What did they do to the D104-M

[ElectronTubesRule]

I know that when Barjan(sp) bought out Astatic they went willy nilly cheapening everything up so that almost nothing is as good as it used to be before the buy out! Everything I have herd from people my age and older that used Astatic products from the 1940 up until the buy out all say the same thing everything breaks too quickly and sounds like Cobra junk! This is with regard to the mic's mind you.

I am guessing they no longer use a crystal mic element in the mobil D104 but what else have they changed about it? The price is super cheap as in $19 less then I recall them costing in the early 1990's!

I have heard that the RF Unlimited Ceramic Cartridge Mic with out all the toys on it sounds much better then the current D104M but it too is not built very durable.

Just trying to make an informed decision with out buying one then trying to send it back if I hate it! I always thought the old D104M was as close to perfect as one could get for a mobile amplified hand mic.

I went through 12 pages looking before I posted this question! I thought it would have been a hot topic but not so much!

 

[ElectronTubesRule]

Really Guys and Gals??? No one can tell me what they did to cheapen the design of the D104M6???? I was told by one old timer over the air years ago that they replaced the crystal mic element with a cheap electret mic element like radio shack and Cobra used and they also went with cheaper amplifier circuit. That was at 2 am on SSB years ago so not like I can trust it 100% since I did not know the guy that told me that.

I find it almost impossible to believe that no one has had one open and compared it to the old version???

I guess I will have to go and google it but wow suprised no one here knew off the top of their head!!!

 

[WR0220]

I never did a side by side comparison of the guts, but I would imagine that components that don't have tight tolerance and a different element would be the difference. I don't know if they changed the circuit design or not. IMO you'd be better off finding a D104M6 Minute Man II rather than purchasing a new D104M6B/C. I've owned both and the older model has far superior audio quality. The newer models have a tinny, scratchy sound to them. YMMV

 

[TonyV225]

I agree whiuch is why I sit on my old ones I actually have one brandnew still in the box I had thought about posting because I dont really use thes power mics otherthan the turner plus three desktop and handheld models if I do use a power mic. I just held off on selling the new one because I know from messing with and hearing the new models they sound like a tin can and my older ones dont have that sound.

 

[70cst]

Various threads indicate the newer mics do not have the same quality as the older mics. All I know is my 575 and 636L (older used one) are great sounding mics. The RK56 and older 104D6 are said to have better quality build and better sound than the newer mics. Good question you ask...has anyone done an inside comparison?

 

[purenrg]

Can someone post a pic of a old & new D104m6b/c ? That way all can tell the difference.

I never new they were called a D104m6 Minuteman, is this wright ?

 

[Eastside]

I bought a new one off ebay and it did not work from the git go.....another guy I talk to on the cb sez that he has to spray the contacts once a week or it stops working.

 

[bob85]

the older version d104m used the large cartridge like the 555 trucker mic which i don't like the sound of, muddy bass/lower midrange imho,
they also used a large quality switch different amplifier circuit and 7v battery,
newer ones have a cheap little switch with the hurt your thumb stupid little ptt button ( ok if you have thumbs like a blacksmith's striker ) the 9v 575 single stage amplifier circuit and 575 all silver cartridge,
they sound tinny/metallic unless you do the tone mod i posted,

the quality of the 575 also went down the pan when the green bob & bart boards with cheap small switch and all silver cartridges came out,
the older 575 used a cream board with a cartridge that looks identical but it has a black front / silver back and sounds a little warmer/less metallic

it seems to me that at some stage they went on a cost cutting mission with both mics,

some people post on forums that the green bob & bart boards are original and the older cream boards are fake, this is false,

i would like to see the inside of the earliest 575 to get the chronology in its propper order.