PTU-2U vs. PTAU-2: 

Which Wireless Mic System Fits Your Venue?

From the successful launch of the PTU-2U series to the introduction of the all-new PTAU-2 series, Phenyx Pro has continuously innovated to offer more advanced features and enhanced performance. This article offers a detailed comparison of these two products, helping you understand their unique features so you can select the solution that best meets your requirements.

Compare PTU-2U and PTAU-2 for Your Venue

Since its release, the PTU-2U series has rapidly become a favored choice among Phenyx Pro users due to its exceptional wireless transmission stability and professional-grade sound quality. The PTU-2U dual-channel wireless microphone system, equipped with advanced True Diversity circuitry, has demonstrated exceptional reliability in medium to large venues, earning the trust of church leaders, stage performers, and event organizers. However, as the demand for superior audio performance in more complex environments grew, Phenyx Pro introduced the PTAU-2 series.

As the flagship product of the PTAU (Phenyx Technology Advanced UHF) series, the PTAU-2 builds on the robust stability of the PTU-2U series while significantly enhancing interference resistance and operational convenience. It is designed to provide seamless, clear wireless audio, particularly in environments susceptible to frequent cross-device interference, such as stage performances and corporate presentations. The launch of the PTAU-2 marks another significant leap in Phenyx Pro’s wireless microphone technology. While each product has its unique strengths, they cater to different use cases and needs.

Next, we’ll delve into a detailed comparison across five key areas: operational ease, interference resistance, display screens, sound quality, and applicable scenarios, to help you find the wireless microphone system that best meets your requirements.

Common Features

Despite being designed for different applications and user needs, the PTU-2U and PTAU-2 share some core technological features:

True Diversity Technology: Both the PTU-2U and PTAU-2 utilize True Diversity circuitry with dual-core processors to automatically detect and select the strongest signal, thus preventing feedback and dropouts. Each channel has two independent receivers and two spaced-apart antennas. The system continuously polls both receivers and selects the stronger signal, ensuring exceptionally stable wireless performance, as simultaneous dropouts in both antennas are rare.

True Diversity Technology

Frequency Management and Auto Scan: Supporting up to 1,000 UHF frequencies, both systems feature Auto Scan, which quickly identifies and selects the best frequency, ensuring clear channels and interference-free operation, especially in multi-device setups.

Auto Scan Function

All-metal Housing: The PTU-2U and PTAU-2 receivers, along with their handheld microphones, feature exceptionally durable full-metal housings, ensuring a robust and sturdy build for professional use. Their simple yet elegant design reflects high-quality craftsmanship.

All-Metal Housing

What's the Difference?

1. Operational Ease

The PTU-2U emphasizes independent control and precise adjustments, with multiple buttons and knobs dedicated to specific functions such as frequency, volume, and squelch settings. This design allows professionals to fine-tune parameters in real time, offering the flexibility and precision needed for advanced control. However, this button-heavy approach would be less effective on the PTAU-2, which offers a much wider range of features. With so many functions, relying on individual buttons would require users to frequently navigate through menus, leading to lower efficiency.

Independent Control For Precise Adjustments

To address this, the PTAU-2 integrates a shuttle jog dial, which cleverly consolidates all functions into a single, streamlined control. This design not only reduces the number of buttons but also simplifies the interface, making it much cleaner and more user-friendly. By simply pressing and rotating the jog dial, users can quickly browse and select different functions, ensuring both convenience and efficiency. All functions are accessible with a simple twist, making control intuitive and enjoyable. It's not just about managing settings—it's about enhancing every moment of your audio experience.

Shuttle Jog Dial

2. Interference Resistance

Both the PTU-2U and PTAU-2 are designed to excel in interference resistance, but the PTAU-2 represents a significant upgrade, especially in challenging environments.

The PTU-2U employs several features to resist frequency interference:

Auto Scan and Adjustable RF Power: These features help the PTU-2U to automatically select the best available frequency and adjust RF power to suit the environment, reducing the risk of interference. Users can switch to “HI” mode for stable signal transmission in larger venues or “LO” mode for conserving battery life during long standby periods.

