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Reviews For: Heil Gold Elite Microphone

Category: Microphones for ham radio

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Review Summary For : Heil Gold Elite Microphone
Reviews: 10MSRP: $160.00
Description:
The new Gold Elite microphone is designed and crafted specifically for amateur radio communications. Ir contains two distinctly different high perfromance elements that are available at the flip of a switch to meet the diffeerent types of communications
Product is in production
More Info: http://
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00103.9
WB0OAF Rating: 2021-12-24
Well- It's okay if you fix it right! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Great Microphone- If it’s properly assembled that is. There’s been a lot of feedback that the output is too low on the 5.1 element. Agreed, It’s because the element is mounted on it’s side, so you’re not talking straight into it like you’re supposed to.
It’s also glued to the foam rubber,? which sinks down after time and push’s on the Studio element under neath, then you have a nice piece of junk after a while~ So FIX IT.

Remove the element; epoxy it with 4 little tooth picks, then the gain nearly triples when you talk straight into it and not the side of it!!Now the PRO-3 and 7600 ICOM have more than sufficient drive.

There's no effect of the Studio Element over the top that's noticeable, works beautiful, both elements!~

Picture of how I did it is my QRZ-WB0OAF page.

Now it works like it’s supposed to!
W2WRX Rating: 2021-06-05
Two for the price of one. Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I have this hooked up to my Yaesu FT-2000 using AB4BJ settings on his web site
and I'm really happy for programing it to my Menu. It has a great robust Wide audio switch rag chew or DXing on a Narrow switch for DX Contesting when applying with the processor as well or when getting out on the Air. Not sure what the others are complaining but,this New mic is a game changer.Good job Heil.............
W8GTX Rating: 2021-02-20
Excellent! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
02/19/2021: Here is an update from my 2012 review below. I purchased a new one having sold my original back in 2015 with the radio. I now use it exclusively on my FT-991A. Once again, I receive unsolicited audio reports on how well it sounds, even on FM. The original HM-31 hand mic (dynamic) was very muddy sounding on FM and required some EQing on SSB. This is a brand new version and again, very happy with the results

Using an Icom IC-7410. I constantly get unsolicited excellent audio reports and comments about the broadcast quality. Not sure about the 1 rating below?? Excellent audio response and really drives the radio well. I know six others who are also using this mike with various radios and they sound superb when the settings for the radio vs mic are right. One even has it on a 718 and he sounds good given the limited TBW of that radio. I'm using no EQ interface. Maybe it's the pipes :-)
W4KVW Rating: 2019-05-22
Does a great job Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I received the HEIL GOLD ELITE with an KENWOOD TS-2000 that I recently purchased & the transmit audio reports have been great. I now have Three HEIL microphones on my desks on booms so I think that is a good thing. My ICOM 7600 has the PR-20,the ICOM 746 has the iCM & the KENWOOD TS-2000 has the GOLD ELITE & all sound great. Another Winner from HEIL Sound. {:>)
KC6JQT Rating: 2018-12-14
Gold Elite 5.1 narrow review Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have to agree with those around the 5.1 element for narrow operation. Its pretty lifeless. Now of course you can EQ lipstick on a poor element like the narrow 5.1 although I think operators come to expect heil to provide a very good out of box mic without EQ...or close as with the full range element in this mic. The 5.1 will never compare with the original GM-5(blue ring) HC-5 element sometimes referred to as the "chicklet" element. Stated by Heil as un-manufacturable today. Find yourslef a blue ringed GM-5 (not GM-5.1) for around a "C" note and you have the excellent narrow HC-5 as well as full range Heil experience.
W7ZZZ Rating: 2013-11-24
Superior Quality Mic. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This is a very good microphone. I have a GM-5 also. This mic. is every bit as good as the GM-5, but with better frequency response. I'm using the exact same mic. setting numbers and EQ numbers that I use with the GM-5 in my IC-7410...and get equally good unsolicited reports of outstanding "broadcast quality" audio. The HC-5.1 element used in the Elite is an HC-5 with slightly wider response. What's not to like?
W0DT Rating: 2013-08-25
one okay one not Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Have had this unit for about a year or more.
The wide cartridge works very well, the narrow is crap. I called when first receiving it, complaining about output on the narrow unit and report was thats the way it is.
If you plan to use the narrow, get a different mike.
I do have other Heil mics that work Fine.
Later and 73
Don W0dt
NT4MM Rating: 2013-03-26
Great Microphone Once you Set your settings correctly Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Maybe the OM who gave the 1 review had a bad mic - happens I suppose. But, this microphone has been nothing but great for me. I use it with a TS-590S. After some time with the radio's equalizer settings, I get excellent audio reports and high avergae power out on SSB using either element - the wide or the narrow. I also got good audio reports running flat with no EQ on the TS-590, but I think that the TS-590 itself is designed in a way that Kenwood intends you to use the processor to tailor your audio as part of the AF/RF chain on transmit anyway (which helps with avergae power out).

