Sennheiser EW-D CI1, Shure GLXD16, or something else

  • My Line 6 G10S has been great, for the most part, but I have noticed some interference in a few places I play. Normally I can change the channel and get around this, but last night I was in a REALLY crowded place, and had to switch to my cable for the first time. I was looking to buy something a little nicer, but didn't want to break the bank doing so. I noticed some newer Sennheiser and Shure units out there, and was wondering what people's experience with the Sennheiser EW-D CI1 and Shure GLXD16 were. Would I be having similar issues with the Shure as I am with the line 6? Is the Sennheiser worth $200 more over the Shure? Does your phone connect directly to the Sennheiser or do you need an active internet connection to make it work? Any thoughts by those who have tried these would be very helpful. Thanks.

  • Shure GLXD16

    I have the Shure and can only say good things about it. Never had any problems with it and use it for years now for rehearsals and gigging. No problems with interference any time. I like to have a body pack and the one from Shure has a good size, fits well at the back pocket of my pants. the receiver has good size as well, fits on a pedalboard (beside the Remote) and the built in tuner works super well for me including muting the signal etc.


    Some say that due to the fact that is uses digital transmission it might also fail when too many are using the "air" around it but personally I never had any issues with it. Price tag is not low I'd say though.


    Most important: Sound-wise I am super happy with it. Absolutely nothing to complain. My Bass player uses it as well. Same opinion on his side :thumbup:8)

  • Hi, Patrick.


    I've been thinking (a lot) about moving up from my Line 6 G10S. As you know, the G10S operates in the 2.4 GHz range (along with WiFi, Bluetooth, and other wireless devices). So does the Shure GLXD16, and that's why it's not on my shortlist (although they are doing some interesting things to overcome the challenges of operating in this range).


    I know of lots of players who picked up inexpensive wireless units in the 2.4 GHz range while things were quiet. I expect there's going to be a lot more congestion when we all get out on stages together. That's why I'm in research mode.


    The Sennheiser EW-D Cl1 operates in the UHF band. That means you'll have to be aware of which band you choose (has to match your country). Not a big deal.


    Here are some of the comparisons I found relevant. Links are to the operating manuals for the respective units.


    SpecificationSennheiser EW-DShure GLXD16
    Dynamic Range132 dB120 dB
    Operating Range300 feet (up to)Indoor 100 to 200 feet
    Outdoor 65-165 feet
    Frequency Range470-607 MHz
    You have to pick the band for your region when you buy
    2.4 GHz
    You have to choose a band and that impacts the latency
    TunerNoYes
    Batteries for transmitterAA or Rechargeable Battery packs availableRechargeable Battery included
    Control AppYes (Bluetooth LE for control and sync for multiple devices)
    Does not require an internet connection to operate.
    https://en-us.sennheiser.com/evolution-wireless-digital-app
    No - Infrared for sync
    Maximum units on one stage24 (90 channels available)4 (8 max under controlled WiFi circumstances)
    Latency1.9 ms4.0-7.3 ms (depends on the band)
    Receiver FormatRackmountPedalboard


    Patrick, which Profiler do you have - Stage, Rack, or Toaster?


    Notes from the Shure manual.

  • I have the Shure and can only say good things about it. Never had any problems with it and use it for years now for rehearsals and gigging. No problems with interference any time. I like to have a body pack and the one from Shure has a good size, fits well at the back pocket of my pants. the receiver has good size as well, fits on a pedalboard (beside the Remote) and the built in tuner works super well for me including muting the signal etc.


    Some say that due to the fact that is uses digital transmission it might also fail when too many are using the "air" around it but personally I never had any issues with it. Price tag is not low I'd say though.


    Most important: Sound-wise I am super happy with it. Absolutely nothing to complain. My Bass player uses it as well. Same opinion on his side :thumbup:8)

    Thanks for the input. The 2.4 Ghz thing is what has me a little worried. At practice and a lot of places I play the G10S has been fine on 2.4 Ghz. The last two nights I had some issues though -- once in a super-crowded bar and once in a bar in the middle of a small-type downtown area. The first night was so bad I had to switch to a cable, after trying all of the channels. The second night I was able to make it through the night, and I doubt anyone but me even noticed, but I did have a few dropouts.

