omnidirectional

Hollyland Lark M1 – Wireless Lavalier Review

Hollyland Lark M1 – Wireless Lavalier Review
9.4/10

Hollyland Lark M1 is a very compact set of wireless lavalier clip-on mics. It comes with a charging case and it’s capable of broadcasting both microphone channels independently via stereo 3.5mm output. Both transmitters and the reciever are light weight and minimalistic, yet provide all the vital features such as switchable noise reduction, stereo/ mixed output mode, volume boost and LED status indicators. Extremely small footprint along with an attractive price tag almost makes you…

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Rode Wireless GO II review

Rode Wireless GO II review
9.2/10

Rode Wireless GO II is an excellent miniature professional wireless system consisting of two (2) transmitters, 3.5mm output and an on-board recorder. It is a successor to a highly successful first generation of GO with more features added to it, although the audio quality of both is same. Transmitters or the body packs have built-in mics to get you started, but more often than not, it is used with plug-in lavalier mics. Any generic 3.5mm…

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Pixel Voical Lark X – Wireless Lavalier System Review

Pixel Voical Lark X – Wireless Lavalier System Review
7.5/10

Pixel Voical Lark is a wireless system consisting of two lavalier mic transmitters, a receiver and a portable charger box. It doesn’t have many features: a single volume control for both mics, outputted as single channel via 3.5mm TRRS connector. Then there is a noise reduction mode, which can be enabled individually on each transmitter. Finally, it delivers a real-time monitoring for headphones, and an additional input for mix-in; the headphone amplifier is quite powerful….

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Pixel Finch lavalier mic for iPhone review

Pixel Finch lavalier mic for iPhone review
8.5/10

Pixel Finch lavalier microphone is a very decent and affordable solution for iPhone and iPad users. The biggest advantage is high build quality and cable length. The cable is a single loop and plugs straight to your phone. It is much more reliable than using any adaptors and extensions required for use with other lapel mics. In terms of sound quality it can be compared to entry lavaliers from mainstream brands, which is notable. Overall…

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Blue Yeti Nano Usb mic review

Blue Yeti Nano Usb mic review
7.2/10

Blue Yeti Nano is a smaller, lighter and cheaper version of the original Blue Yeti USB mic, released almost two decades earlier. For the most part, however both of the mics are very similar in concept and sound – not much has changed. Blue Yeti Nano is short by one capsule, so it doesn’t have the stereo and bidirectional modes, but still offers the most commonly used cardioid and omnidirectional pickups. The design has been…

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Sennheiser ME 2-II Omni Lavalier Mic review

Sennheiser ME 2-II Omni Lavalier Mic review
8/10

Sennheiser ME 2-II is a basic, entry-level standard omnidirectional lavalier mic that is mainly used with the Sennheiser wireless transmitters, such as G3 or G4 and it is included in many of their kits. It has a 3.5mm locking connector that looks similar to a headphone jack but with a female screw, which makes it only compatible to Sennheiser Audio unless you have an adaptor. In terms of quality, it’s good in a sense that…

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Sanken COS-11D Omni Lavalier Mic Review

Sanken COS-11D Omni Lavalier Mic Review
10/10

Sanken COS-11D is a top of the line omnidirectional lavalier widely used in professional broadcast. It is very small (only 4mm in diameter) and easily concealed under clothes. The three main advantages are the size, the most natural open sound and the fact that it produces the least handling noise when rubbing against the clothes. Sanken is a Japanese manufacturer with a long history and COS-11D is probably the most popular mic they’ve ever produced….

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HyperX QuadCast – Gaming USB mic /w Shock Mount review

HyperX QuadCast – Gaming USB mic /w Shock Mount review
9.7/10
Editor's Choice

HyperX QuadCast is a multifunctional USB microphone mainly designed for gamers and streamers. It has a variable pickup pattern control, a gain knob and a headphone jack for monitoring. Right on top of the mic there is a handy touch-activated mute button. It even includes an internal pop filter, which does an okay job and outperforms Blue Yeti without a pop filter. All those features can already ease life for a user, but the most…

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Cyber Acoustics CVL-2004 Rainier USB mic review

Cyber Acoustics CVL-2004 Rainier USB mic review
6.8/10

CVL-2004 from Cyber Acoustics is a fresh and valuable addition to the USB microphone market. Reminding a lot of Blue Yeti, it offers similar features and performance with one major difference – price. At the time of writing, CVL-2004 is considerably cheaper, and despite certain shortcomings, the value for money is just excellent. To name some of the features, this mic provides zero-latency monitoring via 3.5mm headphone socket, flexible volume and gain controls and switchable…