RF Power Switch

Adjustable Squelch (SQL) Settings: The squelch settings allow users to fine-tune the threshold based on ambient noise levels, effectively minimizing background interference and ensuring clear audio transmission in moderately noisy environments like outdoor events or large performances.

SQL Setting

Despite these robust features, in some highly complex environments—such as venues with numerous wireless systems or large crowds—users have reported experiencing occasional signal dropouts even with these settings.

To address the challenges encountered in more demanding situations, the PTAU-2 offers comprehensive upgrades in interference resistance:

ID Lock Function: This feature is particularly unique to the PTAU-2. It locks the selected frequency and exclusively allows the matched handheld microphone to transmit, eliminating the risk of interference and cross-talk from other devices operating on the same frequency.

ID Lock Function

Spectrum Analyzer: The built-in spectrum analyzer enhances the Auto Scan functionality by providing a visual representation of the current RF signal conditions. This allows users to accurately identify clean frequency bands, which is crucial in frequency-dense environments, ensuring a clear and stable signal.

Spectrum Analyzer

Adjustable Transmission Power and Receiver Sensitivity: The PTAU-2 offers a wider range of transmitter power settings (5mW, 10mW, 30mW) and adjustable receiver sensitivity (High, Mid, Low), allowing for precise fine-tuning based on the environment and microphone placement. This flexibility is particularly beneficial in reducing interference and optimizing performance when transmitter power adjustments alone are insufficient.

Adjustable Transmission Power and Receiver Sensitivity

Because of these enhanced capabilities, the PTAU-2 achieves the transmission range to 400 ft , compared to the PTU-2U’s 328 ft, making it a superior choice for those needing greater control and robust performance in more demanding settings.

3. Sound Quality

The polar pattern, or pickup mode, determines a microphone’s ability to capture sound and reject off-axis noise. For live performances, a cardioid pattern is preferred because it captures sound from the front while blocking ambient noise from the sides and rear. Both the PTU-2U and PTAU-2 utilize cardioid microphones for clear audio, but their frequency responses differ:

PTU-2U: With a range of 50 Hz-18 kHz, it delivers powerful sound across a broad spectrum, making it ideal for stage performances and outdoor events.

PTAU-2: Its 60 Hz-18 kHz range, paired with finely tuned EQ, captures subtle nuances, making it perfect for live performances and studio recordings where high sound quality is essential.

Cardioid Microphone

4. Applicable Scenarios

The PTU-2U is ideal for medium to large venues, such as church services, weddings, and DJ performances, where wireless systems are not overly abundant and stable signal transmission is relatively easy to achieve. Its simple Auto Scan function and adjustable squelch settings allow for quick frequency adjustments to avoid interference, while the RF power switch provides comprehensive venue coverage.

The PTAU-2 is better suited for more complex RF environments, such as band performances, large weddings, or corporate events, where multiple wireless devices and large crowds operate simultaneously. Its intuitive design and strong interference resistance make the PTAU-2 ideal for fast-paced, complex environments.

Specification

Core ParametersPTU-2UPTAU-2
Circuitry designTrue diversityTrue diversity
Frequency rangeUHF 530-580 MHz512-562 MHz
Frequency stability±0.003%±0.005%
Frequency response50 Hz-18 KHz±3 dB60 Hz-18 KHz±3 dB
SNR≥105 dB>105 dB
Number of channel22
Number of frequency2x10002x1000
Coverage distance300-328 ftUp to 400 ft
RF sensitivity-99 dbm-96.8 dbm
Auto-scan function
ID lock function×
Circuitry design
Spectrum analyzer×
Tunable transmitter power×
Channel lock function

Conclusion

Both the PTU-2U and PTAU-2 are outstanding wireless systems that reflect our commitment to enhancing user experience through continuous upgrades based on customer feedback. Your choice between the two should depend on your specific environment and budget. If you’re working in a complex setting and have the budget, the PTAU-2 is our top recommendation for ensuring a stable performance. However, if you need a balance between cost and functionality for medium to large events, the PTU-2U offers a reliable solution that you can choose with confidence.

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