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Suggestions for dirt cheap personal wireless in-ear system?

Beej

Beej

Supporting Member
Feb 10, 2007
14,265
28,546
Vancouver Island
#1
Dirt cheap because this won't be going anywhere, it's for rehearsal-space only.

I have the ability to send everyone their own custom mix from my board. I use a Sennheiser wireless in-ear system for rehearsal and live; two packs each with a signal from it's own Aux send. Both of these are in-use already. Drummer uses a wired feed. I've also got a Galaxy wireless but it can only handle one mix and send to multiple body packs - the guitarists use this system.

Our lead vocalist previously also used the galaxy, but eventually wanted her own mix, so she went to a super cheap Behringer PM-1 wired body pack. Understandably, she feels tethered. Even though we are in a dedicated rehearsal space, she'd like a wireless setup, but wants to spend as little as possible. Ideally, I'd like it to take a mono XLR input.

I've tried searching, but I'm getting results all over the place. I'm expecting low-ish quality and that's okay. Anyone have ideas?

Desired Parameters:
- Inexpensive
- Wireless
- Single channel
- XLR input
 
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#3
For your purposes, how about just inserting a wireless unit between the output of the P1 and her earphones? If she's happy with what she gets from the P1, something like a Lekato MS-1 (around £40-50) could work. Basically just continue using the P1 to get her mix, but rather than taking the earphone feed directly, plug it into the MS-1 transmitter. The receiver is tiny and light, easy to clip-on, and has volume controls.
 
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#7
@Beej, I have the X-Vive IEM with a KBear heaset that I will give you for the cost of postage, I paid $250. It was for the leader of my uke group, but she didn't like in ear and I don't need an IEM. It's been sitting on my shelf for months. Includes a dual charge cable.

XVive:
KBear:
IMG_5253.JPG
 
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#8
Maybe there have been changes in the frequency bands that can and cannot be used in your area?

In Germany, several frequencies in the 700-900mHz band were used for IEM systems, but are reserved for mobile data (LTE1 & 2) now.
While it is generally a bad idea to try and use a device that sits smack middle in those bands, those on the edge are very often fine.
The singer in my band used a Sennheiser device that was in the upper band of the forbidden frequencies with good success for a long time.

These things can be found dirt cheap since it's technically illegal to use them.
 
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#9
el murdoque said:
Maybe there have been changes in the frequency bands that can and cannot be used in your area?

In Germany, several frequencies in the 700-900mHz band were used for IEM systems, but are reserved for mobile data (LTE1 & 2) now.
While it is generally a bad idea to try and use a device that sits smack middle in those bands, those on the edge are very often fine.
The singer in my band used a Sennheiser device that was in the upper band of the forbidden frequencies with good success for a long time.

These things can be found dirt cheap since it's technically illegal to use them.
Click to expand...
Agree, but most are ILLEGAL to use in the USA.
608 thru 899 (I believe) have been sold off by the FCC.
I believe 900 is still usable along with 2.4, 5G, 5.8 and other ISM frequencies.
 
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#10
s0c9 said:
Agree, but most are ILLEGAL to use in the USA.
608 thru 899 (I believe) have been sold off by the FCC.
I believe 900 is still usable along with 2.4, 5G, 5.8 and other ISM frequencies.
Click to expand...

Germany/Europe has a gap from 822 to 865, I believe ... somewhere in there, where you can use your IEM and instrument transmitters.

I would not advise to use a device that works on locked frequencies since it is not only illegal to use, but also inconvenient when the band is crowded with mobile phones.

However, when you live in a remote location and use the transmitter in your rehearsal basement where you don't have any cellphone reception anyways . . .
 
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#11
Beej said:
....in a dedicated rehearsal space, she'd like a wireless setup, but wants to spend as little as possible. Ideally, I'd like it to take a mono XLR input.

I've tried searching, but I'm getting results all over the place. I'm expecting low-ish quality and that's okay. Anyone have ideas?
Click to expand...

In general, any reasonably well-designed wireless IEM system can get the job of being a wireless IEM system done. As you move up in price and model range, one of the primary things you're paying for is reliability in a wider range of environments. At the very highest end, systems offer a practical guarantee that they'll work just about anywhere. At the lowest end (UHF) systems will have lower RF power and may be limited to just a handful of fixed frequencies—if none of those work where you're trying to use the system, you're SOL. On the spectrum in between, the assurance of working in more and more situations increases generally corresponding to price.

