Sennheiser EW 100 G2 Vs. new Sony UWP Series

[Benni Katz]

Hi All,
I already searched a lot here for these two wireless systems, because I´m about to purchase one of them, but dont know yet which one.
Unfortunately I couldnt find any side by side comparison, or review of the Sennheiser ew 100-ENG G2 and the Sony UWP-V6/62 Kit.

So does anyone have experience with both of them and could tell me, if the Sony is worth the extra money?

Thanks a lot!

[David Cheok]

I had the same problem deciding between the same two.
One is a true diversity whilst the other offers an excellent mic (very flat frequency response.)
I decided to go for the Sennheiser. I got it yesterday and did a test.
Essentially, I put the plugin on a ME66/K6 atop a boom pole and walked around recording a friend whilst the camera sat in the back of 4x4 whilst we walked round a house. At one point, the obstacles between the camera and us were (in a straight line @ approx 100 metres):
1) side of 4x4 (metal)
2) staircase
3) 3 walls
4) another staircase
and we still pick up everything perfectly. I was simply amazed. I'm not sure how it would perform indoors but outdoor, this certainly scored it a 10.
Then we walked around with the ME2 and compared the sound of that mic vs the ME66. The sound was clear, crisp and clean as the ME66 however the difference was the bass response and pickup for the ME2 was extremely full. Obviously, the mic was attached closer to the body than the ME66 on the boom but these just show typical usage and I ultimately have no regrets.

True Diversity for the UWP wouldve been interesting if not better but looking at the mics supplied by the Sony package and overall expected performance of a mic with 60db SN ratio vs the 110db of the ME2.. I think the Sennheiser kit offers more value at this point than the UWP.

[Benni Katz]

David, thx for that!
This supported my decision to go with the Sennheiser a bit more

[Guy Cochran]

We tested the Sony system against the Sennheiser side by side and found that while the Sony proved to have a bit more range, the Sennheiser sounded better. Here is a review by one of our customers who wound up returning the Sony UWP for a Sennheiser Evolution G2. He included this detailed description in the box:

"Out of the box, the Sony UWP-V1 feels solid. The robust, metal chassis is impressive, and signals a system that can take a little abuse (though, I try not to abuse my gear at all). The receiver sports diversity antennae that can be angled, which is handy for placing the unit on a cart or in any other position outside of the gear bag. A separate headphone output on the receiver is also a huge benefit for trouble-shooting.

The only physical attributes that concerned me were the antennae and the battery tray. The antennae are permanently attached. This makes storage and transportation a small challenge, and one must be cautious in how the receivers are kept in transit to make sure that the antennae do not get bent or broken. The battery tray is a lighter, flimsy plastic design that I can see breaking after repeated use.

IN USE

Setting the system up to run is smooth and simple. The manual reads surprisingly well, and using the clear scan function to find an open frequency took little time. It’s also nice to be able to set the transmitter and receiver up by frequency if desired, rather than Sony’s system of group and channel numbers. Using clear scan in the group/channel mode will only scan the active group. But switching to frequency setting, clear scan will run through every channel the unit knows.

Adjusting settings on the transmitter pack is a little more challenging. To change anything, the pack must be powered on while the “set” button is held down. Once the parameters are set, the pack must be powered off in order to “save and exit” the menu. When the pack is turned on again, the new settings are active. That’s a lot of work for the on/off switch.

The included shoe-mount adapter for camera use can also come in handy, and is easily attached as it simply clamps under the belt clip of the receiver. This can make life much easier on the backpack journalist.

The first time I fired up the UWP-V1 system, there was a considerable noise floor. I turned off everything in my house, just to be sure (the AC, the fridge, the ceiling fan), but there was still a self-noise.

I ran the system through a couple of setups for reference. Using the transmitter’s attenuation settings successfully lowered the signal from the included lavaliere mic, but the hiss was still there. I ditched my trusty ENG mixer and went straight into my DAW system. The noise was still there, though marginally lower. I also noticed some harsh sibilance from the lav (more on that later). Again, trying -3dB of attenuation and -6dB did nothing for the noise floor. Granted, I have heard much worse self-noise from other wireless units, but it’s still there.

