Phenyx Pro True Diversity Wireless Microphone System w/ 1000 Tunable Channels, Single Cordless Mic Set w/Auto Scan, UHF Professional Dynamic Microphone for Singing, Stage & Studio (PTU-1U)

Very well built and heavy duty. The sound is amazing and the reception is fantastic! I did a DJ gig and used the wireless handheld microphone from at least 50 yards away outside of the building with no static or noise.

You could say I have a lot of microphones. You could also say I know a bit about RF, as I've made a career out of it, including a lot of antenna design and construction. I'm also a semi-pro musician and sound guy and recordist with a few decades of experience. No illusions, this isn't a $2k Sennheiser or Shure unit, but if you just want a standard wireless mic that feels good in the hand for general PA (speaking) use, you should consider it. In my application, a medium-sized class reunion in a large hall, it performed flawlessly. The required range was well over 100', perhaps 140' at the farthest I tested it, and I never noted any noise or dropouts throughout the event. The diversity receiver indicates when it changes between RF front ends, and it does so silently with grace. The power/mute control on the bottom of the mic is nicely out of the way of stray fingers, and the display only lights up on the hand-held for a few seconds when you change modes to conserve battery. Speaking of that, we had it running throughout the event, maybe 5 hours, with plenty of battery left, so it's not a current hog. As to interference, we did not experience any, but there is an RF level meter - you can easily change channels if you see any RF activity (with the handheld turned off, of course) and choose another, quieter channel. Pairing to a new channel is easy enough with the infrared pairing process (read the manual). If that is not enough gig security for you, invest $60 in one of the handy "tinySA" spectrum analyzers and make a sweep of the 500-600 MHz band at your venue before your event. That will tell you exactly where to drop in your wireless mic frequency to avoid nearby signals. Since we did not have any local activity on the frequency I was using (mid-band), I cannot speak to the possible intermodulation (interference from nearby channels) performance of this unit. I did however run the included antennas over a calibrated R&S Network Analyzer and both antennas are tuned resonant where they should be. :) This is key to any transmitters performance and yet some manufacturers go cheap on "close enough" antennas. The only real down sides I found were two fold - 1. audio quality. This mic is bass-rich. Easy to EQ out, but it is a little lumpy in the bass region. This will make a lot of presenters sound more authoritative, but it's too warm on many voices. It also really exaggerates the plosives, so plan to use a foam windscreen. The downside to that is the foam will cut some highs, which are not all that present in the mic to start with. 2. Some handling noise is definitely present. The mic capsule is not well isolated from the body, however this is pretty typical in lower-priced microphones, so no surprise there. I wanted to add a little foam inside the windscreen, but when I removed it the capsule stays within it by design. I might yet find a way in if I am careful and place a little extra foam in there to help with plosives. Overall a decent presentation mic, no latency that I could discern and reasonable performance for the price-point. I'd buy it again for any similar gig. By the way, the receive antennas are supposed to be 1/2 wavelength apart for maximum benefit from the True Diversity receiver. Here's a hint: in the 500-600 MHz band, that's around 25cm or 10". Leave the antennas parallel and vertical, and orient them so they are both in-line with the hand-held transmitter (not perpendicular). That means if you are looking at the front panel of the receiver straight on, the talent is far to your left or right, not behind the receiver. It seems counterintuitive until you analyze it....That will give the receiver the ability to listen to at least one antenna that's in a peak rather than a null, as they occur in free space every 10" (1/2 wavelength), in a circular pattern around the transmitter. If you see your talent at a distance directly BEHIND the receiver (or in front), both antennas will see the same null at the same time, which does not give you protection against dropouts. The idea is that at any time one antenna NEEDS to be radially 10" farther away from (or closer to) the talent than the other for this idea to work well . Little things make a difference, and understanding breeds success, even on a budget.