The narrow element does appear, initially, to have less drive than the wide, but this is to be expected. Depending upon your radio, you may have to turn up the mic gain when using the narrow element, especially if you are not using the processor. For me, this is not a big deal, as frankly, if I'm not using the radio's speech processor, I'm probably using the wide element anyway for better fidelity. The narrow element often does help, particularly with a boost from the speech processor, with working weaker stations.

Interestingly, I think the correct element to use will also depend on the other side's audio set up. Usually, with weaker signals, the narrow element is good. But, I've had a few instances of working a weak signal where the other side reported better copy with the wide element. Average and Peak Power were about the same, no splattering was reported. Actually, this is what I really like about this mic - if you get your radio set up correctly (at least on mine) you can switch your voice characteristics with a single switch. This had made a substantial difference in a couple of borderline contacts.

Remember that everyone's voice is different, and the human voice is complex. I went through a lot of microphone trials before settling on this mic. The microphone type and element that works best for you will depend on a lot of variable factors, so make sure to experimet as much as possible before buying.

Could I have obtained a microphone for general usage SSB that would have done the basic job cheaper? Probably? Would it have both elements installed and changeable so easily? Probably not, but possibly. But, I also plan to use this microphone for non-ham radio uses, and really, compared to the other cheaper mics I tried, this had a truer and more articulate reproduction of my voice than other cheaper (and more expensive) options. Your results may vary.
WX7Y Rating: 2012-03-04
VERY Disappointed Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Heil has done a real injustice to the GOLD line of Microphones with the "Gold Elite" with the HC5.1 element. I have a GM-5 which is a wonderful MIC but the problem with the Gold Elite is that the Audio output of the HC5.1 element is at least half of what the wide element is and requires you to drive the MIC gain up on the radio TWICE as much as with the wide element.
With the Flex 5000 the gain goes from 13 to 26 and on the Elecraft K3 level goes from 30 to the MAX of 60 which doesn't quite make it to full ALC. on the meter.
The "Goldline 5" which uses the same wide element and the HC5 element are balanced almost perfectly.
I will be trying to return the Gold Elite and see if I can find another GM-5 tomorrow.
I Emailed Heil and they said that is how the HC5.1 Element is and is working normally
To BAD it's a beautiful MIC.

Bret WX7Y
N6NJS Rating: 2012-02-20
Great Mic Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have used this mic for a week now and my friends on 75 meters tell me that my audio is great using the wide element. I currently have the mic on my Kenwood TS-480HX. The mic gain on the radio is at 30 percent and I close talk the mic one inch away. I have used the speech processor at 50 percent with no distortion for more punch. The boys on 75 did not care for the narrow element but that would be used on DX anyway. This mic is for sure a real keeper. In a few months I plan on getting new TS-590s and we'll see how it works there.