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Sony microphones in comparison Header - Foto KochSony microphones comparison
Reading Time: 10 minutes - April 29, 2023 - by Lennart Filthuth

Sony microphones in comparison

You need a suitable microphone for your Sony camera and just don't know which of the many different options is the right one for your application? Then you've come to the right place!

We have taken a closer look at the different Sony microphones and compare them in this article.

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Sony ECM-G1

First up is the ECM-G1: When it comes to a Sony clip-on microphone for, say, a ZV-1 or ZV-E10, the G1 is the simplest and most affordable option. This is a highly directional shotgun microphone with an extra large diameter. That means it's perfect for vlogging or home studio videos, as it's designed to capture the human voice as naturally as possible, without distracting background noise. At the same time, it's also built to be ultra-compact, and thanks to the multi-interface hotshoe, it doesn't require a battery or cable either. It's simply plug-and-play, so to speak.
Also included in the box is a windshield. In other words, the G1 is also perfect for outdoor use.

Sony ECM-G1
Sony ECM-G1

Sony Microphone ECM-G1

  • Shotgun microphone
  • high quality frontal sound pickup
  • perfect for selfie content
  • compact size
  • easy to carry and use anytime and anywhere
  • designed for the Sony Alpha system

Sony ECM-W2BT

The perfect microphone kit for social media, vlogging and more: The ECM-W2BT is a wireless clip-on microphone consisting of a transmitter and a receiver. The transmission here works via low-latency Bluetooth and offers a range of up to 200m.
The transmitter can not only transport the signal of a lavalier microphone, but can also be used directly as a clip-on microphone. In addition, the receiver also has a built-in microphone - and this is also really quite clever, as it allows us to set whether we want to record only the signal from the transmitter, only the signal from the receiver, or a mix of both. This is exciting for videos where the sound from both sides is important.

If you're interested in the W2BT in more detail, feel free to check out our detailed blog post with review video.

Sony ECM-W2BT
Sony ECM-W2BT

Sony ECM-W2BT Bluetooth Microphone

  • with Bluetooth connection
  • crystal clear sound
  • strong and stable connection
  • impressive distance about 200 m
  • clear and reliable audio quality
  • dust and moisture resistant design
  • Dimensions approx. 30.6 x 67.6 x 19 mm
  • approx. 27 g

Sony LV-1

The LV-1 lavalier microphone is suitable as a supplement to the W2BT, as it can record stereo sound due to the special microphone orientation. It can be connected to the transmitter of the W2BT via a 3.5 mm jack to send the sound directly to the camera. If you're interested in the W2BT and LV-1, a range test and direct sound comparison, check out our detailed video on the two microphones.

Sony ECM-W2BT with LV-1

Sony ECM-LV1 Lapel Microphone Stereo

  • high quality stereo lavalier microphone
  • with stereo sound recording, black
  • crystal clear sound with high quality omnidirectional pickup pattern
  • 360 degree rotation for free horizontal mounting
  • Dimensions approx. 11 x 82 mm
  • Product weight approx. 12 g

Sony ECM-B10

The ECM-B10 ranks behind the G1 as a slightly larger and more professional shotgun microphone. Not only does it have more microphone capsules for a better and more dynamic sound, but it also offers us some adjustment options through which we can adjust the polar pattern and the level. But what's even more special about the B10 is the possibility of directly applying a noise reduction or low-cut filter. For better sound quality, the microphone signal is passed digitally to the camera via the multi-interface shoe on supported cameras. It is also powered directly by the camera, so you can't forget to turn on your microphone or charge extra batteries.

