Elgato Wave DX Mic Review / Test (vs. Podmic, AT2040, SM58, SM7b)

[@Podcastage]

DO NOT contact anyone on Telegram that is claiming to be me. I am not giving anything away. They are scammers trying to steal your money and data.

[@Mr.C0ffee]

WAIT! So you are telling me that our dinner reservation for two at Wendy’s is canceled? 😠 unsubbed and reported. Happy new year brother.

[@mavericks2730]

make a review about Maono Pd400 X?

[@shortanimationz]

That shock rejection from the boom arm was painful. Your face said it all.

[@Podcastage]

Yeah, it was pretty rough.

[@FabledSage007]

holy.... this is my first time finding Podcastage, and this was literally the best review video i have ever seen, no matter the topic. wow. amazing job!

[@Podcastage]

That is so incredibly kind of you.Thank you very much AJ, I appreciate that so much. Have a wonderful day.

[@JzL]

I think Elgato designed this mic to be foolproof when used by streamers. Clear voice regardless of bad positioning, bad mic technique or horrible mix in OBS. Great Review as always 👌

[@H2KSP]

Man this mic is hella clear. I just bough it and got the elgato lp boom arm to go with it. Getting rid of this crappy Blue Yeti once and for all.

[@scooba789]

@@H2KSP How's the shock rejection when you move the boom arm, can you hear it?

[@H2KSP]

@@scooba789 I don't move it much, I love this mic. Great quality, feels premium as well

[@NolanM.]

The shock resistance was quite lacking, but I must admit, the plosive rejection on the DX was impressive.

[@Podcastage]

I agree. Good rejection there, and the roll off in the low end reduces a lot of the energy typically heard in plosives.

[@G4LPodcast]

Surprisingly I used this mic on my gamma guitar can and it sounded really good! It cuts really well in a band mix as well

[@NaoKeysVT]

I'm surprised Elgato hasn't made a shock mount for this yet. They have one for the Wave 1 and 3, which is also USB and includes their mixing software. I think they could do a TON with this mic if it got the similar treatment as their condensers.

[@zered99]

Hey Bandrew, i'm a relatively newer but avid watcher going on close to a year or so now, i've learned a lot from you and ended up getting my first major audio upgrade thanks to you. I wanted to know if you have any plans to review the Yamaha ZG01? i've recently seen it floating around and i instantly thought of you knowing the amazing detail and method in which you review this these things. And i wanted to say thanks for the time and effort you put in sharing a passion and helping others who share it while helping bring in new people like me into it with the knowledge and confidence.

[@Excaidus-Metal]

It actually sounded better in the untreated room, at least with your voice examples. SM58 beats it though for vocals.

[@pxlskee]

I'd love to see your professional take on comparing this new DX mic with Wave 1 or 3.

[@Aydarkzero]

appreciate the review! i think i'll stick with my wave 3 for a bit longer

[@Podcastage]

The wave 3 with the support software is fantastic. Absolute crazy value.

[@ZachariahConnor]

I think for people who are gaming, this mic may work. The lack of shock rejection is not good though. The HPF helps to make it not sound so muddy, but I think they went a little far with it

[@punknugget561]

Best back throw of any packaging box ever! It even left the room!

[@imjustsomeguy]

I think the upper mid is a few decibals higher than I want it to be. The sibilance is a bit sharp or the treble is a bit too high as well

[@crustywumbo2392]

fantastic review, thank you

[@tranthien3932]

Can we make throwing the box a tradition for any mic review?

[@ShaneT5S]

I was hoping you'd check this out/get sent it for the review. I hope they come out with an XLR dynamic mic because as cool as this is, Dynamic mics don't work well with my voice

[@cresshead]

excellent review

[@DTV998]

SM58..... what a beast 😁

[@Podcastage]

Still holding strong. I liked the V7.

[@stjovan]

i think my best bet is xm8500 since it osunds better ti my ears and since i am redoing my entire studio nex year i will save up for the sm7b and a cannon 700d, i bough the facecam and streamdeck elgato has me watching all day and all night.

