Can you hear the difference?/WTF Lekato?

[Alex Kenivel]

I bought a Lekato WS-70 Wireless thingy on sale. It got here and it sounds bad -- noticeably muffled. Bright guitars are dull and dull guitars are .

I sent an email to customer support early in the day on my day off (hopefully to ge a return/refund going) and they get back to me when i have to make dinner and ask me to make a video showing the problem. Knowing damn well I can't just record a cellphone video to adequately capture and show the difference (likely what they were expecting me to do) I recorded a few DI signals using it, a WS-50, and cable I had laying around, made a video with the audio and some text, sent them some pictures and graffs and all that. Best I could do on short notice from a layman like me.

They got back to me and said they couldn't see the issue from my video. I think they're smoking crack. They want a better video. I think the one I sent them shows the difference. What say you?



Here are the graffs I sent them, using pink noise.

Lekato WS-70 UHF:

Lekato WS-50 5.8:

Roland Instrument Cable (red curve is the WS-70 for visual comparison):

 

[eggpl@nt]

I feel like I am to blame

 

[Alex Kenivel]

I feel like I am to blame

Just tell me I'm not crazy, the video shows a difference, and all your sins will be forgiven

 

[eggpl@nt]

Just tell me I'm not crazy, the video shows a difference, and all your sins will be forgiven

You’re not. I mentioned this in the thread I created, but I can notice a change in the high end between the WS70 and a cable.

 

[TSJMajesty]

They're definitely smoking something. And, I'll go further than that:

Had they just said, "What would you like us to do, refund your money, send you another unit...?" then you wouldn't be here, posting obvious evidence that their unit sucks tone, which is completely stupid on their part, from a business sense.

 

[aldunk]

They got back to me and said they couldn't see the issue from my video. I think they're smoking crack. They want a better video. I think the one I sent them shows the difference. What say you?

I'd say that's pretty much a night and day difference. And that's raw DI, imagine the effect that has once it goes through an amp etc.!

 

[AFKAEjay]

There is definetely a volume drop…which I wouldn’t consider a problem per se…depending on your set up. If you can add those 2db at the receiving end of your board/amp…problem fixed?

Maybe normalize the reference recordings…and then check if you actually perceive a difference in quality of sound. If not..what’s left is the decision to deal with different input lvl…which to me would be the same as when I switch a guitar…they all have wee bit different output levels I deal with all the time..

 

[Alex Kenivel]

There is definetely a volume drop…which I wouldn’t consider a problem per se…depending on your set up. If you can add those 2db at the receiving end of your board/amp…problem fixed?

Maybe normalize the reference recordings…and then check if you actually perceive a difference in quality of sound. If not..what’s left is the decision to deal with different input lvl…which to me would be the same as when I switch a guitar…they all have wee bit different output levels I deal with all the time..

My ear didn't even notice the volume drop at first. The attenuation of treble was what really stuck out to me.

 

[mbenigni]

Nearly all, if not in fact all, of these cheap wireless units have a similar LPF and compression effect. It's a borderline "works as specified" situation. Someone as concerned about tone as yourself will typically throw a lot more money at their wireless kit, or just run cable. (Basement-dwelling schleps like myself sometimes find them convenient, however.)

The Lekato is the kind of thing you buy exclusively from Amazon, so you can return it no questions asked. (Just slow down to about 20 miles an hour on your way past Kohl's, and chuck it on the sidewalk. They'll process your return and send you free socks. )

 

[AFKAEjay]

My ear didn't even notice the volume drop at first. The attenuation of treble was what really stuck out to me.

I bet that if you normalize those reference tracks…you will no longer hear attenuation of the treble…volume differences do strange things to how we perceive sound.
Graph show a wee bit roll of at the top…but that’s 20k?…well beyond what most of us can hear

 

[Alex Kenivel]

I bet that if you normalize those reference tracks…you will no longer hear attenuation of the treble…volume differences do strange things to how we perceive sound.
Graph show a wee bit roll of at the top…but that’s 20k?…well beyond what most of us can hear

Dude, nevermind the grafs and the DI tracks. It's apparent when you're sitting playing guitar through an amp. It's like a blanket over the speakers. It's like someone turned the tone knob down on my guitar. I wouldn't have gone through the trouble with the grafs and DIs if the differences weren't this stark when just using a guitar and amp.

 

[FractalAudio]

It's $40 and Made in China. What do you expect?

 

[Alex Kenivel]

It's $40 and Made in China. What do you expect?

A refund.

 

[Rock Chalk]

Well that blows since I have one on the way............I wonder if there's UHF wireless that doesn't suck?

 

[AFKAEjay]

Dude, nevermind the grafs and the DI tracks. It's apparent when you're sitting playing guitar through an amp. It's like a blanket over the speakers. It's like someone turned the tone knob down on my guitar. I wouldn't have gone through the trouble with the grafs and DIs if the differences weren't this stark when just using a guitar and amp.

As you wish…still think I’m right

 

[Alex Kenivel]

As you wish…still think I’m right

Of course you do!

 

[Alex Kenivel]

It's $40 and Made in China. What do you expect?

Does this mean you can hear a difference?

 

[mbenigni]

A refund.

Where did you buy it? Does your getting a refund somehow hinge on Lakato acknowledging the problem?

 

[Alex Kenivel]

Where did you buy it?

Direct from Lekato.

Does your getting a refund somehow hinge on Lakato acknowledging the problem?

I hope not

 

[mbenigni]

Direct from Lekato.


I hope not

Yeah, at this point I'd just tell them point blank, "I'd like my money back", and see what happens. I assume you've already looked for a return policy on their website?