Welcome to xvive! They have been flawless for me for a long time playing in cover bands for up to 4 hour gigs. Worth mentioning that a short xlr will get the transmitter away from any routers/units that could cause interference.
Hey Darren. I've been hearing about this device for some time, always good things, but you are the one that finally sold it to me! It's been many years since I worked with a mono in-ear system... I think I will struggle a bit with that, but expect the sound quality makes up for it. Keep up the good work!
great concise review Darren. I stumbled across these about 6 months ago and really enjoy using them. So simple and compact and robust. you cant go wrong!
Last year, we tested this system in our band and found that, although the sound quality was good (mono not stereo) and the price was reasonable, it did not perform optimally when used in conjunction with Xvive's U2 guitar system. With four members in the band, three of whom were using both the U2 and U4, the limited channels caused interference. Furthermore, some venues with heavy 2.4 GHZ traffic also caused issues. Additionally, there is no built-in limiter with the U4, So unless all members are using IEM's, you can still end up with feedback coming through your IEM's and potentially damaging your hearing. I had this happen to me, thankfully I pulled out my earbuds to prevent any damage. Finally, if a digital mixer or rack mixer is housed in a rack box along with a wifi router, an XLR patch cable must be used to give distance from the rack to the U4 receiver to avoid interference. Despite these drawbacks, I believe these systems are great for their price point, but are more suitable for smaller setups.
I was looking at these form my kid's band but was worried about everything you just pointed out. Might be real nice for a practice situation but wouldn't trust it for live shows.
@@MattLunser, There is reason why such products are never going to worry the likes of Sennheiser or Shure and you will never see any professional touring theatre production using such kit, but they are priced accordingly and should be taken on that basis. In the right environment you won't better these for the money.
@@producernerd - In 2018/19, I performed on a 60-date theatre tour in the UK, where some of the performers were using the Xvive U2 guitar setup. At that time, I had Shure's flagship 2.4GHz GLDX-16 system, with multiple groups and subgroups. Despite its superior features, it was completely unusable on a handful of shows, forcing me to resort to a trusty cable. In contrast, the Xvives never stumbled once on that tour. This led me to sell the Shure and purchase the Xvive, demonstrating that the most expensive option is not always the best.
I introduced these to our band a little over two years ago. And, yes, they do work really well for a very reasonable price. The only downside is that they are mono--so if you're a musician who relies on being able to pan your in-ears based on instrument/vocal placement, you'll want to go with an expensive stereo rig. But, for us, these have worked out beautifully and they do last. Obviously, if you're doing a longer gig, as you mentioned, you'll want to throw them on a charger during the breaks. And since there is quite a range of different earpieces on the market, you have a lot of flexibility as long as the connector is the 1/8" TRS type (small headphone) type. We're currently using the CCA C10 Hybrid earpieces with them and have had no issues. I just ordered a spare set of the U4 rig as a backup in case anything happens with my primary (at some point, I expect the lithium battery will show signs of aging, so better to be prepared). I saw one of the posts asking about range. So, we just finished our July 4th show on an amphitheater stage. We have the transmitters plugged directly into our Soundcraft Ui24r digital mixer (LOVE this unit!!!) roughly center stage, behind the drummer. Each of us is on a different channel (5 piece band). We've had zero dropout or interference, even spread out 30ft or more (big stage). The Soundcraft Ui24r, by the way, has its own built-in WiFi (dual antenna) so we can all use tablets to manage our own monitor mixes. The Ui24r supports both/either 2.4 or 5Hz, so to reduce a chance of interference I only have it using 5Hz. Zero issues in live gigs between it and our Xvive rigs. So, as long as you don't need more than 6 mixes, these are a great choice on a budget.
@@producernerd I love many things about it, but I think my favorite feature is the Sound Check feature...when you're running your own house mix, being able to dial in everyone's channel let's you be "in two places at once". Once I nail down the 99% mix, I'll often let my wife grab a tablet and make minor tweaks for the house during the gig ('cause adrenaline happens).
