Headset and Lavalier Mic Connectors: Which Mic Fits Your Bodypack?

Headset and lavalier mics are sold with different plugs for different bodypacks, and the wrong one simply will not fit. This guide lists the input on the main Shure, Sennheiser and Audio-Technica bodypacks we sell, and which version of each mic to order for it.

~9 min read · Updated October 2026 · By the Stage Supply team

In this guide: The short answer · The connector families · Bodypack connector table · Shure · Sennheiser · Audio-Technica · Mixing brands · Before you order · Popular picks · FAQ

The short answer

Match the mic to the bodypack, not to the brand of receiver you happen to like. Each manufacturer has its own input, and many headsets and lavaliers come in several versions that differ only in the plug.

• Shure bodypacks have a 4-pin mini (TA4M) input, and the matching mic plug is the one Shure calls TA4F or TQG. ULX-D and Axient Digital bodypacks are also made in a LEMO3 version. Order the TQG (or MTQG) version of a mic for the 4-pin packs and the LEMO3 (LM3) version for the LEMO packs.
• Sennheiser evolution wireless (EW-D, EW-DX, G4), XS Wireless and SpeechLine bodypacks use a 3.5mm jack with a screw-on coupling ring. The EW-DX SK also comes in a 3-pin version. Mics that come in both versions are sold as “EW” (3.5mm jack) or “3-Pin”.
• Audio-Technica uses two 4-pin connectors: cW (a locking 4-pin connector) and the smaller screw-down cH. Mics carry the suffix in the model name, such as AT829cW or ATM73cH.

If you need help with choosing the system itself, start with the wireless microphone buying guide. For where to place a headset or lapel mic once it is plugged in, see microphone technique on a live stage. Handheld capsules are covered separately in wireless capsule compatibility.

The connector families

There are five plugs you will meet on bodypacks we sell. Do not assume two are interchangeable because they look alike: buy the version the manufacturer lists for your bodypack.

This guide deals only with which version to buy. It does not cover rewiring or re-terminating cables: if a mic needs a different plug, buy the correct version or the adaptor the manufacturer makes.

Bodypack connector table

The main bodypack transmitters we sell for headset and lavalier use, with the input and the mics we stock that the manufacturer lists or packages for each.

Shure: TQG for most packs, LEMO3 for some

Every Shure bodypack in the table except the LEMO3 version of the ULXD1 has a TA4M input that takes a mic with a TA4F plug. Shure uses the names TA4F, TQG and “4-pin mini” for the same connector, so a mic sold as “TQG” is the one you want. Shure describes its PGA31 headset as compatible with any Shure wireless bodypack system with TA4F (TQG) connectors, and the SM35 headset in the same terms.

The BLX user guide lists the CVL, WL185 and WL93 lavaliers and the PGA31, SM31FH and SM35 headsets as the mics packaged with the BLX1, plus the MX153 earset. The ULX-D guide lists the MX150, MX153, WL183, WL184 and WL185 for the ULXD1. The WH20 dynamic headset comes as WH20TQG for Shure bodypacks; the WH20XLR is the wired version.

LEMO3 bodypacks

The ULXD1 is made in a TA4 version and a LEMO3 version, and Axient Digital AD1 has the same choice. Buy the mic that matches. The WL185M, for example, is sold as WL185MB/C-TQG and as WL185MB/C-LM3 (LEMO3 version).

For Shure bodypacks, the DuraPlex DL4 lavalier and DH5 headset come with an MTQG termination, which Shure lists for all Shure TA4F bodypacks, or a LEMO termination, listed for the AD1/ADX1 LEMO, UR1M LEMO and ULXD1 LEMO bodypacks. (The DL4 is also made in versions for Q5X sports packs.) TwinPlex adds an MDOT (MicroDot) option, which needs an adaptor. Shure does not make every TwinPlex model in every termination.

Comparing Shure systems as a whole? See Shure wireless ranges compared.

Sennheiser: EW versions and 3-pin versions

Sennheiser evolution wireless bodypacks take a 3.5mm jack. On the EW-D SK you insert the plug and screw its coupling ring onto the thread of the socket, which stops it pulling out. The SK 100 G4, SK-XSW and SpeechLine SL Bodypack DW also use a 3.5mm input; Sennheiser describes the SpeechLine socket as lockable.

The EW-DX SK is the exception: Sennheiser makes it in a 3.5mm jack version and a 3-pin version (EW-DX SK 3-PIN). The two take different mics, so decide which family you are standardising on before you buy. The differences between the two digital ranges are in EW-D vs EW-DX.

Reading the model name

Sennheiser marks the plug in the model name. Taking the HSP 4 headset as an example:

• HSP 4: 3-pin, anthracite
• HSP 4-3: 3-pin, beige
• HSP 4-EW: 3.5mm jack, anthracite
• HSP 4-EW-3: 3.5mm jack, beige

The “-3” on the end is a colour code here, not “3-pin”, which catches people out. The MKE Essential and HSP Essential follow the clearer pattern of “EW” or “3-Pin” in the variant name: MKE Essential EW or MKE Essential 3-Pin, HSP Essential EW or HSP Essential 3-Pin.

