AKG Professional Wireless System

[Kalle]

This is a short review of the professional Wireless System AGK-WMS 40 Pro Mini and how it work with VC
The Wireless System from manufacturer AKG is the first professional solution for less than 100,- EUR and it work with 864MHz UHF-frequencies (Europe) there are other frequencies in the U.S..
I bought this unit to find out how it works with VC (I can use it with my E-Guitar, a cable in the package is available).
This could be also an alternative to a multi-room solution, you do not have to install a microphone in each room which is very expensive.

A important part to use Voxcommando with best results, is a good microphone.
We are always looking for a practical and affordable solution. Not everyone will want to buy an expensive microphone to use it with VC - and it is not necessary, but it is sometimes more convenient 

Installation and what you still need:

The WMS40Pro comes with a receiver SR40 (WxHxT: 130mm x 40mm x 120mm) and a small bodypack (60 x 70 x 17mm) with a clip on the back to fix it on wear or belt.
The installation itself is plug?n play, the WMS40Pro System use only a single frequency, so it is not necessary to adjust anything. At the back of receiver is a 6,3mm mono output, you need a small adapter or cable (6,3mm mono to 3,5mm stereo) to use it with computer mic-in or line-in and a power supply connection for the included AC adapter.

Audio-Adapter:
https://www.amazon.de/Audio-Adapter-Stereo-Buchse-Stecker/dp/B000KYR874/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1483422795&sr=8-4&keywords=6%2C3mm+Mono+Klinke+auf+3%2C5mm+Stereo+klinke

Audio-cable:
https://www.thomann.de/gb/cae_15562_audiokabel_30.htm

To use the system with a mic (that is the bad thing) you need a microphone with an AKG compatible ?mini XLR plug?.
The price range is from 20 EUR to no limit, so I have brought a ?t.bone 500 earmic? for 69 EUR (b-stock), this is a professional mic for theater or stage (very clear voice).

http://www.thomann.de/gb/the_tbone_earmic_500akg.htm

From the same manufacturer, there is a lavalier microphone that I buy next time

http://www.thomann.de/gb/the_tbone_lc97_tws.htm

Test with VC:
First, I tested most of the commands from my VC configuration (MediaMonkey, XBMC, EventGhost and Google) and the confidence is always 92-94,8% without any training in Windows7 speech recognition.
As next I tested the commands with music in background (the volume a bit more as normal, but there is from user to user differently) with ?prefix mode? (if I said my prefix ?computer? VC reduce the volume to a lower level). The confidence is a bit lower (80-94,8%), but mostly over 90%.

The range:
The range is bigger as the most user need to use it with VC, from the basement to roof and some walls, there were no problems for VC to understand me. I think 30 meter in a house (if you have a big house) is no problem.

The battery life:
The bodypack work with a singlel AA-battery and the manufacturer said it lasts for 30 hours, you can also use a rechargeable AA battery, I will give you a review later
update 05.06.2012: A normal AA battery have changed after ~28 hour in use.

Conclusion:
If you need a bigger range as a normal WiFi-Headset or mic and also good quality, this is a good investment (99 EUR the AKG + 20 EUR for a mic + 1,15 EUR for a pc adapter), but this solution has no sense if you want only control a "mediaplayer" in living room from a short distance, here is my favorite the "amulet-remote" or "wireless-audiobox". If you want control your complete multimedia, lights and other homeautomatic stuff from a big range (garden or any other place in your home), this is one of many solutions.
If you have any question about the WMS40-Pro, feel free to ask me.

Kalle

Here some information from the AKG website http://www.akg.com/site/products/powerslave,id,1221,pid,1221,nodeid,2,_language,EN,country,ENUS.html :
-   HDAP (High Definition Audio Performance)
-   30 hours off a single AA battery
-   Plug & Play

All WMS 40 Mini series components share the same brilliant sound and ease of use at an unbeatable price/performance ratio. Unique HDAP (High Definition Audio Performance) technology ensures the best possible, most realistic sound at any time.

The SR 40 Mini receiver provides three status LEDs indicating ON/OFF status, received signal strength (RF OK), and audio clipping (AF CLIP). The VOLUME control sets the level at the ¼" output jack. Each receiver comes with a universal 12-V switched mode power supply with EU, UK, and US adapters.

