Hohem Mic-01 Wireless Lavalier Microphone Review [One-Week Testing]

REVIEW – If you’re a content creator, you need a reliable, well-designed microphone. A wireless lavalier microphone is a prime choice for this purpose.

Hohem, a popular manufacturer of film and audio, recently released the Mic-01.

This is a fully wireless lavalier microphone that includes two transmitters and one receiver that plugs-in to your smartphone. There’s a USB-C and Lightning version available, offering wide compatibility for users.

Priced at $109 and now available on Amazon, this is a new release that hohem is seemingly very proud of.

While not a budget-choice and certainly not the most expensive, highest-end option out there, I had good expectations of it.

Hohem Mic-01 Review

Hohem was kind enough to send me a free sample in exchange for my honest review of the Mic-01.

That said, I’ve spent the last week thoroughly testing it out and seeing what it’s capable of. Exclusively using my Android smartphone, I found a lot that I love but a few things I’m not really a fan of.

I’ll give you a quick rundown on my opinion of everything and what I believe could be improved. This review will be based solely on my experience throughout my first week of testing it.

As I continue to use it in the coming months, I’ll update this review if I find any other information to be pertinent.

What I Liked

I’ll start by introducing all of the things I like. While there are many features of the Mic-01, these are the things that stood out to me the most.

As a reviewer here at NerdTechy for nearly 10 years, I feel well qualified to deliver my thoughts on everything that stood out.

Convenient Charging Case

The Mic-01 comes in a small (palm-sized) charging case where there’s dedicated space for both microphones and the receiver.

They nest nicely within and are secured by a magnetic connection that keeps them in place so they never fall out when you lift the lid.

The “hohem” logo is boldly written in orange with a small rubberized loop that makes it easy to grasp or clip to your bag.

The lid snaps into position quite nicely. There’s no clasp or button to keep it closed. Rather, hohem opted for the use of a powerful magnetic to keep the contents securely inside.

Even with vigorously moving around, I never found the lid to open accidently, which is great.

Quick Pairing and Setup

Both transmitters and the receiver paired with my Android Galaxy S22 within 10 seconds. I simply plugged-in the receiver to my phone’s USB-C port and pressed the channel button to link to each respective transmitter.

There’s a small LED on both devices, clearly indicating the current noise cancellation mode, among other things like reverb, mute, or shutter control settings.

At first, it’s a bit confusing to discern each series of colors and what they mean. However, a quick glance at the included user manual had me on my way.

Perfect Audio Quality

I know that some may give a a bit of grief for this, but it’s true. The Mic-01 captures audio with utmost clarity and precision. I used it extensively to create some short clips for YouTube and the captured audio was definitely perfect or darn-near.

Now, admittedly, I’m not a true audiophile, but more of an avid hobbyist when it comes to audio and video creation. That being said, I truly have no complaints in terms of the clarity, tone, or realism of the recorded audio.

When using it outdoors in a windy or crowded environment, it did have some distortion with a light breeze of wind.

However, I opted to use the included “dead cat” microphone covers and this solved any undesirable sounds. Each one slips tightly onto the microphones and stays firmly in place to refrain from picking up unsavory audio.

Once the audio was captured, each file was neatly stored on a (self-provided) SD card that slips right into each mic.

With a maximum capacity of 32GB, this is plenty of storage for hours of audio clips without the need to swap out additional storage.

Impressive Wireless Range

One thing that really stood out to me was the amount of range that the Mic-01 has. With a touted 100 meter wireless range, I felt that this was accurate. On multiple occasions, I tested the distance in an open outdoor environment without any delay.

When indoors with several objects in the way, the range was slightly less, but not enough to truly complain about.

Regardless, I feel that this 300+ foot range is well more than most people will need to capture the subject at-hand.

And if there are any transmission issues, you’ll still successfully capture any recorded audio, so as long as you have a microSD card inserted.

Shutter Control

One feature that I really found useful was the shutter control. On the side of each microphone is a small button that can be clicked to control the shutter of a connected camera.