I’m a sound tech with approximately 25 years of experience as well as a musician and singer in two cover bands. When I’m not performing, I’m providing sound for other bands in my area. I’m very comfortable on both sides of the sound console and know what I’m looking for in my equipment. I look for equipment that meets my needs regardless of the cost. It needs to be reliable and durable because I’m going to be carrying in and out of venues almost every weekend both indoors and out. In addition, it needs to have a reasonable set of features and in the case of microphones, they need to have a consistent and reasonably neutral sound before you introduce any eq, compression, etc. I've used a LOT of wired and wireless solutions over the years from every major brand and honestly this is one of the best values in wireless mics I've run across. The PTU-1 is comparable in features, quality, and sound reproduction to much more expensive units. Features considered; this unit matches very closely to the Shure SLX series which is currently 699.00. The biggest difference on paper appears to be the PTU-1 is an analog unit, and the SLX series is digital. Pros: - Solid all metal build quality - Good button layout and easy to read displays on both the handheld transmitter and receiver. The controls are very intuitive, and controls are well laid out. - Good neutral and consistent sound signature from the handheld capsule. Very similar to an SM58 but slightly darker. - Very good unwanted sound rejection from the sides, front, and distance from the capsule. Typical carotid pattern. - Comparable handling noise to the SLX and GLXD series. Wireless handling noise can be minimized by proper gain staging at every level. (You don’t want to turn the volume knob on these units all the way up. I’ve found that setting the volume at 9 O’clock gives me a very similar input level into my console as a wired dynamic mic allowing me to properly gain stage.) - Good wireless range and large available frequency options. I’ve been able to move around in venues with around 300 people very easily without signal issue using the included antenna mounted to the front of my rack with decent line of site. - Good battery life. I use Panasonic eneloop rechargeable batteries for years and I can easily get though a 5-hour gig without switching batteries. - GREAT feature set particularly the auto frequency scan and sync. This is VERY useful Cons: - Capsule CAN get a little muddy if you get right up on the mic with your lips. This is common for all carotid mics and this system is no different. - The capsule is screwed into the grill instead of the body of the mic. This makes cleaning the grill regularly a bit more time consuming. Since I work as a sound professional, I like to clean my equipment after each show, and I would prefer the capsule to stay with the base for easier cleaning. Bottom line is this is a fantastic unit and VERY reasonably priced. I’ve been carrying the PTU-7000 series for 3 years every weekend and they have proved to be very reliable and consistent. I wouldn’t hesitate to carry the PTU-1 and PTU-2 units either. Phenyx pro has earned my trust as reliable, well built, and reasonably priced gear. If you’re needing sound reinforcement for a local church, cover band, or small to medium sized venues, I recommend you give Phenyx Pro a look.

The Phenyx Pro PTU-1U True Diversity Wireless Microphone System performs beyond expectations! The system is well packaged with a thin but study cardboard box with information and pictures on the outside. Upon opening the outer box, inside you will find a hardshell plastic case with two latches. The PHEYNX PRO name and logo are prominently displayed on both sides of the hard shell case. The case is very similar in quality to those made by other higher priced companies. Upon opening the case, the system is securely packaged in foam with cut outs for the main components. The microphone feels solid in your hand. Just by the feel you can tell it is well made and will take a drop or two. Assembling the system is quite intuitive but there is a very helpful and easy to understand instruction manual included. I inserted the batteries, powered the system on, then turned on the microphone. Immediately, the microphone and receiver locked in on a channel a with zero static, glitch, or noise interference. The volume adjustment know on the receiver really helps you dial in the perfect volume. I performed a distance test for the microphone up to about 50 feet away from the receiver without any problems or noise interference. I also performed a feedback test by both standing in the middle of my full band during rehearsal with the microphone on and getting very close to the monitors, PA, and other speakers. The microphone did not produce any feedback at any time. Oh, and I actually did drop it twice during rehearsal and no problems at all. I will using the microphone this weekend for a live show and will send another update, pics, and posts after that. The PHEYNX PRO PTU-1U is an amazing wireless microphone system that can hold it’s own against the more expensive brands. If you are looking for a quality, easy to use wireless microphone system at an affordable price, look no further than the Phenyx Pro True Diversity system.

