Wireless Guitar Systems - Suggestions and Advice, Please

gvdv

Member
Hi Everyone,
I have just begun to do some online 'research' on wireless guitar systems in the up to $300 budget range, and was wondering what people's thoughts and experiences have been with any of these systems.

I see that the U2 Xvive system is fairly new, and that Line 6, Boss, and a couple of other companies have products that all seem to be competitive with one another.

I am thinking about purchasing one of these for rehearsal room situations, and have questions about things like:

1. Interference from other wireless sources (e.g., mobile phones)

2. Audio fidelity (i.e., which of the available wireless units are the most similar, tonally, to cables plugged into guitars)

3. Robustness (read quite a few reviews saying that the Line 6 Relay system has problems with its battery door coming away

4. Comfort in use - the Line 6 Relay system looks bulky in comparison to other systems like the Boss and U2

So, what say you?
 
The most expensive radio system is nearly as good as ten pound/dollar jack cable! I've got Sennheiser G3 and Line 6 dgiital available and STILL use a cable. Batteries, interference, strange noises and reliability are good reasons to not use them = because the cable for me is not a problem. If you need to be wireless, as in the cables get tangled, you run around on stage, or the cable could be dangerous - I prefer the Sennheiser, but the Line 6 is the best quality, by a small degree and in one of the modes is pretty resilient TO interference, but does cause it to other wifi devices.
 
Also consider latency. You will have to determine what is comfortable for you. Is 6ms is okay? Would 10ms be pushing it? 20ms and you feel the difference, maybe. Does latency change the further away you are, in relation to signal strength? Then the further away from the amp, the longer it takes sound to travel to you, so there is a natural latency to consider as well. Total latency could affect your timing.

Interference and battery life would be the other two considerations. The Line 6 G30 uses 2 AA batteries and gets 8 hours. Not sure I would want to be changing batteries all the time.

I considered getting a wireless, but I don't want to worry about another component in the signal chain failing during a gig. Cables are durable, not prone to failing and do not complicate anything. And if the cable gets messy on stage, I just push it out of the way. I have stepped on my cable and unplugged myself. That's a little embarrassing and funny.

For me, the one justification to go wireless would be to add distance; roam around a venue or play on a LARGE stage. While we might have an opportunity to play on a big stage, I won't be going out into the crowd. lol. I can't justify the cost nor risk of using a wireless. A cable is a good solution for me.

Those are my thoughts. FWIW. :)
 
I just read a rave review (Martin guitar forum) from someone that got one of those Xvive U2 systems. They seem like they might be limited and require topping off that battery before every show, but for a solo performer or duo it's pretty cheap entry, and reviews are pretty positive. Kind of tempting.
 
I'm with Chili ^^ Wireless is really unnecessary unless you need that ability to wander around the room, or a large stage, or interacting with others (where cables can get tangled). I will swap guitars during a set and have 2 plugged in all the time through a Radial PZ Pre (but you could also use an A/B switch). So wireless means having two transmitters set to the same frequency, or muting and swapping out the transmitter.
 
I use a Line 6 G-30 for my bass, and I'm very happy with the convenience it provides onstage. I still keep a backup cable around, obviously, but it allows me to go out into the house for soundcheck, and jump around a bit onstage. The case is a little chintzy/plastic, so I just put a rubber band around it to keep the battery door closed. Haven't had an interference from other devices.
 
Hi rob, Chili, keith, mjb, and Skwee.

It is nice to hear opinions from some of you whom I have had responses from previously, in other threads, and thanks to those who are replying to me for the first time.

I appreciate the opinions and suggestions.

My thinking at the moment is that I do want to try out a wireless option - only for rehearsal room use, really. I am pretty clumsy (no joking - I have hurt myself seriously on several occasions), and eliminating one more thing I can trip over will be one fewer thing to worry about.

Because I agree with the cautions, and points you have made about the current state of wireless guitar units in the budget range I quoted, and because I have added to my research in the last 24 hours, I am thinking that I will try out the Boss WL-20.

I have read and watched a few videos which make me completely eliminate the U2 Xvive from consideration (heavy interference, cutting out, and not working at all are the problems that I have seen consistently mentioned with this unit), and I would like to have something not of battery pack kind of design, so the Boss sounds and looks like it is the most appropriate candidate for me at the moment.

Here in Canada we are lucky to have a chain store called Long & McQuade which allows one to return products with no questions asked, if they are not suitable, so this is very low risk for me (and I have spent thousands of dollars at L & M over the years, too, and have only returned items on three occasions, so they know that I act honourably).

So, thanks again for all of your help.
 
I think we currently have 16 Sennheiser G3 tx packs and 8 IEM packs and out of the analogue systems we've had over 20 years or so, they're the most transparent - but they do have the occasional phut or shhhhhhhssssss kind of sound when you stand right in a null, despite being only feet away! They suffer from uncoordinated use - as in they work fine till show time when somebody in the bar next door turns on - on your frequency or another that isn't intermod free with yours. The 6 Line 6 handhelds have been totally solid, hence why I bought the line 6 for my bass - and it too has been a really solid performer - no drop outs ever! The build quality is less good, with a really flimsy battery flap, as mentioned above and that is a pain! sennheisers are much tougher but do suffer the usual RF issues. the line 6 digitals do not need a gain control so play quiet on a passive bass, or loud on an active bass and it's distortion free - which is a neat feature. I've just gone back to a cable for my bass after the last battery flap pop-open.
 
