Compact Receiver Plugs into XLR Input or, with Adapter, a DSLR's 3.5mm Minijack

Sennheiser has a new approach to capturing audio in camera—its AVX wireless mic system features a compact receiver that plugs directly into a camera's XLR input. 

For use with DSLRs and other cameras that don't have XLR ins, the system comes with an adapter cable for the typical 3.5mm audio jack. 

Sennheiser says the AVC receiver powers up automatically when the camera is switched on (if the camera provides phantom power) and automatically pairs with a body-pack or handheld transmitter that sends encrypted signals in the unlicensed 1.9 GHz frequency range. Thanks to two-way communication between the receiver and the transmitter, the receiver can lower transmitter power to save battery consumption or can raise it up to a peak of 250mW to combat interference. If interference is too high, the system switches to a different frequency.

"No licensing is required, the system automatically selects a suitable transmission frequency, and [it] also makes all necessary settings," said Sennheiser Broadcast & Media Portfolio Manager Sven Boetcher in a prepared statement. "That's true ease of use."

Both receiver and transmitter are powered by USB-chargeable lithium-ion batteries, and the transmitters display battery life remaining.

The system is available in multiple configurations, including a combo pack with both a body-pack and a handheld transmitter and an MMD 42 microphone capsule. That lists for $1,625 at the Sennheiser website, but retailers are taking preorders for around $1,300 with an expected June delivery date. The more basic set, with a bodypack transmitter and lavalier mic, looks to go for about $900 on the street.