Thanks to platforms such as YouTube and Vimeo we can broadcast our opinions via the format of video. Although your footage may look great the quality of our audio recording may lag behind in terms of production values.
Your camera or smartphone’s built-in mic should capture good-quality sound if you’re standing close to it. However, as soon as you step back a few feet from the camera the audio levels will drop off and unwanted background sounds will become more dominant.
By using a third-party wireless microphone transmitter you can keep your mouth and mic in close proximity at all times, even when you’re many meters from the receiver attached to your camera. By going wireless we aren’t physically tethered to our camera so we can capture our voice from a much greater distance than a cable would allow.
This buying guide features a range of wireless mics that can transmit our voice to a receiver that’s plugged into our camera or smartphone. I’ve chosen a range of mics to suit those on a budget as well as more expensive high-end mics that have extra features such as onboard recording. Onboard recording means that the transmitter mic clipped to our shirt stores an audio file on its built-in storage and broadcasts your voice hundreds of feet to the receiver attached to our camera. If there’s any signal drop out then we can replace the problem sound using the audio file captured on the transmitter.
George has been freelancing as a photo fixing and creative tutorial writer since 2002. He also produces regular and exclusive Photoshop CC tutorials for his YouTube channel – where he has mastered the art of great sound recording in a range of situations.
The Quick List
DJI might be better known for its drones, but it also makes an incredible mic kit, with powerful on-board recording and a trustworthy wireless connection, and although it isn't the cheapest, you are paying for reliable audio quality.
If you're new to using wireless mic kits then you’ll find that the Godox WEC Kit2 is easy to use, compatible with phones and cameras, and is great value.
If you are looking for a small microphone that's big on features, then this is a shrunk-down version of my top pick that is still compatible with both phones and cameras.
The Godox Magic XT1 produces excellent quality audio from a distance and its noise reduction features are impressive. But the star of the show is the innovative receiver design that keeps the whole kit together.
The RODE Wireless Pro costs more than most two-mic wireless kits but with 32-bit float onboard recording, timecode support, and bundled accessories such as lav mics it offers more to please the professional.
This kit is available in a few configurations, but if you get the combo version, then you get the option of plug-and-play receivers for cameras, Lightning, and USB-C without additional cables or accessories.
The best wireless microphones
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The best wireless microphone overall
Most of the wireless mic kit receivers in this buying guide are connected to a camera by a 3.5mm jack (with the requirement of an additional third-party adaptor if you need to connect a receiver to a smartphone.) This leaves the receiver dangling by a cable from your camera.
The DJI Mic 2 ships with small clip-on adaptors that enable you to plug the receiver neatly into your Android or Apple smartphone, thus avoiding dangling cables that can get snagged. However, we did find that you need to make sure that the adapter is pushed firmly into the DJI receiver or you won’t capture any audio. We also had to take our iPhone 15 Pro Max out of its protective case to ensure a connection between the receiver’s USB-C connector.
The DJI Mic 2 kit feels well-built and the transmitters are reassuringly solid without being too heavy. As with most of the wireless kits in this guide, the two DJI transmitters and receiver sit in a charging case which is transported in a rugged protective carry case. The receiver has a touch-sensitive screen that enables you to dig into sub-menus to adjust properties such as transmitter sound levels.
It may take you a while to explore these sub-menus but they do give you full control over properties such as sound levels. The transmitters also provide onboard recording that you can use to bridge the gap if there’s any signal dropout. We found that the transmitters produced rich clear audio that didn’t require any post-production enhancements. From a performance and price point of view, this is a similar kit to the Hollyland Lark Max.
Read more: DJI Mic 2 review
Best for anyone new to wireless mics
The Godox WEC Kit2 is a typical budget wireless mic kit. It consists of a charging case that contains two transmitter mics that you clip onto the lapels of a presenter and an interviewee. Also in the case is a receiver that you can plug via a 3.5mm jack into a DSLR or use a USB-C cable to connect it to a smartphone. We found the kit very quick and easy to use as transmitters and receivers come out of their case fully charged and paired.
The two lightweight plastic transmitters have basic gain control buttons that adjust the record levels in three increments and there’s also a button to activate a software noise reduction feature when recording in noisy locations. We found that this feature does reduce traffic noise very effectively and your voice is sharp and clear - though it can also sound flatter and tinnier than the more bassy voice that the mics capture in standard mode. If the presenter activates the noise reduction feature it is also activated on the interviewee’s mic, ensuring consistency of sound.
