Audio-Technica's relatively new BP894 cardioid headset is versatile in its ability to be configured as either a single- or dual-ear mounting, and—uniquely—in the positioning of the cardioid microphone element itself. A member of the MicroSet product family, the miniature element is mounted at a right angle to the mic boom, and can be pointed directly at the corner of the mouth to capture the full range of the voice and reject unwanted ambient sound sources.
Single- or dual-ear
The mic comes in a compact, latched case that is foam-lined with cutouts for the mic and accessories, and appears to be durable enough for long-term storage. As shipped, the BP894 is a single-ear headset with a soft, moldable earpiece that fits behind and around the ear, with the thin boom extending across the cheek toward the mouth. It is extremely lightweight at two grams (not including the cable weight), and the earpiece can be molded with finger pressure to hold in place even with fairly vigorous movement.
The mic boom is solid yet flexible, so it can be bent and formed to fit the curve of the user's face, and allowing the mic element to be positioned at the corner of the mouth. The boom length is fixed, measuring approximately 4 ¼ inches, with a sweat bead protecting the mic element from moisture. A foam windscreen (plus a spare) is supplied to attenuate breath sounds, p-pops, and bumps during use.
The thin, flexible mic cable is permanently attached to the headset, and although I prefer a connector and the ability to replace a damaged cable, the connection seems to be solid and well supported. The cable itself is 1.4 mm in diameter with a smooth, rubberized coating and seems to exhibit good pull strength over its 55-inch length. It ends in a four-pin, locking Hirose connector that fits A-T transmitters, and an XLR adapter is included. Connectors for other manufacturers' wireless body packs are available. Besides allowing the headset to be connected to a mic cable, the adapter features a high-pass switch to enable the UniSteep filter at 80 Hz, with 18 dB/octave rolloff, to control noise and stage rumble below the voice fundamentals.
To convert to a dual-ear headset format, a second earpiece—identical except for the mic boom—and an adjustable frame for behind-the-neck positioning is supplied. The assembly is quick, facilitated by slipping the earpieces into wire coils at the ends of the frame and pressing them into place. Because the unit can be disassembled, the BP894 can function as a single-ear or a dual-ear headset with the boom on either side of the head.
Audio performance
The heart of the headset is its miniature 2.8-mm mic capsule, with a cardioid polar pattern for greater noise and feedback rejection at the rear of the mic. The mic capsule is contained within a small rotating housing at the end of the mic boom, allowing the active side to be precisely positioned toward the corner of the mouth. This housing rotates 180 degrees on the boom and is tight enough to stay exactly where it is placed without slipping.
Different than most headsets where the capsule comes right off the end of the boom and points frontward across the airflow coming from the mouth, A-T placed it at a right angle to the boom so that it forms a T-shaped profile facing back toward the presenter. To aid the positioning process, a small dot at the base of the housing—a “talk-side indicator”—shows which end to point toward the mouth.
Directly out of the box, minus any EQ from the console and with minimal positioning adjustments, this microphone sounds excellent, full, and natural—and provides sufficient level to fill the sanctuary without feedback and with gain to spare. In listening comparisons, the BP894 holds its own with the best of headsets in terms of audio performance. The directionality of the mic element is impressive, with even pickup on the active end and strong attenuation at the rear.
Overall, this headset is worthy of serious attention, and is quite capable of delivering natural voice audio for spoken word and vocal applications in professional settings. The full wired version retails for $639, and the wireless version for A-T bodybacks is $499.
