transformer, (not to mention the M7 capsule) which mostly makes up for the lower output and noisier specs.

- The two final series (bc, c) are another classic: lowest possible noise floor, wonderful mellowness of response without boredom, and quite universal in its application.