Armed with the new G2 as well as the previous G1 series, I was able to compare the two ‘generations’ under conditions that usually reveal the advantages and shortcoming of any piece of equipment. Having had a fair amount of experience using Sennheiser radio mics in the live arena, I figured the best way to test the mic out thoroughly was to use them on a short tour with the Australian band Sonic Animation. There is effectively no colouration caused by the radio link, which provides consistency across the range – an important advantage to anyone who is required to mix and match cordless and cabled mics. And like most other wireless Sennheisers, their tone remains consistent and full-bodied regardless of where they ‘roam’, unlike so many other brands, which can become thin and ugly sounding in their ‘wireless’ form.

The only downside to this is that when a band is very loud on stage, there’s a tendency for these mics to pick up splashy cymbal wash and guitar amp spill that’s ‘loose’ on stage. Thus, the mic studiously avoids any tendency to ‘bark’ at you – a trait common amongst so many other brands of microphones – and its hi-end lift seems wider and silkier, which provides excellent reproduction of vocal nuances, even out of a tired PA. There are a variety of systems on offer in the 100 G2 series range: I was given the opportunity to try out the ‘vocal set’ – an SKM 135 (cardioid dynamic) handheld transmitter, and the ‘presentation set’, which came with a choice of two lavalier mics both ME-2 omni-directionals, (one of them flesh-toned).īoth of these mic kits have Sennheiser written all over them – literally and metaphorically: the handheld cardioid dynamic sounds smooth and round with a frequency lift up around 10kHz. With this pedigree resonating in the background, the new G2 evolution 100 series of wireless transducers, transmitters and receivers has hit the stage, firmly cementing the company’s commitment to wireless technology. Sennheiser mics are generally regarded as one of the high-quality ‘standards’ in all fields ‘audio’, and they are held in this high regard for two basic reasons: their smooth sonic signature and quality of manufacture.

Amongst the veritable throng of companies manufacturing mics these days, Sennheiser remains one of the oldest and most respected of them. With the cost of microphones now at unbelievably low prices (compared with 20 years ago) and with the general improvement in the build quality of many of them, there has scarcely been a better time to fork out your hard-earned for a microphone kit. 30 September 2004 Henry Brister road tests the new evolution G2 wireless range from Sennheiser.

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