Sennheiser Spectera wireless ecosystem adds handheld mic and ST 2110-30 module

The introduction of the ZMAN module and SKM handheld microphone signals a shift toward fully integrated IP-based audio capture for live streaming and broadcast. By supporting ST 2110-30 and Dante, Sennheiser is positioning its wideband technology as a bridge between traditional wireless capture and modern networked production environments. This move addresses the growing demand for bidirectional control and monitoring in complex live events, as evidenced by the system's recent deployment at the Eurovision Song Contest. Watch for the commercial availability of the ZMAN module in October 2026 to see how quickly Tier 1 broadcasters adopt this integrated wideband approach over legacy narrowband systems.

Sennheiser's Spectera platform represents a broader industry shift toward wideband wireless audio in professional broadcast environments. The system was first deployed at scale during the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel, where Sennheiser provided wireless audio infrastructure for the live broadcast using Spectera's bidirectional wideband technology to handle complex multi-channel RF coordination across the venue. That deployment demonstrated the platform's ability to manage high-density wireless environments, a capability that directly informs the design choices behind the new SKM handheld and ZMAN module announced for IBC2026. Competing manufacturers are pursuing similar IP-integration strategies. Shure introduced its Axient Digital ADX5D portable receiver with Dante and AES67 connectivity in 2024, and Wisdom Audio announced a partnership with Lawo at IBC2025 to demonstrate IP-based audio networking for live production, signaling that the transition from baseband to networked audio is now a multi-vendor race.

The regulatory and standards landscape is also shaping how wideband wireless systems like Spectera are adopted. The European Telecommunications Standards Institute has been working on spectrum harmonization for wireless microphone use across the EU, and Ofcom confirmed in early 2025 that the 600 MHz band would remain available for programme-making and special events through 2030, providing long-term certainty for broadcasters investing in UHF wireless infrastructure. Meanwhile, the SMPTE ST 2110 suite continues to gain traction as the de facto standard for IP-based media transport. Lawo announced in June 2025 that its mc² DSP platform had achieved full ST 2110-30 and ST 2110-31 compliance for redundant audio transport, a milestone that aligns with the ZMAN module's native ST 2110-30 support and suggests growing broadcaster readiness for IP-native audio workflows.

On the technical side, Spectera's wideband approach offers measurable advantages over conventional narrowband wireless systems. Sennheiser has stated that the platform operates across a 6 MHz bandwidth, enabling simultaneous transmission of up to 12 channels of audio within a single TV channel allocation, compared to the typical one-channel-per-frequency model of traditional wireless microphone systems. This spectral efficiency is particularly relevant as broadcasters face increasing RF congestion at live events. Merging Technologies, which is listed as a partner in the Spectera ecosystem, provides high-resolution audio conversion and networked audio interfaces that complement the ZMAN module's ST 2110-30 output. Merging's HAPI MkII interface was certified for AES67 and Dante interoperability in late 2024, making it a natural integration point for facilities building hybrid IP audio chains around Spectera's wideband capture layer.