Sennheiser has launched its latest wireless microphone for filmmakers. The company says the Sennheiser Profile Wireless two-channel wireless microphone system is the creator’s audio multitool.
Profile Wireless
The Sennheiser Profile Wireless microphone system comes with two transmitters and one receiver. You also get a charging bar which doubles as a storage case for the transmitters and receiver. One neat trick is that you can combine a transmitter with the charging bar to make a wireless handheld microphone or table-top mic.
Range
This microphone system uses the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi band. Sennheiser says that this delivers a usable range of up to 800 feet (245 meters) with line of sight. However, the company also claims that you can get up to an impressive 490 feet (150 meters) of range even when taking body blocking into account.
Transmitters
The Profile Wireless transmitters feature built-in microphones and simply clip on to your subjects. Each transmitter also has a lockable 3.5 mm TRS connector so that you can connect external mics. In addition, the transmitters have 16 GB of onboard memory for internal recording. If you activate Backup Recording Mode, internal recording automatically turns on if the wireless signal becomes too weak. There’s a Safety Channel Mode that outputs and records backup audio at a lower volume to help protect against clipping as well.
Receiver
The Profile Wireless receiver can connect to your camera, audio recorder, computer or even a smartphone. You also get all the connectors and cables you need to work with most devices straight out of the box. Using the receiver’s OLED touchscreen, you can set gain levels, mute the mics, engage the low-cut filter, turn the LEDs on or off and check or delete the memory. In addition, the receiver’s OLED touchscreen display features a gyro-sensor so that it automatically rotates by 180° to remain legible however you mount the device. Usefully, the receiver has a dedicated headphone output for monitoring your audio while you record.
24-bit recording
While some wireless microphone systems offer 32-bit float internal recording, Sennheiser made the decision to stick with 24-bit. The dynamic range of 32-bit float audio means that your recordings shouldn’t clip. However, loud sounds can overload the microphone capsule which will also cause the recording to clip. The Profile Wireless transmitters feature stereo recording on their internal microphones that records with two different audio levels. This maximizes the used audio bandwidth of the microphone capsule and reduces the chance of clipped audio.
What we think
Sennheiser has a well-deserved reputation for producing very high-quality audio equipment. Therefore, filmmakers and content creators will be pleased to see it has entered the compact and low budget wireless microphone market. The option to use the Wireless Profile system as a handheld or table-top mic is also a unique feature. Some users might be disappointed by the lack of 32-bit float recording, but the option for recording a safety channel means that you don’t need to worry about your audio clipping. If you are looking for a compact and versatile wireless microphone system, the Sennheiser Wireless Profile should be high on your shortlist.
Pricing and availability
The Sennheiser Profile Wireless microphone system has a recommended selling price of $299. It is set to start shipping in December 2024.