[@Podcastage]

The XM8500 is great for the price. I hope that the saving for your studio is coming along well. Happy recording.

[@estebangardila]

I was eagerly waiting for this and the Sona reviews. I was expecting to jump from a Samson Q2U (not included in the comparisons portion) to either the DX or the Sona but now I have my doubts now. What's your take, Bandrew? Should I keep going with my Samson Q2U?

[@or10nsharkfin]

Wave DX owner here. As the Samson Q2U is generally around the same price and has additional USB functionality, probably wouldn't be worth it to upgrade to anything unless you can get a solid audio interface to plug the microphone into, or you were looking to spend more than $200 on the microphone itself. The Wave DX is just another dynamic microphone to be added to the market of choice. Voice capture on it is decent. Getting the Wave XLR along with it will also allow you to use additional filters that can be turned on in Wave Link.

[@Podcastage]

I'm going to ask you a question that you need to be honest with yourself about. Why do you want to upgrade from the Q2u? What problems are you trying to resolve? Based on my review and the other reviews of the Wave DX, does it appear that the mic resolves the issues you're having with the Q2u?

[@Arod40]

The only complain I have is that I ordered the Wave DX and they sent me the K70 pro. How do you even mess that up. Now I have to go out of my way to send back the keyboard so they can then maybe send me the correct order.

[@Leonidas909]

Daily reminder that the V7 is a king

[@1barnsie]

Agreed. I own one and use it for everything. Can't see or hear any justification to spend more money.

[@snznocmpne7542]

can you please review sure sm7b, herd it was good, thanks

[@fredoverflow]

His last SM7B review was 9 months ago: 1blmOQ0FlBQ

[@tjzuppe]

Aww, heck, another Bandrew song I wish I could download a full version of - catching some A7X vibes maybe

[@zabdielcastillo4206]

is there something better at same (or lower) price than the Shure MV7X?

[@portersblackboard]

That face when he taps on the boom arm!🤣

[@Its_lime_Nado]

The keyboard sounds might be a turn, it annoys people when they hear your keyboard, I know from experience

[@mobilechaosyt]

So your saying my Behringer XM8500 doesn't need a PodMic or Wave DX upgrade. Maybe only a Yellow windscreen cover to make it more "fun" for livestreaming. Guess I can draw a picture on the windscreen cover too.

[@Podcastage]

Most audience members would not notice a difference in sound.

[@armsby]

Yes!

[@Joe.]

That Mackie tho.. damn

[@_Sigfried_]

Sounds really thin

[@Aevyn]

Whelp... At least you sold me on the Behringer xm8500 in this video!

[@Podcastage]

XM8500 is one of the best deals in audio.

[@ssc00p]

😄 Yeah... I bought it too...

[@paulloth]

I think the Wave DX sounds a bit too Nasal for my taste and has uncomfortable high end...i think ill stick with my SM58

[@senzayyzone]

Decent mic the sound is balanced

[@TheGeekGauntletPodcast]

I think this mic is for people who are invested in the Elgato eco-system.

[@Altair4611]

Goes against the grain of dynamics being low end heavy to sound like you are on PBR

[@Podcastage]

Absolutely offers a sound different from the other dynamics.

[@joanyadhatan]

2:48 🤩

[@blueridge8992]

Ugh, that sounds pretty bad. I’ve heard gaming headset mics that perform better.

[@MrSeeker42]

Bandrèw, is someone hacking your account? Someone is pretending to be you telling me I won a black electric guitar. They are using your Telegram account Please let me know ASAP They are asking me to "pay for shipping" using a gift card.

[@Podcastage]

NO THAT IS NOT ME! IT'S A SCAMMER/SPAMMER! DO NOT SEND THEM ANY MONEY OR INFORMATION! You can see this is my official account by the checkmark and if you click on the name it takes you to my channel.

