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Wireless Guitar

Sennheiser EW-D CI1 Digital Wireless Guitar

The Sennheiser EW-D CI1 brings digital wireless to the instrument market at an accessible price point, with ultra-low 1.9ms latency that is imperceptible to even the most sensitive guitarists. The digital transmission eliminates companding artifacts that analog wireless systems introduce, delivering a cleaner, more transparent tone. With support for up to 90 simultaneous channels, it scales well for productions with multiple wireless instruments.

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Photos

Manufacturer product photography — the drawn faceplate stays true to panel layout; these show the hardware itself.

Photo: SennheiserClick to zoom
Documented outputs
22 destination connections
Documented inputs
3Based on documented inputs
Rack space
1U · half-rackBuilder checks available rail space
Power draw
5W7W documented maximum
Catalog estimate
~$599Use retailer rows for current price and stock

01 · What it does—and what that changes in your rig.

Product overview

Start with the payoff, then work through how it functions, where it fits, and the details that change a real build.

The payoff

Wireless Guitar decisions, organized around the whole rig.

The Sennheiser EW-D CI1 is a half-rack, 1U digital wireless receiver built specifically for instruments — guitars, basses, keyboards, anything with a passive or active output feeding the CI1 belt-pack transmitter. Its job in the rig is straightforward: get a clean, transparent instrument signal off the stage floor and into your chain without the tonal compromise that plagued analog wireless for decades. The digital transmission path means no companding — that familiar squeeze-and-expand artifact that analog systems use to manage noise, and that many players swear they can hear. At $599 it sits at an accessible entry point for true digital wireless performance.

Documented outputs
22 destination connections
Documented inputs
3Based on documented inputs
Rack space
1U · half-rackBuilder checks available rail space
EW-D21dB 06dB 01SETESCEW DIGITALSENNHEISER
Sennheiser product panel1U · half-rack · 5W
Function

How it works in the path

The 1.9ms latency figure is the number players ask about, and practically speaking it's a non-issue — you're already dealing with more acoustic delay than that from the amp being a few feet away. The dual BNC antenna inputs support a standard diversity setup, and with up to 90 simultaneous channels in the EW-D ecosystem, frequency coordination on busy festival stages or multi-act shows is manageable without a spectrum analyzer fight. Power draw peaks at 7 watts, so you're not sweating the power budget. The 200mm depth is shallow enough to fit most touring racks without rear-panel crowding, and the dual outputs — XLR and quarter-inch — let you feed a console and a local amp simultaneously without a split.

Best fit

Where it earns its place in the rack

This receiver belongs in any working guitarist's or bassist's rack where they've outgrown the compromises of analog wireless and want a reliable, low-drama digital solution at a price that doesn't require a tour budget. If you're running a single instrument with a straightforward signal path, this is clean, practical, and well-supported. Where to look elsewhere: if you need simultaneous multi-channel instrument wireless consolidated into a single, deeper-featured receiver chassis — or if you need integrated networking and remote control for large-scale RF management — you'll want to look at higher-tier Sennheiser systems or competing platforms. The CI1 is a focused tool, not a swiss-army receiver.

In the rack

Details worth deciding before load-in.

  • Mount it as a half-rack unit paired with a blank or a second half-rack piece — most rack trays pair two half-rack units on a single 1U bar; confirm your rack ears or tray accommodate the CI1's form factor before load-in.
  • Route antennas to the front or sides of the rack with BNC extension cables rather than relying on the rear-panel inputs directly — keeping antennas clear of the rack's metal frame meaningfully improves RF reliability in crowded stage environments.
  • Use the XLR output when feeding a console and the quarter-inch output for a local amp or tuner, so you're not chasing a signal split downstream with a DI or Y-cable.
  • When coordinating frequencies on a multi-wireless show, build the EW-D CI1 channels alongside any other EW-D receivers in the system using Sennheiser's Wireless Systems Manager software before doors — the 90-channel capacity means spectrum is available, but coordination still needs to be intentional.

02 · Know the whole path before you buy.

Signal path

Learn the route as a block diagram: source, product function, transport, and destination. Select any block to see what enters, what changes, and what leaves.

Interactive block diagramAuto-looping · hover, focus, or tap to hold a stage
Port-type signalProduct functionSystem boundary
Follow one signal from source to destination

Each block answers the same three questions: what arrives, what changes here, and what leaves.

01 · Source · selected
01 · Source

3 documented inputs

bnc + dc barrel

Arrives as
3 documented inputs
Connector
bnc + dc barrel
Signal
antenna

03 · What this product asks of the rest of the system.

