Hands-on review: Maono Wireless Microphone WM620 Series
When it comes to describing what a microphone can do, my skill set enables me to say things like, "It records my voice well." Given my lack of descriptive vocabulary, I thought I'd take you through what Maono says before describing my experience using the WM620 series.
What Maono Says
- Perfect for creators on the go
- Low-mode and high-mode noise reduction
- One-touch mic reverb feature for voice enhancement
- Dual microphones in each transmitter, voice pickup and feed forward
- Four-step slider switch to control gain
- 6 hours of battery life and 12 hours provided by charging case.
- Supports charging while in use.
- Available in black and purple
- 3.5 mm input on the transmitter
The transmitter can be charged while in use and connects to your device via USB C. Sadly, my iPhone 13 is one of those with the lightning connector, so I reached for my trusty spare Android phone with a USB-C connection. While that charged, I plugged the transmitter into my trusty MacBook Pro, fired up Photo Booth, tweaked my sound settings, and practised my cricket commentary skills. I adjusted the microphone gain, and straight away, I could hear a marked improvement in the clarity of my gravelly voice.
To my untrained ear, the sound quality is excellent. Sadly, my spoken voice leaves much to be desired, and my dream of becoming a viral YouTuber is not to be. Through my tears, though, I noted how Maono had done an excellent job of cancelling out background noise. Outside, the wind is blowing, and inside, my television is blaring away, but none of those distractions have been picked up. Even the sound of my typing doesn't register.
I had to wait for my 3 AM online Bible Study group to convene via Zoom, and once I had the sound settings sorted on the Zoom app, I was away. The difference between the internal mic and the Maono Wireless was significant. The voice clarity really shines through. It makes me sound good, which I consider an impossible feat. I did a little experiment and reverted to my normal settings. Straight away, I could hear the TV in the background.
I like the little magnets that you can use if you don't want to clip the microphone to your garment. The magnets mean you can easily adjust the microphone's position, and they stick. In the short time I have been using the Maono Wireless microphone, I have been impressed with its sound-cancelling qualities. I haven't tried the singing function, which is probably a blessing to everyone concerned.
The indicator lights make it easy to see your settings at a glance. I have only just begun to explore the settings, but comparing the results to my inbuilt microphone, I have quickly appreciated the noise cancelling and the gain functions. Stark reality tells me that I will never use the singing mode. Having two microphones does mean that I can use them in an interview or chat setting. I can even add an external microphone through the 3.5mm jack on the transmitter.
The Maono website's NZ pricing has the WM620 at just under NZ$90. Because of their reasonable price, I would not call the WM620 Wireless Microphones entry-level. Quality-wise, they are better than that label. I really like the charging case, which keeps everything neat and tidy when not in use. I'd heartily recommend these to all of you who need to improve your sound quality when working online.