[@MrSeeker42]

@@Podcastage thanks! I emailed to your "askbandrew" email the whole sad thread. I almost lost $50. God love you man!

[@Beans113]

This mic sounds about as good as the 150 dollar head set mics, but you don’t get a head set :/.

[@theglobalzrecordingproject]

Sorry Elgato, not a fan of this one. Sounds 'average.'

[@tjhallum]

Listening to the comparisons, I think the Wave DX is competitive at this price point. None of the other ~$100 mics "trounce" it. That said, for my $100 I'd still opt for the RODE Podmic (of the mics compared). Broadening the aperture, I'd opt for the RODE VideoMic GO II because it sounds notably better and gets you the RODE Connect software. Great review Bandrew 👍!

[@Podcastage]

Thanks so much TJ.

[@KxngUnkasa5]

When they first announced it they said they wanted a dynamic mic that sounds like a condenser... I don't like it at all... And a gaming company making a mic without a shock mount is crazy lol

[@Podcastage]

They achieved that brightness, but I don't agree with their site saying that it is a warm mic.

[@ssc00p]

@@Podcastage Maybe they are listening it through blankets at Elgato...

[@RainbowCornet]

I feel like as a pro-sumer brand they should've tried to make it as beginner-proof as possible. Having good pop-protection and shock-absorbtion should've been prioritized over tone, imho.

[@Pro-K]

Elgato just a brand inside Elgato Mic is Lewitt Soul

[@RainbowCornet]

I really think Elgato should've made it USB + XLR like the Q2u. Elgato is probably the most popular brand for pro-sumer streaming gear, so a USB dynamic would make for a great entry-level mic, with a clear upgrade path to later buying their Wave XLR interface.

[@DarkCornerStudios]

You were so much nicer than me... I was grumpy I think......

[@Podcastage]

We've all been there. I'm grumpy all the time.

[@tjhallum]

@@Podcastage 😂

[@sxbarral]

Another thorough review, thanks Bandrew! I had the impression that I'd easily get fatigued if I had to listen to somebody using this mic on a podcast for 1 hour.

[@Podcastage]

I used it for a full hour on my podcast last week. It’s 51 minutes and uses the Wave DX without any EQ. I did add a bit of processing but it should give you more of a long form real world example: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o4WthIGlmriCl8k

[@sxbarral]

@@Podcastage Will check it out, thanks! :)

[@Lars-ju9pw]

Another Mic review I've been waiting to hear from you. Thanks!

[@Podcastage]

Thank YOU for checking it out Lars, I really appreciate that.

[@Lars-ju9pw]

@@Podcastage Also based on this, I don't think my SM58 is going anywhere for live streaming. :)

[@RandumbTech]

I've got the Mackie EM-89D and am always surprised how damn good it sounds - especially at that price point. Lots of handling noise in that mic prevents me from using it handheld. The DX sounds quite decent. Probably the best dynamic at the $100 price point right now. No harshness and pretty smooth. Great review!!

[@Olpossum53]

Great review, Bandrew. For my $100, either the SM58 or the Podmic sound better, if used properly. The more expensive mics are, well, more expensive, and most of them did sound better to my old and tired ears.

[@DannerPlace]

The thing sounds thin to me. Not a real contender, IMHO.

[@HarvinderSingh-yy8th]

Right.

[@craiggrella]

This review is so thorough - it's like having the mic there with you to try. nice work!

[@Podcastage]

That is very kind of you Craig. Thanks for watching, and I'm glad you found it thorough and helpful. Happy recording.

[@justsaft]

Elgato's previous mic, the Wave:3, should've definitely been on the list of comparisons since it's also from Elgato

[@RathOX]

Yikes

[@southpau]

Not a fan of the waves dx. Sounds the worst out of all the mics!

[@Podcastage]

It's definitely different than the others. I like a fuller bodied mic, but some people will enjoy it I'm sure.

[@artysanmobile]

That throw was perfection! Seriously. Second baseman was checking his phone when the ball landed in his hanging glove.