The PT 40 Mini bodypack is probably the smallest and lightest transmitter in its class. A reliable mini XLR input allows you to connect every compatible AKG miniature microphone. A single AA size battery will power both the transmitter and a condenser microphone connected to it.
Battery life for each WMS 40 Mini transmitter is the same legendary 30 hours off a single AA battery as for the standard WMS 40 models, reducing the need to replace batteries and thus saving real money in the long run.

[jitterjames]

Thank you Kalle for this very complete and helpful review.  I think you have answered all the important questions.

It looks like a very good solution for anyone that can afford it, if they want something they can wear to get good accuracy while walking around, and it sounds like the range is exceptionally good.

I look forward to your reports on battery life, and in particular I hope that you will test it using a Nim-H rechargeable battery since these are usually at about 1.2 Volts and not 1.4V or 1.5V like non-rechargeable alkaline batteries.

Thanks for this excellent report.  

[Kalle]

Thank you Kalle for this very complete and helpful review.  I think you have answered all the important questions.

It looks like a very good solution for anyone that can afford it, if they want something they can wear to get good accuracy while walking around, and it sounds like the range is exceptionally good.

I look forward to your reports on battery life, and in particular I hope that you will test it using a Nim-H rechargeable battery since these are usually at about 1.2 Volts and not 1.4V or 1.5V like non-rechargeable alkaline batteries.

Thanks for this excellent report.  

Thanks James, I will test a rechargeable battery as next 

[jitterjames]

Thanks James, I will test a rechargeable battery as next 

Did you ever test with NiMH?

[Kalle]

Did you ever test with NiMH?

no, sorry - and at the moment I have no one here.

[jitterjames]

gOIGQ

[LilFonky]

I've not tried the WMS40 specifically, but I have some experience with NiMH batteries in wireless mics generally and they seem to work well enough. One big reason alkaline batteries are preferred is not the nominal voltage, but the fact that they have a predictable linear voltage trail as the battery discharges.  This makes it possible to monitor battery levels with a fair degree of accuracy using a little voltage-linked meter on the transmitter.  NiMH batteries tend to maintain a voltage plateau for the life of the battery and then suddenly fail.  In my experience with Sennheiser G3 and Shure ULX and DLX series mics, fully charged NiMH batteries appear to the system as half-discharged, and they stay like that until they eventually and cataclysmic-ally crap out. Lithium batteries do the same. In a presentation or performance context, this is a terrifying state of affairs since you never know when your show might tank.  In a non-critical situation like VC, it's probably not much of a problem, and the PT40 doesn't appear to have much in the way of a battery monitoring anyway.  I've heard some people claim that long-term use of NiMH batteries is bad for the hardware but I think that's probably nonsense.

Anyway, I'd like to know if Kalle's experience is different than mine. Is the WMS40 still in regular use, Kalle? Still like it? Have you tried using it as an area mic or are you just wearing it on your head?

[Kalle]

Yes, the WMS40 is always in use and I must confess that I have never tried a rechargeable battery with it  
So I need only one or maximum two times in a month to change the battery (single AA battery), because the power consumption is really low for this device. The WMS40 is my second favorite mic for VC, because the cost (99 EUR), sound quality, range, weight and power consumption is in harmony. This can only be surpassed by my Sennheiser "DECT-headset DW10", but this cost a lot of more money (350-500 EUR).

[jitterjames]

Yes, the WMS40 is always in use and I must confess that I have never tried a rechargeable battery with it  
So I need only one or maximum two times in a month to change the battery

@Kalle: How many hours per day is it actually turned on?

I think Kalle only uses it as a wearable mic, not an open air mic.

Assume you are changing batteries every 3 weeks (I think it would be more often if you leave the mic on all the time.  It would be no fun having to turn mics on and off all the time, at that point you might as well give up on the open air concept since it is more work than using VoxWav on your phone).

If you want to set up 4 mics throughout your house (not really enough for full coverage but a good start), that's about 70 batteries a year (but I bet it would really be more).  If you are not using rechargeable batteries for this then it will not only be very expensive, but a bit of an environmental disaster.

[Kalle]

You are absolutly right, I use it as wearable device and turn it off when I know that I don't use it in the next five minutes. So I came up with 1 or 2 hours per day in use. But if anyone plan to use it as open mic solution it would be better to use a 1.5V regulated power supply and fit it to the contacts instead as a battery.