I recently had the opportunity to test the Phenyx Pro PTU-1U, and I must say, this all-metal professional single microphone system truly impressed me. From the moment I unboxed it, the build quality stood out—it's robust and feels like it can withstand the rigors of professional use. The microphone has a convenient power button located on the bottom, which I found to be a nice touch. I conducted a range test, and the performance exceeded my expectations. As someone who owns several Phenyx Pro systems, I appreciate them for various reasons, but two key factors keep me coming back: the exceptional build quality and the reliability. I have yet to encounter a single issue with any of their products, which speaks volumes about their craftsmanship. My only minor complaint is regarding the power switch. The PTU-1U features a rocker switch for powering on and off. While it works well, I personally prefer a push button for that extra peace of mind against accidental shutdowns. However, I can see how some may prefer the rocker switch in a professional setting for its ease of use. Overall, I highly recommend Phenyx Pro systems to anyone in need of reliable audio equipment. They have consistently proven to be trustworthy, making them a solid choice for both amateur and professional applications.

Was excited to try this mic out over the weekend. Had a heck of a time tuning the EQ on the fly, I probably should have gone in a little more prepared. Right off the bat the tone isn't as good as an SM58 or E835, there's a lot of mud, but you can work with it. The thing that I was most disappointed by is the serious lack of wind guarding. If you talk directly at the diaphragm like the rockstar you are, you're going to get a lot of wind coming from your 'S'es and 'H'es. I'll need to try this with an extra wind guard, but that might look goofy at a wedding reception. I'm sure you're curious about the range, so I tested it against my trusty Sennheiser EW100 G1 that I've had forever. Mind you, this is the 9v battery model and doesn't have all the high tech mumbo jumbo that comes with the G4s. I just recorded the raw tracks from my digital mixer and panned the Phenyx Pro to the left and the Sennheiser to the right. Listen to the video on your headphones to hear the dropouts. I did a quick low cut, parametric EQ and compressor on each channel to make it easier on your ears, so this recording is by no means the way either of these mics sound raw. I put one mic in each hand, held them side by side and talked into them as I walked around the house. The Phenyx Pro has two noticeable dropouts when I cover the bottom of the mic and I'm moving around on the opposite side of the house one floor down. That's roughly 40' over and 15' down with the floor and walls in between. Honestly, it's not bad at all, and you don't hear any fuzz or interference noise. The Sennheiser performs without issue through this. Both receivers were set to show no measurable interference at the start and the squelch on both are at the lowest setting. You'll notice in the second half of the video I move my hand up to the neck of the each mic and there are no dropouts as I walk through the same path. I also have the Phenyx Pro PTU-71, and it unfortunately did not pass this test. There's a nasty fuzz sound when there's a drop out, and there are numerous dropouts in the problem spots of the house. I would use the PTU-71 for karaoke, or any other situation where the person using the mic is completely loaded, but I wouldn't dare use it in a serious setting. I wouldn't use the PTU-1U as a replacement for the Sennheiser EW100 or Shure SLX-D but I think it can easily replace the Shure BLX or PGX-D. I'd say the performance is somewhere between the $700 and $400 Shure models, so you're basically paying a third to half the price for the value you're getting. I hope that gives you some perspective. If you need to add several mics to your inventory on a budget, this is a great unit to get more bang for your buck, but if you just need one very reliable mic, I would stick with the Shure or Sennhesier $700+ models. UPDATE 9/15/22: I set this unit up as a backup with 5 other wireless mics on an active antenna distributor. See photo, It was a hodge podge of 2 SLXDs, 1 SLX, 1 EW100G1, and EW100G3. The Phenyx Pro was the only unit not on the antenna distributor and no matter what channel I scanned for, there was an -80dB RF reading, the way these units were stacked. I've also noticed something similar when I've set the receiver near a laptop. It hasn't introduced any audible interference but I think this is a sign that the antennas / housing / power supply is not optimized to reject external noise or there needs to be grounding somewhere in the RF. The sheet metal housing is probably a quarter of the thickness of what's on the Sennhesiers so there's no mystery there. The problem went away as soon as I hooked it up to the antenna distributor (which probably provided the grounding it needed). That being said, I bought another unit and will be slowly collecting these when I have the extra budget as they will be great for having in the inventory for pop-ups. They're probably not the best to use with lots of other wireless with the stock antenna (like a back line rack mount on a church stage or something) unless you're willing to give up a spot on your antenna distributor. Just thought I'd point out this limitation.

