My preliminary findings for the new Rode Wireless GO radio mic system are not very complimentary.
I bought this system from a shop in Glasgow so my findings are based on a unit that I own. There is always a possibility my unit is faulty.
Rode Filmaker Kit = £289 (4 years ago 2015)
Sennheiser AVX-MKE2 = £690 (2018)
Rode Wireless GO = £179 (2019)
During the video review I started to notice drop out from the Rode Wireless GO at about 40 meters and decided to do my own testing while walking with the receiver attached to my camera. It does not cope well while moving around after about 40 meters and can completely drop out at about 60 meters walking to come back at 70 meters as long as you stand still but can completely drop out without any rime or reason.
I did the same test with the older Rode filmmaker kit to discover it actually performed slightly better. Having had the older Rode Filmmaker kit since new I never had the chance to use the older Rode wireless system at any distance short of about 10 feet.
The Sennheiser AVX-MKE2 out performs both Rode wireless systems with no drop out even at 100 meters from the camera line of sight.
I decided to test all three systems inside my house running through 2 double plasterboard walls and a brick wall, total distance of 12 meters to find the following…
At 12 meters all three systems performed fine.
At 20 meters only the Rode Filmmaker kit worked and the Sennheiser AVX. The Rode Wireless GO was out the game.
Surprisingly at 40 meters the Rode Filmmaker kit still worked as did the Sennheiser.
This kind of tells you once again you get what you pay for the Sennheiser AVX system is three times the price of the Rode Wireless GO but works flawlessly over distances of 100 meters up to 140 meters.
The Wireless GO uses the SmartLav+ mic and a second cable (SC3) which I was not happy about, the more cables plugged into a mic system the more chance of introducing noise or problems. Another bad part of the Rode Wireless GO system is how bad it is in sunlight to see if the kit is switched on. The internal mic worked well but the wind shield kept falling off and it is far too bulky while sitting on someones jacket.
Is it a good step up from the Rode Filmmaker kit, only if size is a problem. I have pulled my video review meantime while I send my unit back as faulty or not. Seemingly others have had the same problem, you would think a company like Rode who produce good quality sound equipment would have decided to test these radio mics before taking them to market.
Thanks for taking the time to do this.
Your findings are in line with others that have tried it out as well. It appears to only be acceptable for Line-of-Sight use within close proximity.
That way it will behave like a cheap DIY bluetooth solution and not €200 solution.
For the size and price I wouldn’t expect anything different – it’s a short range solution in a very neat package. My primary reason for not buying is the non-replaceable (by the user) battery.