The COS-11D head-worn condenser microphone in use

A gear review of the Sanken COS-11D HWM miniature head-worn microphone

When I first got the email to review the new Sanken COS-11D microphone, I was pretty excited. In general, headset mics are very handy. The user has both of their hands free to play an instrument, give a presentation, draw on a whiteboard or just use two-hand gestures (if they are Italian). Plus, they have the freedom to move about the stage or audience. The downside of these mics is that they don’t really sound very natural, and they can be prone to feedback. After using the Sanken COS-11D miniature head-worn mic, I don't have to worry about that anymore. It impressed me a lot, and changed how I think about these mics.

The Gear
The COS-11D head-worn condenser microphone weighs in at a mere 8 grams (19 grams with the cable). The frequency range is 50 to 20,000 Hz and the mic is omnidirectional, which I believe adds to its overall natural sound. Available in either a beige or cocoa color (I got the beige) it also has two available windscreens: a tiny grille screen and a small pillow screen. The microphone is almost invisible when worn, and very comfortable. (I tried it on myself, of course). Because Sanken designs their mic to match up with just about any transmitter/receiver, there’s a good chance you can just use the product with your favorite transmitter. The mic itself is very simple looking, but there's some serious technology poured into this small package.

The Sanken COS-11D microphone

The Gigs
My first outing was at the Santa Anita racetrack in Arcadia, Calif. The track is a great venue for shows, and happens to be just a few miles from my home. Anyway, I had a jazz trio for my event, and I decided to use the COS-11D on the trio’s keyboardist. I realize that I could have used a regular mic on a stand for a keyboard player/singer, but the player was very into having a wireless headset mic to use. She felt it would give her more freedom while playing, so I fitted her with the mic using the small metal grille screen.

The first thing I noticed about the mic is that it has a lot of gain. It really packs a punch right out of the box. I like to have ample gain with this type of mic. I simply adjusted my mixing board until I found a sweet spot where the microphone and I were comfortable.

The next thing I heard was how natural the Sanken sounds. This is a result of the omnidirectional characteristic of the mic. I used almost no equalization, and my singer sounded great. Of course, she had a very nice singing voice to begin with, but usually I have to work the EQ pretty hard to get a headset mic to sound natural. My keyboardist/singer was very happy with the mic and, as we all know, when the musicians are happy, they play better. As a result, my first go with the Sanken was a real success.

My next show was at a church camp with a half-dozen bands and the same number of pastor/preachers. We had one preacher speaking after each group. Each pastor on the stage was fitted with the COS-11D (one at a time), and every one of them sounded great. In the preaching biz (as in theatre), diction and vocal clarity is paramount, and this mic performs like a dream. Once again, I used very little EQ to achieve excellent results. I just fitted the headset mic on the next person to speak (still using the metal grille screen) and sat back and mixed. The speakers all commented on how great their monitors sounded, but I know it was just the Sanken sound being fed back into the monitors. There is no doubt that the Sanken COS-11D has changed how I view (and hear) headset microphones. Sanken has really expanded the possibilities for this type of mic. I know there are some very good headset mics available these days, but Sanken has certainly raised the bar on how a quality microphone of this type should sound.

Sanken COS-11D HWM
What It Is: A miniature head-worn microphone
Who It’s For: Singers, speakers, soundcos
Pros: High gain, very natural sound
Cons: None that I could find
How Much: $695