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Reviews For: Heil Goldline

Category: Microphones for ham radio

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Review Summary For : Heil Goldline
Reviews: 101MSRP: 140.00
Description:
Truly, the full-range microphone for all occasions - FM - AM -
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.heilsound.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
001014.6
K6RSG Rating: 2006-05-29
GM-5 w/ TS-480SAT on HB1 is a great pairing! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The Goldline GM-5 vastly improves the TX quality of the TS-480.

With the mic set to WIDE, the TS-480's TX Equalizer must be set to High Boost. If you do not, you will TX very muddy audio. I prefer HB1, but either HB1 or HB2 will work.

For added edge, simply switch the mic to NARROW, and you'll slice through pileups and cut through marginal band conditions with ease. With the mic switched to NARROW the 480's High Boost isn't necessary.

I've had my TS-480SAT for over two years. Started with Kenwood's Stock Mic which was adequate. Then switched to a dual cartridge HM-10 (w/HC-5 and HC-4 cartridges). The HC-5 cart improved tx audio quality a bit and the HC-4 cart offered cutting audio when needed.

Last year I got the GM-5 Goldline and it's wonderful.

Rob - AA6A
(Prev AK9G)
(Prev K6RSG)
2M0GOV Rating: 2006-05-28
Excellent Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The craftmanship is outstanding as are the reports when used with my Kenwood TS-570DGE.
Very high build quality and the service from Heil is excellent... I sent an email recently enquiring about replacement ear pads for my Heil Proset and got a reply from Bob Heil within 2 hours... on a Saturday!!

BUY ONE!!
VE6XL Rating: 2006-04-16
Sounds Excellent ! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I am using the Heil Goldline microphone with HC-4 cartridge. The microphone is currently being used on a Kenwood TS-570S.

The quality of the studio element on SSB is excellent. The HC-4 cartridge works wonderful on DX contacts, it should be used only when needed (it really cuts through the static). Being able to instantly switch between the two cartridges is a great design.

For ragchewing, best reports are received when the TX equalizer and processor on my rig are off. This microphone works well all by itself.

For DX best results are obtained when I use the processor at 15db and set the TX EQ on "high boost".

Everyone hears sound differently, however the majority of operators react positively to the sound of this microphone.

The studio element also works well on FM. Do not use the DX HC-4 cartridge on FM unless you want to upset people.

Purchase cables, stands and accessories elsewhere. The Heil accessories are overpriced. Music stores are an excellent place to purchase windscreens, shock mounts and stands.

There is a reason so many are using this microphone on the air and rave about the performance.

I have captured spectrograms when using various micophone and rig settings. This information has been posted on my website.

VE6XL
www.ve6xl.ca
AF4KK Rating: 2006-03-13
Wow! It works VERY, VERY well!! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I have used a Heil Gold Line with the HC-5 and wide elements on my Kenwood 480SAT and Gold Line Presentation mic with an HC-4 in it on my Icom IC-7000 and the both work very, very well! The craftmanship is excellent and the audio sounds excellent! I even had to send my Presentation for a repair (and upgrade) and the service was GREAT! Want better audio on your signal? Get the Gold Line!!
W4VD Rating: 2006-03-09
Excellent Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I recently aquired a GM4 GoldLine dual element for use with a TS940S, for my taste the audio is great either way, rich, full audio in the rag chew mode with no processing, and with the 940's processor kicked in and the "DX Delight" element, the audio really punches thru the pilesups without degrading the audio, 2 completely different sounds and it's a beautiful peice of gear too.

I would highly recommend it.
G7PAF Rating: 2006-01-01
Well I am Happy Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Ok I am no Audiophile thats for sure but I know when someone says "HEY THAT SOUNDS GREAT" than that will do for me

I bought the Goldline GM-5 with a HC-5 insert 2nd hand from the local ham shop it was wired for the kenwood so i gave it a go on the air with my data radio (TS-450SAT) worked a few stations and then wired it up for my main radio the FT-1000mp MkV Field.

I was using the MD-100A8X and although i was told the audio was good I never got the compliments that you see written in these pages.

So out with the soddering iron and a few mins later I have it sorted.

To date i have worked about 200 stations with this Mic and i would say around 75% of all those i have spoken with have made comments (all good) about the audio quaility.

Infact today i worked a guy called dominic in Italy (IW8RQA Dominic) who asked me to give him my audio settings from the FT-1000 now this shows what kind of techy i am i did not have a clue what he was on about but with guidence from him it soon transipred that the radio was on the factory default settings and he wanted to emulate my audio as it sounded that good. now that speaks volumes in my book.