  • Thanks for all the info. The 2.4 Ghz thing is what has me a little worried about the Shure. At practice and a lot of places I play the G10S has been fine on 2.4 Ghz. The last two nights I had some issues though -- once in a super-crowded bar and once in a bar in the middle of a small-type downtown area. The first night was so bad I had to switch to a cable, after trying all of the channels. The second night I was able to make it through the night, and I doubt anyone but me even noticed, but I did have a few dropouts.


    For the Sennheiser, do you have any idea how you charge the battery pack? I couldn't tell from looking at the pictures, whether you had to buy the battery pack and something additional to charge the battery pack.


    I have a toaster than I have sitting on top of a XiTone cabinet. I have the G10S on stop of the cabinet, beside the Kemper. I was probably going to put the Shure on the cab, where I keep the G10S or put the Sennheiser on top of the toaster. I just haven't seen many reviews of the newer Sennheiser system and that's a decent chunk of change for me to drop on something I haven't seen much real feedback on.

  • Hi Patrick.


    I think you're already experiencing the problem that has me looking at alternatives to my G10S. Well, that and I've had some weird experiences where my guitar signal came out of someone else's sound system. Very strange, but I resolved it by changing the channel on the G10S.


    I found the Sennheiser battery pack online. I like that you can run with ordinary AA batteries if necessary.


    Since you've got the Toaster, it's a wash with respect to the Shure GLXD receiver having a tuner and being pedalboard friendly.


    The Sennheiser was just released (June 1, 2021).

  • I can definitely throw my experience in here, I ran a Line G90 for 10+ years with no problems, but since the advent of 2.4ghz networked stage systems (Mixing desks, IEM systems etc) I had to get rid of it because I was getting regular long cut-outs. I did some research and have heard from friends with first-hand experience of the same issues with Shure GLX systems. It stands to reason, you're effectively using signals in the wi-fi band that do not announce and differentiate themselves from other systems.


    Speaking to a tour manager friend of mine, it's not unusual for support bands with digital wireless to be told to not use them by Tour Managers, as it often screws with the venue wifi and stops them being able to work.


    I've moved over to Sennheiser EW and haven't had any problems since.

  • Thanks. I didn't see that. I was looking at a single battery that didn't have a charger with it. I guess that means you can't charge it with a wall wart. Sucks to have to drop another $150, but at least it comes with two batteries.

  • I can definitely throw my experience in here, I ran a Line G90 for 10+ years with no problems, but since the advent of 2.4ghz networked stage systems (Mixing desks, IEM systems etc) I had to get rid of it because I was getting regular long cut-outs. I did some research and have heard from friends with first-hand experience of the same issues with Shure GLX systems. It stands to reason, you're effectively using signals in the wi-fi band that do not announce and differentiate themselves from other systems.


    Speaking to a tour manager friend of mine, it's not unusual for support bands with digital wireless to be told to not use them by Tour Managers, as it often screws with the venue wifi and stops them being able to work.


    I've moved over to Sennheiser EW and haven't had any problems since.

    Thanks. I'll have to do some more research into the differences between the EW and EW-D. It looks like the EW-D is so new that there aren't a lot of reviews/forum talk about it yet. There are a couple YouTube videos on it I'll have to watch.

  • I have been running a Shure GLDX16 for around 5 years gigging with it all around my area. I have had no issues with it at all. I also have a Sennheizer EW (analog) that I have had for a little longer than the Shure. I have had no issues with it either. This is actually my second of these units. I ran the first one until it died. It lasted me about 10 years. I purposely bought one of them in analog and the other in digital because for a while I ran them both at the same time. I ran one for my acoustic sound and the other for my electric sound with a PRS P22. They worked very well together. In the last band I was in the other guitar player also ran the GLDX16 so we had two of them on the same stage as well as my Sennheizer unit and we didn't have any Issues. I have owned a few wireless units over my life and I can tell you that I won't spend my money on anything that doesn't have either a Shure or Sennheizer name on it. I feel they are worth the extra money. I had good luck with the Shure PG series as well. I put a lot of use on them and they held up.

