Call me a geek, but I find intercoms extremely fascinating, mainly because they are so mission-critical in a production setting and, much like tech people themselves, they tend to go unseen. So when I was asked to offer my first impressions on the new Hollyland Solidcom M1, I couldn’t say no. I haven’t used many of Hollyland’s products, but I've liked the ones I used. Their build quality tends to be solid and a really good value for the investment. Just looking at the Solidcom, I was a little surprised by the aesthetic because it seems more mil-spec (military specification) than most of the market. Mil-spec equipment tends to be more durable. I’ll be interested to see if that look is only skin-deep once our review unit arrives.
Overview
As with most intercoms, the Solidcom M1 can be broken down into a few standard parts: base station, belt pack, and headset. Other manufacturers offer charging stations optionally; the Solidcom includes a charging station for the beltpack and the batteries. The system seems to have everything you need and is turnkey right out of the box.
Base Station
The base station has an interesting design. Rather than the traditional rack mount, the Solidcom uses a standalone structure that looks like it fits better on a light stand. That is how it appears to be deployed in the marketing materials. The mount is listed as a “3/8 installing accessory.” Without seeing it in person, it’s hard to tell, but it looks proprietary. The range is impressive and interesting because it has options. First, a built-in antenna is used in a “one-way” configuration that extends the range to an incredible 1,300 feet forward from the antenna. However, behind the antenna is a much smaller 160-foot range. The other option uses the internal FRP antennas, which change the range to a 985-foot circle. It can be deployed at the front or center of the room, and there is an optional range configuration to suit either. It will be interesting to see if it works as well deployed high up, from a catwalk for example. Also, another question of interest, would it need to be mounted upside down in a configuration that was high above the area of use?
The base station is powered by either Power-Over-Ethernet (POE) or Li-ion batteries attached directly to the base station. The batteries look to be NPF, which is an industry standard. It might have been slightly more impressive if it was a Gold Mount or V-mount, although that would have increased the price. The base station also features a two-wire XLR and a four-wire RJ45 connector, which allow it to integrate into an existing wired intercom system. Compatible systems include ClearCom, Hanson, Altair, and Datavideo.
Beltpacks
The beltpacks are double injection-molded and weigh only 200 grams, and according to Hollyland, “come with a matte finish which makes them scratch-proof.” Again, this speaks to the durability of this system. In addition, the belt clip appears to be metal, which is always preferred over cheap plastic belt clips. However, the beltpack also has a lanyard loop built in, and with the light weight, carrying them on a lanyard isn’t out of the question. In another example of excellent attention to detail, the function buttons on the beltpack are different shapes. For example, A is concave square, B is a concave circle, and C is convex square. While not earth-shattering, little details like this go a long way to avoiding miscues and miscommunication and are super helpful in situations where the operator can’t take the time to look at their beltpack.
Each beltpack comes with two batteries, so the four beltpack unit comes with eight batteries. It looks like the beltpack, the batteries, or both can be placed in the charging station. With a six-hour run time and a two-hour charging time, it is possible to run the beltpack indefinitely with only a tiny stoppage to swap batteries.
Headsets
With the Mars intercom units by Hollyland that I evaluated last year, I was surprised by the plethora of options for the headset because they offered more than any other manufacturer. It will be interesting to see if Solidcom M1 gets similar options or uses the old standard single/double ear design for their headsets. The connection from headset to beltpack is a LEMO connector, which, while a solid, tried, and true design, is not the most volunteer-friendly connection type. With its multiple small pins, the opportunity for someone to force the connector and break it is higher than, say, something like a 3.5-mm jack. That said, unlike the 3.5-mm jack, the LEMO connector locks and is smaller than an XLR connector. So while it’s unconventional, it’s not a wrong choice.
Conclusion
I have difficulty finding fault with this system based on the spec sheet. It seems to have everything from the mil-spec aesthetic, the impressive specs, and the attention to small details. Even the price, starting at $4,299, seems reasonable based on the feature set. Considering the system is turnkey, I think the only thing that would knock the Solidcom M1 down a few pegs is if it’s complicated to set up, or just plain sounds terrible—neither of which I suspect will be the case. Therefore, the only question I have is, “When can I get one?”
