D:fine 66 - Microphone DPA - Free user manual and instructions

Product Type	Headset Microphone
Brand	DPA
Model	D:fine 66 (CORE 4066, 4166, 4266, 4088, 4188, 4288)
Directional Pattern	Omnidirectional (CORE 4066/4166/4266) or Cardioid (CORE 4088/4188/4288)
Principle of Operation	Pressure (Omni) or Pressure Gradient (Cardioid)
Frequency Range	20 Hz - 20 kHz
Frequency Range ±2 dB	20 Hz - 20 kHz with 3 dB boost at 8-15 kHz (4166); 100 Hz - 20 kHz with boost (4188)
Sensitivity (nominal, ±3 dB at 1 kHz)	6 mV/Pa (-44 dB re. 1 V/Pa)
Equivalent Noise Level (A-weighted)	Typ. 26 dB(A) Omni / 28 dB(A) Cardioid
Signal-to-Noise Ratio (A-weighted, re. 1 kHz at 1 Pa)	Typ. 68 dB(A) Omni / 66 dB(A) Cardioid
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD)	<1% up to 137 dB SPL peak
Dynamic Range	Typ. 111 dB (Omni) / 111 dB (Cardioid)
Maximum SPL (peak before clipping)	144 dB
Power Supply Required	5 V - 50 V via DPA adapter for wireless systems
Current Consumption	Typ. 1.5 mA (microphone); 3.5 mA with DAD6001-BC XLR adapter
Connector	MicroDot
Cable Length	1.25 m (4.1 ft) Omni / 1.2 m (3.9 ft) Cardioid
Cable Diameter	1.6 mm (0.06 in)
Color Options	Black, beige, brown
Temperature Range	-40°C to 45°C (-40°F to 113°F)
Relative Humidity	Up to 90%
Included Accessories	Windscreen, sweat stop, clothing clip, protection cap, cable relief, color-coded clips
Warranty	Two-year limited warranty

Frequently Asked Questions - D:fine 66 DPA

What is the difference between omnidirectional and directional (cardioid) versions of the D:fine 66?

Omnidirectional microphones pick up sound equally from all directions, are less sensitive to wind and handling noise, and placement is less critical. Directional (cardioid) microphones reject background noise and have a proximity effect (bass boost when close). They must be placed 2-3 cm (1 in) from the corner of the mouth for optimal sound.

How do I adjust the D:fine 66 headset microphone for a comfortable fit?

For the d:fine 4066 & 4088, expand the distance between the earhooks to adjust size. You can switch wearing sides by clicking the boom out of the clips and moving it. For 4266 & 4288, open the spring hook, place behind earlobe, and release. Adjust by gently pulling or pushing the wires.

What is the recommended placement for directional D:fine 66 microphones?

Mount the directional microphone 2-3 cm (1 in) from the corner of the mouth to ensure optimal sound quality. This minimizes background noise and leverages the proximity effect for natural bass.

How can I tell if my D:fine 66 capsule is omnidirectional or directional?

Check the mark on the capsule. The d:fine CORE 4166 and 4066/4266 are omnidirectional, while CORE 4188 and 4088/4288 are directional. The directional models have a marked side indicating the pickup direction.

How do I clean the D:fine 66 microphone grid?

For 4066 & 4266 models, remove the grid and clean with a soft cloth and demineralized water. Ensure it is dry before reattaching. For 4088 & 4288 models, the grid is not removable; avoid cleaning and take care not to clog with makeup or debris.

How do I maintain the cable of my D:fine 66 headset?

Wind excess cable in soft figure-of-eight loops (6-8 cm diameter) to avoid kinks. Use Ecotech2 Multi Degreaser to remove residue from tape, glue, or makeup. Do not bend or rub the cable harshly to prevent internal wire damage.

Can I exchange the cable or boom on my D:fine 66 microphone?

Yes, for d:fine 4166, 4266, 4188, and 4288 Flex models, locate the service access point, pull back the small locking cap, and gently pull the boom away from the cable hanger to exchange cables or booms.

What accessories are available for the D:fine 66?

Accessories include replaceable grids and windscreens, various cables and adapters (including MicroDot to XLR or wireless system adapters), different booms and earhooks, clothing clips, and color-coded cable steer clips for quick identification.