[@manirad6118]

I watch just because of your presence, you make me feel so good

[@zsgamingtv]

what is the meaning Gain you set on wave dx? how many number in wave link?

[@FranticJosh]

I liked the v7 or sm58 in the comparisons the most

[@Podcastage]

Agreed. The V7 and 58 sounded great in comparison.

[@mattwruff]

It's sad because most things Elgato does are good...

[@Podcastage]

It seems like myself and Dark Corner Studios are alone in our less than stellar opinion of the mic. Every other review seems overwhelmingly positive. So perhaps our ears are broken, it doesn’t fit for the sound sources we recorded with it, or we just have different tastes from the other reviewers. That’s why it’s always important to get multiple opinions before buying. Thanks so much for watching.

[@mattwruff]

@@Podcastage I don't I listen to Sir Curtis Judd (Ok he's not actually a knight but he should be) and a few others. As a consultant, I give my customers several choices they get to try out before buying. Most all of my customers are not so cash-strapped that price is the determining factor. I give them 4 choices (Procaster, SM7B, Ethos, Shure TL48 (hardwired or wireless) but you have to be ready to respond to someone who watched a KZbin video and now knows more than I do (I'm 63 I've been doing this for a long time).

[@j.powellnetwork]

Using a mic booster with a windscreen actually sounds pleasing.

[@Aevyn]

This mic is like the polar opposite of the Aston Element haha

[@Fory-YHVH]

I liked the Rode Podmic, I will buy it, thanks for the review

[@marcuszettergren8885]

Man, your reviews are so well made i have no hesitations or regrets basing my purchases off your opinions. Not something i do very often. Good man, sir. This mic would fit very well if you communicate with others. There is nothing more fatiguing than speaking with someone with SM7B that have’t touched the high pass filters and are trying to sound like Howard Stern despite having a voice like Jim Carrey

[@Irshaad88]

The 100$ price range of mics is so over flooded. As long as the sm58 and v7 are around, one wonders why others even bother. Thanks for another great video dude.

[@Podcastage]

Thank you very much for watching. The $100 side of things has gotten very crowded and it’s hard to compete because there are some great sounding options at that price.

[@or10nsharkfin]

Honestly, there's nothing really wrong about having choice. It'll make it more confusing to newcomers, sure, but that's about it.

[@Zidakuh]

I think aesthetics play a bigger part than sound at this point. The majority of $100 mics out there will sound just fine on at least 90% of what you are trying to achieve. Of course there are exceptions, but since El Gato is marketed towards podcasters/streamers/gamers, it will be fine for those types of scenarios.

[@MCab]

Shure sm58 still better!

[@Podcastage]

The SM58 definitely still holds up. Thanks for checking out the video.

[@FilinMXr]

An unexpected L from Elgato and Lewitt. I see no reason in buying this mic except for looks and having an "all Elgato" setup.

[@Podcastage]

I watched Harris’ video on it, and I think he nailed it. It’s going to be a full bundle (streamer starting kit). And in that case I can see it working because you’re going to be getting the Wave XLR interface which has EQ functionality in real time to adjust the sound of the mic. But for the people who are not looking at it for use with the elgato interface and do not have the ability for real time EQ, that’s where I think it falls abit short.

[@FilinMXr]

@@Podcastage that makes sense. I remember that PodMic sounded a lot better with certain Rhode podcast gear which had presets specifically made for that mic.

[@ElvenSpellmaker]

It sounds a bit anaemic in the low end but has a much nicer topend compared to the sE V7 or the SM7B.

[@Podcastage]

Definitely more open sounding than any of the other mics compared here. It made the condenser sound dull.

[@klaymoon1]

Great review!

[@cornelious2]

Not going to lie, actually shocked by how much I don't like the dx sound, sounds like you are talking through a tunnel or something. Not enough low end or texture and an odd resonance.

[@BCThunderthud]

I thought it flattered your speaking voice in many of the comparisons but wow, the electric guitar sounded bad and it didn't do your singing any favors.

