Everything you need to know

Start with two questions: what are you recording, and what sampling rate can your recorder handle?

• Whale and dolphin social sounds, general soundscape, boat noise: CR30‑40 (7 Hz–30 kHz) is the right choice.
• Dolphin and porpoise echolocation clicks, ultrasonic detail: CR80‑40 (7 Hz–80 kHz) — you'll also need a recorder capable of at least 192 kHz sample rate.

If you're unsure, tell us your recorder model and what you're hoping to capture and we'll point you to the simplest option that works.

Choose based on your deployment depth plus the run back to your recorder:

• 5m: Shallow deployments from a dock, kayak, or small boat where your recorder is close at hand.
• 10m: Most whale watching and small-boat research use — enough depth to get below the surface noise layer.
• 20m: Larger vessels, deeper listening, or when the recorder is further from the deployment point.
• 50m: Deep water research, longer tow setups, or vessel deployments where the wheelhouse is far from the stern.

If you need something longer or shorter, contact us — custom cable lengths are available.

The AquaEar range uses an active design with an internal preamplifier, so yes — they require DC power supplied through the cable. The Battery Box provides self-contained power for field use. The HP-A1 Conditioning Amplifier includes power supply circuitry and is the recommended pairing for most setups.

If you're connecting to a recorder with plug-in power (most field recorders and audio interfaces), contact us to confirm compatibility before ordering.

Your recorder must support a sampling rate at least twice the highest frequency you want to capture (Nyquist theorem):

• CR30‑40 (up to 30 kHz): Any recorder at 96 kHz or above — this includes most modern field recorders (Zoom H5/H6, Sound Devices MixPre, Wildlife Acoustics Song Meter).
• CR80‑40 (up to 80 kHz): Requires 192 kHz minimum. Check your recorder's spec sheet — not all devices that claim 192 kHz deliver clean performance at that rate.

If you tell us your recorder model, we'll confirm it's a good match before you order.

Standard retail items — hydrophones, amplifiers, and accessories — can be purchased directly through the shop. Pricing is fixed and checkout is straightforward.

Custom configurations (special connectors, non-standard cable lengths, multi-channel systems, towed arrays, or bulk orders) are quote-based. Use the contact form on our Commercial Solutions page to start that conversation.

Because most items are built or configured to your cable length requirement, dispatch times vary. We'll contact you with an estimated timeframe after your order is placed. If your order is urgent, let us know in the order notes and we'll prioritise where possible.

We ship worldwide. If your country isn't available at checkout, request a custom shipping quote.

All products include a 12-month warranty covering manufacturing defects. If something goes wrong, contact us directly — we built it, so we'll know how to fix it.

If your hydrophone fails outside the warranty period, contact us anyway. We'll do our best to help you troubleshoot and repair, and in many cases can supply replacement parts or offer a repair service.

Yes. We're happy to help you work through your signal chain — hydrophone, power, amplifier, recorder, gain settings. Send us the details of your setup (recorder model, cable length, what you're recording) and we'll walk you through it. There's no charge for setup support on equipment purchased from us.