View Full Version : Countryman E6s


Matthew Capowski
March 22nd, 2010, 03:08 AM
I know that the Countryman E6i gets good reviews, but I did a search for the E6s and not much comes up. Has anyone compared the E6s to the E6i? Could anyone who has bought this mic comment on it?

I'm a solo shooter for both video and audio and it seems to me that two countrman E6i's run into a field recorder would meet my audio needs while my video camera remains stationary on a tripod. However, if the E6s is superior then I would consider it. Having the mic show up on video is no problem. Has anyone tried running a Countryman E6i wired into a field recorder like the Zoom H4N or Tascam DR-100 -- did it work ok?

Lastly, does anyone know of a Canadian source for Countryman products?

Thanks,

MC

Steve House
March 22nd, 2010, 03:31 AM
Trew Audio in either Vancouver or Toronto.

Rick Reineke
March 22nd, 2010, 09:22 AM
All the info is pretty much here:
E6 Omni Earset Mic - Countryman Associates, Inc. (http://www.countryman.com/store/product.asp?id=92&catid=2)

The E6i has a slight difference in frame design and accessories.

IMO the E6 is one of the better headset mics. Competitive with the DPA and Sennheiser.

As Steve said, "Trew Audio"

Guy Cochran
March 22nd, 2010, 03:11 PM
It will depend on your environment. Last year at NAB in the Countryman booth they had a gentleman wearing an E6s, E6i, B3 and B6 while sitting in front of mixer. Also in front was a couple of pairs of headphones ready for attendees to sit in and listen. The E6i performed the best at providing great sound while minimizing the crowd noise. The E6s was good, but not great at this. I wish I would have had the proper cables/adapters to tap the board and shoot the demonstration with my 5D, I will be more prepared this year. Anyhow, here is how the E6i sounds wireless going into an Edirol R09.

AJA Ki Pro recorder - Exclusive NAB 09 Interview with Jon Thorn on Vimeo

Matthew Capowski
March 22nd, 2010, 08:34 PM
Thanks for the replies and video link.

I emailed Trew Audio to see if they carried the E6i as it wasn't listed on their website.

@Guy Cochran: You answered what I needed to know. If the E6s was not as good as the E6i at minimizing crowd noise then the E6i it is for me.

Guy Cochran
March 22nd, 2010, 09:33 PM
Hi Matt,

Glad you found the video helpful. I found one more where you can hear the E6i in the studio. This is fed into a Panasonic HPX500 over a Sennheiser G2 wireless.

Introducing the Combi Boom - A must have stand for lighting and location sound on Vimeo

I prefer to use headset mics in reverberant rooms if it is acceptable to see the mic on-camera. If you do not want the E6i boom to be seen as much, that is where the E6s shines, but the obvious trade-off is that you'll hear more of the room sound. For web video without a whole lot of close-ups, it works fantastic. It's tough to see the slim line of E6i as you can see above in such a small window. It also sounds great on stage in sound reinforcement situations, I'm pretty sure it's the mic you can hear on all the tedtalks videos. TED: Ideas worth spreading (http://www.ted.com/)

If Trew audio in Canada doesn't carry the E6i, we usually have them in stock and ready ship. Countryman E6i Headset Microphone at DVcreators.net (http://www.dvcreators.net/countryman-e6i-headset-microphone/)