Samson Airline Wireless - Anybody got 'em? Use 'em with Jems

bduersch · #1 12-26-2001, 02:48 PM

Just wondering if anybody here uses a Samson Airline wireless system. I'm pretty intrigued by the small size, but was wondering how durable they are and what the sound quality is.

Also, do they work with the recessed input jacks on Jems & UV's? I know there are two styles--the flat Fender style and the angled Gibson style. I planned on getting the angled Gibson style, but was worried that it might not fit into the jack cavity.

Thanks!
--Brent

chromeboy · #2 12-26-2001, 06:02 PM

I've had an Airline unit for about a year now and I love it. *I'm impressed with the clarity and range, I love being able to walk around the house, especially 2 flights up, wailing!

I can only use it with my JS10 and RG, because they have straight jacks (gibson style). Originally I was going to order the fender style jack and hope it would work in my JEM and JS1000, but I was advised by Samson tech support, that it wouldn't fit properly. For guitars with angle jacks they suggest the wireless units with strap packs.

Great little unit.

littlegreenman · #3 12-26-2001, 07:58 PM

I tried one in the local store, they will work in a JEM jack, but they don't fit right, they won't plug in all the way, so I would be concerned with how well they would stay in. *Also, I noticed a lot of signal loss, I wasn't impressed at all, and as soon as another amp got between me and the receiver, it was all over, just little blips here and there. *
I personally wouldn't recommend them for those reasons, but, you need to try it out for yourself.
Jeremy

chromeboy · #4 12-26-2001, 08:44 PM

LGM, I'm surprised you experienced signal loss. I gig with it, and I've never had a problem, maybe it was the power supply, i.e. battery going low?

littlegreenman · #5 12-26-2001, 09:31 PM

nope, it was brand new battery, could have been the amp being used I guess, I don't know, everything just sounded much thinner to me with the wireless unit. My biggest complaint was the complete loss of signal when anything metal got in between me and the receiver. *But, could have just been a bad unit I suppose.

Jimi D · #6 12-26-2001, 10:59 PM

I just returned one - a rental I'd had for a month. I had no problems with fitting the Fender-style transmitter into my Jems and UV, and even gigged it one night with no problems in the DBK... I returned it because it robbed all the richness and depth of my clean tone and has a slight transmission noise behind the signal which - tho' minimal and almost certainly impossible to hear in a live environment - irritated the HELL our of me

*Anyway, I had the system a long time and played with it a lot, and it does have a telling effect on your tone, but what the hey! you can probably set up your rig to compensate for the most part - which is to say ymmv, but I was not impressed in the end. I'm going to try a Sennheiser EW-100GTR unit next - more money and the transmitter's a belt-pack, but I hear it's much higher fidelity and lower noise...

Satans Little Helper · #7 01-01-2002, 04:40 PM

I have one & after a few months the transmitter crapped out (probably from getting banged on my guitar stands). It was good for practice or around the house, but I wouldn't gig w/it for reliability reasons. They don't sound bad, but I wouldn't buy another. My next wireless will be an X-Wire. *

VaiGuy · #8 01-01-2002, 06:35 PM

I was wanting to get one for my guitars (JEM, Universe, Strat) but I noticed that it wouldn't work with my JEM and UV so I decided not to. *But, however, my great parents got me a Shure UT4 Wireless System and it works like a dream. *You should see my dancing around and walking all over the place at my house! :roft:
Anyways, It works with all of my guitars and I highly recommend it to the people with Jems and Universes and other weird Jack-style Guitars. *It's my first present of Christmas that I got that has worked the first time that I used it!:biggrin:
-Shawn