The $500 Wireless Question, or, "What cheap system should I get?"

Yes the ME2 is an Omni Mic, and yes it is a crappy mic that should be replaced first thing, and just kept as a backup.

For what it's worth, I have used many different wireless units over the years, including very expensive high end systems for events like college football games TV broadcast. And the first thing I did before we arrived at a location, was to check the open frequencies online. The second thing I did was once I arrived at the location was to use a frequency scanner to double check the location. The third thing I did was to instruct my A2 to always keep a tweaker handy, because you never know when some local radio station was going to fire up a remote from the parking lot and stomp on your signals. Just something to think about.
 
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Tweaker. Damn auto correction!

A little flathead screwdriver with the green handle also called a greenie, for changing frequencies of some wireless mics.
 
DPA 4061 400euro
Sennheiser MKE2 EW-3 gold 260 euro
Tram TR-50 400euro
rode lavalier 200

I'm just (for now) OMB shooter mostly, I'm really leaning towards the rode.
I do think it will come in handy to have good hiding options.........how's that with the rode?

Guess my question is, what more will a DPA4061 bring me?
For now working on a documentary(promo), future projects can be anything....
Altough real narrative work ,where crisp-clear audio is a must have, is not the kind of projects I'm gonna do.

I would like:
- Good, clear audio. (pretty) high noise/sound ratio
- versatile in mounting options
- work well under clothing (with use of under/overcovers)

Already invested a lot in gear the past weeks, but I do want to make the best investments. I could spend 400, but if it only gets me like 5% beter audio then a Rode, I think it would be wise to spend money on other stuff
 
For the past year I've been using a "Audio-Technica PRO 88W" wireless lav for commercial work. I know a lot of people dislike it, but it was all I could afford and it has worked VERY well as long as you understand its limitations and edit your audio before using it in your project. There were a couple times I couldn't use it because of radio interference, but otherwise it always worked and worked well.

I just bought a Sennheiser G3 kit a few weeks ago and after using it on several projects, it is definitely better. I get clearer audio at distance and I haven't had any RF issues. I've actually used them both together and for interviews close to the camera, they are both very clear. And using the same lav mics you get nearly identical audio. So while I would agree that if you can afford a Sennheiser wireless kit, you should DEFINITELY get one, the AT PRO 88W will work until you can save up. I definitely would not have been able to buy the G3 without all the paid jobs where I used the 88W. Work your way up! :)
 
Review of Sony UWP-D, Part 1

There have been some folks asking about the new Sony UWP-D wireless systems, and I hadn't had any factual basis for an opinion before today.

Thanks so much to DVXUser member ddixon for bringing his Sony system out to my office! I was eager to try out the new UWP-D as soon as I saw it announced. Like most things, it can look a lot different on paper than it does in practical use, so getting a feel for the system was helpful. We didn't have time to produce a proper review video or recorded samples today, but I am hoping that we can do that soon. In the meantime, here are some thoughts on what I found today.

On the Surface, and Compared to Its Predecessor

Right out of the box, there are some notable improvements over the original UWP-V1 system. First, the receiver is smaller. The UWP-D features the same solid, metal construction, and the layout of the receiver is comparable with the loss of about an inch in length. What I like about the Sony receiver over the Sennheiser is that the antennae pivot and can be positioned vertically or horizontally to the receiver position. The receiver also fits better in the front multi-pouch of my sound bag, whereas the Sennheisers get swallowed up and are better off strapped to the sides of the bag.

For the transmitter, Sony made some changes with the UWP-D. First, the display is much, much better. It gives more information at a glance. Also, the power switch located on the side of the unit for the V1 is now a push-button control on the face of the D. Further, where the V1 has a switch on top for mic- or line-level input, that feature is now controlled in the settings menu. One vast improvement made with the new transmitter is in making changes to settings in the menu. With the V1 this required powering the transmitter off and back on in order to save changes, which is annoying. With the D the settings can be stored without a power cycle.

Last, in comparison to the V1, the D has a much-improved sound. The receiver’s compander settings can be set to a compatibility mode to allow use of D receivers with V1 transmitters. The new digital companding, though, sounds markedly better than the old V1 systems: there was a noticeable breathing with the V1 system that is not there in the D system.

