Elgato's Wave Go is a wireless microphone for phone creators, priced at $99.99 with a handle in the box. The Verge calls it Elgato's first wireless microphone and a rival to DJI's Mic Mini. Elgato's US store showed it in stock at 11:09 a.m. ET on Oct. 13, with delivery by Oct. 19.
Who it is for
Elgato built it for USB-C phones and computers. At a desk it works with Elgato's Wave Link software on Windows 11 or newer and macOS 15 or newer.
It is not for Lightning iPhones.
What stands out
The main idea is one transmitter that works two ways. Clip it to clothing, or slide it into the Smart Handle and hold it for interviews.
The link is a dedicated 2.4 GHz connection, not Bluetooth. Bluetooth is used only to talk to the app. The transmitter weighs 7 g.
- Range and latency: about 30 m, 24 ms or less.
- Transmitter battery: about 8 hours, with a 10-minute quick charge for about 1 hour.
- Smart Handle: about 48 hours in total.
- Receiver: passes through up to 5 W of charging.
- In the box: case and two windscreens.
One button mutes the mic, and a double press starts recording on a connected phone, per Elgato's FAQ. A button on the receiver toggles noise cancellation, with three levels set in the app. Auto Gain is included, and the app is optional.
The catch
There is no onboard recording, Elgato's FAQ says, so the mic sends audio live and keeps no backup. Elgato's FAQ also says it is not made for direct use with DSLR or professional cameras.
The box holds one transmitter. A second is a separate add-on shown as "Shipping soon". The Verge reports $29.99, but Elgato's page shows both $29.99 and $14.99, so we do not pick one.
The Wave Go app was "In review with Apple" on Elgato's page, so iPhone app features such as gain and noise levels may not be available yet. An Android 8.0 or newer app exists.
Against DJI's Mic Mini
On DJI's own US store at 11:10 a.m. ET on Oct. 13, the Mic Mini was $59 for one transmitter and one receiver, and $99 for two transmitters, one receiver and a charging case. Every configuration was marked "Out of stock" at that time.
This is a price and contents comparison only. Elgato's $99.99 includes the handle, case and one transmitter. DJI's $59 kit is the cheaper entry, and $99 buys two transmitters and a case.
Lightning iPhone owners have a DJI option: the store lists a Mic Mini Mobile Phone Adapter (Lightning) at $19 and Lightning bundles from $78 for one transmitter, one receiver and the adapter. All were out of stock at that time.
Our take, untested
We have not tested the Wave Go, so this is a judgment from the specs and may change with hands-on use.
On paper, $99.99 makes sense for people who want handheld interview mode and clip-on in one kit and already use Elgato software. Look at the DJI if you want the cheaper one-transmitter kit, or two transmitters and a case for $99.
Skip the Wave Go if you shoot on cameras, own a Lightning iPhone, need a backup recording, or want two mics for $99, since DJI's $99 kit has two transmitters.
What is not stated
Elgato's page gives two Smart Handle battery figures, 40 hours in a summary line and 48 hours in the full spec table. We used 48 hours above.
The add-on transmitter price is unclear. We have not heard the mic, so sound quality is untested.
