Sennheiser Digital 9000: the new wireless system capable of transmitting uncompressed audio with excellent dynamics

IBC has been the place chosen by Sennheiser to present the Digital 9000, a fully digital wireless system that includes an EM 9046 receiver, the SKM 9000 handheld and/or SK 9000 pocket transmitters, and a complete range of accessories.

Sennheiser took advantage of the IBC fair to present the Digital 9000, a digital wireless system that can transmit uncompressed audio with excellent dynamics. Aimed at broadcast, theater, musical and event professionals with high live audio demands, Digital 9000 sets a new benchmark in digital wireless transmission. The system, which includes the EM 9046 receiver, SKM 9000 handheld and SK 9000 pocket transmitters, and a complete set of accessories, has been meticulously designed to work with many channels in a small space, in today's environment with a spectrum increasingly dense.

According to Kevin Jungk, product manager for wireless microphones at Sennheiser, “this system is a masterpiece, both digitally and wirelessly.”

It offers unprecedented sound quality and ease of use. For example, users will no longer have to calculate and bypass intermodulation frequencies, but can place their transmit frequencies equidistant in the spectrum."

Ideal for the most diverse environments

The innovative digital wireless system is equipped with two transmission modes to meet any need and adapt to any environment. High Definition (HD) mode will transmit uncompressed audio, as if using a high-quality wired microphone. Long Range (LR) mode has been designed for difficult transmission environments, with many sources of interference. Ensure maximum range with a Sennheiser patented digital audio codec. “This refined codec offers audio quality far superior to that of an FM system. These two modes make the Digital 9000 the most versatile digital wireless system on the market, and the best adapted to the needs in the field,” explained Kevin Jungk.

Built-in ease of use

In addition to IR synchronization between receivers and transmitters and loop antenna connections, for creating larger receiving systems, the Digital 9000 offers a number of unique features. Firstly, the system does not generate intermodulation products – the high linearity of the entire system, from transmitters to antennas and receivers, and a special design of the transmitter, make laborious intermodulation calculations a thing of the past. Transmission frequencies can be simply set by spacing them equidistantly.

The receiver also automatically measures the RF cable loss between the receiver and the amplifier and adjusts the gain accordingly. “This makes the RF wireless system easier to operate for users with less RF knowledge,” said Kevin Jungk.

Optimal control

At the heart of the EM 9046 receiver lies a large display with clearly positioned controls. Three display modes ensure that the RF or sound engineer has an optimal view of important parameters in live situations and can change settings quickly through an intuitive icon-based menu. The channels can be monitored through the headphone output, either individually or a mix of those we select.

The EM 9046 modular receiver is a mainframe computer with capacity for eight internal receivers. The receiving system covers the UHF range from 470 to 798 MHz (328 MHz bandwidth). To easily integrate the system into an existing infrastructure, the user can choose between different output modules: transformer balanced analog, AES3 digital or even both.

System tuning is facilitated by a built-in graphical spectrum analyzer for exploring the RF landscape and an RF level recorder for reception monitoring and optimization of antenna positions. The receiver will also suggest the best transmission mode for the environment you are working in and will automatically set an appropriate gain to offset RF cable losses. The system's antenna amplifiers can be controlled through the receiver, very useful in installations with remote antennas.

The multi-channel receiver and transmitters can optionally use encrypted data transmission, with randomly generated proprietary keys. This will protect a radio link from unauthorized eavesdropping.

The receiver stores up to ten complete system configurations, so configurations can be easily saved and recalled.

Powerful sound

A wide selection of four microphone capsules specific to the 9000 series, plus the entire Evolution wireless G3 range and 2000 series capsules will provide the most suitable sound for the SKM 9000 handheld transmitter. This transmitter is compatible with all microphone heads. G3 and 2000 series wireless microphones, including the Neumann KK 204 and KK 205 capsules. This means that an artist's preferred sound can be easily coupled to the new system.

“The 9000 Series wouldn't be complete without the sound of our most successful live capsule, and I'm thrilled that the dynamic cardioid MD 9235 is part of our new digital system,” said Kevin Jungk. The rock 'n' roll sound of the MD 9235 is complemented by the transparency of the three permanently polarized condenser microphone heads, the ME 9002 (omni), the ME 9004 (cardioid) and the ME 9005 (super-cardioid). The condenser heads have low pop sensitivity and have extremely low handling noise due to the snowflake-shaped rubber suspensions above and below the capsules themselves.

The rugged SKM 9000 comes with a switching bandwidth of 88 MHz, and is available in black and nickel. COM versions are also available, to facilitate communication between broadcast units or artists and their technical teams. As handheld devices transmit digitally, they do not use companders and are free from associated noise, ensuring extreme sound purity.

Versatile and light

The SK 9000 bodypack transmitter is easy to conceal and easy to attach; It comes in a magnesium casing that combines maximum robustness with reduced weight. The transmitter can be used with any lavalier or headset microphone with a 3-pin Lemo connector and has a line input for guitars or other instruments. “Because the system is of equal quality to wired connections, we added a three-step guitar cable emulation to round out the perfect instrument sound,” explained Kevin Jungk.

The SK 9000 is available in four different frequency ranges (88 MHz switching bandwidth). A command switch is available as an accessory for communication between the equipment and the artists/journalists.

Power supply

The 9000 series transmitters operate on environmentally friendly rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, due to the accurate remaining operating time indicator on the handheld and pocket transmitter, as well as on the receiver. The SKM 9000 is powered by a rechargeable battery-pack, the BA 60, which powers the transmitter for 5.5 hours. The SK 9000 pack is powered by the BA 61, which has a duration of 6.5 hours. Operation with normal batteries is also possible.

The L 60 charger recharges two BA 60, two BA 61 or a combination of them. 70% charge is reached in one hour and a full charge after three hours, indicating the charging status using three-color LEDs. Up to four chargers can be daisy-chained and powered through a single power supply.

Spectrum-efficient wireless connection

“In short, the Digital 9000 is a meticulously designed cordless tool. Spectrum is a scarce resource, therefore all parts of the system have been designed for the highest frequency efficiency. “We have put a lot of effort into allocating the highest possible data rate for low-latency sound transmission, ensuring the unparalleled audio performance of the Digital 9000. Because audio is what this is all about,” concluded Kevin Jungk.

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