If you're solely using it in a rehearsal space and want wireless for convenience, a budget system could work just fine. If it performs well in your space, you're good to go...regardless of if it has a limited number of frequencies or is UHF or 2.4 GHz or 5.8 GHz.

I'm not up to date on all the current models, but I picked up a no-name Chinese UHF system on Amazon (Levusu, usually $89—got it for $30 with with a sale plus points). I didn't have high or even middling expectations, but it actually worked surprisingly well throughout my house. I originally bought it for fun and never used it, but recently tested it alongside other systems for a video when I remembered it was in the closet. I was expecting noise and generally inferior sound, so it was a stalking horse of sorts for the video, but it held up just fine. Although all of the systems have audible differences from the source and difference that can be seen in waveforms, but all, including the Levusu were well above satisfactory to me.

The video’s still in progress (very much so-incomplete and I may redo all of the narrative because cutting a hand-held stream of consciousness gab-fest still runs long and has a hell of a lot of "Umms" in it :confused:), but I’ve uploaded what’s done. Skip past 5:30 if you care to watch it in order to see/hear the comparison. The setup is that the video switches between a source MP3 and that same audio routed through a Mackie DL1608 aux outs and recorded on the ext mic input of a Zoom recorder through the headphone outs from the Mackie and the three IEM receivers. My main focus was comparing the Sennheiser to the source, but the Levusu is included. What you hear of course depends on what you use to listen, but the IEMs that you play with are a good start.

Between that and some recent hands-on with 2.4 GHz systems (not IEMs specifically), IMO, there should be something in the $50 range that could definitely work for you limited-use case. I'd check Amazon for specific models, then look for reviews on YouTube or on the web.

 
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#12
Phenyx Pro PTM-11 (mono) @ ~$150. Phenyx also makes a stereo version. I've been running 8 of these for the last few years and over 100 shows for my cover band and a separate wedding band. I have no reason not to trust them.

Pros: Inexpensive, reliable. Hardly ever need to change channels. Plastic belt packs have withstood falls on hard surfaces without damage. Good range – no dropouts at 200ft when I tested in my front year. Long battery life (using rechargeable AA's).

Cons: No auto-scan for selecting a channel...you have to manually pick a channel and then listen to determine if it's clean. Stock earbuds are useless. No built-in limiter.

On my last gig, I was getting more RF interference than usual (static and dropouts). I was in a bandshell, and standing at my mic was really bad, even after changing channels. If I moved two steps in any direction, it was crystal clear. None of my bandmates had any issues. I chalked it up to that spot being in a weird dead zone.
 
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#13
Bullitt5135 said:
...you have to manually pick a channel and then listen to determine if it's clean...
Click to expand...

I don't know if this is a common knowledge type thing or if there's some particular reason you don't do it, but your receiver has an RF gauge...if you turn the transmitter off, you should be able to check for clear frequencies by looking for the display showing no RF activity. I kind walk around and watch the display.
 
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#15
Bullitt5135 said:
Phenyx Pro PTM-11 (mono) @ ~$150. Phenyx also makes a stereo version. I've been running 8 of these for the last few years and over 100 shows for my cover band and a separate wedding band. I have no reason not to trust them.

Pros: Inexpensive, reliable. Hardly ever need to change channels. Plastic belt packs have withstood falls on hard surfaces without damage. Good range – no dropouts at 200ft when I tested in my front year. Long battery life (using rechargeable AA's).

Cons: No auto-scan for selecting a channel...you have to manually pick a channel and then listen to determine if it's clean. Stock earbuds are useless. No built-in limiter.

On my last gig, I was getting more RF interference than usual (static and dropouts). I was in a bandshell, and standing at my mic was really bad, even after changing channels. If I moved two steps in any direction, it was crystal clear. None of my bandmates had any issues. I chalked it up to that spot being in a weird dead zone.
Click to expand...
Are you using the 500 or 900 MHz model?
 
#18
Thanks everyone, I really appreciate the input - this will likely be a useful thread for future readers. She ended up finding a used Galaxy locally, so I think we are good for now.

@KohanMike you're obviously an incredible human being, thank you so much for your kind offer, and also generally for your long-standing contributions to this forum. :thumbsup:
 
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#19
For a rehearsal space, I ask whether you really need wireless at all. In our rehearsal studio, we use an MR18 sending 6 aux sends to a Mackie 8 channel headphone amplifier and long headphone extensions to each player. We plug our IEMs into this and everyone uses MX Bus to mix their own ears. Works great, dead simple, and sound surprisingly good. And less than the cost of one good wireless system.
 
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