Hi Chili and rob aylestone,
I will definitely report back on my experience (tried to buy the unit today, but they were sold out, so I ordered it, and might have it in the next couple of days).

And, who knows? Maybe I will end up going for the Line 6, if I have problems with the Boss WL-20.

Have a great holiday season.

All the best,
 
Hi Meclazine, and jimmys69,
Thanks for your suggestion, but as I said above, I went with the Boss WL-20 which should be here any day now.

Will post a 'review' when I get it.
 
Looking forward to hearing thoughts on the Boss WL-20. I've got one of the cheap Line 6 G10 transmitters with docking base and I loved it when I first got it because there are two outputs and no signal difference from a cable... but later on I have experienced drops in my signal. It cuts out for a second here and there and I believe it is interference with WiFi Router or Phones/Computers and it's a deal breaker. I'll only use it for playing Rocksmith or something now when originally I was using it for easy recording setups.
 
I use the Shure GLDX16 and I am really happy with it. Not sure if would fit in to the price range you are looking at. It has a rechargeable battery that is good for about 16 hours use time. The base unit also has a built in tuner which is nice. It is also all metal construction so feels built to last.
 
UPDATE - Boss WL-20 Wireless Guitar System

Apologies for having taken so long to post here with an update.

I hope this is useful for anyone considering buying the Boss WL-20.

My experience has been the following:

PROS
1. Nice to be cordless
2. Relatively good sound - I notice a little compression using these, but I have to listen carefully when I A/B with a cable, so this is unoticeable to me when I am playing
3. I *think* I can hear a slight latency if I really try to hear it, but I may be fooling myself about this because I forget about this when I am playing and it does not bother me
4. Having to 'pair' the transmitting jack plug with the receiving jack plug each time before playing is not the hassle I thought it might be. One just plugs one of the units into another, and waits approximately 15 - 20 seconds for the flashing light to stop; you then uncouple the units and plug one into your guitar or bass, and the other into your amp (or, I suppose you could plug it into an Audio Interface or stand-alone digital recorder of some sort).

CONS
1. As everyone says, the charge that the WL-20's hold is much too short (I would say about an hour at the most)
2. Re-charging the WL-20s takes a long time - 3 hours for me
3. Even after I have re-paired the WL-20 jack plug units with each other, which you have to do before each use, I *sometimes* hear audio artifacts. Now this may be due to the lack of proper shielding on the guitars in question
4. I have found that - despite Boss's claims to the contrary - the units work best when in line of sight of each other; even sitting on the floor a couple of feet from my amp will cause occasional interruptions in signal if my body is perpendicular to the amp, with the body of the guitar (and so, the 'transmitter' which is plugged in) blocking a clear line of sight to my amp.

SUMMARY
I really like the WL-20 system, but the brevity of the charge, long time the transmitter and receiver take to re-charge, and the line of sight issue I described make me think that this unit is suitable for home and rehearsal use, and not for gigging.

Given the expense of the unit, I am disappointed with the drawbacks, but still find the unit fun to use.

Overall, I would recommend the WL-20 system for home and rehearsal use, but not for gigging.
 
1 hour? Ouch, I think the Line 6 G10/G10S is like 8 hours of run time... I've since upgraded my base unit of the G10 to the G10S which is much, much more sturdy and can even be placed on your pedal board and powered with a normal 9v like any other guitar pedal. It also allows for manual channel selection if for some reason the auto channels aren't working correctly... it's much better than the original. I still experience issues when running it near a WiFi Router though... but that's an issue with all wireless systems, they all run on the same damn frequencies! :\
 
Apologies for having taken so long to post here with an update.

I hope this is useful for anyone considering buying the Boss WL-20...

Thanks for the update. Yeah, 1 hour wouldn't work for a gig. I would want to plug it in at the beginning of the night and not have to think about it until it's time to break down at the end.

However, I'm still playing small bars with small stages and no room to move, so the cable works just fine.
 
Thanks for the update. Yeah, 1 hour wouldn't work for a gig. I would want to plug it in at the beginning of the night and not have to think about it until it's time to break down at the end.

However, I'm still playing small bars with small stages and no room to move, so the cable works just fine.

I have to say, though, that it is so much fun not being 'tethered' to the amp with a physical cable.
 
1 hour? Ouch, I think the Line 6 G10/G10S is like 8 hours of run time... I've since upgraded my base unit of the G10 to the G10S which is much, much more sturdy and can even be placed on your pedal board and powered with a normal 9v like any other guitar pedal. It also allows for manual channel selection if for some reason the auto channels aren't working correctly... it's much better than the original. I still experience issues when running it near a WiFi Router though... but that's an issue with all wireless systems, they all run on the same damn frequencies! :\

Yes, the short 'connection' time is not good.

Maybe I will do a more exact time measurement tomorrow, and post the update of that.
 
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