Sony launches $400 ECM-W5 wireless microphone kit to rival DJI
Sony has announced the ECM-W5, a wireless microphone kit with 32-bit float recording, priced at $400. It is pitched as an alternative to the wireless mics from Chinese company DJI.
Electronics maker Sony has announced the ECM-W5, a wireless microphone kit aimed at content creators and positioned against the budget wireless mics from DJI, a Chinese consumer electronics company. The kit costs $400, and pre-orders are open now, with shipping set for November.
The package contains one rectangular receiver and two microphone transmitters. The system records audio at 96kHz, with a line-of-sight range of up to 500 meters. The receiver can plug directly into a Sony camera, or into other devices over USB-C.
Connection and recording
The setup is most convenient with Sony's Alpha series cameras. The receiver attaches via the Multi Interface Shoe, Sony's updated camera mounting point, which supplies power and carries data. For non-Sony devices, the receiver has a USB-C adapter for connecting to a smartphone or PC.
Each transmitter has 64GB of internal memory, which works as a backup. That memory also makes 32-bit float recording possible, so the system can capture both quiet and loud sounds without the user adjusting gain. The transmitters run for 11 hours on a charge and have magnetic backplates for pinning them to clothing.
Settings can be changed on the receiver's touchscreen, and users can monitor playback wirelessly through Bluetooth LE with a pair of Sony headphones.
Pricing and expansion
Extra transmitters cost $120 each, and with more of them the system can record up to four tracks at once. A standalone ECM-W5R receiver costs $190.
For comparison, the DJI Mic 3 costs $259 and the DJI Mic Mini costs $99. Engadget notes the ECM-W5 is hard to see as a compelling alternative unless it is used specifically with Sony cameras. Still, 32-bit float recording could significantly simplify post-production work.
