Fake or Genuine? A Detailed Comparison of Counterfeit and Original Shure BETA 57A Microphones
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- Опубліковано 12 кві 2019
- It's really not cool when you get a fake product (while paying full price nonetheless)! This is a comparison between the counterfeit Shure BETA 57A that I received shipped by Amazon.de and the original Shure BETA 57A I ordered from Thomann.de!
This is not to encourage better counterfeits but instead to inform buyers about the differences and to let them know to check if they have one or not. If it weren't for people discussing this online, I would now own the fake and wouldn't even know.
I hope you have more luck - or just buy from an official Shure reseller.
🔗 Product Links:
Shure Beta 57a: crsp.li/shurebeta57a
#Fake #ShureBeta57A #MicrophoneTest
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great vid, and very informative specially the last part with front-to-back testing and handling. Thanks for this, and very useful
This is insane! Crazy how meticulously similar the counterfeit one is. Ironically for your voice I prefer the fake for talking as it cuts through the mix better 😬
What Mix? Dude is just basically talking into a mic lmfao
Wow what a difference sonically! That is a pretty clear difference. Thanks for the information.
The Best video! Thank you friend. Cheers from Buenos Aires 🇦🇷
This convinced me to buy the cheaper one.
That's also one way to go.
Thank you for making this video and I’m so glad I found it! I just purchased two of these from eBay and the seller seemed legit, or may not have even known they weren’t real. As of today, November 2020, they have fixed the wire color flaw and the label size discrepancy. There is even a Shure sticker on the inner diaphragm wrap now. But the box came in a black plastic wrapper labeled “Made IN China” despite the box saying Made In Mexico. The missing letter on the “engineered” is still there. They even added a fake serial number label, but unfortunately for them I ordered two of them and noticed the fake serial number is even the same. The knockoff though still weighs the same as the knockoff shown in this video.
They also fixed the CE logo.
So sad that they are still doing this. I would hope a company that makes fakes would just make their own good quality stuff.
Thank you for sharing your details here. That helps out people finding this.
The fake sounds so good that I am tempted to buy a fake to add to my collection of the originals.
That's one way to do it 👍. Always good to have some variation.
Tnanx, it's really helpful!
Hi, on web page of Shure smbeta 57 dont have CE print!
Right now I’m look at a 57A, it has the green and yellow wire, the tape looks good, the yellow tape isn’t sticking out but the “CE” isn’t shaded, it’s just outlined of that makes any sense?
I'm sorry but I prefer far away the fake : the voice is clearer and louder ! The original is boxy... I have a fake and I listened comparison before buying and It was the same thing. Just put a little bit more of foam and it's ok.
I was thinking the same thing. If you took the windscreen off the real one and put it on the fake one, I would buy it.
Fake has too much high end and no guts. Bad for singing. Might be ok for podcast.
Mine has all these original features except for the CE being outlined and not filled in. Judging by other comments here, I'd say that's not a clue to a fake. Very helpful vid though.
I was about to pick one up from a local selling App, now I think I’ll wait
1. Fake box is clearly photocopied,
2. G didn't print correctly,
3. Sticker was wrong,
4. Clip was slightly different and lesser manufacturing quality,
5. Papers were folded wrong, warranty lacked a barcode, and (not sure if it was a trick of the light) was blue
6. Addendum was lacking
7. Wires should be yellow & green
8. Plastic wrap should fit
9. Grille should be matte, and a little bit round
10. Lining shouldn't have gaps
11. Foam on capsule should be midźrange gray
12. Capsule center cap should be clean
13. CE should be solid
14. XLR port printing should be popped out (not surrounded by indents) and high quality, and should have a no trash icon.
15. Shouldn't be much handling noise at all
@@ChrisSpiegl Absolutely was.
chris, you should pin this comment to the top.
I've found a fake Beta 57A, and the description on the upper side of the box said "Precision-engineered microphone optimized for lead vocal applications", while on the original Shure Beta 57A box the description is "Precision-engineered microphone for detailed reproduction of amplified and acoustic instruments"... if this could help you!
Thank you for sharing this update. It’s quite the challenge to find these fakes. 😅
Man, now I wonder if mine is counterfeit too!
Thanks 👌
Thank you!
