showed remarkably similar
response. There seemed
to be a slight reduction in
low end, but at the level of
60 Hz, which is below the
guitar fundamental, and
this could be explained
by a difference in the
strummer (human error). As
I said, not scientific at all,
but just interesting to see
that the measured results
were similar to what I was
hearing. All this is to say
that the U2 system should
give you response from
your instrument that is very
similar to what you are used
to from a cable.
At any rate, the units are
small and not the least bit
cumbersome. They can be
thrown into a gig bag or
guitar case. Because they
fold, they don’t protrude
when plugged into a guitar,
amp, or pedal. You won’t
need a special model based
on whether you plug the U2
into the front of you guitar
(a Strat, for example) as
opposed to plugging into
the side of your instrument,
as you would on a Tele.
with batteries. One way
of getting around the
continuous expense and
waste is to use rechargeable
batteries. Still, you need to
ensure that you have a set
charged for the next gig
or rehearsal. With the U2,
you can use the included Y
cable and plug into a USB
outlet or power adapter,
much as you would charge
a mobile phone. The U2
offers up to seven hours of
play time with a full charge,
at least according to a
number of online sources. I
played through a three-hour
rehearsal with no problem
whatsoever—no batteries
to change or charge. Just
plug these in and they
charge up quickly.
WHAT WE LIKE
The compact size and
flexibility of both pieces
of the system makes this
extremely attractive. USB
rechargeable units is a
wonderful idea, and the
sound quality is excellent.
CONCERNS
For a select few, the 100
foot line-of-sight limitation
outdoors could be an issue.
Also, while it is nice that
there are four channels
to choose from, many of
Xvive’s competitor offer
many more channels, so
there is a chance that
you could find that all
your channels experience
some interference. This
is probably going to be a
rarity, but it’s something
to consider.
One of the great issues
with wireless is dealing
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