Elgato Wave Dx VS. Wave 3 - Which Is The Right Microphone For You? - video Dailymotion

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The latest microphone from Elgato, the Wave DX, enters as an XLR alternative to the incredibly popular USB Wave 3 microphone.  In this video we will compare the Wave DX and Wave 3 side by side and try to help you decide which one is right for you.

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00:00 This is the Elgato Wave DX, the latest microphone from Elgato. The Wave DX enters as an XLR

00:07 alternative to the incredibly popular USB Wave 3 microphone. From a design standpoint,

00:13 it's quite a departure from the other models in the Wave family, with a much sleeker and pointed

00:19 profile. This altered silhouette certainly obscures less of the user's face than the more

00:24 vertical Wave 3 did. The Wave 3 also required some extra purchases to get the most out of it,

00:30 namely a pop filter. Luckily, the pop filter for the DX is built into the microphone system,

00:36 making for a less fiddly setup, and of course there's no potential for accidentally breaking

00:41 any plastic mounting brackets. And whilst Elgato says that the Wave DX has been designed from the

00:47 ground up to give you the cleanest, most well-rounded voice possible straight out of the

00:51 box, the DX does also require some extra purchases to use. Unlike the Wave 3's plug and play USB

00:59 output, the DX is an analog microphone with an XLR input, and so relies on an audio interface to

01:06 work properly. Any XLR preamp or audio interface will work, allowing you to use this microphone

01:12 with professional cinema-level cameras and mixing desks. However, for the smoothest experience,

01:18 Elgato obviously offers the Wave XLR. This obviously pairs with the Elgato Wave Link

01:24 software, allowing you to mix up to 8 audio sources through your laptop or PC for your

01:30 livestream or content creation. All of the voiceover you've heard so far has been recorded

01:35 on the Wave DX, but I do have an Elgato Wave 3 right here, so let's switch them out and see if

01:40 you can hear the difference in the same setting and surroundings. And this is me in the exact

01:44 same setup using the Elgato Wave 3, one of the most popular microphones for podcasters,

01:48 YouTubers, streamers, and content creators. Now of course, the Wave 3 comes with a lot of

01:53 user-friendly features that the DX doesn't have. For example, it's a USB-C input as opposed to the

01:59 XLR input of the DX, and also the Wave 3 has a built-in headphone jack output, just making it a

02:04 more user-friendly device. If you're looking to just get started in content creation or podcasting,

02:09 then the Wave 3 might still be that entry-level point for you. However, if you're looking for a

02:13 more modern design and a more versatile microphone that can be used for more than just podcasting

02:18 and streaming through your PC and laptop, then it could be worth checking out the Wave DX.

02:23 The Elgato Wave DX is launching at just under $100, making it slightly cheaper than the Wave 3

02:30 currently is. Although, as I've said, it does require an extra purchase in the form of an audio

02:35 interface to work. Currently, the Wave XLR that I referenced earlier will set you back $150,

02:42 which is about the same price as the standalone Wave 3. I'm sure there will be plenty of bundle

02:47 deals that will make pricing of the DX and Wave XLR more competitive, but for most users,

02:52 the Wave 3 will remain the better choice for now. Of course, in some sense, it's unfair to compare

02:58 these two. They're designed for different use cases and different users, but I'm genuinely

03:03 intrigued. Could you hear the difference when I switched the two microphones out? Let me know

03:06 which you thought sounded better down in the comments below. And while you're down there,

03:10 remember to subscribe to TechRadar here on YouTube so you don't miss any of our future videos.

Elgato Wave Dx VS. Wave 3 - Which Is The Right Microphone For You?

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