Price:Feature Comparison, On Paper, vs. G3

We put the Sony UWP-D system up against the Sennheiser G3 today. Before I get into my thoughts on that, let’s look at price vs. feature sets. To begin, the Sony system we used today included the plug-on XLR transmitter. It’s hard to make a fair comparison here because the basic Sony plug-on has a slightly different feature set to the basic Sennheiser plug-on. When it comes to price, the basic kits with beltpack transmitter and stock lavaliere have a $30 difference (Sony is cheaper). Getting the standard UWP-D kit with both beltpack and plug-on transmitters is the same price as the basic G3 system with both transmitters. Sony appears to have an advantage here: the basic plug-on transmitter from Sony has phantom power, and the Sennheiser does not. To get phantom power from Sennheiser, one must separately purchase the SKP-300 transmitter (about $500).

The Sony receiver also offers a dedicated headphone monitoring output via 1/8” TRS, which is a very handy feature for tracking down signal problems. Sennheiser does not offer this. Also, Sony has micro USB ports on all transmitters and receivers that allow for external power. That’s pretty cool.

One other item that seems to give Sony the advantage is the diversity receiver. The Sennheiser offers diversity, but not true diversity. By using the output cable as a second antenna feeding the same receiver, reception has some redundancy. The Sony, however, offers true diversity. In other words, each antenna feeds a separate receiver and the unit is constantly analyzing and switching back and forth to whichever has the stronger reception. In theory, this should be more stable than the former.
 
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Review of Sony UWP-D, Part 2

In Practice

I ran both systems, side-by-side, through a MixPre-D. They were on separate frequency blocks, so interference between the two was not a concern. Both beltpack transmitters had their respective stock lavs. For the plug-ons (I have the SKP-300 in my kit), I tried both the RØDE Reporter (dynamic, no phantom) and the RØDE NTG-3 shotgun (with phantom). We’ll start with the beltpacks.

Much of the testing was done in my office, and I tried to eliminate as many variables as I could. Unfortunately, we did not have the same lav available wired for both systems, so we went with the stocks. Sound quality will be addressed in a moment. Operationally, there are some key differences.

The Sony system does not have as finite control over gain staging as the Sennheiser. Both Sony and Sennheiser transmitters offer input-level attenuation (in other words, cut only and no boost) in 3dB increments. The Sony beltpack ranges from 0dB to 27dB of attenuation, while Sennheiser beltpack offers a 60dB range. Both plug-on transmitters offer 0dB to 48dB. Output level adjustment on the Sony receiver does have a little more range than on the transmitter, from -12dB to +12dB in 3dB increments. The Sennheiser receiver offers a range from -30dB to +12dB in 6dB increments (broader range in larger steps).

The Sony transmitter offers a tactile mute function by tapping the power button. For the Sennheiser, the mute function is controlled by a dedicated switch on top. Personally, I prefer the switch. The button is too easy to tap unintentionally, and I have had systems like that muted before when the talent got fidgety.

I adjusted both systems so that the input levels were equal coming into the MixPre-D and so that both mics were metering around 0dB. With the Sony, as I have long known with the Sennheiser, upping the output level from the transmitter to what the manufacturer considers “line level” is still a bit low for balanced line-level inputs. It may be fine for 1/8” TRS connections, but when using a pro-level mixer or recorder it is better to adjust to a mic-level input.

Sound quality between the two, out of the box and with stock lavalieres, is comparable. There is a slight noise floor advantage with the Sennheiser, and I noticed this especially when I muted both transmitters. The Sony had a slight self-noise that was not present in the Sennheiser. Again, the Sony UWP-D is vastly improved over the old UWP-V1 in terms of sound quality and noise floor. The reality is that the self-noise isn’t so great as to be a nuisance, but it is there nonetheless and Sennheiser still gets the advantage here.

After listening to both lavs and beltpacks side-by-side and individually (A/B), I switched over to the plug-on transmitters. I left the output level settings on the receivers alone. This is where things got really interesting.

