An Ideal 2-in-1 Audio Solution for Content Creators

Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just getting started as a content creator, making sure your audio sounds as good as possible is essential for making great videos. With two wireless mics and one transmitter, plus some handy extras, the DJI Mic 2 is an all-in-one solution for improving your videos’ sound.

DJI Mic 2

The DJI Mic 2 is an easy to use, great-sounding upgrade to your camera or phone’s onboard microphone, with multiple connectivity options, over 800-foot range, and solid battery life.

Brand

DJI

Type

2 transmitters + 1 receiver

Pattern

Omnidirectional

Battery

360mAh (receiver and transmitter), 3250mAh (charging case)

Connector

Bluetooth, USB-C, Lightning, 3.5mm

Weight

10.01oz

Microphones

2 omnidirectional

Dimensions

4.56 x 1.63 x 2.35in (charging case)

Included Accessories

USB-C and Lightning connections, 3.5mm cable, USB-C to USB-A cable

High Pass Filter

Software

Analog Outputs

3.5mm

Compatible Devices

Cameras, Android, iPhone, iPad

Bit-depth

24-bit, 32-bit float

Sample rate

48kHz

Pros

• Captures great-sounding audio
• Plenty of options for connecting to cameras and other devices
• Intelligent noise cancellation blocks background noise well
• Transmitters and receiver pair easily
• Supports 32-bit float audio and a -6dB backup track

Cons

• Pricier than its close competitors
• No companion mobile app

Smart Design and a Sturdy Build

Open up the box that holds the DJI Mic 2 kit, and you’ll find everything tucked into a sturdy fabric case. Inside, the charging case holds both transmitters and the receiver. You’ll also find a few accessories, including USB-C and Lightning dongles, a USB-C to USB-A cable, and a 3.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable.

You also get a pair of windscreens tucked into the pouch—one for each transmitter. These are especially clever, as they plug into the 3.5mm jacks on each transmitter, which are typically used for plugging in another mic. This makes fitting and removing the windscreens easier than many competitors.

The transmitters feature built-in clips, which may be handy for clipping them onto clothing. That said, there is another option that I found preferable: there are magnets included with each transmitter to help attach them anywhere on clothing. Even on a medium-weight puffy insulated jacket (I tested these during winter), they held on without any danger of falling off.

The receiver has a touchscreen, but it’s on the small side. Fortunately, there is also a combination dial and button located to the right of the screen that makes adjusting various settings much easier. I’ll look at this more in-depth later in the review.

Every Connection You Need

Simply placing both transmitters and the receiver together in the charging case pairs them together, meaning they come automatically paired out of the box when you buy the kit. They pair together using 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, giving them a maximum range of 820 feet, according to DJI. In my testing, the range was certainly good, though I didn’t stretch it to that maximum distance.

The included cables and dongles let the receiver connect to nearly any device. The 3.5mm audio cable works with most cameras, while the USB-C to USB-C cable connects to your computer for audio as well as firmware updates. USB-C and Lightning dongles plug into a hot shoe mount on the button of the receiver, letting them connect to your smartphone, whether Android or iPhone, at least theoretically.

I had issues trying to use the USB-C dongle to connect the receiver to an iPhone 15. Running a USB-C to USB-C cable from the transmitter to the phone worked just fine. The good news is there are so many ways to connect the DJI Mic 2, that one of them is bound to work.

For example, you can also use Bluetooth to connect to your device, making for a fully wireless setup. This does introduce some extra latency, and this is already an issue as there is no zero-latency monitoring, but it will still sync up with your video footage in most cases.

Each transmitter is also capable of recording on its own, with enough onboard storage for up to 14 hours of mono recordings.

Useful Features and an Easy Interface

Both the transmitters and the receiver take a minimalist approach to their interface designs, with each transmitter having two buttons. One is the power button, and the other is the pairing button. In my testing, I rarely needed to use either button, but it’s a handy feature that a short tap on the power button on the transmitter toggles the noise cancelation feature on and off.

The touchscreen and dial interface on the receiver takes a little getting used to, but not that long. In my case, after using the DJI Mic 2 for 10 or 15 minutes, swiping down on the touchscreen to get to the settings already felt like second nature. For a kit with so many capabilities, I rarely needed to consult the manual.

