So which wireless microphone do you recommend?
I get the question a lot. I get it so much that I created a blog post for you!
Here are some wireless microphone options and my thoughts on each (your mileage may vary):
Lectrosonics SRC-B1 Bundle (2 TX, 1 RX & 2 Sanken COS-11d Lavs)
Price: $ 4,950.00
This is the professional standard in wireless microphone technology used film, television and commercial productions. We might use various microphones depending on the situation, but these Lectrosonic transmitter/receiver kits are feature-rich, practically indestructible and second to none. Of course these high-quality features drive a price with a similar order of magnitude. This kit includes 2 of the Lectrosonic LT-B1 transmitters, which sell individually for about $1,675.
If you are already in this category and spending the money, I hands-down-recommend the Lectro WM watertight transmitter instead. It is as tiny as 3 AA batteries side-by side, waterproof and can withstand some pretty good drops from the clumsiest of users. It will, however, hurt your heart every time you hear it dropped but trust me, you will learn to hear that fall starting from 100 yards away and be able to run and catch it in time!
Sennheiser EW 112P G3-A kit (1 TX, 1 RX & 1 Sennheiser ME2 Lav)
Price: $ 629.00
Checking in somewhere between professional (the Lectrosonic above) and the hobbyist/budget-concious (shown below) is the Sennheiser ew100-series g3-Evolution Kit. This is the first set of wireless microphones I purchased when I began working on film & television projects in 2007. They are all still in service to this day and come in handy for many applications. The range on these fellers is about 300 feet. With a clear line-of-sight, I’ve been able to push it a little further. Unfortunately, these guys fall flat on their face if you need to record dialog/sounds in a vehicle from a follow-car. You’ll either need to plant a recorder and do playback later, or bump your game up to some Lectros (shown above).
Shure SLX14/93 System, H5(1 TX, 1 wired RX & 1 Shure WL93 Lav)
Price: $ 599.00
If you don’t need the flexibility of a battery operated receiver (mixer technician and/or mixer board is stationary), here’s a great kit. Best for keynote speakers and presentation applications, this Shure system is solid and comes with the dependable WL93 omni lavalier microphone. The transmitter/receiver pair has an operating range of approximately 300 feet.
Shure GLXD14/93 System, Z2 (1 TX, 1 wired RX & 1 Shure WL93 Lav)
Price: $ 489.00
Here’s another great kit for keynote speakers and presentation applications. This Shure system also comes with the dependable WL93 omni lavalier microphone. The wired receiver has a handy port that charges a spare lithium ion battery for the transmitter. That’s a neat feature–but with an advertised battery life of over 16 hours, you’d have to be at some LONG meetings. The transmitter/receiver pair has an operating range of approximately 100 feet.
Shure PGXD14/93-X8 System (1 TX, 1 wired RX & 1 Shure WL93 Lav)
Price: $ 399.00
Now comes yet another great kit for keynote speakers and presentation applications. This comes with the dependable WL93 omni lavalier microphone as well. The receiver is simple to operate and has an “auto” frequency function that locates free channels and then syncs to the transmitter. As you know, however, these kind of auto-features work great–until they don’t. The transmitter/receiver pair has an operating range of approximately 200 feet.
Sennheiser XSW 12-A System (1 TX, 1 wired RX & 1 Sennheiser ME2 Lav)
Price: $ 349.00
This Sennheiser kit packs in a lot of features for the usual and competitive Sennheiser price.It has plenty of tunable frequencies (960) and is discretely tunable or can automatically scan for available channels and sync with transmitter(s). This system comes with the Sennheiser ME2 lavalier microphone (which coincidentally, is the mic that I use with my ew100 series kits above). I have not compared the sound of it to the Shure, but it sells separately for twice as much as the WL93. The transmitter/receiver pair has an operating range of approximately 250 feet.
Sennheiser XSW-1 12-A System (1 TX, 1 wired RX & 1 Sennheiser ME2 Lav)
Price: $ 299.00
This one is very similar to the Sennheiser kit above. This system includes a simpler receiver and slims down some features to save a buck. It’s easier to use, but has a smaller frequency range making it more difficult to find a clear channel in areas buzzing with larger amounts of radio traffic. (Image shows handheld mic version–be sure to select “presenter mic” version for a lavalier system comparable to above)
Low-Budget Performance Bundle (8 TX, 1 RX, 8 PylePro Mics, 2 PAs, mixer & cables)
Price: $ 1,150.00 (estimated total after taxes)
Here’s an ultra-low budget setup for applications like school plays, talent shows or multiple keynote presentations on tight schedules with no time to share the mic between speakers. The wireless headset bundle shown (first item) is the lowest priced item like this available. If you have a little room in the budget, I recommend upgrading this component first and to the max that you can afford.
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