The Achilles Heel of this system is that it only runs on the 2.4Ghz frequency. Bands in the 2.4Ghz freq are increasingly congested, as they're used by most phone hotspots and wifi routers. Gig in front of an audience with mobile phones in their pockets connecting to the house wifi on 2.4Ghz and .... it could be a problem maintaining a decent signal connection. If Xvive could bring these out using the relatively uncongested UHF bands, or even the less-congested 5Ghz and 6Hhz bands, they'd be a much safer live performance option. Incidentally, I have a wireless guitar system that runs on UHF frequencies for this same reason.
Obviously using other frequencies will cost (us) more and these are specifically designed for a pricepoint. I have up to 9 people in my small studio when recording SIL and never have a problem with dropouts using both the Xvive U4 and the instrument U2
@@producernerd There are UHF and 5.8Ghz wireless guitar systems at about the same inexpensive pricepoint as the 2.4GHz systems. So there must be some other reason - perhaps the unfiformityt of international regulatory standards governing the 2.4Ghz frequency - as to why Xvive decided to use 2.4Ghz for this system. I agree that when jamming with friends or in a non-performance context, 2.4Ghz is unlikely to be problematic.
I wish you would have mentioned more about the range between units. It's one thing to use them in a small basement room. It's another thing to use them in a bigger nightclub or stage area where everything is more spread out.
Even in very large rooms, we have a sragebox behind the band. In some cases, the mixer is 100ft away from the stage, but the stagebox is less than 20ft.. These work great. I wouldn't plug them in too far away.
My wife and I use these in our band (everyone else is too cheap, so they use wired IEM systems). We have a stagebox behind the band, so the transmission distance is less than 20ft. They work perfectly for us (as I insisted on a silent stage after taking control of all audio) Two notes: I've heard that they interfere with the xvive guitar systems. I haven't tried combining, so for us it's a moot point. Secondly, you DO need to remember to charge them before a performance. I'd prefer a system that I can drop in a couple of AAA batteries before a performance - but that was only ever an issue once, when I forgot to charge mine, and then lent them to a stand-in keyboard player (not the earphones...ugh!!) We use them with Shure 215 headphones. There are cheaper headphones out there, but you'll notice that all the other headphones compare themselves to the 215's.
@@producernerd If you do, try it with a Bass guitar. No real reason, but on rare occasions I'm allowed to play bass in stead of keys, so I have an interest :)
So wireless between the singer's ears and the pack? More scope for the gang dancing and moving around? Better make sure Chloe and Crafty don't crash again! Amazing how technology has evolved, must be so much easier as a producer Darren. Great video.
I've been keeping an eye on these. Few issues with them - they are mono only; they can be wifi hogs so if you use more than one close to each other they can interfere with each other, so it is safer to use every alternate channel, or; they may interfere with a router for, say, FoH. They have about 5ms latency which shouldn't matter ... unless you have introduced latency elsewhere such as VST based keys or even guitar modellers and digital guitar wireless would add some latency. And the 2.4 range is risky because it is so congested ... it's OK if it goes down in the studio but if that went down live ... not great. Anyhoo I only know this because I was busting to buy one but the downsides outweighed the upsides for me - the upsides being that it sounds very good, is cheap, and easy to use. Of course, to each their own. Thanks for posting!
I can get rid of your downsides with one simple fix. Use a cable to get the transmitter away from your routers and other units :) there you go now there are only upsides.
@@mattdoyle1554 that can help the cross talk and router compete issue but won't magically make them stereo or get around the more general 2.4 issue. I appreciate your exuberance though.
Hi Darren, just wondering what you would utilise for large shows?..would you know if the 2.4GHz bandwidth get glitchy with these in a packed venue of about 100-200 ppl for example? It would be awesome to know before purchasing 4 or 5 of these for the band Thanks, Mick.
