Which Wireless Handheld Microphone Has The Longest Battery Life?

Battery life for all wireless music equipment becomes essential to a degree, even though we don’t think much about it when first purchasing it.

Although there are two clear winners in which wireless microphone systems have the most extended battery life, we made a few separate categories depending on what and why you’re interested in a long-lasting battery life mic.

Which  Wireless Microphone Has The Longest Battery Life Overall?

The handheld wireless microphone with the longest battery life is the AKG Pro Audio WMS40 Mini2 Vocal Set with 30 hours of battery life with a single AA. Most wireless mic’s battery life lasts anywhere from 7 to 14 hours, where the majority use AA batteries. There may be other manufacturers that claim their wireless mic last 30 hours, yet the users claim otherwise. 

See the reviews of the WMS40 Mini2 Vocal Set On Amazon running at $199.

Which High-Quality Wireless Microphone Has The Longest Battery Life?

The high-quality wireless handheld microphone with the longest battery life is the Shure GLXD24R/SM58, GLXD24R/B87A, and the Shure GLXD24/SM58 at 16 hours. Both of the wireless microphones use an SB902 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery that is conveniently charged by plugging the battery into the receiver. Both of these systems are of the very few that use rechargeable batteries.

See the Reviews for GLXD24R/SM58-Z2 on Amazon 

See GLXD24R/B87A on Amazon

See Reviews for GLXD24/SM58-Z2 on Amazon

Why is Battery Life An Important Factor For A Wireless Mic?

When shopping to purchase a wireless microphone, it is crucial to ask yourself this fundamental question “Will I be using this investment to generate income?” If the answer is no, and you want a budget-friendly microphone with long-lasting battery life for occasional use, then the AKG Pro Audio WMS40 is an excellent choice. They come with either two mic’s for $199 or 1 mic for $99 on Amazon.

However, if you are shopping for a wireless mic to generate income, you will need a higher quality system for multiple reasons, one of them being battery life.

It’s important to view your purchasing of a wireless mic as an investment for the most significant ROI when using it to generate income. Professionalism is critical, and when your mic’s battery dies on stage while singing or giving a speech, it is highly unprofessional. Not to mention, a cheaper mic tends to have a higher rate of cutouts and frequency interference, which is highly unprofessional as well.

Typically in a professional setting whether its a concert, an event, a house of worship, speeches, etc. there are many other things on our mind for setting up for these types of events than remembering to recharge or change your mic’s batteries.

I’m sure we have all seen a time where we were at an event of some sort where we had an awkward pause to watch the speaker/singer change out mic’s/batteries. We all knew it killed the buzz or the speaker’s train of thought as they were scrambling to bring the audience back. With a longer-lasting wireless mic, the chances of this happening significantly decrease.

Although we don’t realize it at first, a wireless microphones battery life is a very important factor. 

Rechargeable v.s Disposable Batteries for Wireless Microphones

The vast majority of wireless microphones use AA batteries. The only microphones that use high-quality rechargeable batteries are the Shure GLXD series and the Sennheiser EW 100, 300, 500 G3, G4 series. Granted, for the Shure GLXD series the rechargeable battery automatically comes with it, the Sennheiser series you must purchase a separate battery and recharge station for them which is a bit pricey.

Rechargeable batteries end up saving you money and hassle, in the long run, considering the regular purchases of disposable begins to add up. Not to mention the hassle of carrying around batteries or multiple trips to the store before using the microphone.

The Shure GLXD series uses a 3.7V SB902 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery that runs at $29.99 on Amazon. Each Shure rechargeable battery lasts about 13,000 hours of use, which is the same amount as 2,000 alkaline batteries. The battery is charged in the charging port of the receiver.

The Sennheiser series uses Sennheiser Accupack BA 2015 Rechargeable Battery which costs about $15, but the charging port is sold separately at $159 and does not come with the power supply that is sold separately as well.

If you prefer a quality wireless microphone system with a rechargeable battery and excellent battery life, the best bang for your buck is the Shure GLXD24R/SM58, GLXD24R/B87A, or the Shure GLXD24/SM58.

List Of Most Wireless Microphone Systems and Battery Life

Here is a list of the more popular wireless mic systems with the type batteries and battery life.

Important Things To Consider For a Wireless Microphone Aside Battery Life

Range

The range is an essential factor to getting a wireless mic; you don’t want it to cut out from walking too far from the receiver nor do you even want to think about how far away you are from the receiver at all while giving a speech or singing.

Diversity Level

• Non-Diversity wireless mic receivers have only one antenna; typically it’s built within it.
• Diversity receivers have two antennas that work together to transmit RF frequency to the receiver.
• True diversity wireless microphone systems are the best of the 3. These receivers have two antennas that work independently meaning if 1 of the antennas is having a problem finding the signal, the other antenna has a better chance of finding it. True diversity systems have stronger signal reliability that is less susceptible to dropouts than the other 2.

Frequency

• VHF (very high frequency) is an analog system operating between 89 megahertz to 216 megahertz. 
• UHF (ultra-high frequency) is an analog system operating from 450 megahertz to 952 megahertz, UHF has much more frequency range than VHF for higher dependability.
• Digital systems typically operate at 2.4GHz band convert your audio into digital from the transmitter, your receiver converts the signal into audio. Considering your receiver is only dealing with digital audio, it does not have to deal with radio noise or outside interference. Yet current top-quality analog systems are pretty good with canceling noise as well. Digital systems are typically raved about for better sound quality.

To Sum It Up

There are multiple factors to determine when purchasing your first wireless microphone. However, the very first question should be, “Is this meant to generate income.” If the microphone is not meant to generate income or used for anything too professional, a good option for extended battery life microphone is the AKG Pro Audio WMS40.

If you are using the microphone to generate income, the microphone with excellent battery life for a professional setting is the Shure GLXD24/B87A, Shure GLXD24R/SM58, or Shure GLXD24/SM58.

Higher investments for microphones to an extent typically ends in a higher ROI, whether it being durability, vocal tonality, ability to use more than one mic or headset with one receiver, etc. 

Battery life may be an essential factor, but there are multiple factors to look for when purchasing a microphone. Make sure you have a general understanding of wireless mic’s and if it coincides with what you are using it for. Having a general knowledge of wireless mic’s makes it easier to not under or overspend. Last but not least, make sure to check the reviews for the user’s experience is always superior to the manufacturers advertising techniques.

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