Headphone Amp for G3 for wireless monitoring?

[Strouty]

So I have a few sets of Sennheiser G3s and most of the time, at least one set is idle. I'll occasionally use the tape out (either the TA3 or 1/8") on my Sound Devices 442 mixer to send a scratch track to the camera. However, I've been toying around with the idea of using them for wireless monitoring as well, for a boom op or director or such. I know Sennheiser specifically has the 300 series that has IFB, but I was hoping that I could simply add some sort of headphone amp with volume control since I already have G3s laying around. I'm hoping to eventually upgrade to Lectros, so I'll have even more free G3s around.

Anyone ever try something like this? Would it simply be 442 tape-out --> G3 transmitter --> G3 receiver Line Out --> Sennheiser CL1 cable --> Headphone Amp --> Headphones? I saw an old post on jwsoundgroup discussing something like this, but he mentioned a mono to stereo cable. I was under the impression that with the CL1 cable, the signal coming out of the G3 receiver was already stereo, so there wouldn't be a need for another cable/adapter. I'm not terribly familiar with the CL1 cables, though, since usually I'm using the 1/8" to XLR cables which are mono.

And does anyone have any suggestions for a headphone amp? The smaller the better, and cheaper is good too.

 

[GaryNattrass]

Firstly forget any talk of Stereo the G3 is mono all the way from TX to RX.

The TRS (stereo) connector is used to allow line level or mic level to the input of the transmitter.

You can do what you wish and all you then need to do is boost the receiver level so that it can drive headphones and there are numerous amplifiers on the market. I use the prospect pro IFB box but also have the lower cost ART My Monitor box.

Also look out for older 100 sennheiser radio mics as their receivers actually had a heaphone monitoring output and the older sony radio mic system I used to own had one.

 

[Richard Crowley]

Of course, the wireless kits are monaural. Perhaps they mentioned the stereo adapter cord to accommodate typical stereo headphones.

There are many small headphone amps out there, some in kit form, some as board-level to combine with battery and put into a box of your choice, etc.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_sop...plifier -usb&rt=nc&_mPrRngCbx=1&_udlo=8&_udhi
http://www.parts-express.com/sure-e...source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=pla

There is also a whole sub-culture of headphone fanatics like http://www.head-fi.org/

And headphone amps like "Cmoy" are popular, especially built into an Altoids tin, etc.

 

[Rick R]

The Sennheiser ew 300 IEM makes a decent IFB. A G2/3 100 series transmitter and/or receiver could be used ( if the frequency blocks are compatible) but wound be mono, and as Richard stated, a headphone amp would be wanted, with a custom cable/wireed to feed both left and right ear pieces. I have a set of Comtecs' which do the job nicely. They are not stereo, or low cost, but are a standard requirement on (pro) movie sets... and a source of rental income.

 

[John Willett]

Almost any battery-powered headphone amp would work with the EK100 - you will just need a special cable wired tip and sleeve only at the receiver end and tip and ring commoned at the other end so the mono signal will go to both left and right of the headphone amp.

I think this was supplied as standard with G3 kits.

The Graham Slee Voyager is a good battery headphone amp. that I use.

Oh - and before you do the upgrade to Lectro, look at the new Audio Limited 1010 digital series that starts shipping any moment now (September 2015).

20 channels in a single 8MHz window - latency of only 2ms, shorter than anything else I know - 100MHz switching bandwidth - etc...