The first mic I used for this test was the RØDE Reporter, a dynamic ENG (omnidirectional) mic, with phantom power deactivated on both transmitters. Both transmitters were set to 0dB attenuation. The Sennheiser G3 had a very strong output and no adjustment was necessary from use with the lav and beltpack transmitter. The Sony, however, was weak and noisy and thin. I had to crank the input gain on the MixPre-D to almost-wide-open, about 95%, to get the signal to meter at 0dB and this resulted in a greater noise floor. Just to be sure, I made the same comparison with a couple other dynamic mics and got the same results. The Sony plug-on transmitter is, essentially, useless with dynamic mics.

Next up was the RØDE NTG-3 with phantom power active on both transmitters. The Sony transmitter needed 12dB of attenuation. The Sennheiser, however, required a setting of -24dB attenuation in order to maintain the same gain staging as before. Sound quality between the two after making these adjustments was comparable aside from the aforementioned noise floor of the Sony system. Sennheiser has the stronger pre-amp in its transmitter. For $500 more, I would be frustrated if it didn’t. That said, the Sony performs well and provides acceptable results with phantom power on the plug-on transmitter.

All the above testing was done in my office in a fairly controlled environment, though we are in an RF-saturated area of town with two large truck stops nearby. Both systems were on clean channels. We took the systems outside, David wearing both lavs and beltpacks and me with my audio bag listening to both systems panned left and right. Across from my office is a large field with plenty of line-of-site space to roam. Within 15 yards or so, everything was fine. At 30 yards, I started to hear dropouts in the Sony. At 70 yards, the system was plagued with dropouts while the Sennheiser held steady through the entire range.

I will give Sony one major advantage here, though: dropouts on the UWP-D are simply dropouts. In other words, the signal just goes silent for a moment. With Sennheiser, as with many wireless systems, a dropout is often accompanied by a short burst of white noise. While the Sony transmitter’s signal fell apart over a shorter distance, I never heard any fizzles, only momentary absence. In sound editing, a momentary dropout from the Sony would be easier to repair than a dropout with a burst of static.
 
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Review of Sony UWP-D, Part 3

In Summary

I was hopeful that Sony had upped the game with the UWP-D. Compared to the UWP-V1, they’ve come a long way. It still does not hold up to the G3 according to today’s testing. Performance of the beltpack transmitters in close proximity to the receivers is actually comparable, and I’m even willing to suggest that the Sony system with ONLY the beltpack transmitter may be a decent purchase. At only $30 difference, though, it’s hard to make that sound convincing.

With the plug-on transmitters, the Sony is fine if used strictly with condenser mics, but it’s not worth the effort for use with dynamic mics. That’s a huge issue. It makes the Sony a HUGE value if only condenser mics will be used, but personally I need the flexibility of using dynamic mics as well.

One other major advantage that Sennheiser systems have: the Sennheiser G3 rackmount systems and G3 ENG systems are interchangeable. This is advantageous for those of us who do field work with the compact ENG receivers, but have rackmount receiver systems for live stage work (or for cart-based work). I use the G3 rack systems on stage with the Evolution wireless handheld transmitters, but if I have someone who requests a lav or headset, I can snag a transmitter from my field kit. There is no comparable system from Sony.
 
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A couple of comments - Alex, in the next to last paragraph of part one of the report, you meant to say that the Sony has the option to power thru usb, not the Sennheiser.

I was very disappointed with the range test. My old Sony UWP had excellent range, so I want to revisit that in a followup. And I may try it again by myself tomorrow, because that could be a deal breaker for me.

I'm in a unique situation. The other drawbacks of the Sony that Alex found mostly do not apply to my typical use, and I already have an investment in third party lavs for the Sony system. And I'm very glad that he found the audio quality is now very similar to the G3, and I do not plan to use the plugin transmitter with dynamic mics.

Given all that, as an amateur, the reason I bought into the Sony system was because it was cheaper and was adequate for my needs. The new version is better, and I was able to take advantage of a sale at B&H and get the full new system for only $675. If you just need the basic transmitter and receiver, that was on sale for $437 recently. If that's all you need and they ever run that sale again, that's a great deal.

