Today we’re looking at the WM820 TikMic Wireless Microphone System from Maono. The WM820 TikMic is a compact two-person 2.4GHz wireless mic system consisting of two transmitters and a receiver. The device features support for iPhone, iPad and iPod through a lightning connector.
Maono WM820 TikMic Wireless Microphone System
Maono states, “With a target toward teachers, content creators, influencers and Vloggers, the WM820 TikMic provides quality audio transmission for streaming, interviews, calls and presentations.“
After hearing that the company earned over $700,000 from KickStarter alone, I was excited to try the product. During the pandemic, I taught several online classes, and I was curious if this would be good for recording or even teaching online lectures. Overall, I would say absolutely. Of course, the company also has content creators in mind, as the ‘Tik’ in ‘TikMic’ is a shoutout to TikTok. Let’s take a look at what’s inside.
Diving into the review, I do want to talk about the packaging for a moment. Coming from an obvious Apple background, presentation is key, and the TikMic really hit the mark for me. Opening up the box revealed two wireless transmitters and a receiver, with the rest of the goodies bundled underneath the layer of foam. It really hit that “ooh!” feeling of opening a cool new piece of tech. Solid presentation!
Looking at the WM820 TikMic Features
Getting down to the nuts and bolts of things, the transmitters feature built-in omnidirectional condenser microphones. Delivering clear and natural audio, each transmitter also features MNCT denoise tech and a professional audio chip. With tech that offers a 50Hz-19kHz frequency response, the WM820 TikMic Wireless Microphone System makes sure to pick up the details.
Additionally, each transmitter comes with a built-in 350mAh battery that provides 6 hours of battery life on a full charge. The device also has a transmission distance of up to 30 meters with ultra-low latency. The transmitters charge via USB-C, and the TikMic connects to any iPhone, iPad or iPod with a Lightning Connector. The WM820 TikMic also includes a USB-C charger that charges both mics at once, which is a good touch.
Pairing the device was rather easy. I simply connected the receiver to my iPhone 12 Pro and held down a button on each receiver. When an LED in the corner lit a soft blue, I was good to go. For this review, I decided to do a series of tests with the microphones. I wanted to explore various settings, and see how well my voice could be recorded.
Test One: Working in the Living Room
For my first test, I decided to go with my living room. As this is typically where I conduct an online class, it seemed like a good control group for my “highly-scientific” experiment. The TikMic did a fantastic job picking up the nuances in my voice, and there was zero issue making the recording.
Test Two: The Great Outdoors
After my first recording went well, I wanted to try out how far I could use the microphone away from my iPhone. For test two, I decided to explore the great outdoors. Taking the phone outside, I made a rudimentary tripod and walked several yards away from my setup. While I did not measure the distance between myself and the phone, I’ll let the video provide the evidence of distance for this test.
In terms of recording quality, I was more than happy with the results. The WM820 TikMic not only picked up what I was saying with good clarity, but it also did an excellent job of keeping the passing car out of the recording. While the external transmitters did an excellent job of picking up the subtle nuances, Maono did make sure to include Lavalier microphones as well, should you need the options.
Test Three: Let’s Rock!
For my third test, I decided to take things to a new level. For my last test, I wanted to see how well the TikMic could handle recording music. Now, as it is not designed specifically for music (and doing this may void any and all warranties), the musician in me had to see what the mics were capable of. For my final test, I went with recording an electric guitar.
For gear nerds, I ran an LTD EC-1000 Deluxe > EarthQuaker Astral Destiny > Orange Crush 12. In the first test, I decided to go easy on the microphone, so I used little gain and overdrive, but went heavy on the Astral Destiny. To my surprise, Maono’s Wireless Microphone did an excellent job picking up all the right sounds.
There are some times where there was some breaking in the audio, and it was definitely a hot recording, but with some fine tuning, I think it would do a pretty good job. While some audio nerds may scoff at the actual WAV output, I would argue the recordings did far better than expected. Again, this product was intended for the human voice, but the results for guitar were surprising. I should also note that I put the microphone about two inches from the speaker, and kept the volume on the amp low.
Turning up the gain and overdrive naturally produced an even hotter guitar and a microphone that was scorching. However, some fine-tuning could produce some interesting results. Recording a rock band with the transmitters would definitely produce some garage-band sounding results, but I think these microphones would work excellently for an acoustic duo.
The two microphones could be a great addition for some potential multitracking when on the road or streaming. This is also a good time to mention that the mics also include dampeners, which is great for fine-tuning.
Getting Critical and the Final Word
In terms of drawbacks, the only real downside was that I had to pull the receiver out every time I wanted to playback audio I recorded. This wasn’t the largest deal, as the receiver is rather small, however, it was an issue nonetheless. I could also see certain teachers having issues with the price-tag (shoutout to the adjuncts). Though, I don’t find the price unreasonable
Overall, I am highly satisfied with the WM820 TikMic Wireless Microphone System from Maono. Realistically, I think the coolest application for these microphones would be giving Teachers better access to creating more dynamic content. The TikMic would work great for a remote or hybrid class setting, and some teachers would be able to record lectures in more unique settings. This is also a great device for those that want to start creating content on TikTok.
At $179, the price is fair for the quality of product you receive. The transmitters themselves are durable, though remember microphones do require a certain amount of care. Maono does provide a carrying case with the device.
Overall, if you’re looking for a pair of solid wireless microphones, I would say this is a smart move.