We also found that the Godox WEC Kit2 performed well at a distance, with no signal dropout even when we turned our back to the camera and the transmitter lost sight of the receiver.
Read more: Godox WEC review
Best wireless mic kit for size
If you’re looking for a compact, reliable wireless microphone system that delivers professional-grade audio, the DJI Mic Mini is worth considering. I’ve found its lightweight and portable design perfect for creators like vloggers, interviewers, and filmmakers who need high-quality audio without the bulk. The system includes a transmitter with a built-in mic and a receiver that easily connects to cameras, smartphones, or laptops using USB-C or Lightning adapters. It’s super versatile and works with a wide range of devices.
One thing I really appreciate about the DJI Mic Mini is its impressive range – up to 250 meters. That means I can move freely while recording and still get clear, uninterrupted audio, even in noisy or large spaces. The battery life is solid too, lasting about 5.5 hours, so I don’t have to worry about running out of power during longer shoots.
Setting it up is quick and easy, with intuitive controls that make it simple to start recording right away. Despite its small size, the audio quality is outstanding, capturing clear, professional sound every time. While it’s not the cheapest option out there, I think the DJI Mic Mini is worth the investment if you’re serious about creating high-quality content. It’s reliable, portable, and delivers exactly what I need for my projects.
Read more: DJI Mic Mini review
Best wireless mic kit for portability
When reviewing the Godox Magic XT1 wireless mic kit it’s very easy to get side-tracked by its innovative design features and lose focus on other key elements. But let's get that unique design feature out of the way first. Unlike typical wireless mic kits, the Magic XT1 doesn’t have a charging case. Instead, you magnetically attach the two transmitters to the receiver to simultaneously store and charge them. Think of the receiver as a mini mothership to the two shuttlecraft transmitters. The transmitters stay docked to the receiver when in transit to a shoot. The transmitters then undock from the receiver and are clipped to your subject during the shoot. This compact combination of receiver and transmitters can be held in the palm of your hand, giving the kit a very small footprint in your kit bag.
Despite their small size, the transmitters broadcast excellent quality audio from up to 200 meters from the receiver (as long as you have a line of sight). This is thanks to the 48kHz/24bit Hi-Res audio technology packed into the kit’s tiny units, plus the 2.4GHz Frequency hopping system that keeps the transmitter and receiver continuously connected. The 48kHz/24bit audio spec is the same as the 7Artisans DMic-S kit featured in this guide, though the Magic X1 doesn’t suffer the dropout issues that hamper the DMic-S.
One challenge that all the mics in this buying guide face is to capture your voice without adding wind noise (or traffic) to the recording. The Magic X1 ships with easy-to-attach windshields, plus there’s a software low-cut filter to help reduce wind rumble. The transmitters have a little button that activates noise reduction software. With some mics, this can cause your voice to sound too thin and warbly, but the Godox Magic X1’s audio quality is negligibly impacted by the NR feature. Have a listen to the sound on our full review’s supporting video to hear the noise reduction feature for yourself. It’s a kind of magic!
Read more: Godox Magic XT1 review
Best wireless mic for pros
At first glance, the Rode Pro kit looks like many of the wireless mic sets featured in this buying guide. However, it has a few extra tricks up its sleeve that will appeal to professional video makers (and it has a price tag to reflect these features!) Unlike the other kits in this guide, the Rode Pro boasts the ability to record 32-bit float file formats directly onto its transmitters. This format contains so much information about recorded audio that you don’t need to worry about setting the sound levels. If the mic input levels are too loud you won’t get distorted (clipped) audio. You can also set the transmitters to use GainAssist to capture healthy sound levels (or take complete manual control if you prefer). As this kit is aimed at professional video makers it supports timecode, so you can sync audio and video assets together with precision.
As with all wireless mic kits, the Rode Pro’s transmitters are rather noticeable when clipped to a subject’s shirt or lapel. For more discrete audio recording you can clip a supplied lavalier mic onto your subject’s clothing and plug its cable into the transmitter that’s clipped discreetly onto the subject’s belt.
Read more: Rode Wireless Pro review
Best 'plug and play' wireless mic kit
If you’re a wireless mic novice then the Hollyland Lark M2 Duo Kit is well worth considering. The two transmitters and the receiver are charged simultaneously in one case to ensure optimum battery performance.