Thanks for this... I just checked my Beta 58s and Beta 57s and all are real except one... ironically that is the one Beta57 that I use on my vocals lol. Of all the 57s and 58s I tested its the one Beta57 that is the fake that I liked the best on my vocals haha. Why a Beta57 for vocals? Because you can boost the 250 hz and turn it into a SM7 and the Mids and highs are warmer. Tom Petty used to do it too... for warmth on his high ass voice. For some reason the Fake Beta57 is a little bassier and the mids and highs are warm AF... I feel like I don't have to do as much EQing to it. Go figure. Don't rush to throw out your Fake Betas until you do some comparison recordings on the Fake vs Real ones because for certain things(like vocals) you might like your Fake Beta 57 better like I do.
I am missing the trash can, but I do have the correct green and yellow wires and all other features you mentioned.
Let's hope it's the real deal.
I have both original beta 58a and sm 58 and none of them have the trash sign in the bottom (but meet other more important parameters). Thanks for vid, this is a very silky sounding mic!
👍 thank you and it's really not easy to spot sometimes. Hope you got the originals.
@@ChrisSpiegl yes that’s true, not easy. But I’ve checked (literally) about 20 things on each mic, starting with sound, and they are absolutely real. They are also both very old, from at least 15 years ago - when the beta 58 had three holes on the low side screw instead of two. For example my sm58 s head has the shock absorbent movement and every single part of both mics is a exactly with all the qualities of a real mic, once get into the comparison business the fakes are actually drastically different. They didn’t even have good copies 15 years ago. I may make you pics when I get home tonight for your amusement.
@@RosssRoyce Well, if your mics are that old, I would probably assume they are real. Unless bought on ebay from an untrusted seller.
Is this garbage can thing confirmed? I have a few SM58’s that don’t have it, however, everything else checks out.
Would you please compare the handing noise Between beta 58a and the beta 57a?
Hi. I do not own these two microphones - I hope you find another video showcasing this.
Tenk you sir very much, we see and work now and try make mic more same as real.
great! thanks:)
Awesome, thanks for your comment.
Thank you for making this video
Glad it was helpful!
The Shure SM-57s and 58s all use the same element or capsule. The grilles are obviously different. Inside each mic, there is a small step-up transformer. All the copies do not use a transformer. The advertised impedance of the copies is usually around 550-600 ohms, whereas the real ones have a lower output impedance due to the transformer. There are other differences, too, in the casting of the body, the thread sizes, diameters, and the grilles. I have several copies by several different companies. After installing the transformer, I can't tell the difference.
I've just had one arrive I bought off ebay from a 100% seller, so I think it might be innocent but I just had a feeling when I handled it so I googled and found this vid, mine has green and yellow but no trash can, no CE what so ever and says "JC" in a white stamp on the top of the capsule? is that definitive?
With these things nothing is really definite. The versions change over time and this video was shot and published about 2 years ago. Fakes are getting closer and closer to match the original very well and the originals sometimes also change little things. The only "definite" way is to go with a certified (re)-seller or be happy with the sound you get from what you have in your hands. It really is a full time job to stay up to date with the original and fakes 🙈.
Ok thank you, could you reply with the contact for shure please and I will get in touch with them myself
@@gregbishop378 please just Google that for your country. It should be pretty simple.
so im looking at this mic online, the guy has 200 positive scores on an account from 2010, and everything looks legit, everything, just it does not have the crossed out trash can, the coloration of the head is spot on, the wires are spot on just no trash can :/
true
@@ChrisSpiegl i just ordered a mew at2020 for 90$ on sale
@@ChrisSpiegl yeah, it arrived and its awesome
Does the Beta 57A unscrew by the seam on the chassis
YES
NO it does not. The original Beta57 does but the 57A does NOT.
what is the price of the clone and the original?
It was around then same as the original. Which is part of the reason I was so upset about it.
The rejection on the fake is abysmal.
I bought a fake sure 87a beta but I only paid $40.00 so I was pretty sure it was fake and it was. Actually I was looking at it and accidentally hit the buy button oh well at least it works lol
Did you get your money back from amazon then?
Yes.
hmmm my Beta 58a doesn't have the trash can symbol or the CE symbol. Fairly certain its original tho and has all the other original traits. 58a tho...
@@ChrisSpiegl My beta 57 doesn't have the trash can symbol as well, but it is original. I bought it from Thomann 5 years ago, its amazing microphone.
Excelent
I strongly believe that these fake products flooding the market are part of a deliberate effort to damage the reputation of the genuine ones. It's hard to imagine why someone would go to such lengths to create copies otherwise. While these microphones may not be as good as the originals, they're not completely useless either. In fact, for certain use cases, they might even be better. However, we need to be aware of the risks of buying fakes and support companies that invest in innovation and quality rather than just copying others.
The fake one has a better high end.