Next up i tried it on my FT-847 on FM i asked a local friend to tell me the difference between the goldline and my MD-100

His reply was "WOW I HAD TO TURN THE VOLUME DOWN"
Another local ham commented that he was tuning round 17mts and heard someone talking with a VE1 Station and just stopped there thinking that is great sounding audio.

When i gave my callsign he was truly amazed it was me but did not want to break in on the qso but waited till he got me on 2mts.

All in All I am more than pleased with the GM-5 and will be looking for a 2nd one to put on the FT-847.

while i appriciate what works well for one is not the same for another if you have a deep booming voice like i do then you are not gonna go wrong with this microphone.

regards
Bob
G7PAF / N9YGF
WWW.QSL.NET/G7PAF

W2RJL Rating: 2005-12-08
a good mic maybe not that great as some would say... Time Owned: more than 12 months.
First off, I am on 40-meters (90% of time) and I am using the GM-4 (on a boom) on my Yaesu FT-920 with NO external Eq's (W2IHY) or other external audio gear (gate/comprssion/limiters). I use the mic in the wide setting not the HC-4 element, I have the FT-920's TX audio in the #3 setting, I have also adjusted the TLSBCAR to -0.015 and have the PROCLSB to a setting of -0.045. I run some processing/comp from the radio (about the 11:30 position on the comp level) and I have heard these settings work very well with my voice characteristics (after trying several of many different tweaks here & there). I only use the wide selection on the mic as I ragchew and don't have the need for using the HC-4 but to maybe let someone hear the difference between the WIDE & HC-4 elements... Yes, I have also noticed the output level is lower than the output level from the MD-100 -- that's another reason why I runsome compression with the GM-4 and do not with the MD-100...

In my opinion, in my station set-up - The MD-100 A8X sounds better without all the tweaking that had be done. Bascially, I am now only using the GM-4 for the convenience of more space on the desk area instead of pushing the MD-100 out of my way when I need more room BUT, if I had the room the MD-100 would be back in a heart beat and I would probably part company with the GM-4

Also, since the GM-4 mic is able to be plugged into the back of the 920 and I use a foot switch, that also plugs into the back of the radio - it makes the front of the radio nicer to look at without the mic wire coming out of the front and I was even able to find a nice black plastic cap (Radio Shack) to fit perfectly over the front panel mic plug, making it cosmetically fitting to the radio look which I like). Sure, I can probably figure out a way to hang the MD-100 on a boom arm and also, make some adapters for the original 8-pin mic connector to plug into the back of the radio and still use the same foot switch and I might even do it one day as something to do when I have nothing to do - hihi....... Who am I kidding, when is there never anything no tot do!!!

Bottom line for me: it's a good mic maybe not a great mic. There are sure a heck of alot better mics and alot of crapier mics out in the market as well! Want to hear some real audio experts - tune into 17-meters and give a listen sometime. Some Hi-Fi SSB audio for your listening pleasure................
MM0ODI Rating: 2005-11-25
Love it! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Bought the HC4 for use with my TS2000 but took it back the next day and exchanged it for the HC5. I use the wide setting almost exclusively and the TX EQ setting at FP for FM and HI BOOST for DX. If I switch to NARROW, I find I have to crowd the mic a little to get the same gain. (I can't be bothered mucking around with mic gain controls so it's left at the optimum for the WIDE setting on the mic. I also bought the boom and the SM1 shock-mount. Don't know if they're really necessary.....but it looks great in the shack! Recommendation? Buy it!
K9KJM Rating: 2005-08-29
OUTSTANDING! Mic AND Company. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I now have two Heil Goldline mics, Both the HC-4 (Redline) element with the full range, And The HC-5 (Blueline) with the full range element.
I prefer the one with the HC-4 and the full range element. Use the full range position for normal communications, And switch to the HC-4 for that DX hard to reach station. These mics are the perfect match with my Icom 756 PRO radios.
But the big item is the far above average factory support provided by Bob Heil!
Any questions or glitch with operation has been promptly personally answered.
This type of support is hard to find on any product nowadays, and makes the Heil microphone line well worth the purchase price.
N4RAP Rating: 2005-08-03
Wonderful Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have two of these. One is wired for Kenwood and the other for Yaesu. This is a great mic and looks as good as it sounds. If your hf radio does an honest 2.4 or 2.7 or 2.8 kc's...you will be very happy with these and other Bob Heil microphones.

Dr. Wayne Scott
N4RAP
Paris, Texas