Wireless Capsule Compatibility: Which Capsule Fits Which Handheld

In this guide:The rule · Sennheiser · Shure · Why change · Buying · Picks · FAQ

A wireless handheld is two products screwed together: a transmitter body containing the radio and the batteries, and a capsule containing the actual microphone. Manufacturers sell them separately for a good reason. The body decides the radio performance, and the capsule decides how it sounds.

That means you can improve the sound of a wireless system without changing the radio, and you can standardise on one body across a hire stock while giving different capsules to different acts. What you cannot do is thread a capsule from one manufacturer onto another manufacturer’s body.

The rule, first

Capsules are interchangeable within a manufacturer’s family, and never across manufacturers. The thread pitch and diameter differ, and so does the electrical interface, so even where a thread physically engages, the capsule will not work correctly.

There is one important exception, and it is a third party rather than a cross-brand fit: sE Electronics makes V7 capsules in two versions, the MC1 to fit Shure bodies and the MC2 to fit Sennheiser bodies. Those are designed and sold specifically as retrofits, and they are covered in the sE V7 family guide.

Sennheiser: MMD, MME and MMK

Sennheiser uses one capsule mount across a wide range of handheld bodies, which is why the transmitters are sold as “no capsule” versions. The naming tells you the type.

• MMD capsules are dynamic. MMD 835 is cardioid, MMD 845 supercardioid, MMD 935 a higher-grade cardioid, MMD 945 a higher-grade supercardioid.
• MME capsules are condenser electret, MME 865 being the common supercardioid.
• MMK capsules are true condenser, aimed at the top of the range.
• Neumann KK capsules also thread onto the same bodies, which is how you get a Neumann capsule on a wireless stick.

The practical upshot: a venue running SKM 100 G4 bodies can upgrade the sound by buying MMD 945 heads, and those same heads move onto EW-D or EW-DX bodies later. The radio generation changes, the capsule investment does not.

Shure: the RPW range

Shure uses the same principle with a different naming scheme. Its replacement heads carry RPW numbers, and the wired microphone they correspond to is in the description rather than the code, so the table matters more here.

• RPW112 is the SM58 cardioid dynamic head.
• RPW118 is the Beta 58A supercardioid dynamic head.
• RPW114 is the SM86 condenser.
• Nexadyne capsules are available for the current SLXD2 and above bodies.

These thread onto BLX2, SLXD2, QLXD2 and ULXD2 bodies, which is the reason a BLX system bought with a PG58 head can be upgraded to an SM58 head later without replacing the radio.

What changing the capsule actually changes

Everything you hear, and nothing you do not.

• Polar pattern. Cardioid or supercardioid changes how much of the stage the microphone rejects, and where the monitor wedge should sit. See microphone technique.
• Frequency response. The step from an entry capsule to a 900-series or Beta head is audible immediately on a good PA.
• Dynamic against condenser. Condensers are more detailed and more sensitive, which on a loud stage can mean more spill and less gain before feedback.
• Handling noise and weight. Better capsules usually have better internal shock mounting, and they change the balance of the stick in the hand.

What it does not change is range, battery life, frequency band, licensing or the receiver. Those are all the body.

Buying bodies and heads separately

Sold separately, the two halves let you do things a boxed set cannot.

• Standardise the fleet. One body type across a hire stock means one charger, one spares kit and one set of frequencies to coordinate.
• Match the head to the act. Give the loud rock vocalist a supercardioid dynamic and the acoustic act a condenser, from the same racks.
• Upgrade in stages. Buy the radio you can afford now and improve the sound later.
• Keep a spare head, not a spare system. A damaged capsule is a cheap swap if you have one in the case.

Frequency coordination is a separate matter and applies to the bodies, not the heads. That is covered in UK wireless licensing and antennas and RF distribution.

Frequently asked questions

Can I put a Shure capsule on a Sennheiser transmitter?

No. The threads and the electrical interface are different. The only cross-brand route is a third-party capsule made specifically for the job, such as the sE V7 MC1 for Shure bodies and the MC2 for Sennheiser bodies.

Will an MMD 945 fit my SKM 100 G4?

Yes. Sennheiser uses the same capsule mount across evolution wireless G3 and G4, EW-D, EW-DX, D1, AVX and SpeechLine handhelds, so any MMD, MME, MMK or Neumann KK capsule threads on.

Does a better capsule improve the range?

No. Range, battery life and frequency band all belong to the transmitter body and the receiver. The capsule only changes what the microphone sounds like and how it rejects the stage.

Is an SM58 capsule on a wireless the same as a wired SM58?

Acoustically it is the same capsule, so it sounds essentially the same. The differences you may hear come from the transmitter’s preamp and the wireless link, not from the microphone element.

Can I buy a handheld body on its own?

Yes, most manufacturers sell “no capsule” transmitter versions for exactly this reason, and we stock them. It is the normal way to buy when you already own capsules.