Tier 4 · Rank #18

Telefunken Elektroakustik — the revived German legend

The original Telefunken was a German electronics giant that went bankrupt in the 1960s. Telefunken Elektroakustik, founded in 2002 in Connecticut (USA), bought the rights to the name and now hand-builds authentic reissues of the most-revered tube mics in history: the U47, ELA M 251, and C12. Each one costs as much as a used car.

Founded2002 (revival)

HQSouth Windsor, Connecticut

OwnershipPrivate

Price range$500 – $13,000+

What they make

High-end tube reissues, plus newer affordable mics

Telefunken’s premium line is the Diamond Series: the U47, ELA M 251 E, C12, M49 — all hand-built, all expensive, all aimed at the “buy once, cry once” market of professional studios. They also make a much more affordable line including the M80 dynamic (an SM58 alternative) and the TF11 condenser.

The famous mics

Microphones worth knowing

U47 — reissue of the most-recorded vocal tube mic in history. ~$10,000.
ELA M 251 E — reissue of the Austrian/German tube classic. ~$13,000.
C12 — reissue of the AKG-built original. ~$12,000.
TF11 / TF29 / TF39 — modern mid-priced FET condensers.
M80 / M81 — handheld dynamic for live vocal.
R-F-T AR-51 — affordable tube mic in the Telefunken character.

Should you buy one?

The short answer

Get one ifYou’re running a commercial studio, you book name artists, and clients expect a Telefunken U47 in the live room. The M80 dynamic is a different story — it’s ~$250 and a real SM58 alternative.

Skip it ifYou’re a hobbyist. The Diamond Series mics are made for working professionals who track vocals every week.