How do I protect the D:fine 66 from wind and pop noise?

Use the supplied windscreen over the microphone head. For directional models, a windscreen is especially recommended. The d:fine 4166 & 4188 models have a replaceable protection grid that also reduces wind and breathing noise.

What is the power requirement for the D:fine 66 microphone?

The microphone requires a power supply of 5 V to 50 V, typically provided through a DPA adapter for wireless systems. Current consumption is typically 1.5 mA for the microphone alone, or 3.5 mA when using the DAD6001-BC XLR adapter.

USER MANUAL D:fine 66 DPA

All d:fine™ Headset Microphones provide a uniquely natural and open sound. Ultra-lightweight and adjustable, these mics ensure a secure and comfortable fit in live performance environments. To ensure optimal performance of your d:fine Headset Microphone, please follow the simple instructions below.

Placement of microphone

For discreet placement, you can bend the microphone boom slightly so that the capsule is placed in the desired position. Do not hold the capsule while bending; bend the wire boom, making a smooth curve with your thumb to best fit the profile of the face.

Close-up of a woman applying makeup to her ear with a curling iron (no text or symbols visible)

Mount a directional mic 2-3 cm (1 in) from the corner of the mouth to ensure optimal sound quality compared to an omnidirectional mic that can be placed further away from the mouth.

Omnidirectional characteristics

• The mic is sensitive to sound from all directions
- The sound remains more or less the same regardless of the distance between the sound source and the mic
- The positioning of mic with omni characteristics is less critical than with directional
- An omnidirectional microphone is generally not very sensitive to wind, breathing, pop and handling noises

Directional characteristics

• Rejects background noise and creates higher separation
  • The mic is most sensitive to sound on one side (marked on some variants)
• The positioning of mics with directional characteristics is essential as the low frequency level will change according to the distance to the mouth, known as proximity effect
• Choose a distance that yields the desired amount of bass
• Care should be taken to protect against wind and pop noise e.g. by using a windsseen

How to tell the difference between d:fine™ Headset Microphone capsules

d:fine™ CORE 4166

d:fine™ CORE 4188

d:fine™ CORE 4066, CORE 4266

d:fine™ CORE 4088, CORE 4288

Omnidirectional

Directional

Omnidirectional

Directional

See the mark on the capsule

See the mark on the capsule

Adjusting the d:fine™ 4066 & 4088

The size of the headset mount can easily be adjusted. Change the standard bend by carefully expanding the distance between the earhooks.

To change sides, simply click the boom out of the clips and switch it over to the other side.

The remaining two clips are not used. The soft cable must not be attached into the clips.

Hand holding a pen with curved lines and arrows, pointing at a small object (no text or symbols visible)

Close-up of a black cable with three red X marks at the bottom (no text or symbols visible)

Close-up of hands performing a neck massage technique on a person (no text or symbols visible)

Adjusting the d:fine™ 4266 & 4288

For the single-ear, just open the spring hook lightly, first place the slide behind your ear-lobe (Pic. 1) and let go of the spring over your ear (Pic. 2). For the dual-ear, place the headset behind your ears and place the springs like for the single-ear. Adjust the headset mount by pulling or pushing the wires until it fits tightly (Pic. 3).

A directional headset should be mounted 2-3 cm (1 in) from the corner of the mouth to ensure optimal sound quality.

Close-up of hands sculpting a human head with a curved object, no visible text or symbols

Side profile of a human head and neck with a medical or surgical wire, no visible text or symbols

Close-up of a human head with earband and white cable, no visible text or symbols

Correct placement behind the earlobe

Close-up of a car interior with a red 'X' symbol and a white tool near the door (no readable text or symbols)

Close-up of a car's side panel with a green checkmark icon (no text or symbols on the panel itself)

See instruction video at
dpamicrophones.com/dfine

1. When using the dual-car headset mount, the supplied cable relief should be applied. 2. Slide the cable into the relief cut. 3. The relief is pre-mounted with dual-ear headsets and supplied with single-ear earsets.

graph TD
    A["Raw Material Inspection"] --> B["Step 1: Inspection"]
    B --> C["Step 2: Finishing"]
    C --> D["Step 3: Rolling"]
    D --> E["Step 4: Finishing"]
    E --> F["Step 5: Stopping"]
    F --> G["Step 6: Final Product Inspection"]

Position the microphone properly by pulling or pushing the boom along the slide.