Sony ECM-B10
Sony ECM-B10

Sony Shotgun Microphone ECM-B10 (Compact, Wireless, Battery-free)

  • wireless shotgun microphone
  • Polar patterns
  • high quality sound recording
  • perfect for the Alpha system
  • ideal for vlogging or content creation

Sony XLR-K3M (with ECM-XM1)

But if you need an even more professional microphone solution, we recommend the XLR-K3M microphone interface, which offers two XLR inputs with dedicated level control and optional 48V phantom power. In addition to the XLR inputs, there is a third, 3.5mm jack microphone input.
Here, too, the analog signal is converted into a digital signal in the interface and fed directly into the camera via the multi-interface hotshoe. In addition to documentary films, it is also perfect for interviews, YouTube videos and also image films and agencies. We ourselves have used it to record live talks with two XLR microphones, for example, and also recorded the comparison video with an XLR microphone and the FX3's somewhat adapted K3M interface.
The operation is kept simple, but still gives us all the setting options we need. In addition to the level setting for each input, we can also use the Auto Gain function, which automatically adjusts the level. Also, we can link our settings of the first input to the second input as well, so we only need to adjust one level. By the way, the K3M comes directly with an XLR microphone, so you can get started right away!

Sony XLR-K3M
Sony XLR-K3M

Sony Audio Interface XLR-K3M Adapter Kit

  • XLR adapter kit
  • Mono microphone
  • compact, lightweight design
  • Standard 3.5 mm microphone input with integrated power supply
  • incl. super directional mono microphone ECM-XM1

Conclusion

So, which microphone is the right one for you? Of course, it always depends on the application. Every creator and filmmaker has different demands, working methods and financial means. Nevertheless, we will try to give you a rough recommendation: The W2BT is particularly suitable for social media content or quick interviews. It is also perfectly suited for YouTube videos where only the speaker's sound is important, especially in combination with the LV-1.

For recording in a private environment or getting started with vlogging and YouTube or social media content, we recommend the compact and easy-to-use G1. However, if you want to take your content to the next level and are on the road a lot, but still need very good sound quality at all times, then we recommend the B10, as it not only offers more and larger microphone capsules, but is also much more flexible and adaptable to the situation.

However, as soon as you want to work with one or even more XLR microphones and record the perfect sound, the K3M is worth a look. Especially filmmakers from the documentary or image film sector benefit from many setting options and thus high flexibility for any environment.

Save with Sony

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Sony ECM-G1

First up is the ECM-G1: When it comes to a Sony clip-on microphone for, say, a ZV-1 or ZV-E10, the G1 is the simplest and most affordable option. This is a highly directional shotgun microphone with an extra large diameter. That means it's perfect for vlogging or home studio videos, as it's designed to capture the human voice as naturally as possible, without distracting background noise. At the same time, it's also built to be ultra-compact, and thanks to the multi-interface hotshoe, it doesn't require a battery or cable either. It's simply plug-and-play, so to speak.
Also included in the box is a windshield. In other words, the G1 is also perfect for outdoor use.

Sony ECM-G1
Sony ECM-G1

Sony Microphone ECM-G1

  • Shotgun microphone
  • high quality frontal sound pickup
  • perfect for selfie content
  • compact size
  • easy to carry and use anytime and anywhere
  • designed for the Sony Alpha system

Sony ECM-W2BT

The perfect microphone kit for social media, vlogging and more: The ECM-W2BT is a wireless clip-on microphone consisting of a transmitter and a receiver. The transmission here works via low-latency Bluetooth and offers a range of up to 200m.
The transmitter can not only transport the signal of a lavalier microphone, but can also be used directly as a clip-on microphone. In addition, the receiver also has a built-in microphone - and this is also really quite clever, as it allows us to set whether we want to record only the signal from the transmitter, only the signal from the receiver, or a mix of both. This is exciting for videos where the sound from both sides is important.

If you're interested in the W2BT in more detail, feel free to check out our detailed blog post with review video.