Compatibility

Treat connector names as the start of the check—not the answer. These are the boundaries that determine a complete working path.

Best fit · Wireless Guitar

Use it when 1U · half-rack and 200 mm of depth fit the case.

Plan the companion path

Complete the path with upstream and downstream gear that matches connector, direction, signal type, protocol, and wiring standard.

Connector boundary

Documented connectors: XLR male, ¼-inch TRS, bnc, dc barrel. Match connector, direction, and signal type—not shape alone.

04 · Every connector, grouped by job.

I/O ports

Switch the product view and the documented port inventory updates with it—hardware and data stay side by side.

Every connector, grouped by job.

Switch panels to keep the hardware view and the documented port list in sync.

Front panel
EW-D21dB 06dB 01SETESCEW DIGITALSENNHEISER
Rear panel
SennheiserEW-D CI1
All documented ports for Sennheiser EW-D CI1 Digital Wireless Guitar
PortPanelConnectorDirectionSignalChannels
XLR OutrearXLR male outputanalog audio—
1/4" Outrear¼-inch TRS outputanalog audio—
Antenna Arearbnc inputantenna—
Antenna Brearbnc inputantenna—
DC In (12V)reardc barrel inputpower—

Showing 5 of 5 documented physical ports.

05 · Compare the decision, not just the price.

Alternatives

The rows are organized around fit, power, I/O, and system role so a cheaper unit cannot hide a more expensive workflow.

Compare
Sennheiser EW-D CI1 Digital Wireless Guitar
External unit
Sennheiser EW 300 G4-CI1 Wireless Guitar — rack receiver with SK bodypack transmitter
Sennheiser EW 500 G4-CI1 Wireless Guitar
Fit📐 1U · half-rack📐 Outside rack📐 1U · half-rack📐 1U · half-rack
Power⚡ 5W⚡ 5W⚡ 6W⚡ 6W
Weight⚖️ 1.3 lb⚖️ 1.1 lb⚖️ 1.8 lb⚖️ 1.8 lb
I/O🔌 5🔌 4🔌 6🔌 6
Estimate💵 ~$599💵 ~$449💵 ~$699💵 ~$899
Deep diveCurrent selectionFull comparison →Full comparison →Full comparison →

06 · Resolve the questions that can change the purchase or build plan.

Planning questions

Short, source-backed answers surface rack fit, power, cabling, and connection details before they become surprises.

How will the Sennheiser EW-D CI1 Digital Wireless Guitar affect rack fit and case depth?

It occupies 1U · half-rack. Its documented depth is 200 mm.

How much power does the Sennheiser EW-D CI1 Digital Wireless Guitar draw?

Typical draw is 5W and documented maximum draw is 7W.

What connections does the Sennheiser EW-D CI1 Digital Wireless Guitar have?

5 documented physical ports, including XLR Out, 1/4" Out, Antenna A, Antenna B, DC In (12V).

07 · See this unit inside a real rack plan.

Builder preview

Placement is only the start. Builder checks space · depth · weight, power headroom, dependencies, and compatible signal paths around this exact catalog item.Open in Builder
EW-D CI1 Digital Wireless Guitar positioned in a rack planA simplified plan shows the unit taking 1 rack units, with its documented connection path continuing to a planned destination.SennheiserEW-D CI1CONNECTED GEARnext signal destination1U · 200 mm deep

08 · Related gear, in the order you may need it.

Shure GLXD4R+ Wireless Guitar Receiver — front panel

Wireless Guitar

Shure GLXD4R+ Wireless Guitar Receiver

1U · half-rack · 6 ports · ~$549
Shure ULXD4 Wireless Receiver — front panel

Wireless Guitar

Shure ULXD4 Wireless Receiver

1U · half-rack · 6 ports · ~$1,349
Shure ULXD4D Dual Wireless Receiver — front panel

Wireless Guitar

Shure ULXD4D Dual Wireless Receiver

1U · 9 ports · ~$2,499
Shure AD4D Axient Digital Dual Receiver — front panel

Wireless Guitar

Shure AD4D Axient Digital Dual Receiver

1U · 18 ports · ~$6,499
Sennheiser EW 300 G4-CI1 Wireless Guitar — rack receiver with SK bodypack transmitter

Wireless Guitar

Sennheiser EW 300 G4-CI1 Wireless Guitar

1U · half-rack · 6 ports · ~$699
Sennheiser EW 500 G4-CI1 Wireless Guitar

Wireless Guitar

Sennheiser EW 500 G4-CI1 Wireless Guitar

1U · half-rack · 6 ports · ~$899

Planning guides for wireless guitar systems.

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