Switch between left and right ear wearing style simply by rotating the microphone boom. Hold on to the earhook while gently turning the boom.

For the dual-ear versions, also rotate the two earhooks.

Adjust the microphone boom to follow the shape of your face by gently bending the soft steel on the cable hanger.

Adjust the angle of the cable run, also by gently bending the soft steel (see arrows). Position the cable as shown on the picture for securing the position of the microphone.

The cable relief on the dual-ear version should be fixed in the clip that also holds the two wires on the mount.

Always leave the protection grid on the d:fine™ 4166 Omnidirectional & 4166 Directional capsules, as it protects the inner grid and offers protection against wind and breathing noise. The protection grid is replaceable.

Service connector to exchange cables or booms on d:fine™ 4166, 4266, 4188 and 4288 Headsets

These d:fine™ Flex Headset Microphones offer exchange of cables or microphone booms. Simply locate the service access point, pull back the small locking cap and gently pull the boom away from the cable hanger.

Windscreens

The enclosed windscreens offer additional protection against wind and pop noise. Gently draw the windscreen over the microphone head. For even better protection, bigger windscreens are available.

Sweat stop

The microphone is equipped with a transparent sweat stop around the microphone boom to prevent sweat running along the microphone boom to the microphone head.

Accessories (see more at dpamicrophones.com/accessories)

Grids and windscreens, cables, adapters, booms and earhooks.

Protection cap

The dfine™ 4166 Omnidirectional & 4188 Directional Microphones come with a red plastic cap which serves to protect the microphone head when putting on makeup, hairspray and more. Remove the cap before use.

Color codes & cable steer

d:fine™ 4166 Omnidirectional & 4188 Directional Microphone types come with a number of cable steer clips in different colors. Mounted on the cable relief, this clip allows for quick recognition of a specific headset microphone.

Five colorful plastic clips arranged in a row, no text or symbols visible

Clothing clip for d:fine™ 4266 & 4288 Headset types

The supplied clothing clip allows you to attach the cable to your clothes, thus relieving the cable draw to the headset mic. This is essential on especially the single-ear headset mic.

Close-up of a black circular mechanical component mounted on a white textured surface (no visible text or symbols)

Cleaning d:fine™ 4066 & 4266 mic grids

Remove the mic grid from the mic element and clean the grid using a soft cloth and demineralized water only. Make sure the grid is dry before remounting it on the mic element. This is not possible on the dfine™ 4088 and 4288 types as the diaphragm is protected inside the mic housing and the protection grids are not removable. Therefore, for these two mics, no attempt should be made to clean the grid surface and extreme care should be taken not to clog the grids with makeup e.g.

Cable maintenance

The cable is usually longer than required. Make sure that superfluous cable is wound up in soft figure-of-eight loops (preferably 6-8 cm (2.5-3 in) diameter) and avoid kinks in the cable.

Use Ecotech2 Multi Degreaser from Finish Line to remove residue from tape, glue, or makeup on the cable. Do not bend the cable or rub it harshly, it may stress the inner cores of the cable and cause them to break over time.

General maintenance

The d:fine™ Headset Microphones are resistant to high levels of humidity. However, care must be taken to keep the mic away from exposure to water and cleaning fluids and to keep the mic head dry at all times. Do not use spray or use fluid containing chemicals that could remove static electricity on or close to the microphone. This could cause permanent damage.

MicroDot connectors and adapters

To provide users with safe and compact mounting of connectors, all headsets from DPA are fitted with the MicroDot connector as standard. A broad range of connection adapters is offered as optional accessories for most wireless systems for professional use. See dpamicrophones.com/adapters.

Please also note that standard hardwired solutions are available for popular wireless systems;

03 : 3 pin LEMO

10: TA-4F Switchcraft

34: Mini-Jack

Frequency Response of dfine™ 4166 Omnidirectional types

Polar Pattern of dfine™ 4166 Omnidirectional types

100° 90° 80° 70° 60°

Frequency Response of d:fine ^TM 4188 Directional types

Black line is near field (2 - 3 cm/0.6 - 1.2 in). Green line is far field (more than 30 cm/12 in).

