When it comes to capturing your voice without drawing attention to your mic, a wireless lavalier microphone is your best choice whether you're in front of a congregation, an audience, or a camera. However, finding the correct one for you might be difficult, especially when buying online. Below we list six key factors and why they'll help you make an informed decision while looking for the best wireless lavalier microphone kit.
Wireless microphone frequency range - 2.4G bandwidth is user-friendly
For many years, UHF wireless lavalier microphone has been the norm, providing the strongest and finest performance. The FCC has recently set limitations on wireless microphone operating frequencies, however, wireless frequencies can still fluctuate. The 470 to 548Mhz bands offer the optimum mix of extended transmission distance and clear frequencies.
There is also professional wireless lavalier microphone that works in the 2.4GHz frequency. The new 2.4 GHz wireless microphone devices operate in the 83 MHz range between 2.400 GHz and 2.483 GHz.
On the bright side, the newer 2.4 GHz devices are meant to be simple to use for novices. They are fully digital, providing superb sound quality. These wireless microphones use complex radio protocols to detect and avoid occupied frequencies.
2.4 GHz microphone semiconductors avoid FM modulation and are less vulnerable to intermodulation artifacts that afflict multi-channel UHF FM systems. Instead of merely delivering audio via Wi-Fi, major manufacturers have tweaked their modulation and circuitry in 2.4 systems to reduce latency to acceptable levels.
Operating range - Long transmission distance ensures strong signals
Wireless microphone distance range varies amongst systems, ranging from a few feet to hundreds of feet. A decent rule of thumb is to consider how far you will normally be from your sound sources and then double that to be safe.
Interference issues are common in wireless microphone systems with short working range. Furthermore, short-range wireless systems often do not transmit efficiently through minor obstacles such as pulpits, tables, doors, or sound booths.
The price of a system is typically mirrored in its range, so don't spend hundreds of dollars on anything with more transmission capabilities than you need. Or you can do so if you have adequate budget since you never know when that extra distance is necessary.
Reliability - Low in noise & dropout
As with most things, you get what you pay for. Of course, you want to choose the best wireless lavalier microphone kit that is reliable, but how can you know which one is dependable? Cheaper systems may have faulty components, which may cause compatibility concerns.
You are advised to look into low-noise, low-static, and low-dropout wireless lavalier microphone set. Determine whether the noise reduction employed in construction is real companding type. Companding is the compression of the signal as it enters your system and the expansion of the signal as it exits. Some noise reduction devices emit a pumping noise that your listeners will be able to hear and may find annoying.
Sound quality - Digital wireless microphone kit performs better
While there are many reasons why digital wireless lavalier microphone is better than an analog one, such as battery life (up to 40% longer) and spectral efficiency (which allows you to fit more units into a given frequency range), the biggest advantage is to improve the sound quality.
Analog systems transmit audio signals as modulated radio waves, which implies that any disruptions or interference during the transmission will result in audio artifacts. Analog systems also rely on a 'compander' to compress the dynamic range of the audio signal before it can be sent, which can result in audio signal deterioration.
However, digital wireless microphones send audio signals transformed to 1s and 0s that are unaffected by the communication medium. It may simply provide a constant digital signal with full dynamic range without companding. This produces a more natural tone.
Separate mute and power switches - Work to avoid unwanted noises
Separate mute and power switches are one of the most sought features in a wireless system. When your wireless microphone transmitter and receiver kit communicates, they are "locked on" to the same frequency.
During this communication, nothing but another system on the same frequency can interfere with this system. When your receiver is turned on and your transmitter is turned off, no signal is broadcast, therefore your receiver can pick up any transmitted signal on its set frequency. A single stray signal might devastate a performance or message.
The best wireless lavalier microphone kit usually features a separate mute switch, so you can mute your audio signal when you don’t want to be heard. The transmit switch can still be turned on, locking the transmitter to the receiver and avoiding unwanted spurious signals.
Rechargeable batteries - Long battery life plays a role
Rechargeable wireless lavalier microphone has high-performance rechargeable batteries that can run for at least 5 hours on a single charge. They can withstand 1,000 charging cycles, saving you thousands of dollars in battery costs! These rechargeable batteries are monitored by high-performance digital systems both during charging and when in use. Some systems will even inform you how many hours the battery has remaining before it has to be charged.