Keep Sound Recording Simple and Affordable With the Neewer KM18 Wireless Lavalier Mic Kit

by Ivor Rackham September 7, 2024 0 Comments

I put the Neewer KM18 mini wireless lavalier button microphone kit through its paces to see whether it stood up to rigorous testing. It turned out that simplicity has both restrictions and benefits. Here's what I discovered.

One of the important aspects of any video is the sound, so finding better ways to record speech is critical. Although many people watch videos on YouTube, lots only listen to the sound while they do other things. They will switch to a different YouTuber’s channel if the audio is poor. Having moderate hearing loss, sound quality is essential to me.

It Is a Lavalier

The term “lavalier” is usually a misnomer, as the word originally meant a pendant hung around the neck. However, lav mics usually attach to the lapel, and “lapel mic” is better terminology. However, besides being able to clip the mics to clothing, this model comes with a lanyard, so you can hang them around your neck.

What's in the Box?

Like most microphones of this type, the Neewer KM18 includes a charging case with a built-in battery. It works similarly to an ear pod case, charging the two mics when docked. A large LED display on the case shows the battery charging level. Inside, there are two microphone transmitters and one receiver unit. Apart from the lanyards mentioned earlier, there are two dead cat wind muffles, a high-quality USB to USB-C charging cable, and a smart storage pouch.

How to Use the Mics

The mics are easy to use as a plug-and-play device with a phone. You insert the receiver into the USB-C socket of the phone, attach the button to your lapel, and away you go.

The two button-shaped microphones weigh only 0.49 oz (14 g) each and can be attached to your lapel using the magnetically attached clamp. You can also attach them to the lanyard mentioned earlier. They automatically pair with the transmitter unit and feed a 48 kHz/24-bit signal to the receiver. The receiver unit is designed to be plugged into and powered from a smartphone or laptop via that device's USB-C socket.

Once you have plugged the receiver into the phone, you switch on the transmitter by holding down the power button for 3 seconds. The blue link light flashes and connects immediately to the receiver.

The microphones have a noise-canceling facility. This is activated by pressing the power button twice. Meanwhile, a single click mutes the mic.

Are the Missing Features a Problem?

The receiver has no 3.5 mm jack plug. Therefore, it can only be used with a device like a smartphone or laptop that powers the receiver and simultaneously allows the audio signal transmission. Unless your camera or digital recorder supplies power through its USB port, it cannot be used with it.

The other feature lacking is headphone monitoring sockets. I thought this would be useful when monitoring the recording. However, the recording level when plugged into my Samsung Galaxy was fine. Also, the mics don’t have 3.5 mm microphone input sockets found on some models. This would allow the microphones to transmit the signal from other mics. Some other more complex microphones also have micro SD slots that will record.

Nevertheless, many people don’t need these features and use their phones for recording video. For a simple plug-and-play recording setup with a smartphone, the Neewer KM18 should be perfect. Furthermore, Neewer does make other more sophisticated models if those features are necessary.

Testing The Mics

After charging the mics, I plugged the receiver into my smartphone. They paired instantly with the receiver and I could walk around my 150-year-old house with its thick stone walls, and the connection didn’t drop.

I used them for a good hour, and the charge had barely dropped on the microphones.

Next, I took it outside and did a short test recording. I attached one of the microphones to my shirt pocket. At first, I thought there was a problem as the audio was quiet. But I use a cheap Redmi smartphone for my day-to-day use, so I swapped it for my Samsung Galaxy and that performed much better; that’s the phone I used to record the attached video.

I’ve previously tested other wireless mics and found the sound quality was superior with this Neewer KM18. Especially so when I compare them with the noise cancellation activated. With some other brands, I found the sound could be a little muffled with the noise cancellation turned on. But, with the Neewer, it virtually removed the noise of a light airplane flying over but left my voice perfectly audible.

The power button that operated the mute and noise cancellation functions operated with a firm click.

My one reservation with all these microphones is the LEDs on the front. LEDs on mics can be a distraction. However, in this case, the LEDs are small and, on the video shot in daylight, not distractingly bright. They were bright enough to see whether the mute or noise cancellation functions were activated.

What I Liked and What Could Be Improved Next Time

What I liked

Easy to use plug-and-play operation.
Very easy to connect.
Good sound quality.
Effective noise reduction.
Long-distance connection.
High quality.
Relatively discreet LEDs.
Light.
Affordable, and currently on offer on Amazon at $59.99.

What Could Be Improved Next Time?

The simple provision of a 3.5 mm output socket from the receiver would have made this unit far more versatile and usable for creating video with a DSLR or mirrorless camera. But other models from Neewer have that functionality. I think that being able to buy a version of this mic with that option would attract more people to this kit.

In Conclusion

Putting aside what is missing from the Neewer KM18 wireless lavalier mic kit, and accepting it for what it is, a very simple-to-use plug-and-play microphone setup designed solely to work with a smartphone, this product does the job. Not only that, but it also does it exceptionally well.

Budding YouTubers wanting to use a smartphone or laptop to record their videos will find these mics are a great option. They worked well for the simple video I filmed of myself above. However, when using an interchangeable lens camera and creating more complex videos, you need a more advanced mic system.