I’m going to give this 5 stars on pure value. I think I got it on sale for $120. I run a medium sized production company and really don’t have a huge demand for wireless with the work I do, but occasionally I need a wireless. I took a jump on this and it’s been a great tool. Everything is clean and sturdy. Out of the box the range is very good. I’ve done auctions and events where the speaker has walked and entire ballroom full of people without issue. If I were to gripe at all it has a little more handling noise than most “name brand” wireless mics. I will eventually upgrade to shure ULXD or better, but for now this works and made money on its first show.

Overall Value: 5 At $186, this is probably one of the best "bang for your buck" budget wireless microphones. You can get two of these systems for just a little more than an entry level Shure or Sennheiser wireless microphone system. The PTU-1U/2U series microphones have metal microphones and metal receivers. The budget Shure and Sennheiser systems I believe are plastic all around. Sound Quality: 4 I first tested this system plugged into a powered PA speaker. It sounded quite good right out of the box with no eq applied. I then plugged the microphone system into my computer to do some recording. I compared the sound quality to Phenyx Pro's low-end PDP series, and the PTU-1U microphone definitely sounds more rich. There was slightly more background white noise than the PDP series, but that is because the PDP series is digital. Digital systems will almost always have less noise than analog systems. But, again, using the PTU-1U with a live PA wouldn't be a problem at all. Even if you were recording a live event, the background/white noise shouldn't be a problem. One thing to note is that there is a noticeable clicking noise when you mute the microphone. The handling noise isn't great or bad, but somewhere in between. And lastly, the PTU-1U performed fairly well outside in the wind, even without a wind screen. Build Quality: 5 The receiver is metal and looks very professional. The microphone itself is metal and is built like a tank. It's fairly heavy, so some people might find it tiresome to use for long periods. But, I personally like it. Wireless Performance/Range: 4 I tested the PTU-1U microphone in my house and recorded it on my computer. I noticed with the transmitter power level set to high, there was a couple of times there was a buzz when very close to the receiver. Once I moved to another room, I never heard the buzz again. If you're going to be using the microphone at very close range, I would recommend setting the transmit power to low. The switch for this can be found under the battery cover. I then went outside and behind my garage. This was at least 50 feet away, with several walls in between the microphone and receiver. With the squelch setting set on 1, I only heard the microphone cut out briefly one time. There was noticeably more static noise when speaking into the microphone from that distance. However, it really wasn't very distracting, and if you were using the system live with a PA system, I doubt you would even notice. I turned the squelch setting up to as high as it would go and tested again. This time, there were many dropouts once I was far away from the receiver. So, for most cases, I would recommend keeping the squelch at 1. If you're in an RF-crowded environment and it's hard to get a clear channel, that is where increasing the squelch may be of benefit. Usability: 4 Some good things in this section are that there's a channel auto-scan feature and the microphone automatically changes to the receiver frequency just by holding it up to the receiver. A couple negatives are that the microphone LCD is hard to read outdoors, and the microphone can only be muted/unmuted when the LCD screen is on. This means that normally to mute/unmute the microphone, you have to push the button on the bottom of the microphone twice. The first time you press the button, the screen turns on. Then the second time you press the button, it mutes/unmutes the mic. To me, this is probably the biggest negative of the whole microphone system. In our church, several different people mute/unmute microphones to use them during service. It would be fairly difficult to train everyone how to mute/unmute the PTU-1U because of how the process works. If you just want the sound person to mute/unmute microphones from the mixer, this wouldn't be a problem. Included Accessories: 4.5 This microphone system comes with a mounting kit, antennas, 2 AA batteries, a 1/4 TS cable, a power supply, and a nice carrying case. It would have been nicer if an XLR cable was included instead of the 1/4" TS cable. But, I don't think many wireless systems come with an audio cable at all. I was surprised a wind screen wasn't included, but that's not too big of a deal in my opinion.