As soon as you lift a mic and receiver out of the case they are instantly paired, so you can start recording your voice wirelessly onto a camera or smartphone. Both mics have a noise reduction button. Sometimes software noise reduction can make your voice sound flat and tinny as we see with the Godox WEC, but in the case of the Lark M2’s HearClear feature background noise was reduced without compromising the quality of my voice. The kit also ships with easy-to-attach windshields to reduce the rumble of wind noise.
Unlike many wireless mics, there was no noticeable latency (delay) between my lips moving and the timing of the audio. The kit specification says there’s a latency of 20 ms but this can be considered to be negligible when you watch the footage, so you don’t need to spend time shifting the audio track by a frame or two in a post-production app such as Final Cut Pro. You can also purchase the Lark M2 as an iOS or Android Duo Kit. The transmitters in these versions have a USB-C or Lightning connector built into them.
Read more: Hollyland Lark M2 Duo review
How to choose the best wireless microphone
Any of the wireless mic kits in this buying guide will enable you to improve the audio production values of your video programs, but it’s worth considering your specific needs as a filmmaker.
If you want to talk to camera without the constraints of a hard-wired mic then consider the cheaper option of buying a version that contains one transmitter mic and a receiver. Our buying guide features the more expensive duo version of each kit which enables you to clip a mic onto yourself and another onto your interviewee so that you both sound loud and clear.
You should also consider whether you want a simple kit that lets you start recording straight away (such as the Godox WEC), or whether you want the option of viewing and manually adjusting sound levels on the receiver with a kit such as the Saramonic Blink Me.
On the whole, the more you spend the more features you’ll get - such as onboard recording for example. But even the cheapest kit in our guide should sound better than your camera’s built-in mic, especially once you’ve moved a few feet away from your recording device.
How do I connect a receiver to a smartphone?
Most of the wireless mics that feature in this review ship with a 3.5mm TRS jack audio cable that connects the receiver to the 3.5mm socket on a DSLR or mirrorless camera. They also provide a 3.5mm TRS to TRRS cable for smartphones that have a jack input.
To connect this cable to a smartphone that doesn’t have a jack socket (such as an iPhone) you’ll need to buy an add adaptor cable. A 3.5mm to USB-C adaptor will let you connect the receiver to an Android smartphone (plus the iPhone 15 Pro line). If you have an older iPhone then you can buy a 3.5mm to Lightning connector.
The DJI Mic ships with connectors for both USB-C and Lightning so you can plug its receiver into your smartphone or iPhone without the need for a third-party adaptor. Adaptors are relatively cheap. Here’s the one I used to connect my mics to older iPhone models. When you plug the adaptor into an iPhone you’ll be asked if you’re connecting headphones or another device to the cable. Tap ‘other device’ or your iPhone won’t recognize the mic. You can also buy a 3.5mm to USB-C versions for iPhone 15 and Android phones.
How easy is it to attach windshields to transmitters?
Some mics (such as the Saramonic BlinkMe) have windshields with a push-and-twist connector. When I first encountered this design I didn’t know about the ‘twist’, so I struggled for ages to push the windshield onto the transmitter. Most mics in this review have a larger rubber mount that slots nicely and easily over the top of the transmitter.
How we test the best wireless mics
When choosing mic kits for this buying guide we tried to be topical, so the majority of our recommendations were released in 2023 with the exception of the DJI Mic from 2022. This wireless mic buying guide has been completely refreshed with new recommendations, and new models are added regularly.
We tend to get offered test units to play with before they are released which helps us keep up to speed with the latest technologies such as noise reduction and onboard recording. We’ve also aimed to include a range of different manufacturers and prices to suit a range of budgets.
I’ve been recording sound professionally since the late 1980s and the younger me would be astonished by the quality and range of modern wireless mic kits, especially as I’m no longer tethered by a lavalier clip mic’s cable which is hardwired to my camera! These digital days we’re all spoilt for choice when it comes to wireless mics as you can see from this buying guide’s candidates.
Testing is the fun bit. From the supporting videos in the full reviews, you’ll see that I like to test wireless mics in a wide range of locations, from wind-swept hills to noisy city centers. This enables me to discover how effective a kit’s physical windshields and the software noise cancellation features are. With wireless mics, I like to see how far I can get before the signal drops out, especially when the transmitter loses line of sight with the receiver. Because I test the mics with a top-of-the-range iPhone (the Godox WEC mic was recorded on an iPhone 15 Pro Max) I do get nervous when I’m around 60 meters away from the iPhone - especially when I’ve left it perched on a wall in a busy city location!
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