Hi darren can i ask if this system would interfere with a digital desk thats been controlled by an app? Would there be any issues in your opinion. Thanks so much for the video this seems to be exactly what i was looking for i love the small footprint
I now have an Allen & Heath SQ5 digital console (used as my interface up to 64 tracks recording at once) along with the free SQ Mix app and still no problems
No IEM's that I've used come with an actual limiter. It's up to you to add one into the audio chain if you need one. It's not hard or expensive. Almost all audio interfaces give you the ability to add anything you like (EQ, Reverb, Compression etc).
thanks, i really don't know much about in ears, these are my first pair.. what is the point of a limiter? i thought it was so you don't out of nowhere get super loud noises from a sound guy controlling your mix, etc. are they not really needed? i know it has it's own volume so you can set your volume to what you want, but wouldn't the sound guy be able to accidently make it louder in your ears?@@producernerd
@@RemySmith0114 - I think if you were to look into the Sennheiser G3/4 wireless units, you will find that these do have limiters to protect from rogue feedback. Then again, those are on another level in terms of price and quality. Shure also offer some decent IEM units. I used to have the LD Systems MEI 1000 G2 IEM setup, not overly expensive, but did offer a limiter, stereo or dual mono sound stage. Not bad for their price.
Welcome to xvive! They have been flawless for me for a long time playing in cover bands for up to 4 hour gigs. Worth mentioning that a short xlr will get the transmitter away from any routers/units that could cause interference.
I've been using them for a year and a half now. Absolutely love them!
Thanks Darren... practical system..
Hey Darren. I've been hearing about this device for some time, always good things, but you are the one that finally sold it to me! It's been many years since I worked with a mono in-ear system... I think I will struggle a bit with that, but expect the sound quality makes up for it. Keep up the good work!
great concise review Darren. I stumbled across these about 6 months ago and really enjoy using them. So simple and compact and robust. you cant go wrong!
Got one of the u4 systems! Love em’. Hard to beat for the money! Enjoy your channels! Both of em!
Very clear & understandable expkaination -- greatly appreciate this review!
Last year, we tested this system in our band and found that, although the sound quality was good (mono not stereo) and the price was reasonable, it did not perform optimally when used in conjunction with Xvive's U2 guitar system. With four members in the band, three of whom were using both the U2 and U4, the limited channels caused interference. Furthermore, some venues with heavy 2.4 GHZ traffic also caused issues. Additionally, there is no built-in limiter with the U4, So unless all members are using IEM's, you can still end up with feedback coming through your IEM's and potentially damaging your hearing. I had this happen to me, thankfully I pulled out my earbuds to prevent any damage.
Finally, if a digital mixer or rack mixer is housed in a rack box along with a wifi router, an XLR patch cable must be used to give distance from the rack to the U4 receiver to avoid interference.
Despite these drawbacks, I believe these systems are great for their price point, but are more suitable for smaller setups.
I was looking at these form my kid's band but was worried about everything you just pointed out. Might be real nice for a practice situation but wouldn't trust it for live shows.
@@MattLunser, There is reason why such products are never going to worry the likes of Sennheiser or Shure and you will never see any professional touring theatre production using such kit, but they are priced accordingly and should be taken on that basis.
In the right environment you won't better these for the money.
Correct. Bang for buck is the key here. These are great for the price and for me in the studio. Yet to test live.
@@producernerd - In 2018/19, I performed on a 60-date theatre tour in the UK, where some of the performers were using the Xvive U2 guitar setup. At that time, I had Shure's flagship 2.4GHz GLDX-16 system, with multiple groups and subgroups. Despite its superior features, it was completely unusable on a handful of shows, forcing me to resort to a trusty cable. In contrast, the Xvives never stumbled once on that tour. This led me to sell the Shure and purchase the Xvive, demonstrating that the most expensive option is not always the best.
Update: Used live and they were absolutely SOLID! These are pretty awesome and I now use them in SingitLive sessions ALL THE TIME.
Thanks Darren. Currently looking for IEMs for the band.
