By: Aaron Lai
June 28, 2024
Leading a group of friends may not be an everyday issue, but it is something I have thought about. Generally, most of your friends are your peers and there is no designated leader. You might think age would play a role, but I believe personality has a bigger impact in distinguishing the alpha in a pack of companions. As such, when planning a get-together or hangout, it often falls on this person to carry the bulk of planning and coordinating. In my girlfriend's friend group, she often feels like she has to "drive the bus" in order for anything to get done. This is clearly based on the dynamics and personalities of the group, as the rest of them are generally more passive and prefer to wait until someone else takes the lead. In my own friend group, it is often me or another specific friend who initiates these events. I have had to put in some effort to plan these gatherings, but there are benefits to doing so. For one, you have more say in what happens during the night. Whether it means choosing activities or where to eat, arranging events allow you to -- as someone I know, possibly with a thesaurus, says all the time -- lead, guide, and direct the group. On the other hand, most people would still want to consult their peers to ensure the activity or cuisine chosen is suitable for the majority and does not neglect anyone in particular. In a similar way, companies strive to be the leaders in their operating industry. This way they can show their innovations to capture the consumer's attention to become trendsetters rather than followers. Today, we have a wireless lavalier microphone solution in the form of the Maono WM620. While this is not a new concept, Maono hopes to break grounds by presenting an affordable yet functional microphone. What sort of ingenuity will we see from the WM620? Will it be a trendsetter? Let us read on to find out!
Today's review unit of the Maono WM620 arrived via a shipping company called ULALA. I had not heard from this company before, but ULALA Technologies is a courier service platform that primarily deals with the final stops of shipping. Based on shipping information provided by our contact, it appears that the Maono WM620 originated from an unknown location in China and was initially shipped with Yanwen Express before making its way to our APH Networks location in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Regardless, the white padded envelope arrived in excellent condition with no scratches or holes to be concerned about.
Out of the envelope, we have a familiar retail box design for the Maono WM620, featuring their standard black and yellow color scheme. The company's logo and tagline of "Global Best Selling Internet Microphone" are displayed on the side. Beneath this, there is a product description and model number. To the right, there is a scaled down image of the WM620 in black. While there are six circles of colors at the bottom left, Maono's website only shows black and purple as available colors. On the flip side, we have a few primary features, which we will examine later in our review. The outer sleeve slides off to reveal a fully yellow box.
The following specifications were obtained from the manufacturer for your reading pleasure:
Sensitivity: -11.3dBFS
Sampling rate: 48kHz/16bit
Maximum sound pressure level: 125dB
Endurance: 6 hours per microphone, charging case can be charged twice
Charging time: 1.5h
Battery capacity:
- Charging case: 500mA
- Transmitter: 95mA
Out of the box, the Maono WM620 is nestled in a cardboard shell and packaged in a translucent plastic bag. Next, there is a short and thick USB Type-A to Type-C cable that is 75cm in length. This is used for charging the WM620. Next, we have a pair of very strong magnets. These are used to attach the lavalier microphone to you. Otherwise, Maono has included a quick guide to show you the use cases and how you can work with these microphones.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Hardware
3. Recording Performance Tests
4. Conclusion
