WARNING Senn 409-906 owners/buyers

[blackfoot]

Howdy gang, just thought I'd pass on a warning about Sennheiser 409-906 style mics. The capsule is held in place by a foam surround only. the foam deteriorates over time so the capsule is free to rattle & eventually break it's wire connections. The worst part is the foam breaks down to a gooey mess or at least it did in my case. I called my local rep ( Australia) and was told they no longer have replacement parts for the 409-906 and the are a non repairable item. So even the current series is non repairable. Yeesh. I've made my own foam gaskets but with varying degrees of success. The density of the foam is critical to the sound. A quick test by gently shaking the mic while close to your ear (not plugged in) and listen for a rattle. If you hear any movement the foam is gone and starting to foul your capsule. SECONDHAND BUYERS BEWARE.

[Chris H]

good to know, thanks.

[Ben M]

Foam does seem to be the downfall of some mics and the boxes they are stored in. The breakdown of foam can be as bad as dust on mic diaphragms.
Thanks for the heads up Jim.

[Thirteen]

RE-20 anyone?

[obutcher]

Thanks for the info Jim!

[Ender]

I had exactly the same issue on a 509 I bought second hand.. was from Ebay so couldnt check it out beforehand. Arrived DOA, but when I went to get it fixed (Gavin at Pickstone did the job), all the foam had turned to powder and just fell out. Gavin had some stuff around to use which seems to do the trick, and the mic sounds great.. but I guess I'll never know what the proper foam density might've sounded like.