Most wireless systems manufacturers have product entries in the 2.4 GHz frequency band, and Sennheiser is no exception. Using digital technology, these wireless systems have significantly less self-noise and operate in a frequency that the FCC hasn't been mucking with.
Introduced at the 2015 winter NAMM show, the Sennheiser Evolution Wireless D1 system takes advantage of the universally unlicensed 2.4 GHz frequency spectrum and delivers a powerful system that a small- to mid-sized church can appreciate.
Overview
Also available in a headset, lavalier and instrument-only version, this review will focus on the ew D1-835S, a hand-held vocal microphone wireless system with a ½-rack receiver and a handheld mic with a replaceable e835 capsule. The microphone has a battery box that slides out from the rear of the microphone for battery replacement; it can also be swapped out for a lithium-ion battery module that can be recharged via a USB cable or through a tabletop charger. When using standard batteries, the transmitter takes two AA batteries. Construction of both receiver and transmitter appear quite solid.
The receiver has several built-in effect options that could benefit someone wanting to use the receiver directly with a powered speaker. Compression, EQ and a de-esser are all built in, and turned off by default. The system automatically selects the best frequency within the 2.4 GHz band, and changes frequencies as needed to obtain the best signal quality. Lots of other devices also make use of the 2.4 GHz band, however, so how good a signal you'll get and how many of these systems you can use simultaneously will depend on your environment. Sennheiser indicates that in an ideal environment, up to 15 radio links are possible.
The status indicator lights are well utilized. The status light on the handheld mic is on one side near the bottom, which could stand out if the vocalist holds the mic with that side facing out. A complimentary status light is also present on the receiver. When the system is paired, both status lights are solid green. If the battery in the transmitter drops to less than 30 minutes of battery life left, the status lights on both the transmitter and receiver will blink red. I appreciate this feature—it lets both the vocalist and the engineer know that this person needs to have their batteries replaced in a clear and obvious way that would be hard to miss. If the vocalist notices the light, they can take the initiative to walk off stage themselves and seek new batteries without the sound engineer needing to get their attention.
"The system has a very “transparent” sound with excellent tonal characteristics. I was quite impressed."
Jim Kumorek
Reviewer.
Operation
The ew D1 series transmitter and receiver come pre-paired out of the box, so setup is minimal. You connect the two antennae to the receiver, insert batteries into the transmitter (two disposable AA alkaline batteries are included), and power both units up. After a moment, they link up and you are good to go.
With the 2.4 GHz digital systems, you don't worry about frequency selection—all that happens behind the scenes. Instead, if you need to associate a transmitter with a receiver, you “pair” them by pressing the holding the pair buttons on both the receiver and transmitter. After a few moments, they see each other and are paired. To figure out which receiver is paired with which transmitter, you press and release the pair button on either the transmitter or receiver, and the status light will flash for 10 seconds. If your vocalists grab the wrong mics, pressing the pair button on the receiver will let you see the status light blinking on the transmitter on stage.
I found the range of the system to be excellent. Our test environment has numerous Wi-Fi routers in close proximity. I wandered around both inside and outside the building while recording the output of the receiver. There were no dropouts, and sound clarity remained perfect.
The system has a very “transparent” sound, with excellent tonal characteristics for my voice, and no noticeable background noise using the standard e835 capsule. I was quite impressed. If you find the e835 capsule isn't quite right for your application, Sennheiser offers a total of six capsules, each with individual tonal characteristics that fit the D1 handheld.
For battery life, I used a pair of rechargeable Panasonic batteries in the transmitter, and they lasted six hours before needing replacement. I then tested the operating time with the included alkaline batteries, and also obtained six hours. Most churches would have no problem getting through a set of weekend services with this system on one set of batteries, especially if the transmitters were powered down after the music portion of the services.
With the built-in effects, I found the EQ to be functional; the de-esser had a slight impact on sibilance noises, and the compressor also added some mild gain reduction for louder input levels. My general assessment is that these effects could be helpful for when you want to connect the receiver directly up to a powered speaker, but otherwise, just use the effects in your mixer—they would be a lot simpler to adjust than the built-in effects. But it's a nice concept and brings some added flexibility to the system.
The system can also be connected to a computer network via an Ethernet cable, and apps are advertised in the documentation as being available for both iOS and Android to make adjustments to the system. However, I was unable to find the apps on either the App Store or Google Play store. A Sennheiser representative reports that the apps are not available yet; no date was given for their expected availability.
I would have appreciated a headphone jack on the receiver because that can be helpful in isolating audio issues. But admittedly, it would hardly ever get used.
Summary
The sound quality, ease-of-setup and operating range of the Sennheiser ew D1 system makes this an ideal system for a church that has average wireless needs. If you're looking for 20 or more channels of wireless mics, and you're in a heavily populated area, enlist the help of a professional frequency coordinator. You'll likely need a combination of the 2.4 GHz digital systems with traditional UHF systems. In my test environment, there are 15 Wi-Fi routers in the 2.4 GHz band visible from a Wi-Fi analyzer app, and I had no issues with reception or interference.
A bodypack version of the ew D1 system is also available for use as an instrument system, lav system or headset system; as well as rack-mount ears and an antenna distribution system for consolidating antennae. Rechargeable AA batteries can be used in addition to the optional Lithium Ion battery pack that's available from Sennheiser.
With an MSRP of $700, the Sennheiser ew D1 wireless system is a reasonably priced, strong contender for the house-of-worship market.