I introduced these to our band a little over two years ago. And, yes, they do work really well for a very reasonable price. The only downside is that they are mono--so if you're a musician who relies on being able to pan your in-ears based on instrument/vocal placement, you'll want to go with an expensive stereo rig. But, for us, these have worked out beautifully and they do last. Obviously, if you're doing a longer gig, as you mentioned, you'll want to throw them on a charger during the breaks. And since there is quite a range of different earpieces on the market, you have a lot of flexibility as long as the connector is the 1/8" TRS type (small headphone) type. We're currently using the CCA C10 Hybrid earpieces with them and have had no issues. I just ordered a spare set of the U4 rig as a backup in case anything happens with my primary (at some point, I expect the lithium battery will show signs of aging, so better to be prepared).
I saw one of the posts asking about range. So, we just finished our July 4th show on an amphitheater stage. We have the transmitters plugged directly into our Soundcraft Ui24r digital mixer (LOVE this unit!!!) roughly center stage, behind the drummer. Each of us is on a different channel (5 piece band). We've had zero dropout or interference, even spread out 30ft or more (big stage). The Soundcraft Ui24r, by the way, has its own built-in WiFi (dual antenna) so we can all use tablets to manage our own monitor mixes. The Ui24r supports both/either 2.4 or 5Hz, so to reduce a chance of interference I only have it using 5Hz. Zero issues in live gigs between it and our Xvive rigs. So, as long as you don't need more than 6 mixes, these are a great choice on a budget.
I have a Ui24R too they are awesome
@@producernerd I love many things about it, but I think my favorite feature is the Sound Check feature...when you're running your own house mix, being able to dial in everyone's channel let's you be "in two places at once". Once I nail down the 99% mix, I'll often let my wife grab a tablet and make minor tweaks for the house during the gig ('cause adrenaline happens).
Thank you Darren! Awesome. I'm gonna try them out🎶👌
The Achilles Heel of this system is that it only runs on the 2.4Ghz frequency. Bands in the 2.4Ghz freq are increasingly congested, as they're used by most phone hotspots and wifi routers.
Gig in front of an audience with mobile phones in their pockets connecting to the house wifi on 2.4Ghz and .... it could be a problem maintaining a decent signal connection.
If Xvive could bring these out using the relatively uncongested UHF bands, or even the less-congested 5Ghz and 6Hhz bands, they'd be a much safer live performance option.
Incidentally, I have a wireless guitar system that runs on UHF frequencies for this same reason.
Obviously using other frequencies will cost (us) more and these are specifically designed for a pricepoint. I have up to 9 people in my small studio when recording SIL and never have a problem with dropouts using both the Xvive U4 and the instrument U2
@@producernerd There are UHF and 5.8Ghz wireless guitar systems at about the same inexpensive pricepoint as the 2.4GHz systems. So there must be some other reason - perhaps the unfiformityt of international regulatory standards governing the 2.4Ghz frequency - as to why Xvive decided to use 2.4Ghz for this system.
I agree that when jamming with friends or in a non-performance context, 2.4Ghz is unlikely to be problematic.
I wish you would have mentioned more about the range between units. It's one thing to use them in a small basement room. It's another thing to use them in a bigger nightclub or stage area where everything is more spread out.
Even in very large rooms, we have a sragebox behind the band. In some cases, the mixer is 100ft away from the stage, but the stagebox is less than 20ft.. These work great. I wouldn't plug them in too far away.
My wife and I use these in our band (everyone else is too cheap, so they use wired IEM systems). We have a stagebox behind the band, so the transmission distance is less than 20ft. They work perfectly for us (as I insisted on a silent stage after taking control of all audio)
Two notes: I've heard that they interfere with the xvive guitar systems. I haven't tried combining, so for us it's a moot point. Secondly, you DO need to remember to charge them before a performance. I'd prefer a system that I can drop in a couple of AAA batteries before a performance - but that was only ever an issue once, when I forgot to charge mine, and then lent them to a stand-in keyboard player (not the earphones...ugh!!)
