Some things on wireless headsets:

There are complete kits. Brands I’ve used and liked:

   Shure

   Sennheiser

Brands I’d avoid:

  Nady—really cheap, poor construction

  Samson—better than Nady

If you do a search on these mics, most of what we see are the

   consumer, like Nady & Samson

       Price range: $50 to $150

  “Prosumer,” like Shure, Sennheiser, Audio-Technica, AKG, Line 6, and more

       Price range: $200 to $1000

   True Pro: Shure, Sennheiser, com and other

       Price range: $1000 and up

Some sound guys stock up on the budget gear. They work, they break, they can fix or repair them.

I’ve used Shure, Sennheiser, and Line 6. I loved the Line 6 mic, but it had lots of problems with interference—it would cut in and out. Never had that problem with the Shures or the Sennheiser.

Note that high quality mics like Countryman and DPA only make mics, you have to purchase a transmitter (body-pack), and receiver system. I haven’t used the Countryman much, though I have one. I have a clip-on DPA that I clip onto my fiddle and use with a Shure DLX body pack. It’s the best mic in my gear, and when I’m calling and fiddling I can work from the middle of the room, teach while playing.

For calling I’m still a strong advocate of the handheld, and when doing fiddle while calling gigs, I have the DPA on the fiddle and a Shure with a Beta 87 head on it on a stand.

DPA info: http://www.dpamicrophones.com/

~erik hoffman

Oakland, ca