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Sony ECM-44 Condenser Omni Lavalier Review

Sony ECM-44 Condenser Omni Lavalier Review
7/10

Sony ECM-44 is a decent quality wired lavalier with a standard XLR output, which can be powered by either phantom power or a single AA battery. It has a bright response with an overall balanced sound and even if it’s not devoid of certain flaws, there is nothing particularly bothersome about it. Except two things – a very low output and a high self-noise. This produces an obscene level of static hiss, which is difficult…

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Shure SM93 / WL93 Review, Subminiature Omni Lavalier

Shure SM93 / WL93 Review, Subminiature Omni Lavalier
9/10

Shure SM93 and WL93 are subminiature condenser lavs with omnidirectional pattern. Both mics are the same units that terminate with TA4F (aka TQG) connector, designed for Shure’s wireless transmitters, except the SM93 version actually includes an additional preamplifier with a balanced XLR output for wired applications. The preamplifier module is powered exclusively by phantom power, but it drains a relatively low current. Overall, the mic sounds very smooth and as a subminiature lavalier it also…

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Shure MVL Omnidirectional TRRS Lavalier Review

Shure MVL Omnidirectional TRRS Lavalier Review
4/10

Shure MVL is a new lapel mic with TRRS connector designed for mobile devices. It belongs to Shure Motiv line and comes with a handy mobile app for iOS users. Other platform users will have to rely on third party software but it shouldn’t have any compatibility issues. This mic is also the worst from their new line and the sound quality is unimpressive at best. It does have its own strengths, for instance, it has…

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AZDEN EX503 Omni-Directional Lavalier Microphone Review

AZDEN EX503 Omni-Directional Lavalier Microphone Review
6/10

Azden EX503 is a cheap omnidirectional lavalier, ideal for home use and super low budget production. The quality is about decent: it may not be as crisp and clear as to capture all the inflections of speech but it still sounds intelligible and doesn’t make your ears bleed badly. There are issues with static noise –Rode smartLav+ and especially Giant Squid Audio Lab are way better in this respect. This is due to low sensitivity,…

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CAD e70 Review – Dual Capsule Pencil mic

CAD e70 Review – Dual Capsule Pencil mic
8/10

CAD e70 is an excellent quality pencil mic with interchangeable omni and cardioid capsules. Very natural sounding, it is crisp and has plenty of air with a nice sparkling flavor. This mic also features fine low end, which really nails the sound of an acoustic guitar. Not thin, not too deep, and just about right to handle the most instruments. There are of course exceptions: if you want to achieve warmer and richer sound, you’re…

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Audio-Technica BP899 Mini-Lavalier Microphone Review

Audio-Technica BP899 Mini-Lavalier Microphone Review
9/10

Audio-Technica 899 is a high-end lavalier with a standard XLR output, featuring a very low profile and an exceptional sound quality. It is somewhat expensive but it in no way overpriced, as it brings the best experience you can ever get with a lavalier. This mic can be used for pretty much anything: video making, broadcasting, theater play, church service, etc., especially when you don’t want it drawing unrequired attention. The package also includes a…

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Giant Squid Audio Lab Omnidirectional Microphone Review

Giant Squid Audio Lab Omnidirectional Microphone Review
9/10
Editor's Choice

Giant Squid Audio Lab is a renowned lapel microphone that works wonders in all kinds of setups. Despite being one of the most affordable choices, the quality of its sound can likely blow you away. Having a standard 3.5 mm microphone jack, it can be used with most of standard devices, including computers, laptops, cameras etc. For smartphones though, it may not be the best choice, as it will require an additional 4-pin 3.5 mm…

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Rode smartLav+ Lavalier Mic for Smartphones Review

Rode smartLav+ Lavalier Mic for Smartphones Review
8/10

Rode smartLav+ is an omnidirectional lapel mic designed specifically for smartphones. It may not be the very best mic around but it certainly offers a great quality for the price. For a smartphone, you won’t need a high-end microphone anyway. Far more important is the usability: this device requires no special apps nor sophisticated adaptors – just plug it on and you are ready to go. With this mic, you will get a substantially better…

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Blue Microphones Yeti USB Microphone Review

Blue Microphones Yeti USB Microphone Review
8.2/10

When it comes to quality, Blue Yeti would be undoubtedly one of the first choices among any other USB microphones. The truth is, nowadays USB mics are being stamped by all and sundry manufacturers. Logitech would be an excellent example. Specializing in computer accessories, they produce great keyboards and mice, and even sound systems but when it comes to standalone mics, they simply don’t have enough expertise. The best what they can do is some…

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