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Cheapest wireless unit you've had good luck with?

fretlessman71

fretlessman71

Still beats havin' a job
Supporting Member
Aug 8, 2005
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#1
There's been a new wave of wireless guitar products - the ones such as the Donner brand, where the part that plugs into your bass looks the same as the part that plugs into the amp (is there a name for this new class of wireless units?). I bought one for my brother as a gift 3 years ago, but that model has been discontinued.

I'd like to get one for myself, but 1) I don't trust the reviews on Amazon and 2) I don't want to spend a lot, but I want it to work well. You don't always get what you pay for in these instances, and sometimes you get far more than you paid for.... SO...

Do you have one of these? What kind, and did you have a good experience with it?
 
#2
If you look carefully at the donner device your brother has, you might find the same thing with a different brand name on Amazon. I just bought a Ammoon version from ebay, the same device is on Amazon branded Lekato. Looks identical, same specs, even the same marketing images.

edit:-
The search term

wireless guitar transmitter and receiver

seems to bring up the most relevant result, at least on Amazon UK
 
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#3
bpc said:
If you look carefully at the donner device your brother has, you might find the same thing with a different brand name on Amazon. I just bought a Ammoon version from ebay, the same device is on Amazon branded Lekato. Looks identical, same specs, even the same marketing images.
Click to expand...
How does your Ammoon unit work for you?
 
#4
I don't have it yet. I should get it this week. I use other types of wireless, current favourite is an AKG Mini pro but that's quite different from what you are asking about. I bought the ammon because it was only £15. I have the same curiosity as yourself, how do these things stack up against the more robust alternatives. The AKG only uses a single AA battery for the transmitter and the reciever is a mains powered (via a wall wart) box. The single AA battery lasts 30+ hours.

A lot of people have been raving about the XVIVE but I think it is very expensive for what it is.

I'll gladly chip in here with my impressions of the ammoon/Lekato when it arrives. Middle of next week at the latest, I hope.

Edit.

Here's the ammoon device on ebay. I bought from a different seller who only had one.
Wireless Guitar System Audio Digital Transmitter Receiver Rechargeable UK H6G7 | eBay

Here's the Lekato device on Amazon
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wireless-LEKATO-Transmitter-Receiver-Transmission/dp/B087BZYMX8

These are in the UK.
 
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#7
They're all relatively cheaply made in China.

I have purchased two sets over the past few years and the second set is still going, though I do have occasional minor problems with it. They are about a year and a half old now, which means that they haven't gotten all that much use since we had the lockdown year in there, but I do use them a lot. Basically I look at them as disposable items that aren't going to last but are priced accordingly.

Here's the set I'm currently using.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07YTBJF5P/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Things I like about this set: 5.8 gHz seems interference free, works with the active basses I have used it with so far, latency is acceptable at relatively short distances, easy to select channels, charge up fast and the charge lasts through at least one gig and one rehearsal.

Things I don't like about them: Intermittent and occasional failures at startup which require me to mute my amp and toggle off and on (no failures during operation, though). Slight tone-suck which can be compensated for using EQ. Latency noticeable at soundcheck distances (when I'm out there listening to the mix), maybe too easy to select channels because it's possible to accidentally change them.

I use a velcro dot to affix the transmitter to my bass, otherwise they are easy to bang around and disconnect while dancing around on stage.

It's all I use. I only use a cable for practice and if I forget to bring these, since I always have a backup cable with me.
 
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#8
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#10
There is no perceptible latency with the UHF stuff. Pretty sure they all use belt packs though.

Here's another example of the one @LBS-bass posted.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wireless-Transmitter-Instrument-Microphone-Amplifier/dp/B09DYKLKGB

Reading the descriptions and specifications these all seem like the same chipset in different physical packages. Battery life and ergonomics might vary with package but otherwise they should all be much the same. I'll probably stick with my AKG for its low latency and battery life but I'm curious to try one of these more portable solutions. I might find a killer use-case for it, or it might spend the rest of eternity in a drawer.
 
