Press

11.01.2010 - Wedemark

A look behind the scenes: the HMD 26 broadcast headset in a field trial

Sennheiser is a leading player in the broadcasting sector: for more than 50 years, the audio specialist has been developing professional broadcast technology – in close cooperation with the end users. For its new HMD 26 broadcast headset, Sennheiser took advice from several experts from the field of broadcasting.
 

One of them is Jörn Lüders, a sound engineer at the German production company TVN. He put the HMD 26 through its paces for a whole year during a field trial. The aim was to ensure that the headset perfectly meets the requirements of the broadcasting sector and to consider even the smallest details.
   

Jörn Lüders, how important are headsets in the broadcasting sector?
“At TVN, we use headsets every single day – either in front of or behind the camera. These include headsets for commentators, camera operators and directors in the control room. The quality of the product plays a decisive role in our everyday work. For example, a headset for commentators has to provide perfect sound. If it doesn't, you automatically get poor broadcast sound. The microphone should be noise-compensating to ensure good speech intelligibility at all times during broadcasts in noisy surroundings, for example in a football stadium. Unfortunately, we often have the problem that the sound of some headsets is less than ideal. The reason is that the microphones focus too much on the mid-range frequencies, with the result that there is a lack of bass and treble. This type of microphone tuning doesn’t convey very much of the atmosphere. In an ideal case, this shouldn’t occur, and the HMD 26 provides the optimum solution.”
 

How long was the HMD 26 in use during your field trial and in what kind of situations did you try it out?
“We received the first test headset from Sennheiser at the end of 2008. We used it immediately for a live broadcast in a football stadium where we connected it to our commentator’s desk. Even after the first test, I already knew that I would be happy to go on using the HMD 26. Since then, it has been employed at various locations. It was in use during the entire football season in Germany, including the championship celebrations, as well as at handball tournaments, motor racing events and several boxing matches. Each one of these outside broadcasts presented very different challenges for the sound engineers. At a boxing match, for example, the dramatic entrance of the fighters before the match is the main difficulty. When the music starts and the boxers are announced, the noise in the hall is so incredibly loud that it’s sometimes difficult to transmit the commentator’s voice in a good quality. But the HMD 26 even mastered this challenge without any problems.
 

I also gave the headset to some of my colleagues for testing – not only other sound engineers but also various sound technicians. They can often make an even better judgement of the mechanical components of a product. After all, is not only important for a headset to offer top-quality sound – it also has to be very sturdy. Headsets have to put up with a lot of abuse during our everyday work: they might be left out in the rain and then packed away while still wet, in the worst possible case with a camera on top. In spite of this, they shouldn’t break or develop faults.”
  

What particularly impressed you about the HMD 26?
“Compared to the predecessor model, I think it is the microphone that has changed the most. The sound has been matched to that of the HMD 25 for the most part but with much higher noise attenuation. This has the advantage of achieving very high speech intelligibility – even when the commentator is talking quietly. This is very important because no commentator wants to speak at the same volume all the time but instead wants to convey emotions. There have also been some changes to the directional characteristics. It is usually very difficult to have a high level of directivity while at the same time obtaining good, broadcast-quality sound. The HMD 26 solves this problem perfectly with its hyper-cardioid pick-up pattern.
 

Even small details play a major role in the sound quality – for example, a good windshield. As it’s usually very windy in the stadium, this often has an influence on the quality of the sound. Of course, you can limit the frequency response of a microphone to prevent it from transmitting wind noise, but ideally you want both: optimum protection against wind noise and a wide frequency response. The HMD 26 is outstanding in this respect.
  

I also like the way that the cable can be easily replaced. Headsets are subject to strong mechanical wear, so it often happens that the cable breaks directly at the plug. If you have to send it back to the manufacturer’s to be repaired, it’s out of operation for a long time and, of course, you also have additional costs.”
  

Would you recommend the new headset to others?
“If someone asks me what I think about a certain product, I usually say: ‘Test it yourself first’. Then you can talk about it afterwards without someone being biased. So far, I’ve only had positive feedback on the HMD 26 from other sound engineers. They have all praised its sound quality in particular.
  

Commentators who have worn the headset for several hours have been impressed not only by the good sound quality but also by the high level of passive noise attenuation and the excellent wearing comfort. They also frequently made use of the possibility to swivel the ear cup on one side. Although commentators usually wear the headset with both ear cups in place, the ‘flip-away’ function is very convenient as it allows them to determine how much of the surrounding atmosphere they want to take in.
  

Of course, the price is also important, but by that I particularly mean the price-performance ratio. A lot of manufacturers offer somewhat cheaper products. But for us, quality is the first priority, because in the broadcasting sector we need equipment that is 100% reliable at all times in spite of the tough demands of everyday use. I am totally convinced by the production quality of Sennheiser products.
    

For that reason, we not only use various Sennheiser headsets but also wireless equipment such as the 3000 and 5000 Series as well as the MKH 416, MKH 418-S, MKH 60 and MKH 70 ambience microphones. Our equipment also includes ME 102, ME 104 and MKE 2 clip-on microphones. I’ve also tested the new MKE 1.
  

The quality of service is also extremely important. I’ve been working at TVN for ten years now and we have always had a very good relationship with Sennheiser. All kinds of projects arrive on our desks – Olympic Games, cooking shows, concert recordings – and the Sennheiser team is always there to help. Even when preparations are very complex or when projects sometimes don’t work out. And of course, it’s also nice to see one’s own feedback being included in the further development of a product – after all, we are among those who can best judge the quality of a headset.”

The Sennheiser Group, with its headquarters in Wedemark near Hanover, Germany, is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of microphones, headphones and wireless transmission systems. The family-owned company, which was established in 1945, recorded sales of over €385 million in 2008. Sennheiser employs more than 2,100 people worldwide, around 55% of whom are in Germany. Sennheiser has manufacturing plants in Germany, Ireland and the USA, and is represented worldwide by subsidiaries in France, Great Britain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark (Nordic), Russia, Hong Kong, India, Singapore, Japan, China, Canada, Mexico and the USA, as well as by long-term trading partners in many other countries. Also part of the Sennheiser Group are Georg Neumann GmbH, Berlin (studio microphones), and the joint venture Sennheiser Communications A/S (headsets for PCs, offices and call centres).

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You can find all the latest information on Sennheiser or TVN by visiting the websites www.sennheiser.com and www.tvn.de.

Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG
Press and Public Relations
Edelgard Marquardt
Am Labor 1 • 30900 Wedemark
Tel  +49 (51 30) 600 - 329
Fax +49 (51 30) 600 - 295
edelgard.marquardt@sennheiser.com