Diving into the settings lets you toggle between stereo or mono recording, adjust the overall gain on recordings, and adjust headphone volume. This is also where you’ll enable or disable other settings like Safety Track, which I’ll touch on more in-depth in the next section.

Speaking of stereo recording, you can use the pair of transmitters as a stereo array. This isn’t likely the way most people will be using the Mic 2, but it’s nice if you’re trying to capture the ambiance of a nature shot, for example.

Quality Recordings Nearly Guaranteed

The microphone built into each transmitter uses an omnidirectional pickup pattern, meaning it picks up sound from all around instead of a single direction. This has both good and bad aspects.

On the good side, you don’t need to be too precious about positioning the microphones. As long as they’re close enough to the source you’re recording, you don’t need to worry about making sure that they’re facing the perfect angle. On the bad side, the lack of directionality means the microphones can pick up more background noise.

Don’t worry about that potential background noise, however, as DJI has addressed this issue with what it calls “intelligent noise canceling.” Basically, the mics use digital signal processing (DSP) to isolate your voice from the background, and it works quite well. You’ll still hear a hint of background noise, especially louder sounds, but it does an impressive job of bringing your voice to the forefront.

In the last microphone sample below, you’ll hear one example where it sounds like a car is driving by while I’m speaking. This was actually a car with no muffler, and I thought I might have to re-record the clip. The fact that the clip was still usable shows just how impressive this noise canceling is.

Sound is unpredictable, and overly loud sounds can cause digital recordings to clip, adding unpleasant distortion in the process. DJI has addressed this in a few ways, one of which is 32-bit float onboard recording. Most software records at a bit depth of either 16-bit or 24-bit. Adding more bit depth is similar to having higher color depth, with 32-bit float recordings having more headroom before distorting.

The DJI Mic 2 also supports what it calls the Safety Track feature. This simply records a second audio track that is 6dB quieter than your main track, giving you a backup in case the louder recording clips and distorts.

Ample Battery Life

DJI claims a maximum battery life of six hours for both the transmitters and the receiver, which makes sense. After all, you wouldn’t want the transmitters to run out of juice before the receiver, or the other way around. That may not sound long, but combined with the case, which will charge all three another two times, you get 18 hours of run time before you need to plug in the charger.

Fortunately, the USB-C connection on the charging case charges it to full in around 70 minutes. This means that once you do run out, all it takes is a long lunch break, and you’re right back to shooting footage or recording. The case doesn’t feature wireless charging, but given the larger size, this is completely understandable.

Pricing and Availability

The kit I received for review was the $350 unit with two transmitters and one receiver. This is available in Shadow Black and Pearl White color options. While the kit was the Shadow Black version, DJI also sent a single pearl white transmitter as an example. Both look nice, though the black variant will likely blend better with most cameras or other equipment.

While the kit may be the all-in-one solution, it’s not the only way to buy into this range of products. For example, you can buy a scaled-back kit that contains a single transmitter and receiver but not the charging case for $219. Buying a single transmitter will cost you $99, while the Lavaliere mic attachment costs just $39. Buying the charging case on its own will cost $69.

Of course, the DJI Mic 2 isn’t your only option, either. The Rode Wireless Go II offers a similar two-mic solution at a cheaper $299. If you want to save more cash, the Joby Wavo Air is also a solid performer and retails for $249.

Should You Buy the DJI Mic 2?

If you frequently find yourself shooting video outdoors, the DJI Mic 2 is likely a great buy unless you’re already running a much better setup. The long-range is useful, but the intelligent noise canceling is the key feature here. It doesn’t get rid of absolutely everything, but it gets rid of enough noise that you should almost always end up with usable audio.

Other features are nice to have, but far from essential for everything. For certain people, the 32-bit float internal recording and the ability to run a -6dB Safety Track are potential lifesavers. That said, if you’re always shooting in the same environment and don’t need to worry about changing conditions, these likely won’t be too important to you.

If you already own the original DJI Mic, the upgrades here may not be worth it to you, but the improved sound, noise canceling, and improved controls are difficult to ignore in the newer model. If you’re wary of the price tag for the whole kit, the ability to buy each component on its own is convenient. Buy what you need now and add other pieces later if or when you need them.

DJI Mic 2

The DJI Mic 2 is an easy to use, great-sounding upgrade to your camera or phone’s onboard microphone, with multiple connectivity options, over 800-foot range, and solid battery life.