Sennheiser G3 in ear monitor

[al mcguire]

any one have experience with this device ?

http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheiser/home_en.nsf/root/professional_evolution-wireless-g3_ew-300-iem-g3_021213

[Tomer]

Yes ,  we have a few of them  , they could be used with regular g2/3  transmitters or with dedicated stereo transmitter , sound wise they are better then Comtec or Lectrosonics T1/R1A.

Range depends  on tx you use and type of the antenna ,  in stereo mode, the range drops by 50%.

Tomash B

[ben lowry]

In my experience, these are a great alternative to Comtek 216 and Lectro IFB for cart-based work. As Tomash says, the sound quality is much better than either of those. The new gen base station (SR300 IEM G3) is 12V DC. The RF output is only spec'ed at 30mW, but when run through a PSC RF Linear amp and an SNA600, even in stereo mode the range is greater & more stable than a Lectro T4-to-R1a (via SNA600 or ALP620), and about equal to a goosed BST25/216 w/ Mini-Mite or Phase-Right.

Also, the stereo Tx can eliminate the need for a 2nd Tx in some cases, e.g., boom & utility Rxs can be set to output program + mixer talkback and other Rxs just output program, all fed the same carrier. And the base station has loop-thrus, if you need more line outs.

Receivers don't hold up as well to floor-drops as Lectro & Comtek, and repair service doesn't seem very swift.

Ben Lowry

[John Blankenship]

I've only used them once (the G2 version) and I was impressed with how good they sound.  However, I wouldn't see replacing my Comteks with them.  It might be nice to have a couple for the director, or a boom op.

[Alex Mitchell]

Man, if I had known about these I might not have bought Comteks. I'm in the process of upgrading my kit with Lectro gear so I'll have some G3 transmitters left over and it looks like they were made for each other. Hindsight is always 20/20. These are really better than the Comteks though guys?

[ben lowry]

Sound quality is far better than Comtek 216 & Lectro IFB, not surprising based on deviation specs alone for these systems (±48 peak for IEM, ±25 IFB, ±10 Comtek wideband). I wouldn't say the Sennheisers are better, tho. They're not as rugged as Lectro or Comtek, don't have the simple simple channel selection or beefy belt clip of the R1a, don't have the eternal battery life of the Comtek, and take up UHF space unlike the Comtek. Also, without the RF Linear amp in line, the Sennheiser's range isn't nearly as good as the other systems I use. Haven't tried it for bag use, but you'd be stuck with the limitations of the G3 belt-pack Tx (mono only, 30mW, hard-wired whip, etc.).

Gotta say I love it for wireless boom monitoring, tho. You can hear subtleties and low-end detail that the other two systems miss completely.

ben lowry

[jonathan chiles]

Have been using the Sennheiser EW300 IEM G2 receivers for a few years now and really like them. I keep mine in Comtek pouches (the old ones with the belt clips) and so far I've only had one antenna sged its insulation. The battery doors are all intact and they are the only plastci part on the Rx.. the rest is solid metal and take abuse especially if in a pouch. The range and battery life I find decent enough and the audio quality is definitely hifi. I will look into the G3 base station Tx now as have been using the G2 SK100 beltpack Tx up to now (raised up to radiate better)

[Nicole Hankerson]

When I work on Drop Dead Divas the mixer I work with uses one of these for me to hear the sound. They actually were working better and cleaner than the Comteks he had.

Nicole

[Malcolm Davies Amps CAS]

I've just upgraded my G2's for these G3 versions due to the UK frequency change and I'm very pleased with them.

I run 12 as in ear monitors for video village and the suits.

Malcolm Davies. A.m.p.s.

[Derek H]

From what I've read these are the preferred choice in Europe for wireless monitoring duty.

I own 3 IEMs and recently bought an SK2000XP transmitter which looks like a standard g3 bodypack Tx but can output 100mW. Sennheiser also makes a more advanced 1U rack mount transmitter that outputs more RF power. So it's not true that you're always limited to 30mW without an amp. Just have to choose their higher level models. They're all compatible though.

Another big advantage is the display and interface. Very easy and quick to see if there is interference on the channel and if you're fully modulating the transmitter. You can also "scan" for a clean channel. No screw drivers needed. Squelch is also adjustable which is nice.

These also have a larger tuning bandwidth than a Lectro IFB. About 40MHz. Some models have 75MHz available. Makes it easier to find a spot between your other UHF channels.

They sound great, I can also deploy standard g3 receivers on the same channel for camera guide track. Only 1 transmitter in the bag, love it.

Maybe having an antenna sticking out of a receiver you hand to a producer seems odd or obtrusive but no one has ever noticed. They are very flexible and not pokey. 

Build quality is good, not R1A level by a long shot but if you put the IEMs in a pouch with a beltclip they'll do fine. I think they're as good or better than Comteks. For on camera, I sometimes put them in aluminum BEC mounting boxes if I think they're going to get torked on.

One big negative for on-camera use is the g3 receivers do not have very selective front end and if you stick it on a very busy camera rig with Teradek, wireless follow focus, etc they are occasionally wiped out across it's entire tuning range. That said, once you fire up the transmitter it's still generally 90% okay and good enough for guide track. Comteks and R1As also suffer in this situation so it's not really a criticism specific to the g3 series. If you need perfect audio on an RF-pig camera rig the only thing that seems to work is a 411a or a long piece of copper! Zaxcom also does well in this situation I found.

Anyway, old thread, new perspective from a current g3 -IEM user.

 

[RadoStefanov]

My third package has G3 300 IEMs. Sound great. Good range. But I choose to work with comteks for the range and durability. IEMs screens break when dropped a few times.

[Jeremy Childers]

I switched from my comteks to G3 IEM's..they sound better for sure and for what I do the compromise in range is okay

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Michael McQueen]

i have 2 iem rx's that i'll use for boom op/utility or for producer/camera feeds on some jobs where i can't use zaxnet (some football stadiums). i have the 12v base station tx pn my cart and use a g3 body pack with external power in my bag.

[Mungo]

You can also add Sennheiser Tourguide receivers EK 1039 to your setup. They are about 20% less expensive than the EK 300 und deliver enough sound quality for most purposes. Of course mono 1 channel.

[Derek H]

Thanks Mungo, 

I've considered those but according to the spec sheet they're not available on the A tuning group, which is what I already own.