Phenyx Pro PTU-52 Wireless Microphone vs a Shure SM58? (PTU-52 Demo and Review)
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- Опубліковано 1 сер 2024
- Can a wireless microphone system that costs just over $100 (the Phenyx PRO PTU-52 System) really compare with the classic Shure SM58? Here's a shootout and comparison of the two microphones, and a review of the Phenyx Pro PTU-52 Wireless Microphone System.
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Affiliate Links:
Phenyx PRO PTU-52: blaisenguitars.com/affiliate/57/
Shure SM58: blaisenguitars.com/affiliate/37/
Video Segments:
0:00 Intro
0:28 Initial Thoughts and Impressions
1:12 What's in the Box?
2:43 Live applications and further review
4:00 Details of the Shootout
5:14 Phenyx Pro PTU-52 vs Shure SM58 Shootout
6:35 Closing Thoughts
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#PhenyxPro #WirelessMicrophone @PhenyxPro #MicrophoneShootOut
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I love the comparison you did, it gave me valuable information! However...
I don't think a guitar amp is a good test in this case because it perfectly evades the flaws of these mics. Judging from various other comparison videos, the 2 main drawbacks of the Phenyx Pro are plosives and handling noise. Also, a lesser drawback is its heavier proximity effect. To be fair though, both could be avoided if the user knows how. If the singer in your band had the mic on a stand and had it off-axis, there would be virtually no difference; as demonstrated by the guitar amps. (I also find audio quality a lot more forgiving in a live situation in general.) But that's not how a lot of people would use a mic like this. The whole point of using a wireless mic is its agility; the ability to walk around with it on stage. So while regripping or changing hands there will be a lot of handling noise. This could be avoided by being gentle with it. And also a lot of people like "kissing" the mic. In this case, all you would hear are plosives and breath sounds. And also a lot of bass due to the proximity effect. This could be remedied to a certain extent with a high-pass filter and some EQ, but holding the mic at an angle instead of directly in front of the mouth would make a bigger difference.
The beauty of SM58 is that you can hand it to an amateur and get great results with minimal work. You wouldn't have to worry about the user tossing it between their hands, or having it too close to their mouth. The wired version is also built like a tank. Even if it looks like it had been dropped a hundred times, it'll still sound as though it were brand new.
Oftentimes, you're not paying more for higher quality results alone, but also to save time and energy.
I think the Phenyx Pros are perfectly fine for audience QA or short MC introductions. But I personally would hate having to listen to it over a long period of time (depending on the person using it of course). With that being said, I still think it's within the acceptable range, so it is definitely an amazing choice. However, if the budget allows, I still think a wireless Shure system is worth it (for vocals at least, instruments are a different story). I personally consider the SLX lineup to be the bottom line for vocals, unless budget is a concern. In this case, BLX is fine for the most part. Where Phenyx Pro really shines is their 8-channel system. Churches and corporate events, for example, may want/need a bunch of wireless mics for QA, and these are perfect. Maybe 1-2 SLX for vocals and the pastor, and 8 for MC/audience (and maybe backing vocals).
Note for churches: Do NOT get the Phenyx Pro lav or headset mics for the pastor unless you really know what you're doing; they're a trap. If you really want to, use the handheld instead. Honestly, avoid lavs in general, unless you know what you are doing.
Thank you for taking the time to bring all this to the conversation! There is a lot of good stuff here. You echo the sentiment I've had about it not being a mic for a music application. The QA application is a perfect example. The other drawback is that they seem to be pretty hit or miss on build quality.
I was trying to devise a good test with consistent variables across the board, and at the time, a looped guitar piece was the only solution I could think of. 😅
Thank you! Bought them because of you!
Hope they work out well for you!
Great vid! Thanks!
My pleasure! 👍
This is fantastic news thank you. I just bought this. I'm still confused about how to do the pitch yet. I'd love you to help with how this works
Thanks!
I am a club radio DJ & I just got my own Phenyx 🎤pro set & I must say it definitely gives shure SM58 a run for its money... they sound amazing & they are really durable and the sound🔊🎶 quality & Range is extremely good
Hey, EE engineer here with 50 years in pro sound. "Dynamic mics have coils of wire which can magnetically couple to the speaker on your amp" -- is just pure jibberesh. I bet you can hear all the way out to 20kHz, right? The coil in a dynamic mic is so small and produces such low voltage that you would have to hold the mic right up next to the voice coil on the speaker and then you would have direct feedback. Please, please, this kind of talk makes sound people sound like they know nothing about sound. Embarrassing!
