After lots of research, and having the opportunity to hear the Countryman E6I headset mic used in a couple settings, I contacted CCI solutions in Olympia, WA and ordered one.
The company representitive was outstanding and extremely knowledgeable, which is an attribute that only a handful of retail outlets can boast. The first thing the guy asked was what I intended to use the mic for, public speaking, choir, etc.. No one has ever asked this question. Next, he asked my about the type of sound system I would be running the mic through. He also asked me about my average venue size, and the type of music I performed, all of which I consider very important questions when selecting any piece of gear--especially a mic.
When I told him I thought a supercardiod unidirection model probably be best, he said I may have problems with this model because the way the mic is positioned on the side of your face instead of pointed at your mouth. Got to thinking about what he said and it made perfectly good sense. The unidirectional mic would pointed directly at the keyboard speakers and produce lots of feedback, where the omni directional mic was shorter ranged and had fewer feedback problems.
I ordered the hard-wired version, which took 10 days to arrive, then purchased a phantom power pack to achieve the correct operating voltage through my system. This was the easy part.
Next step was to tune the PSR-3000s mic settings for this particular mic. Keep in mind that I have nothing but rave reviews about the sound quality of the Crown CM-311A. And, the salesman said that if the E6I didn't work out, the CM-311A would be the next best mic. My only problem with the CM-311A is the headset is uncomfortable, and of course you have to contend with the black, marble-size windscreen in front of your mouth all the time.
Well, after lots of tuning I found the E6I is extremely crisp, exceptionally clear and for some individuals it would be an outstanding mic. The mic is nearly invisible, and from a distance of just 10 feet away no one in the audience can see it unless they're really looking hard to find it. The fit is so comfortable that you don't even realize you're wearing the mic. I believe it weighs about 1/10th of an ounce. The mic head is less than 2-mm diameter, flesh colored and sits in the side of your face.
Although the E6I had tons of attributes, it had a single drawback--it did not have depth. Yes, those sounds were crisp, clear, very distinct, but it seemed to be lacking in bottom end response. And, when you tried to EQ in sufficient bottom end, this resulted in very-low frequency harmonic feedback.
I used the mic in two, very different venues, one of which was an outside job, while the other was a smaller indoors job. In both cases, it was evident those low frequency sounds were lacking.
Additionally, I have a soft voice with only modest vocal power. This mic would probably be great for someone with a much higher pitched voice and lots of vocal power, which was the case when I heard the mic used by others.
Tomorrow, I'll call CCI Solutions for a return authorization number and send it back. The have a 30-day 100% money back guarantee if you are not completely satisfied with the product ordered from them. This includes mics, which is rare these days.
Guess I'll be sticking with the CM-311As for a while longer--they continue to provide the best sound quality of any headset mic I've tried.
Cheers,
Gary
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Travlin' Easy
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