Wireless mics - your opinion please

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rickryan.com

rickryan.com

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Dec 9, 2009
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I'm buying a new wireless system for ceremonies. Love my old GTD system but it seems to have a problem with 5G phones. I'm needing a dual channel receiver with hand-held and lav/headset. I'd pretty well settled on a Shure SLX but it appears they've discontinued the product so now I'm back to square one on my decision. Wanted to raise a discussion here to see what you guys recommend. BTW, I do have a GTD in the 500-mhz range, but I've mis-placed the bodypack/mic. Is the 600-mhz range the real problem here? Thanks in advance for your input.
 
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600 MHz is off limits now except for a few narrow slivers of spectrum.

I just recently purchased the Audio-Technica System 10 Pro dual receiver (in a half rack space). I mostly use it for at home karaoke. It is a 2.4 GHz system that has a really good RF design. The key reason I chose this was that the receiver modules pop out and can be placed anywhere they are needed using just cheap Cat 5 cables. This lets you get line of site. For instance, you can place them in the rafters of your venue. The downside to the System 10 Pro is that you cannot change the mic capsule to one of your choosing. I am not 100% pleased with the vocal mics but no one else complains. I just add a little upper mid EQ to those channels. I don't know how their lavs or headsets sound.
 
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sawdust123 said:
600 MHz is off limits now except for a few narrow slivers of spectrum.

I just recently purchased the Audio-Technica System 10 Pro dual receiver (in a half rack space). I mostly use it for at home karaoke. It is a 2.4 GHz system that has a really good RF design. The key reason I chose this was that the receiver modules pop out and can be placed anywhere they are needed using just cheap Cat 5 cables. This lets you get line of site. For instance, you can place them in the rafters of your venue. The downside to the System 10 Pro is that you cannot change the mic capsule to one of your choosing. I am not 100% pleased with the vocal mics but no one else complains. I just add a little upper mid EQ to those channels. I don't know how their lavs or headsets sound.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the input. I'm intending to keep using my GTD system inside the venue. What I'm looking to replace is for ceremonies. Over the past few years, I've had several events where the bodypack on my GTD (600-mhz) just has zero signal at the receiver. I assume this is due to 5G phones and the problem is starting to happen on a more regular basis.
 
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Yup. Everything above 608 MHz is now pretty much all used for 5G and it is illegal to operate mics in that band except for a small 6 MHz sliver in the duplex gap (657-663 MHz if memory serves me well). 5G will keep proliferating so you are best to get rid of those mics as soon as possible.
 
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Here we go again...

Shure QLXD and be done with it. I use G band which covers 470-534. I have 10 of them. I use 6 of them exclusively for wireless speakers, and such.

The SLXD is decent, but nowhere near as robost in terms of RF Tech as the QLXD.
 
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If you are trying to look at an option other than just SHURE since everyone will say QLXD is the way to go, I have heard that this one is Excellent from one person, and the reviews on Amazon are excellent. I have a wired Sennheiser 935, and it's been a solid mic for me, and they make great mics overall imo. This wireless one is $799.

My Shure BLX combo hand held/lav unit gets the job done for ceremonies, but I have had some signal issues with the mics from time to time, but nothing too bad, just minor signal drops here and there, but I'm sure you are looking to go higher end than BLX series. Sound quality on the BLX is great for speaking. No complaints there.

 
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If you want more reassurance on the Shure QLX-d, I've had 2 receivers now since right after it's release... over 5 yrs (specifically the g band). In those 5 yrs I've been to 12 different states with it... indoors, outdoors, big rooms and small rooms, city areas and rural areas. NOT ONE DROPOUT on either of the 2 that I own. If this is going to be at your venue at all times, and you want to save money, go with the SLXD. Practically speaking they're identical in that case... but if you're gonna be moving them around different locations... qlx-d is the way to go as it offers just a little bit more frequency options.

