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Opinions on the Audio Ltd En2 series?


Karri

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First two days of En2 use are over, and the result is: I like them. Price is right too.

 

I guess what some call "noise" is the fact that they are brighter than most other systems I've used. With COS-11 they mix really well with my Neumann boom mics.

Can't really tell a lot about reach, probably more a frequency issue (I'm in the "pay radio" 700s now, what I formerly used was rental "free" 800s) than a model issue. So far reach has been a lot better with the 700 MHz En2 than with 800 MHz 2020.

They last half a day on one NiMH 2100mAH battery.

You have to enable the "screen saver" option to turn off the display after a few seconds. Display is really bright, as is the status LED on top of the TX. A piece of gaff tape is necessary here, else it will be visible under clothing.

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I use a pair of En2's with the true diversity dual receiver and am happy with them. 

I like the fact that they work on a singe Eneloop AA for half a (working) day.

Also nice is one receiver for two channels, saves weight and space.

 

I set the level to 5 on the transmitters, and never have to touch it again, except with very loud screaming. The dynamic range is quite impressive. The range is fairly good, very few dropouts.

 

I use DPA's with them (custom made connectors).

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Yes, level on 5 is good. Was also good on the old 2020.

On softer voices I use 6.

Even on 9 they sound ok, you don't hear the limiter working as much as with other systems.

 

set the level to 5 on the transmitters, and never have to touch it again, except with very loud screaming. The dynamic range is quite impressive. The range is fairly good, very few dropouts.

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En2 miniTX

 

minitx.jpg

Weighing just 90gms including batteries, the MiniTX measures only 82mm high by 48mm wide and is a mere 16.5mm thick. Its small size means it’s easy to hide under even tight clothing and its rounded corners make it comfortable to wear.


It might be small but it is not lacking in features. It offers 32 pre-programmed frequencies, with a switching bandwidth of up to 24MHz (the equivalent of 3 European or 4 U.S. TV channels) and is programmed and controlled using the SwitchIR infra red remote control.

 

http://www.audioltd.com/en2/en2-minitx-transmitter/

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  • 3 months later...

Looking the custom design bags from Pascal and Simon

and searching to Audio Ltd En2 DX2 Receiver; I found it not possible

to see the screen from receiver if you attach it to that custom brackets.

 

So I think for 4 wireless lavaliers the solution in bag is the En2 CX2-P Receiver.

They have both specs; only frequency range and switching bandwidth change and not too big difference.

Also the cables change from Binder in one hand and 25 D-type for the other.

 

I think with Pascal and Simon design for better solution it is the En2 CX2-P Receiver

rather than the DX2 receiver. The screen it's on your eyes.


cx2-p.jpg

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  • 3 months later...

Being one of the very first owners of the new PTX, I think I can share a bit about this nice little piece as well.

It's an XLR plug-on TX with switchable P48.

It is the best-looking TX unit I've ever seen. Way nicer than the square boxes from Lectro, Zax, Sennheiser - but outer appearance isn't exactly the most important thing. Sound is, and in that respect it's as good as the rest of the EN2 range. Fine for properly boomed dialogue. For very soft sounds I might still prefer going cabled. It does sound better than 2040 with vdB accessory cable. The reason is IMHO, again, found in the different compander. The limiter can, if hit hard, output loud pops - so better watch your levels. 6 or 7 is good for normal dialogue, depending on mic and distance. I have tried it with Sennheiser 816, 416, Neumann 81, Neumann 185, Neumann 184.

As to frequency agility, the PTX has 80 MHz of switching bandwidth (twice as much as the pocket TX) in five 24 MHz blocks. Each block has 32 factory presets, and can save another 32 user frequencies, tunable in 25 kHz steps as all other EN2 devices. Can't really imagine needing more. User-friendliness is on the same high level as the whole range. No manual needed.

It is powered by a pair of AAs, preferrably NiMHs. Will need changing at lunch break, sometimes earlier.

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 years later...

I still like them, though TX size becomes more and more of an issue with some costumes, and with more actors being more used to smaller (SMb) transmitters. So on some shoots, I'll only use my SMb pair I added last year, and we do start to miss their dweedle tone functionality when whe use TXPs.

The TXPs haven't needed any maintenance so far (one actor broke a battery door dropping the TX to a marble floor - you can replace the bottom yourself easily), but two DX2 units blew a fuse that was replaced free of charge. Big thumbs up to Audio Ltd.!

My boom op has worked with the other plug-ons (Lectro, Sennheiser, Zax) too, and although he finds the PTX's screw-on locking mechanism a bit of a PITA, he says it's still better than quick-lock type mechanisms that sooner or later start to wear out. With actors seeming to speak softer and softer every year our usual PTX level setting has become 9 (max), and sometimes we wish for a 10, 11, or even 12 setting.

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Sound-wise it's, well, different flavors, but in most cases I wouldn't say one clearly wins over the other. Mic choice and mounting is way more important in real life. And that's where a smaller unit can, depending on costumes, make the difference between "invisible" and "clearly visible", and I wouldn't want to mount a TXP to a slender woman's ankle, for example, whereas an SMb fits just fine.

As to range / RF strength: this strongly depends on frequency usage at the location. I would not generally say one has better range, and when you have time to tweak frequency settings you'll usually get about the same range out of both, at least in my experience. I've never had to deal with *really* crowded RF environments so can't comment on that.

 

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On 7/30/2016 at 7:03 PM, shatko said:

Thanks for the reply. 
What about sound q and RF strength in comparison with SMb (what receivers you use with SMb)? 

buddy, you are in Ukraine, i am sure there are NO real fixes on which RF band you have to work in, unlike countries like UK or the US... You will do good... 

Sound quality - i am sure you will find them both good. or good enough. whether one is WAY better than the other  - this is something only you can tell, i guess. 

be well!

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