The only reason "name brand" sound equipment costs so much today is the companies are owned by "holding companies" that provide nothing to each of their manufacturers except over head expense so the execs can play golf and live high on the hog. Phenyx is currently a stand alone company so they don't have to double the price so the holding company can make a profit. If we could do away with these holding companies, we could all afford decent prices.
Appreciate the insight!
This looks like a great review can you do a review on The JBL wireless microphone system as well as the JBL partybox On-the-Go with the wireless microphones that would be really helpful
Thanks for the suggestion! I'll look to see if I can get my hands on those products in the near future!
@@BlaisenGuitars thanks heaps it would help us a lot
They both sounded very good to me..what is your opinion as a vocal mic?
Great job by the way.
Depends on your use case. In a professional recording setting, I would stick with the Shure, but I do think the Phenyx could be great for speaking engagements or a use case like karaoke.
I think the Phenyx Pro sounded a little bit crispier than the sm58
Not good. Try using this mic in front of a thousand people.. it will everybody cringe
I’m considering this mic or the phenyx PTU-71A but not really sure of the differences
I have the 71a and have had them for a couple years and can't say enough about them, the range is awesome direct and indirect and they hold up very well
Sorry in advance for being so critical on the method you used for testing these mics. Dynamic microphones have coils of wire, which can magnetically couple to the speaker on your amplifier, and this can dramatically change the sound, depending on how close you get to the voice coil of the speaker. Plus, I have been watching other reviews of Phenyx microphones, and one of the major differences between them and the SM58 is that the SM58 eliminates wind noise, where the Phenyx mics don't completely filter it out. This sonic defect won't be heard unless someone actually sings or talks into the microphone. Still, the conclusion is very similar to yours; the Phenyx mics sound very good (except for the wind noise) compared with the SM58. Thanks for doing this comparison.
Appreciate the feedback! 👍 I was a little stuck trying to figure out a good testing environment. I wanted the only variable to be the mics, so I went with the looper and amp.
Any thoughts on a good AB method for future videos?
Great observation. One should also note, that mic-ing a guitar isn't going to reveal much in an A/B comparison either. The reviewer should have sang or spoken into each mic instead.
@@seattlesoundproductions3492 I'm learning that vocal mics deliberately roll off the lows to reduce wind and handling noise. Their frequency response is definitely not flat. This is just one reason not to use a vocal mic for a guitar. I bought the PTU-52 since my original reply and did some testing. Unlike the SM-58, these don't roll off the bass; they seem to boost it. One way to test a mic is to put it right next to a measurement microphone, reverse the phase of one, and mix the 2 together. A perfect result would be to hear no sound at all, since the 2 mics will cancel. I tried this with good (not perfect) results on a pair of matched Behringer C-2 mics, speaking equally into the small gap between the mics. Then I did it with a measurement microphone and the PTU-52, and couldn't get much phase cancellation. This method won't work if there is any tone control in the mics, and it won't work on anything digital, since any delay, even slight, will throw the results way off. And, if you try it on the SM-58, it still won't work due to the roll-off of the lows. The PTU-52's sound pretty good to me through headphones when compared with other mics, but I'm not one to accept "pretty good". For the spoken word, I think the sound is great. But, as far as accurate sound reproduction goes, I wouldn't trust it for singing. So, I'm agreeing with what you said, but I wanted to give you more details.
@@theclearsounds3911 Appreciate the comment and additional info! That's where I've landed on them as well. Good for speaking engagements, obviously not a singing microphone.
@@BlaisenGuitars At the risk of being too wordy, I recently DJ'ed at a 50th high school reunion for the class of 1972. I had to hold my breath for over an hour while people in their late 60's had to maneuver around my wires while giving talks; desperately hoping nobody would trip and fall. That's when I decided to go wireless with the PTU-52's! I'm really glad I bought them, but I'm a little disappointed I can't use them for live singing performances. BTW, no old people were harmed at the reunion!😄
Would You recomend this mic Ford playing instrument ?
