Phenyx Pro PTU-1U vs Sennheiser EW100 G1 Shoot Out

Just a quick side by side comparison video between the Phenyx Pro True Diversity Wireless PTU-1U mic and my trusty Sennheiser EW100 G1 (9volt version). I'm holding one mic in each hand, and I panned the PTU-1U hard left and the EW100 hard right. I also added a quick and dirty high pass, PEQ, compression to each mic so it's easier to listen to. This video is not a good reference for the tone quality of the mics. Listen on headphones to hear the dropouts.

You can hear the Phenyx Pro drop out at 55 seconds, but it doesn't sound too bad when it does, and recovers pretty quickly. I'm about 60' from the receiver at that point with a floor and walls in between and I'm also holding the mics at the bottom where the radiator for the transmitter are. If you keep watching (listening) I move my hand up on the neck of each mic and walk the same route around the house and there are zero drop outs. Both receivers are set to frequencies with no measurable interference, and the squelch are both set to the lowest setting.

I also have two sets of the PTU-71s and they did not perform as well with this test. The cut outs come with fuzz and they are frequent at the problem spots. They aren't meant to be reliable long distance mics.

One big minus of the PTU-1U is the lack of wind screening. I like to ride my mic on axis when I DJ because I'm usually 2 feet from the speaker, but this mic picks up the wind from my 'H' and 'S' sounds and it sounds like Chicago. You can EQ to improve it and use a goofy looking windscreen but it shouldn't be this way.

Also, I'm not convinced it's a normal cardioid, seems like a super cardioid to me. Would like to replace the capsule with a normal cardioid. The PTU-71 handhelds do not have either of these problems. I'm not sure why they changed the formula for this one.

Overall, if you don't ride the mic and EQ it just right, the PTU-1U is a great mic for under $200. I not confident enough to use it on a wedding ceremony for the officiant or vows, but the wedding reception would be a good fit, and it would be roughly the entry level for corporate AV, where as the PTU-71 is more of a bar/pub and karaoke grade mic. It's a step down from the $700+ mics, but it can replace the Shure and Sennheiser lines that are $500 and below, like the Shure BLX and PGX line, or the Sennheiser XSW line. If you need several reliable mics in your inventory, this is a good choice, but if you just need one very reliable mic, I would stick with the Shure SLX and up, or the Sennheiser EW100 and up.