TELEFUNKEN TF11

There are some audio companies whose names have become so inextricably linked with high-quality audio that they can be considered the sound of the music we’ve loved throughout our lives. Think Neve, SSL, Moog, Teletronix, Neumann and AKG – and don’t forget to add Telefunken to that list.

Born of a joint venture between Siemens & Halske and AEG in 1903, Telefunken spent the first half of the 20th century developing audio resources for the German military. But later, in collaboration with Neumann and AKG, the brand played a significant role in the development of two of the most coveted microphones of all time: the U47 (which featured a Telefunken VF 14 M vacuum tube) and the ELA M 250, which had the AC701K vacuum tube.

More microphones were developed until the original Telefunken company ceased trading