DJI launched an "ultralight, compact wireless microphone" this week called the Mic Mini. Weighing just 10 g, you may not even notice it's there. But the day before, an Indonesian company stole much of DJI's thunder with a cheaper, smaller and lighter namesake.
At first glance, the Boya mini looks more like an earbud than a wireless microphone. The transmitter measures 31 x 15 x 16.4 mm (1.3 x 0.59 x 0.64 in), which is actually a little bit taller than DJI's equivalent. But the Boya unit is half the weight, at 5 g (0.17 oz).
"Every detail was meticulously crafted to maximize performance while minimizing size," said Boya's Lucas Xu. As with the DJI setup, you'll need to plug the supplied receiver into the USB-C/Lightning port of your smartphone – though DJI's transmitter can also pair directly to a handset over Bluetooth.
A 6-mm condenser microphone captures the audio, and Boya reports that audio can be recorded at sample rates of up to 16-bit/48-kHz resolution. The transmission range is 100 m (~330 ft), the frequency response runs from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, signal-to-noise is less than 80 dB and maximum SPL is 120 dB.
Proprietary limiter technology prevents distortion and clipping, there's adjustable DSP noise cancellation for audio clarity and the system comes with a three-mode voice changer "for fun, creative sound expressions, ideal for streamers, content creators and gamers." Latency is said to be 25 ms, and the integrated Li-ion battery lasts up to 6 hours (which is extended to 30 hours using the supplied charging case).
Where DJI is asking US$89 for one transmitter, a receiver and a charging case, a similar configuration from Boya will run you around $50 – though the company's listing on AliExpress currently halves that. Opt for two transmitter mics and DJI bumps the price tag to $169, while Boya keeps it low at around $100 (again the AliExpress page offers even bigger savings). The video below has more.
Product page: Boya mini