From shures website:

Both the SLX-D and QLX-D wireless systems offer digital transmission with exceptionally clear audio, low noise, and >120 dB dynamic range, so they sound virtually identical. There are some feature and performance differences which are not significant to the houses of worship, schools, and small theaters that SLX-D is designed for.
  • The QLX-D system offers wider tuning bandwidth (64 MHz vs 44 MHz), and can operate more systems in one 6 MHz TV channel (17 vs 10).
  • The QLX-D system is available in the UHF, VHF, 900 MHz, and (in some countries) the 1.5 GHz band; the SLX-D system is available in the UHF band only, which provides more than enough options for most users.
  • The SLX-D system offers both the SLXD4 single-channel receiver and the SLXD4D dual-channel receiver; the QLXD4 receiver is a single-channel half-rack unit.
  • The latency of the QLX-D system is 2.9 msec; SLX-D is 3.2 msec.
  • The QLXD4 receiver is compatible with the ULXD6 boundary transmitter and ULXD8 gooseneck transmitter for use in meeting rooms.
  • The QLX-D system offers encryption and network control via Ethernet, which the SLX-D system does not.
  • QLX-D can be used with Wireless Workbench software and SystemOn software or the ShurePlus Channels app for remote monitoring and control. SLX-D can be used with Wireless Workbench softwar or the ShurePlus Channels app.
 
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djtaso said:
If you want more reassurance on the Shure QLX-d, I've had 2 receivers now since right after it's release... over 5 yrs (specifically the g band). In those 5 yrs I've been to 12 different states with it... indoors, outdoors, big rooms and small rooms, city areas and rural areas. NOT ONE DROPOUT on either of the 2 that I own. If this is going to be at your venue at all times, and you want to save money, go with the SLXD. Practically speaking they're identical in that case... but if you're gonna be moving them around different locations... qlx-d is the way to go as it offers just a little bit more frequency options.

From shures website:

Both the SLX-D and QLX-D wireless systems offer digital transmission with exceptionally clear audio, low noise, and >120 dB dynamic range, so they sound virtually identical. There are some feature and performance differences which are not significant to the houses of worship, schools, and small theaters that SLX-D is designed for.
  • The QLX-D system offers wider tuning bandwidth (64 MHz vs 44 MHz), and can operate more systems in one 6 MHz TV channel (17 vs 10).
  • The QLX-D system is available in the UHF, VHF, 900 MHz, and (in some countries) the 1.5 GHz band; the SLX-D system is available in the UHF band only, which provides more than enough options for most users.
  • The SLX-D system offers both the SLXD4 single-channel receiver and the SLXD4D dual-channel receiver; the QLXD4 receiver is a single-channel half-rack unit.
  • The latency of the QLX-D system is 2.9 msec; SLX-D is 3.2 msec.
  • The QLXD4 receiver is compatible with the ULXD6 boundary transmitter and ULXD8 gooseneck transmitter for use in meeting rooms.
  • The QLX-D system offers encryption and network control via Ethernet, which the SLX-D system does not.
  • QLX-D can be used with Wireless Workbench software and SystemOn software or the ShurePlus Channels app for remote monitoring and control. SLX-D can be used with Wireless Workbench softwar or the ShurePlus Channels app.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. As much as it makes me squirm to be spending this much money right now, I'm thinking the QLX system is the way to go. Do you know if they have a single-ear headset that will work with that bodypack?
 
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ittigger said:
I love the Sennheisers.
Click to expand...

Me too

Rick whatever you pick make it buy once cry once. In your case I would go with high end Sennheiser or Sure
 
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rickryan.com said:
Was about to pull the trigger today on the Shure SLX unit but found out that neither the SLX or QLX will support both lav and hand-held at the same time. It's a single-channel unit with 2 transmitters. That kinda sucks.
Click to expand...

The Shure BLX Combo unit that comes with a lavalier style, and a handheld works great for me. Purchased for $549.99 a few years ago. Probably $20 to $50 higher now. Sound quality is superb on the lav mic. It's not perfect, but pretty good in terms of signal strength. I had a few momentary 1 second drops outs on the lav mic during ceremonies. Some weddings it works flawlessly though. Others, like 96% to 98%
 
djtaso said:
Maybe I'm missing something... but what's the downside to two different units. I personally haven't seen a higher end unit handle two devices at the same time.
Click to expand...

It's only a single channel receiver which, as I understand it, means you'd have to shutoff the lav in order to use the hand-held. Is that not correct? Even the GTDs have two, discrete receiver units that can be operated at the same time.
 
Well .. a receiver 'receives' and by law, it has to accept any and all communications on said frequency - so theoretically, it should receive both. If you have one of these units, you could easily test this. You potentially might see 1 overpower (block) the other from being able to communicate / transmit clearly.
 
rickryan.com said:
It's only a single channel receiver which, as I understand it, means you'd have to shutoff the lav in order to use the hand-held. Is that not correct? Even the GTDs have two, discrete receiver units that can be operated at the same time.
Click to expand...
The slx makes a dual channel… it’s double the price but they make one
 
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