Thanks for your input.
funny my beta got a CE more similar to the fake one even tho i bought it new at a store dealing directly with shure. all of the one we had in a college i worked at were also like that.
maybe there is variation through the years or through continent (america vs europe). i spotted a bunch of "used" fake recently, the xlr plug and the A on the beta 57A not having its right side parallel to the side of the plate is usualy a good givaway... fakes are becoming close tho... scary stuff.
@@ChrisSpiegl If someone can copy a microphone as close as these why don't they use the green and yellow cables? But I think they do already. Therefor, if the color is not gr/yel it's a fake. If they are you'r still not sure ( or should I say shure)
Fake sounds bad, sibilant and harsh and the beta57 is not a mellow mic to begin with, but in comparison it's relaxed and sophisticated. This is good bit of information who try to save some cents by buying from shady sources. Considering these should last a lifetime, it's not worth the gamble. Having said that, one of my beta57s died while it was stored away. Oh well, got a new one..
Absolutely - one should not cheap out on these.
Amazon isn't supposed to allow that stuff!
The guys are able to copy entierly a microphone but they put the wrong cable colors
@@ChrisSpiegl Yes thank for your vid, it's just so much fun
Much easier to spot the differences sonically, than visually… to my ears there is a big difference, the original one is much "smoother" (typical Shure sound) where the copy is harsh and gives a nasal voice. This said, unfortunately, not all copies are equal, they are some terrible ones and some pretty close ones even harder to spot than the one you get… I bought a used SM57 a year ago and there was not even an output transformer, just a piece of plastic bag… 😇
It's crazy what these companies are trying to pull off with these counterfeit products.
I don't think they sound all that similar. The fake definitely has artifacts that the original doesn't. The original is much smoother in it's frequency response.
Thanks for sharing that, I appreciate that. Do you have experience with fakes yourself ?
I’m here because the microphone I bought 4 years ago crapped out. Turns out it’s fake. Grrrr
That's the worst feeling!
@@ChrisSpiegl Fact
@@ChrisSpiegl just fyi, my fake one had green/yellow wires, so they got that figured out. I figured it out be the weight. Thanks for your extremely informative video. People like you restore my faith in humanity.
I prefer the replica one it sounds cleaner. Why you care about the packaging. You don't use that, the microphone itself is what it count. All the parts and components are from China anyway
Because he s paid for the fake same buck as for original, and this is real bummer
Probably because you are listening from cheap speaker/headphones. The real mic is way better. The sound is much smoother, the handling noise is marginally better, the sound rejection from off axis actually works and the gain off the mic actually picks up sound beyond 5 cm.
And definitely the real Shure company wouldn't help with issues caused by the counterfeit.
And it doesn't matter even if they manage to make exact replicas of the real thing, it's still wrong. Selling counterfeit goods and scamming consumers is not forgivable.
Mind you, they are using Shure's goodwill and market value and distribution for free and fooling consumers. If the microphone components are so good and from china as well, why don't they make their own company and sell it in their own name? Oh yes, because then no one will buy it.
One goes for $20, the other for $140 and they sound the same. The fake one is made because they make a profit. Just wondering if Shure could not make and sell theirs for $20 and make $$$?
First, selling a replica or knock-off is not really ethical, second, the person selling the replica has less R&D and with that less costs so it’s kinda unfair. And last…
Depends, do you expect Apple to sell their phones for 80 just because that’s the parts cost?
@@ChrisSpiegl Point esp. about R&D. Manufacturing in USA is also costlier than China, and that's why Apple and many western companies outsource their manufacturing to Chinese companies. The pricing difference raises a pertinent question as to whether one is highly over-priced. I see a Chinese dealer offering KSM9 for $25!! The Shure KSM9 goes for $699...!! If Shure could sell the 1960-born SM58 for $40, it will quickly kill the fakes.
@@johnngatho6520 Maybe you should apply for the product management position at Shure and revolutionize the company?
Jokes asside, sure - no pun intended - it would be great if some companies would offer their products more affordably. But until then, you have the choice… if the quality of the knock-off is good enough for you… go for it. It's not for me and I'll choose the originals in most cases.
man,.liam gallagher has been singing counterfeit vocals dude,....no wonder the music sounds tinny dude?
it,s b a basic all rounder mic,.he got lucky gallagher
Good advice folks...DON'T BUY MICROPHONES ON EBAY OR AMAZON. EVER.
Pretty much. Unless you'd like to be scammed 🙈.
this guy likes to talk a lot
I'm not a singer so it's OK even it's fake🤣🤣🤣, just for celebrating