Polar Pattern d:fine™ 4188 Directional types

Frequency Response (dfine™ 4066 & 4266 Omni Headset types)

Frequency Response (dfine™ 4088 & 4088 Directional Headset types)

Polar Pattern (d:fine™ 4066 & 4266 Omni Headset types)

Polar Pattern (d:fine™ 4088 & 4088 Omni Headset types)

5° 3.54m 1.42m 1.42m

Specifications

dfine™ CORE 4066, 4166 & 4266 Omnidirectional Headset Microphone types

Directional pattern

Omnidirectional

Principle of operation

Pressure

Frequency range

20 Hz - 20 kHz

Frequency range, ±2 dB

d:fine™ CORE 4166;

20 Hz - 20 kHz with 3 dB soft boost at 8 - 15 kHz

dfine™ CORE 4066 Act & Flex:

20 Hz - 20 kHz with 3 dB soft boost at 8 - 20 kHz

Sensitivity, nominal, ±3 dB at 1 kHz

6 mV/Pa; -44 dB re. 1 V/Pa

Equivalent noise level, A-weighted

Typ. 26 dB(A) re. 20 μPa (max. 28 dB(A))

S/N ratio (A-weighted),

re. 1 kHz at 1 Pa (94 dB SPL)

Typ. 68 dB(A)

Total harmonic distortion (THD)

<1% up to 137 dB SPL peak

Dynamic range

Typ. III dB

Max. SPL, peak before clipping

144 dB

Power supply (for full performance)

Min. 5 V - max. 50 V through DPA adapter for

wireless systems.

Current consumption

Typ. 1.5 mA (microphone)

3.5 mA with DAD6001-BC XLR adapter

Connector

MicroDot

Color (microphone, cable and earhook)

Black, beige, brown

Cable length

1.25 m (4.1 ft)

Cable diameter

1.6 mm (0.06 in)

Temperature range

-40°C to 45°C (-40°F to 113°F)

Relative humidity (RH)

Up to 90%

Specifications

dfine™ CORE 4088, 4188 & 4288 Directional Headset Microphone types

Directional characteristics

Cardioid

Principle of operation

Pressure gradient

Frequency range

20 Hz - 20 kHz

Frequency range, ±2 dB,

Near field 2-3 cm (0.8-1.2 in)

dfine™ CORE 4188:

100 Hz- 20 kHz with 3 dB soft boost

100 Hz - 20 kHz with 4-6 dB soft boost at 15 kHz

Sensitivity, nominal, ±3 dB at 1 kHz

6 mV/Pa: -44 dB re. 1 V/Pa

Equivalent noise level, A-weighted

Typ. 28 dB(A) re. 20 μPa (max. 30 dB(A))

S/N ratio (A-weighted),

re. 1 kHz at 1 Pa (94 dB SPL)

Typ. 66 dB(A)

Total harmonic distortion (THD)

<1% up to 137 dB SPL peak

Dynamic range

Typ. 111 dB

Max. SPL, peak before clipping

144 dB

Power supply (for full performance)

Min. 5 V - max. 50 V through DPA adapter for

wireless systems

Current consumption

Typ. 1.5 mA (microphone)

3.5 mA with DAD6001-BC XLR adapter

Connector

MicroDot

Color (microphone, cable and carhook)

Black, beige, brown

Cable length

1.2 m (3.9 ft)

Cable diameter

1.6 mm (0.06 in)

Temperature range

-40°C to 45°C (-40°F to 113°F)

Relative humidity (RH)

Up to 90%

© Copyright 2017

Service & repair

If you are not satisfied with the characteristics exhibited by this product, please contact your nearest DFA Microphones representative for support.

Warranty

cfre™COR. Headset. Microphones are covered by a two-year limited warranty.

CE marking

This product conforms to all relevant directives approved by the European Commission.

Product features and specifications are subject to change without notice

d:fine™

Headset Microphones

core

by DPA

dpamicrophones.com/dfine