Does anybody has a really professional wall listening device?

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WilliFohl23
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Posts: 2
Joined: 30 Jun 2023 01:44

Re: Does anybody has a really professional wall listening device?

Post by WilliFohl23 »

Nearly 3 years later, a new question :)

Does anyone know a good but small mic to go through/into walls?
And yes, I need to go into, the stethoscope solutions dont work here.

Thx in advance
mjj9994
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Joined: 20 Dec 2005 23:06
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Re: Does anybody has a really professional wall listening device?

Post by mjj9994 »

The electret condensor mics are pretty small (about 3-4mm across) but you will probably be getting a lot of unwanted sounds from the environment (electrical humm, water in pipes, echos from conversations and noise from other rooms, etc.) if you are just sticking it in the wall and not drilling through to room on the other side. If you are drilling all the way through to the other side and the mic is in the "target room" may work out okay.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FGV867M
WilliFohl23
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Posts: 2
Joined: 30 Jun 2023 01:44

Re: Does anybody has a really professional wall listening device?

Post by WilliFohl23 »

mjj9994 wrote: 30 May 2024 16:43 The electret condensor mics are pretty small (about 3-4mm across) but you will probably be getting a lot of unwanted sounds from the environment (electrical humm, water in pipes, echos from conversations and noise from other rooms, etc.) if you are just sticking it in the wall and not drilling through to room on the other side. If you are drilling all the way through to the other side and the mic is in the "target room" may work out okay.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FGV867M
Thx, but that's too complicated for me. And the length of the cable needs to be longer anyway.
zmoon01
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Joined: 07 Jun 2024 01:36

Re: Does anybody has a really professional wall listening device?

Post by zmoon01 »

There's a relatively cheap model of listen through wall device going around called the HY929. If you search for it on Amazon & Aliexpress, you can find it. Often referred to as a "leak detector". You can also buy a recording module for it to easily record audio. Amazon prices are jacked up vs. Aliexpress thanks to their seller fees.

I bought an HY929 from Aliexpress because it was so cheap - and the sound quality was surprisingly good. At least equal to the NAD-FX3 by Nikkei Acoustics, and for a lot less money. But like the NAD-FX3, the HY929 I bought quickly developed some kind of fault where the sound quality failed completely, so now it's useless. It might have been a dodgy unit, but for the cheap price they are going for on Aliexpress, it might be worth a try if you don't mind risking $20.

My best purchase for clandestine listening in the last few years has been the Metal Marshmallow black version (high gain). Not as sensitive as a high end dedicated listen through wall device (those are around $1k+), and with a bit more noise - but the MM is still decent, if in close proximity to the target in the building. And also - very very reliable. The guy who makes the Metal Marshmallow seems to know his craft. There's a new one called the Metal Marshmallow Pro, but I haven't tried that. But, you will need additional equipment to plug the Marshmallow into - an audio interface and ideally a DAW to record and apply filtering, so a laptop would be required for mobile sessions. It does mean carrying a bunch of equipment and cables around.

I have owned a Sun Mechatronics F-999R which I imported from Japan in 2009. Sadly I had to sell it a few years later to raise some money. It was an outstanding device which seems impossible to buy these days. The reviews for the newer consumer devices from Sun Mechatronics in Japan seem poor.

And there's a load of other random Chinese devices on the market. Just search Leak Detector on Aliexpress and keep looking, you'll find all kinds of gadgets and fake Sun Mechatronics devices, if you're willing to risk $100-200.
brm3
Member
Posts: 1
Joined: 31 Aug 2023 18:25

Re: Does anybody has a really professional wall listening device?

Post by brm3 »

zmoon01 wrote: 07 Jun 2024 02:06 There's a relatively cheap model of listen through wall device going around called the HY929. If you search for it on Amazon & Aliexpress, you can find it. Often referred to as a "leak detector". You can also buy a recording module for it to easily record audio. Amazon prices are jacked up vs. Aliexpress thanks to their seller fees.

I bought an HY929 from Aliexpress because it was so cheap - and the sound quality was surprisingly good. At least equal to the NAD-FX3 by Nikkei Acoustics, and for a lot less money. But like the NAD-FX3, the HY929 I bought quickly developed some kind of fault where the sound quality failed completely, so now it's useless. It might have been a dodgy unit, but for the cheap price they are going for on Aliexpress, it might be worth a try if you don't mind risking $20.

My best purchase for clandestine listening in the last few years has been the Metal Marshmallow black version (high gain). Not as sensitive as a high end dedicated listen through wall device (those are around $1k+), and with a bit more noise - but the MM is still decent, if in close proximity to the target in the building. And also - very very reliable. The guy who makes the Metal Marshmallow seems to know his craft. There's a new one called the Metal Marshmallow Pro, but I haven't tried that. But, you will need additional equipment to plug the Marshmallow into - an audio interface and ideally a DAW to record and apply filtering, so a laptop would be required for mobile sessions. It does mean carrying a bunch of equipment and cables around.

I have owned a Sun Mechatronics F-999R which I imported from Japan in 2009. Sadly I had to sell it a few years later to raise some money. It was an outstanding device which seems impossible to buy these days. The reviews for the newer consumer devices from Sun Mechatronics in Japan seem poor.

And there's a load of other random Chinese devices on the market. Just search Leak Detector on Aliexpress and keep looking, you'll find all kinds of gadgets and fake Sun Mechatronics devices, if you're willing to risk $100-200.
Hi,

What did you think about the Marshmallow mic vs the HY929? Would you say the marshmallow would be an upgrade or is it more nuanced than that? The videos on the mic show some very nice quality audio but was unsure if it would have the same range despite a higher max gain.
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