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I'm in the market for a wireless lavalier. I was burned in the past by selecting a cheap VHF frequency mic. I learned later that was a bonehead move because VHF is used for everything from TVs to garage door openers.

I'm now considering a Sennheiser that offers four variants for frequency band. Those are listed as:

  • A - 516 to 558 MHz
  • A1 - 470 to 516 MHz
  • B - 626 to 668 MHz
  • G - 566 to 608 MHz

I understand what wireless frequencies are and that interference is caused by using frequencies that are not wholly unused by others. What I don't understand is what I need to know to pick one of these. Are these all about equal, or is there one better than the others?

Extra details

My use case is live conference events. I only plan to get one or two. This mic will be used all over the USA, mostly in major cities, but sometimes smaller cities, and almost always in a hotel or convention center.

These are some features of the mic that might affect this decision:

  • 1680 Tunable Frequencies Across 42 MHz
  • Auto Frequency Scan Finds Open Bands
  • 3 Level Squelch To Block Interference
  • 20 Banks With 12 Channel Presets Each
  • Compander For Clearer Sound
  • Auto-Lock Prevents Accidental Adjustment
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  • In case it matters, this mic.
    – user3643
    May 5, 2017 at 14:49
  • It probably shouldn't matter unless there are a lot of other wireless mics around. In that case, you may want to ask whoever's running them which bands they are using. I regularly run 12 wireless EW300 mics, 6 in the A band and 6 in the B band. I'd suggest choosing a band, and buying it. To avoid interference, the most important thing is 1) selecting the right frequency within a band (where there is little to no interference) and 2) making sure your squelch is high enough. If the mic and receiver are close to each other, a squelch of 20 or even 25 wouldn't not be bad.
    – NoahL
    May 5, 2017 at 20:02
  • @Noal Thank you. I've been reading a bit since asking and found that the letter names are company specific. I also found through the Shure Frequency Finder that some cities have reserved some frequencies for this kind of thing. See Orlando for example
    – user3643
    May 5, 2017 at 21:11
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    I think you give some sound guidance, but just picking one might lead to a poor choice. @NoahL
    – user3643
    May 5, 2017 at 21:19
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    Groups are different. They exist within bands. A band is the full range of frequencies that the tuner can send/receive. Groups are sets of individual frequencies set up by the manufacturer within a certain band. For example, a Sennheiser group within the A band might have 22 individual frequencies. Those frequencies are chosen so that if you operate many microphones, they won't interfere with each other. Basically, all the frequencies within Group A (ex. in the A band) won't interfere with each other (but may interfere with frequencies in Group B (ex. also in the A band)).
    – NoahL
    May 5, 2017 at 21:31

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