We use them with Shure 215 headphones. There are cheaper headphones out there, but you'll notice that all the other headphones compare themselves to the 215's.
I'll try them with the U2 wireless instrument system and let you know how I go.
@@producernerd If you do, try it with a Bass guitar.
No real reason, but on rare occasions I'm allowed to play bass in stead of keys, so I have an interest :)
Literally just received this unit yesterday for my inears when sound companies don’t supply
good work. Comment back when you use it and let us all know how it performed 👊🏽
So wireless between the singer's ears and the pack? More scope for the gang dancing and moving around? Better make sure Chloe and Crafty don't crash again! Amazing how technology has evolved, must be so much easier as a producer Darren. Great video.
I've been keeping an eye on these. Few issues with them - they are mono only; they can be wifi hogs so if you use more than one close to each other they can interfere with each other, so it is safer to use every alternate channel, or; they may interfere with a router for, say, FoH. They have about 5ms latency which shouldn't matter ... unless you have introduced latency elsewhere such as VST based keys or even guitar modellers and digital guitar wireless would add some latency. And the 2.4 range is risky because it is so congested ... it's OK if it goes down in the studio but if that went down live ... not great. Anyhoo I only know this because I was busting to buy one but the downsides outweighed the upsides for me - the upsides being that it sounds very good, is cheap, and easy to use. Of course, to each their own. Thanks for posting!
I can get rid of your downsides with one simple fix. Use a cable to get the transmitter away from your routers and other units :) there you go now there are only upsides.
@@mattdoyle1554 that can help the cross talk and router compete issue but won't magically make them stereo or get around the more general 2.4 issue. I appreciate your exuberance though.
Hi Darren, just wondering what you would utilise for large shows?..would you know if the 2.4GHz bandwidth get glitchy with these in a packed venue of about 100-200 ppl for example? It would be awesome to know before purchasing 4 or 5 of these for the band Thanks, Mick.
Hi darren can i ask if this system would interfere with a digital desk thats been controlled by an app? Would there be any issues in your opinion. Thanks so much for the video this seems to be exactly what i was looking for i love the small footprint
I use both Soundcraft Ui24 and Presonus Studio32 and they are both unaffected although I’m not using the whole 6 channels
@@producernerd thanks mate
I now have an Allen & Heath SQ5 digital console (used as my interface up to 64 tracks recording at once) along with the free SQ Mix app and still no problems
Hi Darren, can I ask you what is the build quality like, are these still made of plastic or metal ? cheers
great metal build quality. Compact and reliable in a lot of different situations
@@producernerd Thanks mate!
Hi, can I buy a wireless pair of in ears and possibly connect them to this device? Or do they have to be wired in ears?
This IS a wireless in ear system. All you need to plug into this is buds
this does;nt come with a limiter. do you know how to add one?
No IEM's that I've used come with an actual limiter. It's up to you to add one into the audio chain if you need one. It's not hard or expensive. Almost all audio interfaces give you the ability to add anything you like (EQ, Reverb, Compression etc).
thanks, i really don't know much about in ears, these are my first pair..
what is the point of a limiter? i thought it was so you don't out of nowhere get super loud noises from a sound guy controlling your mix, etc. are they not really needed? i know it has it's own volume so you can set your volume to what you want, but wouldn't the sound guy be able to accidently make it louder in your ears?@@producernerd
Most sound guys are trustworthy but don't quote me 😅
@@RemySmith0114 - I think if you were to look into the Sennheiser G3/4 wireless units, you will find that these do have limiters to protect from rogue feedback. Then again, those are on another level in terms of price and quality. Shure also offer some decent IEM units. I used to have the LD Systems MEI 1000 G2 IEM setup, not overly expensive, but did offer a limiter, stereo or dual mono sound stage. Not bad for their price.
Unfortunately LD Systems don't have anything that is legal in South Australia (UHF 520-526 MHz)