But, if I was starting from scratch now, and had to pay full price I'd probably go with the G3. After all Sony's improvements, the best thing that Alex could say about it is that it's finally about as good as the G3 in several areas but still lags in a few others. And, it's no longer cheaper, unless you really need the phantom powered plug on (and don't plan to use it with dynamic mics). That's a lot of caveats.

After today, I'm now unsure about keeping the Sony. Alex, I'll keep it until next week so we can do some more testing.

I hope Alex doesn't mind me mentioning it, but I also brought two Oscar Sound Tech lavs with me today, as he had never tested any. He thought the OST 802 sounded better than the Sony kit mic and found it was a nice upgrade especially in light of its approx. $120 cost. I also have an OST TL-40 wired for Sennheiser, but am not happy with the sound. Alex agreed.

For the G2 system that I also have, Alex suggested I get another OST 802 for it so my two wireless systems would have matching lavs. He's probably right, but after hearing his Countryman B6s on the G3 today, and finding out I can get a very similar sounding Countryman B3 for only $68 more than the OST 802, I'm leaning toward that B3...
 
I just tried the plugon transmitter and range tests again, this time using my older G2 system (with the standard non-phantom plugon transmitter) and the old and new Sony wireless.

Plugon:
If you turn all the sensitivity settings on the Sony to maximum, it still requires setting my MixPre to about the 75% dial setting to get up to decent levels. On the G2, it's not fantastic, but is noticeably hotter than the Sony. I did not retest the Sony with phantom turned on and a condenser mic.

Range:
I laid my iPhone on the kitchen table, started playing an audiobook through the speaker, then laid each mic about 3 inches in front of it. Monitoring with headphones I then walked outside, so the signal was NOT line of sight. It was going through an interior wall, and once I got past about 75 feet it was also going through the brick front wall of my house. I walked up my driveway, across the street into a cul-de-sac and finally stopped at the edge of the curb. The max distance was approximately 60 yards, or 180 feet. This was in a residential area at least 2 miles from the closest business.

Sony UWP-D - started random dropouts at about 50 feet, frequent dropouts at around 75 feet. A different channel also had dropouts starting around 50-60 feet. This would not be usable, even line-of-sight, past about 50 feet.
Sennheiser G2 - never heard any dropouts all the way to my end point at 180 feet.
old Sony UWP - like the G2, no dropouts whatsoever all the way to 180 feet.
Sennheiser G2 plug on transmitter (non-phantom model) - finally heard a couple of dropouts once I got past 150 feet or so.
Sony UWP-D plug on transmitter (with a dynamic mic) - again, random dropouts at 50 feet, frequent by 75 feet.

Note that the new Sony started dropouts even before I had the brick wall between the transmitter and receiver.
No, I did not have all the tested units on the same channel, but I did try different channels with the UWP-D. Is mine defective? I have no way of knowing, but I'm not going to explore this further.
For whatever reason the G2, G3, and even the old UWP Sony have at least triple the usable range of the new Sony, and the Sony plug on had the same results. I'm returning it to B&H, getting a better lav for my G2, and watching for used G3s.
 
Battery performance on the Sony's seem to be much poorer for me then with the G2's I also have. The batteries on the G2's last me 2 production days maybe even 3 if I attempt it. The sony's last not even a full day with the same batteries. Very power hungry.
 
The new RodeLink wireless is going to be around 400.00 US, and it will come with a Rode lavaliere, so I'm curious to see how those work out. Coming in mid March. Right now the best bang for your buck is the Sennheiser G3. Anything cheaper just performs badly.
 
Well, I do live out in the sticks so to speak, so I have never had any drop outs with my G3. Not even once! I imagine New York would be a bad trip for wireless. I have a question sent to my contact at Rode to see if they have plans for a Plug-On transmitter. I would think it's coming because they have their own interview mic. Maybe not with the launch of the RodeLink, but maybe soon after. In the mean time I guess one could use a battery operated mic like the NTG-2 and figure out some way to connect it.
 
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