Mics Sennheiser lists for EW-D and EW-DX

For the 3.5mm EW-D SK and EW-DX SK, Sennheiser’s specification sheets list the ME 2, ME 4, MKE Essential, MKE 2, MKE 1, ME 3, HSP Essential, HSP 2, HS 2 and (SL) Headmic 1. For the EW-DX SK 3-PIN it lists the 3-pin versions of the MKE 1, MKE 2, MKE 40, MKE Essential, HSP 2, HSP 4, Headmic 1 and HSP Essential.

The MKE 40-EW cardioid lavalier is not on Sennheiser’s published list for the 3.5mm EW-D SK or EW-DX SK, though Sennheiser recommends it for the SK 100 G4 and sells it in an SL Bodypack kit (the 3-pin MKE 40 is listed for the EW-DX SK 3-PIN). If you want a cardioid lavalier for EW-D, the ME 4 is the one Sennheiser lists. To feed a line-level source into the SK 100 G4, Sennheiser specifies the CL 2 cable (XLR-3F on a lockable 3.5mm jack plug).

Audio-Technica: cW or cH

Audio-Technica puts the connector in the model suffix. Its spec sheet for the ATM73 headset sums it up: the ATM73cH has a screw-down 4-pin connector for cH-style bodypacks, and the ATM73cW has a locking 4-pin connector for cW-style bodypacks. Otherwise the two are the same mic.

• cW bodypacks: System 10 (ATW-T1001), 2000 Series (ATW-T210C) and earlier generations of the 3000 and 5000 Series, according to Audio-Technica. The AT-One bodypack has a 4-pin locking input, and Audio-Technica sells it in a set with the ATR35cW.
• cH bodypacks: 3000 Series (4th generation), 5000 Series (3rd generation), 6000 Series and the 3000 Digital ATW-DT3101. Audio-Technica says the cH connector is smaller, which allows a smaller bodypack.
• Crossing over: Audio-Technica makes the AT-cWcH adapter cable for fitting a cW mic to a cH bodypack.

The cW mics we stock include the AT829cW and AT831cW lavaliers, the BP899cW subminiature lavalier, and the ATM75cW, PRO 9cW, PRO 92cW and PRO 8HEcW headsets. The wired versions are different products: Audio-Technica’s ATM73a, for example, is the wired version of the ATM73.

Mixing brands

The safe rule is to buy each mic in the termination its manufacturer makes for your bodypack. Plugs that look similar are not a guarantee: Shure’s TwinPlex guide covers different connectors for Lectrosonics and Sony bodypacks, and Shure notes that its MX150 and MX153 need a regulated +5 V supply if they are used with anything other than a Shure bodypack. Sennheiser’s EW-D and EW-DX compatibility lists cover only Sennheiser mics. Where a cross-brand fit does exist, the mic maker says so for that model: Shure, for example, lists the LEMO version of TwinPlex for the Sennheiser SK 5212 as well as its own LEMO packs.

So a Sennheiser 3.5mm headset will not go into a Shure TA4M socket, and a Shure TQG headset will not go into a Sennheiser jack. If you run mixed fleets, keep separate spares for each brand.

Before you order

• Read the input off the bodypack you own, or its model name: SLXD1, ULXD1 LEMO3, EW-DX SK 3-PIN, ATW-DT3101 and so on.
• Pick the mic, then the termination: TQG/MTQG or LM3 for Shure; EW or 3-Pin for Sennheiser; cW or cH for Audio-Technica.
• Check colour codes separately from connector codes, especially on Sennheiser beige “-3” models.
• Reusing older Sennheiser mics on EW-D or EW-DX? Check for the gold-plated connector or blue serial plate.
• For an XLR desk input instead of a bodypack, buy the XLR version with its preamp.

Popular picks from the shop

Frequently asked questions

Which headset mic fits a Shure UR1 or ULXD1 bodypack?

Shure lists the UR1 among the bodypacks with a TA4F connection, so any Shure TQG headset fits, such as the PGA31, SM31FH, SM35 or WH20TQG. The ULXD1 comes in two versions: the TA4 one takes TQG mics and the LEMO3 one takes LEMO (LM3) mics.

Will a Sennheiser headset work with a Shure bodypack?

Not as supplied. Sennheiser mics come with a 3.5mm jack or a Sennheiser 3-pin plug, and Shure bodypacks have a TA4M or LEMO3 input. Buy the Shure-terminated version of a mic instead.

What does TQG mean on a Shure mic?

It is Shure’s name for its 4-pin mini connector, which Shure also calls TA4F. A mic with TQG, -TQG or MTQG in the part number plugs straight into Shure’s TA4M bodypacks.

Does the ME 3 work with Sennheiser EW-D?

Yes. Sennheiser lists the ME 3 for the EW-D SK and EW-DX SK (3.5mm version), for mics made from 2021 onward with a gold-plated connector. Older nickel-connector ones may pick up noise near the transmitter.

What is the difference between cW and cH on Audio-Technica mics?

Both are 4-pin connectors. cW is a locking connector used on System 10, 2000 Series and older 3000 and 5000 Series bodypacks. cH is a smaller screw-down connector used on newer systems such as the 3000 Digital ATW-DT3101. The AT-cWcH adapter cable lets a cW mic plug into a cH bodypack.

Can I plug a lavalier into a mixer instead of a bodypack?

Only in the version made for it. Shure sells XLR versions with an inline preamp, such as the SM35-XLR, and Audio-Technica makes wired versions such as the ATM73a. The bodypack versions will not plug into an XLR input.