I recently reviewed DJI mini microphone and rhode wireless micro – Both are premium wireless microphones for content creation with extremely simple designs for capturing better audio with your smartphone.
Generally I would recommend one of these, but if I were to pick one for myself it would be tiny DJI Mini microphone, no doubt about it. Overall, this is a comparison Multifunctional kit for smartphones and cameraa reliable connection via its receiver or Bluetooth, and the price difference between the two kits is negligible.
If you shoot with a DJI camera, e.g. Spirit Eye Spirit Eye 3 or Osmo Action 5 Prowhich is an easier option since these cameras have built-in receivers for simplified pairing with DJI microphones, including the pricier ones DJI Microphone 2 – our Camera Accessory Product of the Year.
Additionally, you can purchase the Mic Mini components separately, which means you save one package by purchasing only the microphone for these DJI cameras, rather than a complete kit with a receiver.
That being said, more and more people are shooting video exclusively with their smartphones, and for those people, the simpler Rode Wireless Micro beats DJI in one fell swoop.
Winning One Trick Pony
DJI’s Mic Mini for cameras and smartphones, while the Rode Wireless Micro only works with smartphones. I shoot both, so the choice was clear. But for smartphone-only creators, I think the Rode’s microphone makes more sense.
The best way to connect the microphone to your phone is through the receiver. this is only Rode the mic’s approach, and the receiver slot fits neatly across the bottom of the phone, connecting to a USB-C (or Lightning) charging port (see image below). It’s thin and simple – there aren’t any controls or microphones.
You plug the receiver into your phone, follow the on-screen prompts (which may include selecting the wired microphone option in the camera app menu to support your phone’s built-in microphone), and it’s up and running in seconds. Everything is automated.
The Mic Mini’s receiver is bulky. I worry about it breaking every time I use it with my phone – it sticks out, is a bit awkward, and would fit better with a camera, like plugging into the hot shoe/cold shoe port. DJI’s product has another trick up its sleeve, although it bypasses the receiver.
You can also connect the DJI Mic Mini to your phone using Bluetooth, meaning no receiver is required. However, I wouldn’t trust a Bluetooth connection for video recording as much as I would a dedicated receiver, and the audio quality drops from 24-bit depth to 16-bit depth when using Bluetooth instead of the receiver.
The Bluetooth connection works well in a pinch, and the audio quality is still better than the phone’s built-in microphone, even if you’re equipped with voice-enhanced audio (like you are with the latest products) Google Pixel phone.
The Mic Mini also has some manual controls available. Features one-touch noise reduction mode, and ±12db audio level control on the receiver. These are great tools, but for phone users, I think Rode’s simpler approach – automated “smart gain assist technology” – again makes more sense.
So while the DJI Mic Mini is better than the Rode Wireless Micro in most ways, it’s the Rode’s mic’s radical simplicity that wins over smartphone creators. I just wish Rode would offer the wireless micro components separately in the future – some of us could save a few pennies that way, especially if replacement parts are needed.