In mid-2024 Panasonic released the new XLR2 adapter alongside the Lumix GH7 camera.
With that combination, it’s the first camera that allows you to record 32-bit float audio directly in your video files.
But what if you have a different Lumix camera? Panasonic has released firmware updates that allow you to use the XLR2 adapter on some other Lumix cameras, albeit without the 32-bit float feature.
So is there any benefit to using the XLR2 on these other cameras?
If you already have the XLR1, is there any reason to upgrade?
Or if you’re buying your first adapter, should you save yourself some money and get the older XLR1?
Let’s find out!
First the usual disclaimer. This is not a sponsored video and I bought all of this equipment with my own money.
These opinions are my own and I have no affiliation with any of the companies mentioned.
One of the big questions is: Are the XLR2 preamps better than the XLR1?
Now, I usually shoot with condenser mics where the preamps of the XLR1 or XLR2 don’t make much, if any difference.
Julian Krause has an excellent video talking about this, so I’ll put a link to his video in the description.
Where better preamps really come into play is if you use dynamic mics. This could be important especially for people who do podcasts and use mics like the super popular Shure SM7B.
The only dynamic mic I have is a Heil Sound PR30. I rarely get a chance to use this mic, so this is finally its day in the sun… Or LED lights as it were.
For testing the XLR adapter preamps, I connected the PR30 using a 3 meter Mogami shielded XLR cable. I’ll max out the gain on both the XLR adapters to keep things fair.
And for a totally apples to oranges comparison, I’ll also plug the PR30 into a FocusRite Scarlett 6i6 interface recording directly to my computer, so we can compare the preamp noise levels there as well.
First the XLR1 adapter.
Now the XLR2 adapter.
Now the FocusRite.
Bringing the 3 files into Adobe Audition and scanning the quiet sections, we can see that the XLR1 adapter gave an Average RMS Amplitude of -65.5dB.
One thing I also noticed is that my XLR1 adapter has a bit of low frequency noise that you can see here in the spectrum analyzer.
The XLR2 adapter gave a lower Average RMS Amplitude of -68.5dB.
Interestingly the low frequency noise is not present in the XLR2 signal, which could account for the quieter signal.
And the FocusRite came in at -70.0dB with a bit of noise in the low frequencies.
I wouldn’t say this is a definitive test since I’m only testing one sample of each adapter.
My XLR1 is about 5 years old whereas I bought the XLR2 adapter about 2 months ago. Could age of the equipment be a factor? Possibly. We can’t rule that out. But from these particular samples, the XLR2 delivered a better 3dB difference in the noise floor, and it’s only 1.5dB off from the FocusRite, which I think is pretty respectable.
3.5mm jack
The XLR2 adapter has a 3rd input that the XLR1 lacks. You can plug another microphone into its 3.5mm jack which, on the GH7, also gives you 32-bit float recording from that input source.
With a camera other than the GH7, you can use -either- the XLR connectors -OR- the 3.5mm jack.
The switch next to Input 3 acts as the input selector for the -entire- adapter. If you set it to Input 1 or Input 1 + 2, then it will take a signal from the XLR plugs.
If you set it to Input 3, then it turns OFF the XLR inputs and only takes input from the 3.5mm jack for channels 1 and 2. Channels 3 and 4 remain the signal from the camera’s internal microphone.
For about 20 minutes I couldn’t figure out why I wasn’t getting any sound from the XLR2 adapter on my S5IIX but it worked fine on my GH7.
I finally realized it was this switch that was deactivating the XLR jacks in favor of the 3.5mm jack on the S5IIX.
Panasonic’s firmware page and updated instruction manual don’t mention this, so hopefully I can save some people a bit of unnecessary troubleshooting here.
Mic holder
The XLR2 comes with a microphone holder that you can attach or remove with a couple of small screws.
The XLR1 adapter had no provision for this, so you would need to find some other mic mounting option.
However, noise isolation is not very good, so you should try to minimize your camera handling noise if you attach a microphone this way.
Fit within cage and top handle
One other comparison is the physical size of the adapters. The XLR2 is noticeably larger than the XLR1. The hotshoe mount is slightly redesigned, but still plastic and overall build quality seems comparable.
Despite the larger size, the XLR2 still fits inside of the Smallrig extendable top handle, so you can use it in a rig if you like.
Conclusion
Now I’m more of a visual person than an audio guy, so apologies for the less than stringent preamp testing conditions. But I do hope that this video has been helpful if you are trying to decide between the XLR1 and XLR2 adapters.
Shout out to Daniel Patrick for the great question on my first XLR2 video. I wanted to give him an answer, which led to doing this comparison video.
So should you buy an XLR2 adapter?
If you already have an XLR1 adapter, it would make sense to upgrade to the XLR2 in two cases:
- If you you buy a GH7 and can take advantage of the 32-bit float recording, or
- If you use dynamic microphones and want to get a slight improvement in preamp noise levels.
Now, I’m certain that new Lumix cameras like a future S1H mark 2, whenever it is released, will be able to take advantage of the 32-bit float capability given by the XLR2 adapter.
So if you’re buying your first XLR adapter right now, I think it makes sense to spend a bit more and buy the XLR2 adapter. That way you can future proof yourself and be ready to use 32-bit float on a newer camera body later on.
Affiliate links:
・LUMIX GH7 https://amzn.to/4cKXFBu
・DMW-XLR2 adapter https://amzn.to/4eaa2s2
・LUMIX S5IIX https://amzn.to/4dMsOWy