[@JMqt]

does it distort when you scream?

[@Podcastage]

Most dynamics do not distort at the mic level, they distort because your audio interface gain is set to high.If your interfaces gain is set to high, then yes you will still encounter that distorting when you clip. Here's a video I made covering how to set gain and what filters to use with OBS: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fInTmXuPaaakd6M

[@JMqt]

​@@Podcastage tysm sir, I recently bought a condenser microphone and it sounds bad when I scream. Now I can't wait to use this mic on my videos

[@onevoltten7352]

Think you realy should have reviewed the Elgato Wave XLR Interface which is what it was designed for.

[@justyuriforever]

Well, he already did 😅

[@ShawnMilo]

As always, I would love it if you didn't announce the microphone names during the comparison. Maybe just show the name in the lower thing. I don't believe it's possible for the viewer to make a fair comparison in their minds because we're still listening with our eyes and wallets. Or at least mention the mic and price at the very end.

[@SecretlySeven]

Ever considered when you compare other mics comparing against their weakness. I can EQ to where they sound indiscernible on stream. What I can't do is remove the sound of repositioning my mouse or using the keyboard. The most important issue for any mic for me is how little sound other than a pointed voice it's going to pick up. I love everything about this mic but it seems to suffer at shock and noise. I remember you review the King Bee you can't even get anymore and there was absolutely zero shock but a lot of noise. I would think a lot of creators have the same concerns or maybe I'm on an island lol.

[@Tarkov.]

Kinda gross that they're trying to bundle these with an overpriced XLR cable

[@xDaveN]

Hey there! Great review once again, really appreciate it. I'm about to purchase my first mic up to ~150$ for purely spoken word, looking for that rather podcasty sound, or at least fuller than this. I find myself kind of overwhelmed with all these options currently out there, so I wanted to ask, which mic would you recommend within roughly that price range? Can be a bit above, hell, I suck with giving price ranges. Cheers!

[@bobbob-dj4lh]

look into bandrews and booth junkies review of the Samson Q9U

[@xDaveN]

@@bobbob-dj4lh Thanks for the recommendation! This is actually a mic I've had my eyes on for a while, and I'm also familiar with one the reviews you've mentioned. As you can imagine its on the top end of the price I'm willing to pay - there haven't been any good deals in a while over in Europe. :)

[@AdamBA380]

sE V7 is a favorite dynamic mic in the under $150 range. Very clear in the top end while keeping a full low end Also difficult to go wrong with an SM58, and it’s a sound people are very VERY familiar with

[@xDaveN]

@@AdamBA380 Thanks, I'll check out the V7.

[@CID0830]

Very good comparation I prefer Elgato wave best sound and condenser.

[@TonyCrenshawsLatte]

I'm definitely picking SM58 over this at that price range. And I think RE20 sounds 4.5x better than Elgato Wave DX.

[@or10nsharkfin]

RE20 is also 4.5x the price of the Elgato Wave DX, that really shouldn't be a surprise.

[@TonyCrenshawsLatte]

@@or10nsharkfin Well, yeah. Duh. Why do you think I said 4.5x? 😂

[@RedBeardedRabbit]

I hate how it sounds. Would love to see the frequency response... sounds V shaped... a little extra upper-bass, but an excessively boosted top-end. Somehow sounds compressed also, but it could just be due to the FR Like a cheap mic trying to stand out initially, then you realize how annoying it is after just a few seconds. So yeah, I prefer even the XM8500.

[@vallmak]

how do you decide the gain boost in post?

[@Podcastage]

I try to hover around -6ish dB on my meters. It's not exact, but just a ball park.

[@vallmak]

@@Podcastage Thanks!

[@Caediae2]

Sounds like Elgato did some fine tunement with the mic it’s not as muddy as the others

[@TrevorTD]

These comparisons are great and all but that Music Man is hottttttttt

[@techmed-rainer]

Danke!

