GH5 Any suggestions for a wireless headphone setup?

BobKo

BobKo

Well-known member
I make a lot of how-to videos for YouTube with my GH5, and I'm usually in front of the camera and my wife behind it. For a long time, she did not wear headphones to check the audio, but lately I've been insisting on it. She desperately wants to have a wireless headphone setup so that she isn't tethered by the headphones. Does anyone have a wireless headphone setup with the GH5? If so, what do you have?
 
The problem is there is always a delay with wireless headphone. The expensive ones there is less. Depends on how much you're willing to spend and how much of a delay you're ok with. For me any sort of delay gives me a headache.
 
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Peter C. said:
The problem is there is always a delay with wireless headphone. The expensive ones there is less. Depends on how much you're willing to spend and how much of a delay you're ok with. For me any sort of delay gives me a headache.
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I can see that there will be a delay using Bluetooth or other digital technology, as the analog audio will need to be digitized (and possibly compressed), then run through a D-to-A converter to change it back to analog -- lots of delay in that. But an analog FM transmission system should have marginal delay of well less than one frame of video. The problem is that an FM audio link will require a transmitter that plugs into the 3.5mm headphone jack on the GH5 and has its own power source (a couple of AAA batteries?) that put weight/stress on the 3.5mm jack. And such a transmitter will add some bulk to the camera, although it can be pretty small compared to a light, monitor and wireless mic receiver. Then the receiver at the headset end needs a power source (a couple more AAA batteries?) and has to go somewhere. Maybe it could be a belt pack and regular headphones plug into it.

But does anyone know if there is such a system? I see that stage performers use in-ear monitors that apparently have no delay (so they are analog FM, most likely). Something along those lines would probably work for me/my wife.
 
BobKo said:
I can see that there will be a delay using Bluetooth or other digital technology, as the analog audio will need to be digitized (and possibly compressed), then run through a D-to-A converter to change it back to analog -- lots of delay in that. But an analog FM transmission system should have marginal delay of well less than one frame of video. The problem is that an FM audio link will require a transmitter that plugs into the 3.5mm headphone jack on the GH5 and has its own power source (a couple of AAA batteries?) that put weight/stress on the 3.5mm jack. And such a transmitter will add some bulk to the camera, although it can be pretty small compared to a light, monitor and wireless mic receiver. Then the receiver at the headset end needs a power source (a couple more AAA batteries?) and has to go somewhere. Maybe it could be a belt pack and regular headphones plug into it.

But does anyone know if there is such a system? I see that stage performers use in-ear monitors that apparently have no delay (so they are analog FM, most likely). Something along those lines would probably work for me/my wife.
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Following that line of thought would be use a wireless mic transmitter/receiver or similar communication device.
[camera] headphone jack > wireless mic transmitter > .... [person] wireless mic receiver > wired headphones

One thing to note with theater communication headsets they're not in the same room so even if there is a delay you're not there to hear it.

The delay problem we are talking about is caused when you hear the live person talking through the headphones then you're hearing the slightly delayed wireless feed from the headphones. Maybe you need to build your wife a sound proof sound booth like they have at recording studios. ;-)
 
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NorBro said:
Maybe check out this thread: http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?368544-Bluetooth-adapter-to-3-5mm-Jack
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Thanks... that was an interesting read. Thinking about it, I have a wireless mic setup that supports a line-level signal into the transmitter, so it will work with the GH5's output. And the wireless mic's receiver has a headphone jack. This is the wireless mic system I'm talking about: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B08J7N1351/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I just tried it out to create a wireless feed from the GH5 to a set of headphones, and it worked very nicely. I'll try it again on an actual shoot and see what the camera operator (my lovely better half) thinks about it. Considering this wireless setup currently costs $153 and it is a decent (if not spectacular) dual-transmitter wireless mic, that's pretty cheap!
 
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