Saramonic K9 Wireless Mic Strikes Back!
· Audio · Wireless systems · 4:02
Our video demonstrating the 550MHz RF hit issue that the DEITY THEOS exhibits and that is now fixed with the latest Saramonic K9 firmware update can be found here.
And here’s the livestream where we took our first look at the Saramonic TC-NEO timecode generators.
Saramonic is back with 2 things that make the K9 Wireless system a contender in prosumer wireless, especially versus the DEITY THEOS: They released a firmware update fixing the RF hit at 550MHz at power up and they introduced bluetooth timecode generators.
Gear used or mentioned
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- Saramonic K9 — digital UHF wireless microphone system
- Saramonic TC-NEO — bluetooth timecode generators
Read the transcript
A few weeks ago we covered a flaw shared by the Deity Theos and Saramonic K9 wireless microphone systems: when you turn a transmitter on, it briefly transmits at 550 MHz regardless of its actual tuned frequency — bad behavior that’s caused some productions to ban these systems outright due to interference with other channels already allocated to 550 MHz.
Testing the Deity Theos transmitter on a real-time spectrum analyzer confirms it: it starts at 550 MHz for a couple seconds before settling on its tuned frequency (558.9 MHz in this test). Saramonic reached out and said they’d fixed this in the K9 — testing confirms it: the K9 transmitter tuned to 555 MHz goes straight to 555 MHz with no stopover at 550. Thanks, Saramonic.
In my original K9 review I noted that the Deity Theos has a richer surrounding ecosystem — timecode generators (TC1), a timecode slate (SL1), an RF distribution box, external bowtie antennas, and jam-sync integration through the Deity Sidus audio app. It turns out Saramonic was already developing their own answer: the TC Neo timecode generators (covered in more depth on my Sunday livestream, linked separately). These have non-user-replaceable batteries, which I’ve said before I’m hesitant to review, but Saramonic told me they’ll sell replacement batteries or offer a mail-in replacement service, so I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt for now. Get out there and make some great sound. Talk to you again soon.