[Guy Cochran]

We tested the Sony system against the Sennheiser side by side and found that while the Sony proved to have a bit more range, the Sennheiser sounded better. Here is a review by one of our customers who wound up returning the Sony UWP for a Sennheiser Evolution G2. He included this detailed description in the box:

"Out of the box, the Sony UWP-V1 feels solid. The robust, metal chassis is impressive, and signals a system that can take a little abuse (though, I try not to abuse my gear at all). The receiver sports diversity antennae that can be angled, which is handy for placing the unit on a cart or in any other position outside of the gear bag. A separate headphone output on the receiver is also a huge benefit for trouble-shooting.

The only physical attributes that concerned me were the antennae and the battery tray. The antennae are permanently attached. This makes storage and transportation a small challenge, and one must be cautious in how the receivers are kept in transit to make sure that the antennae do not get bent or broken. The battery tray is a lighter, flimsy plastic design that I can see breaking after repeated use.

IN USE

Setting the system up to run is smooth and simple. The manual reads surprisingly well, and using the clear scan function to find an open frequency took little time. It’s also nice to be able to set the transmitter and receiver up by frequency if desired, rather than Sony’s system of group and channel numbers. Using clear scan in the group/channel mode will only scan the active group. But switching to frequency setting, clear scan will run through every channel the unit knows.

Adjusting settings on the transmitter pack is a little more challenging. To change anything, the pack must be powered on while the “set” button is held down. Once the parameters are set, the pack must be powered off in order to “save and exit” the menu. When the pack is turned on again, the new settings are active. That’s a lot of work for the on/off switch.

The included shoe-mount adapter for camera use can also come in handy, and is easily attached as it simply clamps under the belt clip of the receiver. This can make life much easier on the backpack journalist.

The first time I fired up the UWP-V1 system, there was a considerable noise floor. I turned off everything in my house, just to be sure (the AC, the fridge, the ceiling fan), but there was still a self-noise.

I ran the system through a couple of setups for reference. Using the transmitter’s attenuation settings successfully lowered the signal from the included lavaliere mic, but the hiss was still there. I ditched my trusty ENG mixer and went straight into my DAW system. The noise was still there, though marginally lower. I also noticed some harsh sibilance from the lav (more on that later). Again, trying -3dB of attenuation and -6dB did nothing for the noise floor. Granted, I have heard much worse self-noise from other wireless units, but it’s still there.

Sudden peaks in the signal also trip some compression in the system that has a considerably slow release time. While it’s nice that the signal compresses to avoid distortion, the slow release is noticeable between lines of dialog as the background slowly returns. And there’s some compander hiss as well, or hiss that pumps and breathes with each syllable of speech. Again, it’s fairly low-level, but it’s most certainly there and I could hear it.

The transmitter features stepped attenuation, which can help tame loud sources. But there is not a setting for output level on the receiver. This, to me, is a flaw. The overall output level of the system isn’t as strong as it could be, and with no way to make up gain on the receiver, all the gain staging must be done with the camera’s pre-amps or through a mixer. Many cameras, and cheaper mixers and preamps, have noise that kicks in when the input level control is pushed past about 75%, so with a weaker signal from the wireless system, the signal chain could easily be pushed to the noise floor of a DV or HDV camera.

As for the stock lav, I’m generally not a fan of stock lavs. Not even with the more expensive wireless systems out there. The capsule of this mic isn’t all that big, which is nice. It’s not the best-sounding mic, however. Frequency response is respectable, but there was some harshness in the sibilance and other higher-end frequencies. And a hard-molded connector means that repairs will consist of snipping the connector off and putting a new one on.

OVERALL

The Sony UWP-V1 would be right at home in corporate and news productions. The price is right, and the build is solid. But it’s not the quietest unit out there. Not the worst, by far, but not the quietest. Sony specs 60dB or better s/n ratio, and I believe them.

The menus are easy to understand, and setup is a snap (aside from the odd method with the transmitter). I would also suggest investing in a better lav, as with most systems. My Countryman B6 lavs are still wired for my old systems, so I was not able to test them with the UWP-V1."