Sennheiser has launched the XS Wireless IEM, addressing musicians seeking to professionalise their shows by switching from floor wedges to wireless in-ear moniting.
XS Wireless IEM (XSW IEM) is a complete starter set for personal monitoring, designed to set a new standard for simple, flexible and reliable wireless in-ear monitoring. The system enables users to quickly establish an easy-to-manage wireless connection in the professional UHF range.
‘No matter what your musical genre, whether you are rehearsing or performing live, XSW IEM will level up your sound and give you total freedom of movement,’ says, Sennheiser Product Manager, Bertram Zimmermann. ‘Being able to hear yourself with clarity is a pre-requisite for a great performance. XSW IEM will give you consistency, reliability, and quality audio, and will let you focus on playing and singing your best.
’Once musicians have tried out wireless in-ears, they will not want to go back to wedges,’ he says. ‘The difference in sound is just too obvious. Hearing yourself well through floor monitors, side fills, or even the PA can be a real struggle. The sound changes constantly, especially when you move around, and is also very different from venue to venue. Trying to hear yourself better by increasing the monitor volume makes things worse, even to the point of causing hearing damage. Also, the overall sound for the audience will deteriorate substantially.’
XSW IEM aims to give musicians a consistent, reliable sound that is independent of the location and their position on stage. The detail and transparency they hear helps them fine-tune and improve their performance. Any risk of feedback is greatly reduced. Regardless of tech experience, XS Wireless IEM systems are designed to be easy and fast to set up, and will reduce stage clutter – and give musicians back more space in their rehearsal room.
XSW IEM uses the UHF band to provide a professional-level wireless connection. Aligned and pre-calculated frequency presets get musicians started with ease and in a snap. If desired, transmission frequencies can also be selected manually.
Backlit displays on both the receiver bodypack and the rack-mount transmitter help to clearly see settings even in poor lighting conditions. In addition, the system offers a limiter to protect user’s hearing and a high-frequency boost to increase detail and intelligibility.
For monitor sound, users can opt for a mono mix (one mix, and the pan control adjusts the volume for the left and right ear) or a stereo mix. The latter provides two options: With Focus mode switched off, the pan control will change the left/right level; with Focus mode switched on, it will determine which of the two input signals will be heard louder, creating a personal mono mix tailored to the musician’s needs.
An infrared sensor helps to easily sync multiple bodypack receivers to one transmitter.
XSW IEM includes a stereo bodypack receiver complete with in-ears and batteries and a stereo transmitter with antenna, rack-mount kit and a power supply with various country adapters. When starting out, using one transmitter and any number of bodypack receivers is a cost-effective way to monitor a band’s sound. At a later point, they may want to create more individual mixes, and can do so by adding an additional IEM transmitter.
XSW IEM retails at €599 (MSRP), with additional receivers and transmitters at €349 (MSRP) each.
XSW IEM is available in five UHF frequency ranges aligned with the XSW family of wireless microphones and instrument transmitters.
