AKG Perception 220 Mods

The AKG Perception 220 borrows the circuit design and a capsule design from the famous Neumann U87Ai. Yet the mic doesn't sound anything like a U87. Why?

There are several reasons, many of which have to do with the fact that the mic costs $179 instead of $3300. Yet we can make a few simple changes to the Perception 220, and be rewarded with a mic that comes much closer in sound to the famous U87.

We have two modification options for the Perception 220:

#1: Capsule Replacement

We recommend replacing the AKG capsule with our RK-87. Although similar in architecture to the AKG version, the RK-87 has a lower-amplitude high-frequency peak and a smoother response. If you find your Perception 220 to have too much output in the 10–12kHz region, making the mic sound like every other cheap imported condenser, the RK-87 will fix it.

#2: Input Capacitor Upgrade

Our full mod kit for the Perception 220 includes an upgraded input capacitor. Polystyrene film capacitors are among the most neutrally voiced audio capacitors, and are commonly found in premium condenser microphone designs.

If you are modifying a Perception 220, we strongly recommend the full mod kit. It costs only a few dollars more, and adds only about 15 minutes to the time needed for the mod.

Click through to the Perception Mod Kit page to see before-and-after frequency sweeps for this mod. See how both compare to a U87 Ai, too.