Sennheiser AVX Batteries

O

onemanband-videomaker

Carbonite Member
I am a little concerned about the battery life of the receiver and is not clear if it works with the camera's phantom power or that will only trigger the receiver to turn OFF. The 11 hours of the transmitter are fine, but the receiver is rated only for 4 hours. While I see the BA30 battery replacement for the transmitter I can't find any info on the receiver's battery. On the specs Sennheiser said that the receiver can be charged by any external battery for cell phones via USB and that would be better than nothing but come on... now I have to charge 3 batteries? and why would I do that when I paid 900 bucks for a system if I have to rely on a 5bucks battery?

4 hours seem a lot but in reality are not.

anyway the receiver uses a rechargeable lithium-ion 3.7V , but I can't find any info for it. it should be under the blue thing but in a french site I saw the battery as a black attachment to the base (black) of the receiver, opposite to the swivel XLR, and identified as BA 20 http://www.lovinpix.com/fr/cables-a...batterie-pour-recepteur-sans-fil-ekp-avx.html

and this is the replacement battery for the transmitter http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1118993-REG/sennheiser_505974_ba_30_rechargeable_battery.html

the most important thing of course is if the system actually works, in particular in nyc (where I need it to work and where the UHF is showing some trouble) . But this 4 hrs on the receiver doesn't look good (to me) now.
 
Talk to Sennheiser - the AVX has only just been announced and won't be available until next month.

I was talking to Sennheiser UK's Chief Engineer on Tuesday about these systems - the AVX is optimised for speech (not suitable for music).

He was telling me that the tests they did of this and the 2.4GHz digital system had a good range, almost the same as an analogue G3 system - he also said that they got excellent reception even with loads of Wi-Fi systems switched on (which killed systems from other manufacturers) so thay did make sure the system was extremely rugged before releasing it.

The 4-hour receiver battery life is *shooting* time, as the receiver will automatically switch off when the camera is switched off and, I think, it will also switch off the transmitter as well to save that battery.

You can find info on the systems HERE.

And, yes, I *have* seen the system in the flesh.

Oh - there are more videos on the system HERE. :thumbsup:
 
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John Willett said:
He was telling me that the tests they did of this and the 2.4GHz digital system had a good range, almost the same as an analogue G3 system - he also said that they got excellent reception even with loads of Wi-Fi systems switched on (which killed systems from other manufacturers)
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what? are you sure the the Sennheiser UK's Chief Engineer told you that?

I'm surprised... the problem with the wifi systems is not that, at all. in fact it will kill the signal of most of the cell phones in a room because they are weaker and will automatically increase the power of the signal going over all of them. Maybe the light controls or other similar devices with strong signals as well that stage people or DJ use.. maybe... The real problem is with the drop-outs for no reason, not the cell phones


so thay did make sure the system was extremely rugged before releasing it.
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hmmmm ... ok ... if he said that.
 
onemanband-videomaker said:
what? are you sure the the Sennheiser UK's Chief Engineer told you that?
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Yes, he is a good friend and I know him well.

Well, I was Technical Manager at Sennheiser UK in my past life - I was there for 25 years before I moved on to run my own company.

He said they had Sennheiser and competitor systems all up and running in a workshop away from the main factory in Germany - when they fired up the Wi-Fi systems most systems had problems and the Sennheiser didn't.

The AVX used DECT technology, but with a much improved frequency response.

But, you do get what you pay for - the AVX is excellent for speech, but note the 19ms latency of the system.

The top end Sennheiser 9000 series has a latency of about 3.5ms and the new Audio Limited 1010 digital system has slashed latency to just 2ms in their new system.
 
thanks for the new info, a little vague but still encouraging. As a matter of fact I am counting on this new system to replace my existing g3 (I don't have a lavalier but I only use the handheld). The future is not in the UHF systems in my opinion , at least in big cities like NYC or LA. My experience with a digital (2.4GHz) is limited to the AT system 10 (again handheld and receiver). The Sennheiser sports a brand new 1.9GHz and my hopes are all in there.
Not interested right now in another UHF
About the money thing, I know that we all get what we pay for, but don't you have the same feeling of mine that sennheiser is in the middle of some sort of identity crisis? , maybe thinking that they are lectros now? judging by the prices I mean.
anyway in a couple of weeks I'll know about the phantom power and where the battery for the receiver is, and also if the BA20 will be available. All things that are unknown at the moment, along with the most important one which is if the system works without drop-outs when transmitter and receiver (wifi) are more than 2ft away from eachother.
 
onemanband-videomaker said:
...don't you have the same feeling of mine that sennheiser is in the middle of some sort of identity crisis? , maybe thinking that they are lectros now? judging by the prices I mean.
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LOL

Sennheiser have always been at the very top of the tree when it comes to quality - way above Lectro with the top systems.

That's why it's the system of choice for all London West End and Broadway productions - those systems retail at about £8,000 or so per channel.

Lectro are the mid band - the quality systems for broadcast location, in the same ball park as the Sennheiser 3000 series and Audio Limited (and, I suppose, Micron and Audio Wireless).

The Sennheiser evolution series are the top end of the cheaper systems.

Sennheiser were researching digital systems for about 15-years before the technology had advanced to the stage where they could launch the top-end 9000 series.