Sudden peaks in the signal also trip some compression in the system that has a considerably slow release time. While it’s nice that the signal compresses to avoid distortion, the slow release is noticeable between lines of dialog as the background slowly returns. And there’s some compander hiss as well, or hiss that pumps and breathes with each syllable of speech. Again, it’s fairly low-level, but it’s most certainly there and I could hear it.

The transmitter features stepped attenuation, which can help tame loud sources. But there is not a setting for output level on the receiver. This, to me, is a flaw. The overall output level of the system isn’t as strong as it could be, and with no way to make up gain on the receiver, all the gain staging must be done with the camera’s pre-amps or through a mixer. Many cameras, and cheaper mixers and preamps, have noise that kicks in when the input level control is pushed past about 75%, so with a weaker signal from the wireless system, the signal chain could easily be pushed to the noise floor of a DV or HDV camera.

As for the stock lav, I’m generally not a fan of stock lavs. Not even with the more expensive wireless systems out there. The capsule of this mic isn’t all that big, which is nice. It’s not the best-sounding mic, however. Frequency response is respectable, but there was some harshness in the sibilance and other higher-end frequencies. And a hard-molded connector means that repairs will consist of snipping the connector off and putting a new one on.

OVERALL

The Sony UWP-V1 would be right at home in corporate and news productions. The price is right, and the build is solid. But it’s not the quietest unit out there. Not the worst, by far, but not the quietest. Sony specs 60dB or better s/n ratio, and I believe them.

The menus are easy to understand, and setup is a snap (aside from the odd method with the transmitter). I would also suggest investing in a better lav, as with most systems. My Countryman B6 lavs are still wired for my old systems, so I was not able to test them with the UWP-V1."

[Daniel Bates]

Thanks for posting that review by one of your customers, Gary. It was very informative.

[Laurence Scott]

I just picked up a Sony UWP-V1 setup and I've been impressed with the performance so far - granted I'm upgrading from a AT Pro88 system.
B&H Photo is currently offering them at a really nice deal as well. $525 as the advertised price / once you place the item in your cart the price was reduced to $449 / you're then eligible for the Sony $40 mail in rebate AND they give you a $50 B&H Photo gift to boot!!

[Steve Wolla]

I have a pair of Sennheisers that I use regularly, and really think it's a great little mic. A whole lot of performance for the dollar to be sure. One of my sets has taken a few falls over the years and it has still held up well. Plus battery life is pretty reasonable.

I use mine in industrial settings as well as filming a medical show for cable TV, etc.

I have no direct experience with the Sony, but can attest to the quality of the Senn's.

[John Willett]

Don't forget that G3 is coming out now - and the new ew 100 ENG G3 has a diversity receiver.

Quite a few improvements on G3 over G2.

[Nate Haustein]

I think I'm going to be purchasing a set of the Sonys when B&H opens this morning.

Sony | UWP-V1 Wireless Lavalier ENG Microphone | UWPV1/4244

All in all, with rebates and gift cards, the set will cost about $360. Seems pretty good for something to get by on for a while. Especially when I'll be needing it before the G3s come out.

Anybody care to stop me? :)

[Nicholas de Kock]

I have two of the older (plastic) Sony units and very happy with them. I've worked with the Sennheiser aswell, both are high quality products, you can't go wrong buying either.

[Nate Haustein]

Glad to hear it, it's nice to save a little $$ every once in a while, and that extra cash can go to a nice ECM-77 lav or something. I've been using an older Lectro VHF system for a while, I'll be sure to report back with some thoughts on the quality of the Sony.

[Nate Haustein]

Double Post. My bad.

[Paul Cascio]

I just bought the Sony UWP-V6 and love it. However, the Plug-in XLR Module doesn't provide phantom power, which really kills its usefullness. Does the comparable Sennheiser unit provide phantom power to the mic?