This way, you can have a camera on a tripod or set away in the distance while controlling it wirelessly at the tap of a small button.

This feature is geared perfectly towards content creators that find themselves separated from their camera but still need a way to start/stop recording.

Each time I tested the shutter control button, it worked flawlessly and immediately.

Secure Placement

Both microphones are equipped with a very strong clamp. You can press and snap it on virtually anything without it coming loose.

The clamps feel very burly with “teeth” that grip anything it’s up against so they it doesn’t move around.

And if you have nothing to clip it to, you can opt to use the small magnetic plate that comes pre-attached to the external side of each clip.

These magnets are ridiculously strong, offering placement on clothing or any sort of gear that doesn’t work well with each clip.

While moving around, running and jumping, I found that the Mic-01 stayed firmly in place as long as you select an ideal position. Don’t attach it to a loose garment or baggy material and you’ll be good to go.

Good battery life and charging speeds

I used the hohem Mic-01 for an entire week, each and every day. Other than fully charging it at the beginning, I never had to charge it until about 18 hours of use.

This is very close to the estimated 20 hours that hohem advertised, so I felt this was an appropriate duration. While not quite 20 hours, it’s still close enough.

Once the battery was depleted, I plugged-in the supplied (albeit very short) USB-C charging cable and a full charge was achieved in about an hour and a half. Right inline with my expectations.

While I mostly used both mics and receiver indoors and within a typical 20 foot range. I’d imagine cold weather and wireless range could detract from the expected battery life, but I didn’t personally encounter drastic battery drain in any circumstance.

What I Didn’t Like

I’m now going to move into a few features and things that stood out to me as potential drawbacks. While these aren’t all necessarily big detractors in everyone’s opinion, I feel that they’re worth pointing out.

No SD Cards Included

Each wireless lavalier microphone has a microSD card slot. Boasting a maximum capacity of 32GB, this is often plenty of storage for hours and hours of uninterrupted audio clips.

However, hohem didn’t include these cards in the packaging. You’ll need to provide your own. While this isn’t a large added expense, it’s a bit annoying that you have to provide your own. It certainly would be nice if they included at least two small 8GB cards to get you started.

Only Available in Black

There’s only one color scheme that the Mic-01 comes available in – black and orange. This is quite a standard color, which is fine, but it’s not very interesting.

I’d like to see hohem include other color options such as white, silver, or at least something of variety. It’s truly not a big deal, but I thought it would be worth pointing out.

It’s 2024 and it’s time manufacturers go a little more above and beyond when it comes to available color styles and aesthetic options.

Shows Fingerprints

Although the matte black color looks nice, overall, there’s one main drawback to this. The exterior of the microphones, receiver, and charging case show fingerprints like no other.

Make sure you have clean hands before handling anything because oil and grime show up well. This is a bit of an extension of my last point, but if available in white or something other than black, fingerprints may not show up as easily.

No Water Resistance Rating

You might want to be careful if you’re using the Mic-01 in an outdoor environment. I say this because it’s lacking an official water resistance rating.

Looking through the user manual and the on their website, there’s no mention of water resistance in any shape or form. I would be cautious if exposing it to moisture or inclement weather.

Would I Recommend to hohem Mic-01?

Yes, I would. For someone looking for a wireless lavalier microphone set that pairs with your smartphone or tablet, the Hohem Mic-01 has a lot going for it.

The setup is easy, the performance is near-perfect and the form-factor is both sleek and efficient. While it may not check all of the boxes for some, for most it will succeed at capturing crystal-clear audio without any distortion.

Throughout my week trial run of testing the Mic-01, I can confidently say that hohem knocked it out of the park with this one.

Coming in at a price point of $109, it’s not the cheapest but it’s also not the most expensive. It strikes an ideal balance of high-end features in a sleek form without unnecessary bells and whistles that add cost but not value.

Have you tried the new Mic-01 from hohem? I know it’s early as it was only released a couple of days ago, but I’d love to hear other opinions on it. Drop a comment below to get the conversation started.