Xvive U8 Acoustic Guitar Wireless System

A review and demo of the Xvive U8 Acoustic Guitar Wireless System. This is a clamp mounted wireless mic that works on classical or acoustic guitars.

Learn more or See Buying Options at the Xvive Website

Or Buy it at Long & McQuade

I had a great time testing out the Xvive U8 Acoustic Guitar Wireless System. There were many reasons why I was interested in this product. Using a real microphone for playing gigs is very desirable as it produces a much more natural sound for the classical guitar compared to contact or piezo mics. Plus, the wireless aspect is very interesting, especially in a setting where movability is an issue (although classical guitarists are usually pretty static). Below you can see my video review or see it at YouTube as well as more thoughts and media.

My Video Review

Pros

  • Amazing usability: The clamp works great and takes only seconds to place on the guitar. It’s padded so I don’t worry much about damage. There are only two buttons! So clamp it on, push the on button, and you’re ready to play.
  • Natural sound: Compared to contact mics and piezos an actual mic sounds so much more natural. I’m not saying it sounds perfect, but it does sound way more natural. Piezos sound like electric-classical guitars with a real different tone. This sounds like my guitar (very close mic’d of course). Contact and piezo pickups don’t pick up sound from around you which is very helpful in close-proximity gigs but they also don’t have the ability to change the sound as much as a directional mic that you can experiment with.
  • Wireless: Very cool to be wireless. I mean, for static classical guitar it actually doesn’t make a huge difference to me but kind of neat to not have cables around.
  • Very directional mic and gooseneck: This is good as you can either direct it at the sound hole for tons of loud signal or away to reduce right hand noise or an unnatural close mic sound.
  • Channel selector: Finding the right channel is essential. There are 6 channels and I found testing each one that channel 4 was much less noise in my studio room. Very important feature!

Concerns

  • I noticed some white noise: Maybe this is just because my room full of electronics (recording gear, spot lights, tube lights, chargers, cameras) but it’s certainly there. This wouldn’t bother me too much in a live setup since the guitar sound is so much louder. In the studio (through my interface) I could hear it quite a bit, although I was able to almost get rid of it with post-EQ. Not a huge deal but you should know that it’s definately there.
  • Bass rumble: I did notice the mic was having a little trouble with bass rumbling but I found that mounting on the lower bout was really helpful for this. I kind of show this in the video but experimenting is key to this issue. Modern high-end classical guitars vibrate a lot and so maybe it was even happening through the mount itself.
  • The receiver is an XLR out so all you people with guitar amps without a mic input should keep this in mind. Maybe there are adapters you can get.

Conclusion

I love the usability of the U8, it’s so easy to setup in seconds and worked great. The sound is much more natural than any contact or piezo mic but did come with some noise and bass rumble (maybe in part due to my setup). Ongoing experimentation is key to finding the best sound with the device and your personal setup. I’d be curious if a wired system would be quieter but then again, the wireless aspect is very cool and might be an essential buying point for many guitarists. Very interesting product and nice design overall. I’m excited to keep experimenting with it and trying it out in different environments.

Promo

Xvive Promotional Introduction via their YouTube.

Specs

See way more specifications at the Xvive U8 page.

  • Receiver uses an XLR output
  • 2.4 GHz wireless system with a 142 dB SPL supercardioid microphone
  • High-resolution 24-bit/48 kHz audio, less than 5 ms latency
  • 20 Hz – 20 kHz frequency response
  • Dynamic range of 108 dB, signal-to-noise ratio of 108 dB
  • Up to 5 hours of battery life
  • 6 wireless channels
  • Wireless range: up to 90 feet (27 m)
  • Includes transmitter, receiver, microphone, clip, USB-C cable, foam windscreen and fur windshield, carry case

Pics

Xvive U8
Xvive U8 Guitar Side
Xvive U8 Guitar Front
Xvive U8 Kit
Xvive U8 Case
Bradford Werner
Bradford Werner

Bradford Werner is a classical guitarist and music publisher from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. He originally created this site for his students at the Victoria Conservatory of Music but now shares content worldwide. Curating guitar content helps students absorb the culture, musical ideas, and technique of the classical guitar. Bradford also has a YouTube channel with over 94,000 subscribers and 13 million views. He taught classical guitar at the Victoria Conservatory of Music for 16 years and freelanced in Greater Victoria for 20 years and now dedicates much of his time curating content online and helping connect the classical guitar community. See more at his personal website.

4 Comments

Ask a Question or Leave a Positive Comment

  1. Xvive makes some pretty decent products for their price range. The downside is that they operate on the 2.4 GHz frequency. I have their IEM system which works on the same band. Unfortunately, this is the same frequency as wireless internet modems. If you are performing in an area that is using their wifi and anywhere from moderately to considerably heavy at that time you will end up having the potential for the system to drop out on you at times. I think this product would be a great if they released a 5.8GHZ version.

  2. Unfortunately, I’m not entirely convinced – you can hear every touch of the instrument and a clear white noise during pauses in playing …

  3. Is there some compressor or automatic gain control somewhere involved? It sounds like the noise floor increases in the silent parts.

    • I noticed that as well, not sure. I don’t have any compression on and the I don’t believe the device has it. I noticed it both through the amp while playing without monitors on or headphones as well as through the interface so I don’t think it’s on my end. I’m very technical though so don’t put it past me that it’s on my end.