Personally, I would probably stick to using these for speaking engagements, but you can hear from the video how they handle micing an amp and guitar.
Hi, does the Phenyx pro reject feedback as good as the Shure ?
Hey @Nicholas Rolle. From my understanding neither mic has special feedback reduction.
In general, a lot of feedback can be avoided if you can keep your subject from pointing the mics at a speaker (which I think is more tempting if it's handheld vs. on a stand).
I would say Mic 1 was the wireless and mic 2 was the shure mic both sounded great but the give away for me was the very slights hmm of the mic prior to music coming on that told me is was likely the wired mic... as I was typing you told me the answer and I was right .... that said they both sounded great as the hum was gone as soon as the music started ... I think I will take the plunge on a pair of the phenyx mics ..thanks
Nice! 👍 I had to leave cues in the recording for myself to make sure I didn’t get them confused. It’s crazy that they can manufacture that, package it, and ship it at that price point and have that quality…
@@BlaisenGuitars agreed , and at that price point if I get a couple years out of them I feel like I will be ahead of the game as technology keeps advancing and they keep coming up with better products at equal or lesser price points
update after a few months of careful use both mics have become unusable , low end distortion / breaking up sounds ... turned lows on mixer all the way down and still get the same distorted sound from them ... not constantly buy several times per song ( sound fine when its not doing it )reminds me of broken speaker noise but its from the mic ... Phenyx tells me its past warranty period ( 4 months ?? ) but they would give me a partial refund .... it 4 months is all one can expect from these maybe looking elsewhere is a good idea , I know I will be
Oh man! Sorry to hear that. That’s so disappointing. 😕
Did they ever get back to you?
I’m curious why you say you don’t recommend them for singing as much as for public speaking when you also say at the 3:00 mark that when your band tried them out you heard virtually no difference between the Phenyx and the Shure.
Could you elaborate on that a little, please?
Hey Joe. Appreciate the question.
My big disclaimer is that I’m no sound engineer. So I’m primarily going off of my experiences and trying to leave room for what I don’t know.
In our rudimentary tests (and in our context), I couldn’t tell much of a difference between the two mics. However, I know that there are a lot of different factors that can impact how a microphone performs. The same mic can even sound very different between two singers.
Music is a context where I try and put the best gear we have at our disposal in play. I would trust the Shure in every circumstance and with any vocalist, primarily because it’s been tested in thousands of different circumstances and has been the industry standard for years.
I wouldn’t have the same confidence in the Phenyx’s versatility.
But again that’s more my impressions and how I’m thinking about it. I could be completely wrong. 😅
@@BlaisenGuitars that makes sense, and thank you for the reply. My friend who does karaoke turned me on to this brand and he swears by them, but he got a four microphone set for $200 and I just don’t have a need for four right now so I looked at this model and got it on his recommendation.
I still did my due diligence though and looked for a review on this specific model. That’s how I found your video. Thanks again for helping me be more informed on my decision.
@@projoeiii Glad to help!
Can you change frequencies?? How many frequencies are available?
There are 30 selectable frequencies.
@@BlaisenGuitars thanks
@@djilyaz no problem. 👍
Hello bro, I'm singer, what mic do you recommend me ? Phenyx PRO or Shure ?
Hey Nelson! For vocals, I would probably stick with the Shure. The Phenyx Pro mics are geared more for a speaking engagement.
I use them for my karaoke singers with no issues!
I hope this mics can changes the tone of my awful voice when im singing karaoke
Mics can definitely help a singer sound better, but there are a lot of other factors that can go into making a singer sound good. A good way to practice is to record yourself while you’re singing and then listen to it back.
Which one used more gain?
Hey Richard, It's been a while since I did the video, but I'm pretty sure I had to bump the gain up on the Phenyx Pro to get it to match the levels on the Sm58.
I like B better
Wow, A was better. B had phase distortion. Newer technology wins.
Phenyx pro is a cheap wireless mic that will only last a year.. lots of off axis feed back, bleed and worst proximity response.. you can definitely hear the singers breathing with this phenyx pro.
When you use this it’s like you vocals have steroids in it.. doesn’t sound natural
I think what I’ve gathered is that it’s dependent on the unit that you get. Which is pretty par for the course for a product at this price point.
I am wondering, would using a wind screen on them take care of some of the difference