Hollyland Solidcom C1 Pro Review

The Hollyland Solidcom C1 Pro is a full-duplex wireless intercom headset system that operates in the 1.9GHz band. It has a claimed operating range of up to 1000′ / 350m and it is a follow-up to the very successful Hollyland Solidcom C1.

I reviewed the Hollyland Solidcom C1 system early last year and found it to be a good option if you were looking for a decent duplex wireless headset system. The audio quality was good, they were easy to operate and use, and most importantly, they were comfortable to wear. Hollyland certainly put some thought and attention to detail into that product and the C1 System was one of the better wireless duplex systems I have used.

What are they for?

On film sets, wireless handsets can increase efficiency by allowing team members to easily communicate with each other. They can come in very handy when you are filming live shows with multiple cameras, reality TV, or any type of event where a team needs to communicate with each other over large distances.

You could also use them for simple communication between a solo shooter and a director or producer, or even to talk to a sound recordist. There really aren’t any hard fast rules as to what you could use them for.

I often use headsets on my productions as it easily allows members of the crew to talk to each other when you are not close and it also means that nobody needs to shout. If you have clients on set then having the crew be able to communicate quietly and efficiently without shouting or trying to track down someone who isn’t close sends the correct message. If you want to be professional then it is also important to act professionally as well.

Wireless headsets are not a new concept by any means. There have been systems in place just like the Hollyland for a long time.

Most wireless duplex headsets tend to look fairly similar. The Hollyland C1 Pro has a nice streamlined, modern-looking design, and while it does look similar to the original there are a few subtle differences. The new Pro version looks quite different from something like the Eartec UL4S UltraLITE 4-Person System that has been available for a long time.

What do you get?

In the kit I was testing, this is what you get:

- 1x Master headset
- 3x Remote headsets
- 1x Charging case
- 4x Over-ear leather cushion
- 8x battery
- 4x Microphone cushion
- 1x DC adapter
- 4x On-ear leather cushion
- 1x USB-Type A to USB-C cable
- 1x Storage case
- 1x Quick guide
- 1x Warranty card
It is nice that Hollyland gives you everything you need. The included case is quite nice too.

Battery

The Hollyland C1 Pro system comes with NPF batteries which is a nice touch. It is always good to get spare batteries included for products like this. These are the exact same batteries that come with the original Solidcom C1. If you have batteries from that system they will work in the new Solidcom C1 Pro.

Build Quality

The build quality is pretty good considering how lightweight the headsets are. While some parts do feel a little plasticky, I was fairly happy with the overall build quality. There aren’t any real massive differences between the build quality of the Solidcom C1 and the Solidcom C1 Pro.

The headphones feel a lot more solidly made and well thought out than the CAME-TV WAERO system that I reviewed a couple of years ago.

If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. The original design of the Solidcom C1 was good, so there is no point in changing something just for the sake of it. The basic design of the Solidcom C1 Pro hasn’t changed much from that of the original.