With that expertise they are now launching more cost-effective systems.

Though I thing that Audio Limited are now top of the tree when it comes to digital radio with that tiny 2ms latency of their new 1010 series and 20 working channels in a single 8MHz TV channel (yes, I know they use a narrow 6MHz wide TV channel in the USA).
 
well in midtown manhattan the lectros actually work pretty much all the time and the g3 struggles , to be honest . don't know where you get that scale of valor but that's how it is, again around here. I know that's some particular area on the planet, but that's where I need a wireless thing to work.. LOL so...
for me it will be lectros or the new 1.9GHz sennheiser to replace my g3 .
now 'bout the prices the cost of 1 handheld and 1 receiver jumped in the sennheiser's playground from 500 US (g3) to 1,000 US (avx). it's not like it went unnoticed.. ya know
and as we used to say around here... for that kind of money they better work (I know it's kinda rude... oh well..).
 
onemanband-videomaker said:
well in midtown manhattan the lectros actually work pretty much all the time and the g3 struggles , to be honest . don't know where you get that scale of valor but that's how it is, again around here. I know that's some particular area on the planet, but that's where I need a wireless thing to work.. LOL so...
for me it will be lectros or the new 1.9GHz sennheiser to replace my g3 .
now 'bout the prices the cost of 1 handheld and 1 receiver jumped in the sennheiser's playground from 500 US (g3) to 1,000 US (avx). it's not like it went unnoticed.. ya know
and as we used to say around here... for that kind of money they better work (I know it's kinda rude... oh well..).
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I was *not* comparing the G3 to the Lectro - the Lectro is a professional system, more comparable to Sennheiser's 3000 series.

In the US you are in a foreign country - Lectro is made in the USA and will have a stable price from a home-made product.

Sennheiser is based in Europe and the price will suffer from import duty and currency fluctuations - if the $ goes weak and/or the € gets strong, then the price will go up just from the exchange rate.

Sennheiser's evolution series is at the low price end of Sennheiser's radio systems - it just gives very high quality compared to the price you pay.

G3 and AVX are totally different systems in both concept and design - the price didn't "jump" at all, it's just a totally different system and does not compete with, nor replace, the G3 - you are trying to compare apples with house bricks. :laugh:
 
onemanband-videomaker said:
it didn't? oh. ok. lemme check.....

yeah yeah.. it did. look ... twice as much
LOL
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No - you are very wrong saying this. :angry:

It's *not* a "jump" in price at all - it's a very different product in a different price bracket and does not replace the G3 - therefore it's not a price jump at all.

Saying it's a "jump" is incorrect and misleading.

Just because a Mercedes C-class is a lot more expensive than the A-class - you would not call that a price "jump" as it's a different product entirely.

Same with the AVX and G3 - different products completely.

You can only say it's a price "jump" if the price of the same thing goes up, or a replacement product is more expensive - this is neither.


onemanband-videomaker said:
nah... it does. If it works
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Rubbish - that's like saying a push-bike competes with a car.
 
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John Willett said:



It's *not* a "jump" in price at all
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no? but I'm comparing sennheiser to sennheiser , no?
it makes sense to pay more than (say) ATSystem10 because sennheiser puts better stuff in their stuff.
but again the cost for a station (voice/mic) jumps from 500US to 1,000US

here , around this planet, to the moon and back. it's the double. twice, doppio, two times, dos veces mas , 500+500=1000 kind of jump

trying to stay within this solar system here.

LOL come on.. I'm teasing you :) don't get upset. It's just that I can't wait to get the new thing and I have to wait.... so I'm bored because nobody knows squat about it and I can't get enough info (if any) beside the official releases and you repeating them . but the real stuff to know? not a trace of it...
 
onemanband-videomaker said:
no? but I'm comparing sennheiser to sennheiser , no?
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In the same way as you compare a Mercedes A-class to a C-class - very different.


onemanband-videomaker said:
it makes sense to pay more than (say) ATSystem10 because sennheiser puts better stuff in their stuff.
but again the cost for a station (voice/mic) jumps from 500US to 1,000US

here , around this planet, to the moon and back. it's the double. twice, doppio, two times, dos veces mas , 500+500=1000 kind of jump

trying to stay within this solar system here.

LOL come on.. I'm teasing you :) don't get upset. It's just that I can't wait to get the new thing and I have to wait.... so I'm bored because nobody knows squat about it and I can't get enough info (if any) beside the official releases and you repeating them . but the real stuff to know? not a trace of it...
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I'm not upset - but saying a "price jump" is misleading when you are comparing very different things like this.

The AVX is not actually on the market yet - though imminent. I have seen it and held it and discussed it with Sennheiser UK's Chief Engineer.

It's optimised for speech (so I would *not* use it for anything music related). Latency is on the long side, but OK given the use it's designed for.

It uses DECT technology (but with much superior quality and frequency response than a DECT telephone), so transmitter and receiver pair quickly and keep a good signal once paired and avoids the problems normally associated with analogue radiomics.

If you want high quality with low latency - then the new Audio Limited 1010 system is the one to look at. Available September at (I think) around £2.5k per system and with a minuscule 2ms latency (which is almost half that of Sennheiser's most expensive system and vastly less that the 19ms of the AVX).
 
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