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Sennheiser 2000 Wireless


Tuhiva

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Lot of people are talking about entry level sennheiser G3 and High end lectro or zaxcom wireless, but I don't see much talking about the 2000 serie.

Any comments on that serie? Most of the review on the internet refers to the In ear monitor but none talks about the ENG package.

100mv, adaptive diversity and $1700 package seems a good deal for someone that want something a bit better than the G3 without breaking the bank.

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Lectro LMa SRa combo gives you Lectro Audio Quality for less.

Lot of people are talking about entry level sennheiser G3 and High end lectro or zaxcom wireless, but I don't see much talking about the 2000 serie.

Any comments on that serie? Most of the review on the internet refers to the In ear monitor but none talks about the ENG package.

100mv, adaptive diversity and $1700 package seems a good deal for someone that want something a bit better than the G3 without breaking the bank.

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I have two channels of the 2000 wireless. There pros and cons to them.

They do sound better than the G2/G3 series and have far better range. A couple sound friends and I did a direct test between a G2, Lectro UM400a with a 401 receiver, an SMQV with a 411 receiver, and a Zaxcom 900LT with a 900S receiver, and the 2000. All transmitters had Sanken COS-11D lav mics. The G2 unit was noticeably less audio quality and far less range. The audio quality of the rest all seemed identical. The range of the SMQV was the best. All units were going in to a 788t. Playback was through Mytek converters and Genelec 1031a stereo monitors. So, we had excellent playback for accurate listening and not just a pair of headphones.

The 2000 series looks identical to the G2/G3 series so if a director, producer, etc on set sees the 2000's they immediately assume they are the cheaper wireless and may question your rates. Not exactly the feeling you want to instill in the people who have hired you.

Also, the 2000 wireless are bigger and clunkier than the Lectro or Zaxcom transmitters. So, talent feels the transmitters weight and size a bit more than a 900LT or SMQV, etc.

The 2000 series does not have removeable antennas. That can be a bummer if one of them breaks (but mine never have in the entire time I've had them and I bought them the first week they came out).

These days all my talent mics are Zaxcom. However, I still use my Sennheiser 2000 units for a backup lav, a random camera feed, or to feed a multi channel headphones amp somewhere. They are useful and do sound decent.

If you are getting them for talent mics I would say save up a few more pennies and just jump in to Lectros or Zaxcoms.

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Lma ($650) + SRa ($2300) = $2950 still very far from the 2000 serie price

Very interresting to see that there is such a big gap between entry level systems (less than $800) and high end systems (2900 and more)....

I think the SRa sells for less than 2000 $ now. add two LMas so 3300 gives you two sets (SRa is stereo) so you pay less than for two 2000 sets.

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Thanks Matthew for the review, in fact I do own two sets of lectros (SMQV/UM400a/UCR411).

For 90% of the work I am doing, two wireless are enough, but from time to time I do need a third wireless and I know that those rare gigs are not going to pay off a new set of lectros. That is why I am looking for cheaper alternatives.

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Here are some simple tests that don't require test equipment but imitate things that happen in the real world of wireless mics. These problems and the resulting tests were found over the years by customers telling us "something doesn't sound right".

http://www.lectrosonics.com/faqdb/67-033-I-like-most-wireless-users-don-t-have-test-equipment.-What-kind-of-simple-tests-can-I-perform-to-choose-a-wireless/View-details.html

Best,

Larry F

Lectro

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I've been a longtime Lectro user. Once I had to use a G2 and I was thoroughly umimpressed with the audio quality. Last year I needed to buy a system but could not afford a Lectro so bought a lowest in the Micron series (EXP-FK16ASDR ) and I am very impressed with sound quality and the range. It cost me about GBP 1000/- along with a Sanken wired for its TX. In fact I am thinking buying their top of the line system when I have the money.

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" Very interresting to see that there is such a big gap between entry level systems (less than $800) and high end systems (2900 and more)... "

This has been true of our "usual wireless mic suspects"... I may have more to say in the future...

The Senn Evolution 100-300-500-2000 all have the same compander and are cross compatible; actual comparisons of sound quality are subjective..

" sra $1900 stereo "

2 channels, but not necessarily in stereo.

Edited by studiomprd
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Yes for people who don't know it, it is. But we all know the difference.