  • I have been running a Shure GLDX16 for around 5 years gigging with it all around my area. I have had no issues with it at all. I also have a Sennheizer EW (analog) that I have had for a little longer than the Shure. I have had no issues with it either. This is actually my second of these units. I ran the first one until it died. It lasted me about 10 years. I purposely bought one of them in analog and the other in digital because for a while I ran them both at the same time. I ran one for my acoustic sound and the other for my electric sound with a PRS P22. They worked very well together. In the last band I was in the other guitar player also ran the GLDX16 so we had two of them on the same stage as well as my Sennheizer unit and we didn't have any Issues. I have owned a few wireless units over my life and I can tell you that I won't spend my money on anything that doesn't have either a Shure or Sennheizer name on it. I feel they are worth the extra money. I had good luck with the Shure PG series as well. I put a lot of use on them and they held up.

    Thanks for the info! Leaning heavily towards the Sennheiser EW-D CI1 ( https://www.sweetwater.com/sto…rwUx0Mo37GUkBwL31FWUui2U0) now. I just wish there were some more reviews on it. I know Sennheiser isn't going to release junk, though, so I don't know what I'm so worried for.

  • I have a Boss WL20 that for the most part has worked well. But if there is lots of wi-fi being used, especially now with these new mixers, etc that also have wifi, it does create more problems.


    I am on the hunt for something different as well. Not many channels of UHF available either.


    Glad a cable still works. 8o

  • I would never by Sennheiser. Have to work with Sennheiser wireless products a lot as I make a living as live sound audio engineer.

    Compared to Shure wireless, they are slow to navigate, have worse reception l and imho sound worse (not 6000 and 9000 series, but 100, 300 and 500 and also 2000 series).


    While I never had any issues with Shure, sith Sennheiser I quite often had random full level noise bursts (no matter the squelch settings).


    Just my opinion of course :)

  • Thanks for the replies/info everyone. I ended up going with the Sennheiser EW-D CI1 Wireless Guitar System - R4-R9. I normally read tons of reviews and stay away from new products, but I decided, "What the hell," for once. I'll let you know how it works.

  • I haven't had much time with it yet, but I'm still trying to figure out the EW-D. It is definitely changing my tone, and not for the better. I A/B'd it with a cable, and it is definitely noticeable, using the unity gain settings in the manual. I know a wireless unit is never going to sound exactly the same as a cable, but I think my Line 6 G10S sounds better, which is surprising, given how much cheaper it is. I still want to mess with the GAIN the AF OUT and on EW-D and the Clean Sense and Distortion Sense on the Kemper, to see if I can get it sounding closer to what I expect. I'm not sure if anyone at Sweetwater has any tips on that. I have tried several settings, but so far I think the best I can get is GAIN at 30 dB and AF OUT at 18 dB, with Clean Sense and Distortion Sense both at -2.0 dB, on the Kemper.

  • Hi, Patrick.


    If you get the EW-D CI1 set up correctly, you should be able to run the Kemper Profiler with the same settings as you use with a cable. I encourage you to use a cable and get the Clean Sense and Distortion Sense sounding as they should. Then go back to the EW-D CI1 . From that point on, don't change the settings on the Profiler. It's too hard to debug issues if you're making changes at both ends.


    Are you using the 1/4" (6.3 mm) output on the EW-D receiver?

    Assuming you're using a 1/4" unbalanced (Tip-Sleeve) cable

    - How long is the cable?

    - Have you tried a different cable?


    Here are some recommended settings from the Sennheiser User Manual

  • Thanks. Those look like the manual settings I was using for unity gain. The way I was initially testing was going directly into my interface into a DAW. With only 3 dB increments on the EW-D, I wasn't able to get it to exactly match the output level of the cable, looking at the meters, but I did get it close. The sound with the EW-D was a lot thinner sounding than the cable, though. I know the wireless isn't going to sound the same as a cable, but it sounded like it cut a lot of the "meat" out of the tone.


    I was using a three foot guitar cable from the EW-D into the DAW and the same cable into the Kemper.


    On a positive note, I was in the same room as my router, and with it being in a different band, did not have a single dropout. The latency was also completely indistinguishable from the cable. Curios to see how perceptible the difference is at band volume level, vs bedroom volume level. It may not even be an issue.


    I am fine having different locked input settings for a cable and for the EW-D. I just don't want to have completely different performances set for each. Since the tone is getting thinned out on the way in, I'm not sure how much the global output settings could compensate.

  • Hi, Patrick.


    Diagnostic test:

    Try using the cable you normally used (wired) between the EW-D and the Kemper Profiler.

    Embarrassed to say I had not actually tried that. I generally try to use the shortest cable possible, to avoid clutter, but that is definitely a good test. Thanks. I'll try that after work.