Sony ECM-W2BT
Sony ECM-W2BT

Sony ECM-W2BT Bluetooth Microphone

  • with Bluetooth connection
  • crystal clear sound
  • strong and stable connection
  • impressive distance about 200 m
  • clear and reliable audio quality
  • dust and moisture resistant design
  • Dimensions approx. 30.6 x 67.6 x 19 mm
  • approx. 27 g

Sony LV-1

The LV-1 lavalier microphone is suitable as a supplement to the W2BT, as it can record stereo sound due to the special microphone orientation. It can be connected to the transmitter of the W2BT via a 3.5 mm jack to send the sound directly to the camera. If you're interested in the W2BT and LV-1, a range test and direct sound comparison, check out our detailed video on the two microphones.

Sony ECM-W2BT with LV-1

Sony ECM-LV1 Lapel Microphone Stereo

  • high quality stereo lavalier microphone
  • with stereo sound recording, black
  • crystal clear sound with high quality omnidirectional pickup pattern
  • 360 degree rotation for free horizontal mounting
  • Dimensions approx. 11 x 82 mm
  • Product weight approx. 12 g

Sony ECM-B10

The ECM-B10 ranks behind the G1 as a slightly larger and more professional shotgun microphone. Not only does it have more microphone capsules for a better and more dynamic sound, but it also offers us some adjustment options through which we can adjust the polar pattern and the level. But what's even more special about the B10 is the possibility of directly applying a noise reduction or low-cut filter. For better sound quality, the microphone signal is passed digitally to the camera via the multi-interface shoe on supported cameras. It is also powered directly by the camera, so you can't forget to turn on your microphone or charge extra batteries.

Sony ECM-B10
Sony ECM-B10

Sony Shotgun Microphone ECM-B10 (Compact, Wireless, Battery-free)

  • wireless shotgun microphone
  • Polar patterns
  • high quality sound recording
  • perfect for the Alpha system
  • ideal for vlogging or content creation

Sony XLR-K3M (with ECM-XM1)

But if you need an even more professional microphone solution, we recommend the XLR-K3M microphone interface, which offers two XLR inputs with dedicated level control and optional 48V phantom power. In addition to the XLR inputs, there is a third, 3.5mm jack microphone input.
Here, too, the analog signal is converted into a digital signal in the interface and fed directly into the camera via the multi-interface hotshoe. In addition to documentary films, it is also perfect for interviews, YouTube videos and also image films and agencies. We ourselves have used it to record live talks with two XLR microphones, for example, and also recorded the comparison video with an XLR microphone and the FX3's somewhat adapted K3M interface.
The operation is kept simple, but still gives us all the setting options we need. In addition to the level setting for each input, we can also use the Auto Gain function, which automatically adjusts the level. Also, we can link our settings of the first input to the second input as well, so we only need to adjust one level. By the way, the K3M comes directly with an XLR microphone, so you can get started right away!

Sony XLR-K3M
Sony XLR-K3M

Sony Audio Interface XLR-K3M Adapter Kit

  • XLR adapter kit
  • Mono microphone
  • compact, lightweight design
  • Standard 3.5 mm microphone input with integrated power supply
  • incl. super directional mono microphone ECM-XM1

Conclusion

So, which microphone is the right one for you? Of course, it always depends on the application. Every creator and filmmaker has different demands, working methods and financial means. Nevertheless, we will try to give you a rough recommendation: The W2BT is particularly suitable for social media content or quick interviews. It is also perfectly suited for YouTube videos where only the speaker's sound is important, especially in combination with the LV-1.

For recording in a private environment or getting started with vlogging and YouTube or social media content, we recommend the compact and easy-to-use G1. However, if you want to take your content to the next level and are on the road a lot, but still need very good sound quality at all times, then we recommend the B10, as it not only offers more and larger microphone capsules, but is also much more flexible and adaptable to the situation.

However, as soon as you want to work with one or even more XLR microphones and record the perfect sound, the K3M is worth a look. Especially filmmakers from the documentary or image film sector benefit from many setting options and thus high flexibility for any environment.

Save with Sony

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