Terminology should (and will) never outgun practice and use.

It's a stereo transmitter/receiver (whatever it may be) and we KNOW it's got two channels. We just call it stereo, as much as we call the stereo in our cars a stereo even though they might be mono or even 5.1. So. Picky.

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I got a couple of 2000-systems and a couple of G3s. 2000 are better than G3s, but cost ALOT more aswell. There defenitly are both pros and cons to the 2000s.

Pros:

# Great range (distance), defenitly compareable to Lectros and Wisycom.

# Small receivers, light weight.

# Better sound than G3s, but not quite as good as lectros.

# Tx Batt levels on receiver.

# Very wide freq range (75 mHz), loads of frequencies to choose from.

Cons:

# Slightly larger txs.

# Not as sturdy and watertight as lectros and Wisycom.

# Not as bagfriendly as Lectros and Wisycom (pos of display).

# MAJOR CON: Random "pops" or other interference noise.

So basicly I chose these systems cause they had great range, light weight and a wide freq range. Those were my main concerns. What I find is that (like the G3s) they very randomly will get a short "click" or "fzzz"-interference. We can have been roling for an hour in the same spot without anything, I've scanned the frequencies, got full RF, and then suddenly "frzzhh". And I can never re-creat it.

It drives me nuts trying to get to the bottom of this. Sennheiser thought it might be from the diversity circuit switching antennaes, but Im not sure about that. I think it's these system are just more prone to radio interference, static electricity, com systems and what not. They're basicly more easily disturbed.

I shouldn't over emphesize this. I'm defenitly able to work with them and have been for some time, with great results. It happens occasionally, but defenitly more often than when I've worked with Wisycoms, Lectrosonics, Audio ltd and even Sony-systems.

If it wasn't for these random noises, these systems would be awesome. For me now, they work, but if I'd known this in advance I might have gone for a Sr + Smqv instead, even though they're a bit more $$.

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Hey Suresh

I agree with what you say about the Micron..

I've got a Micron Explorer 100 SDR116 & TX716-A as mentioned above. I would say the quality is equal to the Audio ltd 2040 which I also have. All with `COS 11.

Very good value at less than £1000 inc with out mic.

Lacking a low cut filter. Otherwise they are both about the same but the Micron is far better value at less than half the price of the Audio ltd.

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" We just call it stereo, "

Maybe you call it, incorrectly, stereo, maybe otheres do, too,

but I do not, and I consider it a significant and important distinction. >:D

BTW: If a car sound system is capable of playing multiple channels, with spatial relationships, it is generically called a "stereo". Lectrosonics carefully calls the SRa's "dual channel receivers". ::)

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" too picky "

maybe you think so, but it is an important distinction.

Yes, there are contexts where it is an important distinction in need of illuminating, but not for those present and not in this particular discussion.

Since the vast majority of participants here know the difference, it only makes you look childish -- clueless even -- to point it out.

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As others have pointed out, they look identical to the cheaper series (which look & feel cheap), but have a metallic "chassis" (sorry if that´s not the word, I mean the skeleton of the thing...). I find it a weird design strategy because although they might be more robust, they are heavy, they look like the G3s (not very good for several reasons), and most of all, they share some plastic components which, as I found out in a shoot, really don´t belong in a system of that price. Tiny pieces keeping the battery compartment closed just fell off the transmitter on the second day, and the same happened to the receiver a few days later, and that with no particular abuse. Ironically that had never happened to me with the G2s and G3s before or during that shoot.

To be fair, however, I found the sound quality to be very good (I had the chance to hear them later in the final mix), but that alone wouldn´t stop me going for Lectros or Audio LTd.

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  • 1 year later...

Which would you choose between SK 2000 and SK 500 G3 if they have the same RF power?

I think that Lemo3 connector is inconvenient and expensive and if the sound is equal, or very similar, certainly choose an evolution!

what do you think?

I have one SK 100 G3 modified to more then 100mw....it is grate!!

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Which would you choose between SK 2000 and SK 500 G3 if they have the same RF power?

I think that Lemo3 connector is inconvenient and expensive and if the sound is equal, or very similar, certainly choose an evolution!

what do you think?

I have one SK 100 G3 modified to more then 100mw....it is grate!!

Source for modded G3? How?
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