Sennheiser’s latest addition to its robust wireless line is the evolution wireless D1 (ew D1) digital wireless microphone system. Utilizing the 2.4 GHz transmission range (2.4 GHz to 2.4835 GHz), it comes in configurations for handheld vocal, headset mic, lavalier and musical instrument applications. For this review, I checked out a handheld set and a beltpack/headet mic package.
Upon opening the boxes up, I first looked for the manual. I know, I’m strange that way. I always think it’s good to read the manual of any new product first. In the box was a booklet with technical specifications in 11 languages, a safety guide (also 11 languages) and an illustrated —meaning wordless — Quick Guide that I felt was oddly reminiscent of those safety instructions you find in airplane seat back pockets. No printed manual, but I found a very thorough and informative English language manual on Sennheiser’s website.
Getting Started
Standard in the packages are the ew D1 receiver, antennas, and in the handheld pack a SKM D1 mic transmitter with an e845 supercardioid mic head and two AA batteries. The headset mic pack came with an ME3 condenser mic, bodypack and two AA batteries. Rechargeable power packs (they call them Accupacks) are available as an accessory. The cool thing about the Accupacks is that they are rechargeable via a standard USB cable or charger and uses a mini USB connector. The batteries loaded easily in to the handheld and bodypack with a reassuring click.
Synching the transmitter to the receiver (the ew D1 systems refers to this as “pairing”) and changing the pairing to use a different transmitter is surprisingly simple. Simply hold down the pair button on the receiver and press the pair button on the transmitter. I went back and forth between the handheld and the bodypack for the head mic and changed the pairing with ease.
Color-coded LEDs on both the receiver on/off switch and on the transmitters are very useful letting you know if you have a connection or not. Green means you are connected and paired. The mute switches on both the handheld and the body pack are silent when being used and when being switched back in, which is a big plus in my book. Not hearing a loud pop is always good, and the mutes can double as cough switches. The receiver screen also lets you know when the mute is engaged.
The handheld mic sounded great. Anyone would be hard pressed to hear any difference between it and a hardwired e845, so Sennheiser’s choice of using the industry-standard aptX Live codec was a good one. The dynamic response of the rig was excellent and with very low latency. Systems in the USA are available with e835 or e845 capsules.
The cardioid ME-3 II headset mic sounded very good. But I found it ill fitting on larger heads. A length adjustment or extension of the mic boom would make a difference between being heard and not. However the beltpack uses the standard locking 1/8-inch mic input connector, so if this one doesn’t suit you — or you want to switch to a lavalier — numerous alternative mic choices are available.
The large screen on the ew D1 receiver is bright and easy to read and if there was no link to the transmitter, it flashes to let you know. Large displays showing reception strength and battery life make for easy identification. To the right of the screen is the menu knob where you can engage equalization, de-essing and compression, which they call auto gain control.
A menu escape button makes for fast navigation. I tried some of the EQ presets to hear how they affected the signal. The curves are in the manual. These presets were surprisingly pretty good, although I would probably only use these in an installation situation where I don’t have a mixing board in-line. There is a locking feature to keep anyone from changing the settings on the receiver so if you are going to use the same unit again and again you can set it and not worry about it. As for memory, it retained every change that I programmed in.
Originally, I couldn’t find is how many units I could run at the same time, although eventually I determined this to be 15. One of my pet peeves is doing a show where everyone is on wireless and there is no way to plot the frequencies so they don’t run into each other (or systems that may be in use by other bands). With everyone moving to the 2.4 GHz range, it can be problematic. One solution comes in the form of an iPad frequency/level monitoring app for the D1, which was not shipping at the time of this review but is expected soon.
The em D1 receiver is in the popular half-rack format, and rack mounting hardware (including adaptors for front-mounting the antennas) is optional. Rear connections include 1/4-inch and XLR audio outputs, two screw-on antenna ports and a network connector. The system is designed to run a redundant back-up channel, offering full frequency and time diversity combined with fast-switching antenna diversity. And try as I may, I couldn’t get the system to glitch or drop-out, which is very reassuring.
Options for the handheld include different mic heads including the MMD 835-1, MMD 845-1, MME 865-1, MMK 965-1, MMD 935-1 or the MMD 945-1 microphone head. You simply unscrew the microphone head and replace it by another one for a different sound. Wireless units offering interchangeable mic heads are pretty much unknown in this price range ($750/street for a handheld system), and this is a real plus. As Sennheiser’s first foray in affordable digital wireless, the D1 is a solid contender, with performance and rugged build quality not often seen in this price range.
At a Glance
Solid, Affordable Digital Wireless
PROS
• Easy to set up and use
• Reasonably priced
• Interchangeable capsules a real plus
CONS
• Quirky quickstart guide
• Headset mic not suited for larger heads
• iPad monitoring app not shipping
Specs
Pricing:
- Handheld ew d1-845S system: $749 ($699 with e835 capsule)
- Instrument system: $649
- Lavalier system: $699
- Headset system: $749
More Info: http://en-us.sennheiser.com