[@shanksisnoteventhatstrongbruh]

i might be going crazy but why do i prefer the sound of the XM8500? might be a problem with my counterfeit airpods but the XM8500 sounded considerably fuller to me, idk

[@CoolGreenApple]

I struggle to find a reason to buy this mic when every single mic you compared it to sounded better. I did kind of like it on the acoustic though.

[@armsby]

Well said. The Behringer XM8500 gets me every time on his voice. It's too cheap so no one wants it! Speakers first though - good monitors are mandatory.

[@sanzayhbarailie7278]

PLEASE DO A VIDEO ON MIDIPLUS STUDIO 2 PRO!!!!!! AND COMPARE WITH EVO 4 and MINIFUSE

[@deadrituals]

Interesting mic, do you know the SPL rating of this one?

[@MikeDiesTrying]

I keep coming back to this video to help me decide, but I really can't. I'm upgrading from some run of the mill headset mic - what entry level xlr would you overall recommend?

[@exit_hero2230]

Ya a condenser is way better for acoustics, the vocal talking spoken word I think is good for people needing a budget mic or just needing something to start with because of price

[@petrasvilkas]

I was really getting my hopes up for this after a few initial reviews - that all paired it with Elgato's interface - but then I saw Aiden from Dark Corner's review, and it seemed agressively bad for him, and not impressive in your review. I wanted something in this price range to recommend to friends (I'm an RE20 user).

[@worldofjoseup]

Idk what but the Wave DX has the most pleasant sound to me. I'm prolly going to have to pull out my DT770s to compare because I was listening to it on Apple Earbuds :/

[@ToysForTheGods]

using my Focal clears on my thx 789 I can say that most of the $100 mics in the review sounded nearly identical. Honestly they were all a bit nasally, and oddly I found the $25 Behringer to have more character and low end definition without the nasal sound. Granted it is not as "nice" looking for say streaming, but heck nowadays they sell 3D printed kits that you could make these to look similar to a SM7B. I am still personally using a Neat King B as my main mic, but it is not a good streaming mic as it pics up all background noise and it has to be edited to remove such noise, but it has a wonderful recording characteristic. Thank you for yet another great video.

[@davidefinland6886]

Had to lower volume on the electric guitar… It would be a nice a comparison for the best intelligibility. It can be achieved with a good mic, with processing and with a mix of both. But microphone wise it would be nice to have a pool of listeners taking notes from spoken words, in order to see which microphone offers the best intelligibility (in other words allows for the best understanding of the spoken message).

[@artysanmobile]

Great polar pattern and plosive rejection. Very dull in the upper highs. Not presence but 8k-ish

[@RPGVeir]

Is it any good outside of streaming? Im torn between Wave 3 and Wave DX, Im gonna use mine for streaming + some other things, so I want somewhat natural sounding voice

[@Podcastage]

Do YOU think it sounds good for any application outside of spoken word? I didn't really even like this for spoken word, but I understand that it's different strokes for different folks. Between this mic and the Wave 3, I would go with the Wave 3. But if I had a 3rd option which was the Wave XLR and an XLR Dynamic mic like the sE Electronics V7, Sennheiser E835, Shure SM58, Behringer XM8500, that's the route I would go.

[@kennethbailey7105]

No sticker?

[@Podcastage]

No sir. No sticker.

[@ADMATrill]

Hey man ! Can you please do a review of the TLM 107? Really want to see what you think about that microphone. Cheers !

[@puneetgupta4483]

Your videos have been incredibly helpful for me to pick up the basics of recording. Could you please review zoom u22 audio interface. I need a travel friendly interface and am considering it but will not buy anything that does not have a Podcastage stamp of approval.

[@MrKarlGP]

I really enjoy the very particular cadence that you use for your reviews, the special care to enunciation and the deliberate spaces between words... I am however trying to imagine you doing this in various random mundane social situations and it is ending me lolol

[@frosty6845]

If this is meant to be a streaming microphone I think they failed