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#12
LBS-bass said:
Yeah, belt packs are a non-starter for me since I wear dresses on stage.
Click to expand...

A friend of mine attaches his line6 transmitter to his strap. It is bulky and awkward, especially when taking the guitar(yeah he's a guitarist) on or off. The AKG is tiny so on-the-strap works quite well with it, maybe a quarter of the size and weight of the Line6. But I get they are a PITN with the trailing wire. I don't mind that in my situation but I might get attached to the smaller format when I try it.

A turn off with the smaller units is the fixed rechargeable batteries. Once they go, in either unit, the system is landfill. My AKG takes a standard battery and standard mains. I'll shut up about the AKG now, no affiliation etc. The Line6 also uses standard batteries, I think.
 
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#13
bpc said:
A friend of mine attaches his line6 transmitter to his strap. It is bulky and awkward, especially when taking the guitar(yeah he's a guitarist) on or off. The AKG is tiny so on-the-strap works quite well with it, maybe a quarter of the size and weight of the Line6. But I get they are a PITN with the trailing wire. I don't mind that in my situation but I might get attached to the smaller format when I try it.

A turn off with the smaller units is the fixed rechargeable batteries. Once they go, in either unit, the system is landfill. My AKG takes a standard battery and standard mains. I'll shut up about the AKG now, no affiliation etc. The Line6 also uses standard batteries, I think.
Click to expand...
Yeah, as I said, you have to pretty much consider these as disposable items, because even if they had replaceable batteries, the units are not going to last beyond the battery viability. By the time your battery gets to the point at which it's not going to hold a charge, you'll have had some other failure that sends them to the trash heap, so that's not even a thing to my mind. You're going to get 1-2 years out of these. I'm about to order another set because the intermittent failures are starting to annoy me, even though they don't really interfere with my playing time.

The first set I had (different design) was noticeably more lame in terms of battery life; I could only use those for about three or four hours and they took longer to charge up. The current set charges in an hour or so, and I've used them over three sets and then a three hour rehearsal and not lost function.
 
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#16
bpc said:
That's pretty depressing from an environmental perspective. The belt/strap pack types should last much longer and are more servicable. Mine all have replaceable cables and can be dismantled to repair sockets etc. I feel so virtuous.
Click to expand...
It is. If I could wear a pack, I would get something more reliable. This isn't a cost issue for me; I can afford a much nicer system. But it's not really viable for the way I work.
 
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#17
My Ammoon wireless system arrived today. I've had a few hours to play with it. First impressions are quite positive. The devices feel better made than I expected. The plastic doesn't flex, the hinges are reassuringly stiff. I notice that it is held together with screws so it might be possible to service it in the future. The devices are also lighter than I expected, both transmitter and receiver weigh 41g each. The spec is <6ms latency and I couldn't detect any latency when using them. I couldn't get more than 20 feet away line of sight and the brick walls of my house caused drop out when I moved to another room. No matter how far away I got, if it worked, there was no discernable latency, I never got more than about 50 feet away though.

The claim is "up to 5 hours" of battery time but I suspect it will be longer than that, at least initially if @LBS-bass 's experience is typical.

If I'd paid the £50 for the system I'd be quite happy with it. At the £15 I paid for it, sealed in its box, it feels like a steal. I do like a bargain.

It'll take me a while to assess battery life, really need to run it down and charge it a few times to get accurate figures but at the moment I would recommend these to anyone looking for this type of wireless system.

If anyone has specific questions, I'll do my best to answer them.
 
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#20
fretlessman71 said:
So is there a difference in quality between the 2.4G and the 5.8G? Or is it just a matter of whether or not it will fight with other wireless information in the area?
Click to expand...
After I replaced my 2.4g XVive due to battery issues and "upgraded" to cheaper at a third the price clones with 5.8G I no longer had to off set the transmitter from my active bass to reduce or eliminate the high pitched whine.
 
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