DREAMGRIPMiniGun Directional Video Microphone VLC-80, fine-tuned for 1-3ft. distance voice capture with iPhone and Android, DSLR, incl. extra Universal Gimbal Mount for DJI, Zhiyun, other Gimbals

I really wanted to be able to post a positive review about this microphone after I’d read so many complimentary reviews posted by others. Unfortunately, my experience isn’t positive at all as the microphone I bought is a complete waste of money. In use all the recordings I’ve made using this microphone sound like the microphone has been placed under a pillow. The sounds are distorted & muffled as well as being very faint. Regrettably, a very disappointing purchase. 😔

I have to say, for $20, I wasn't expecting this microphone to be as good as it was. However I did extensive testing and here's what I found.I use a certain brand action camera that has not only bragged about it's internal microphone audio quality, but has recently released a microphone "add on" that promised "Shotgun like performance". It also allows the user to use their own external microphone and I decided to put the Dreamgrip VLC-80 into a head to head.A: The camera's "built in" microphone performed ok. There was good sound but in my home office, it did have a bit of reverb and sounded cheap.B: The camera's "add on" microphones actually had a little less bass so they sounded a bit more tinny. There was no difference between selecting the front or rear microphone, however when both (stereo) were selected, there was either a buzzing sound or a whining sound as if there was a bad ground. Not good at all.So how did the Dreamgrip VLC-80 stand up to those?Fantastic! Once activated and set up, the microphone actually sounded really rich and quite full. It was a slight bit quieter but that could be fixed in post. The sound didn't have any reverb though and it was really quite good. I also went into my camera settings and activated the 20DB gain, but that resulted in the microphone being over sensitive and produced background hiss and noticeable pops during speech.So, all in all, as a standard non powered microphone, I was blown away by the quality of this cheap little guy. Rich full sound, handy to attach via a cold shoe and even comes with a foam filter for wind reduction, a glue on cold shoe should you need it AND an adapter so you can use this microphone on your smart phone or camera.So honestly, I think at the end of the day, this is going to be part of my new audio setup when using my camera on the go or doing "out and about" reviews.

The sound quality on this one is downright EXCELLENT for this price range. Do not underestimate it because it really has a good quality crystal clear sound that is amplified and smooth.This item is good quality and it is very much worth the purchase. It arrived in good condition and I have found no flaws with the product and I fully recommend it. Great purchase! 4 stars.*Thank you for taking the time to read my review and if it helped you make an informed decision either way about this product please let me know by taking a quick moment of your time to vote it Helpful so I can keep track of my most helpful reviews. I hope you have a wonderful shopping experience!*

The media could not be loaded. As another reviewer mentioned, this microphone is definitely a wonderful value. For just $20, you can make a vast improvement on the audio quality and audio recording of your voice if you're normally just depending on your smartphone's microphone.I'm using a Pixel 3. It was just plug and play. The only downside is that it doesn't come with a USB C adapter. Instead, you have to get a 3.5 mm audio plug that is female and has the USB-C adapter plug on the other end. It's too bad it just doesn't come included. But if you have that, or if you just have a standard audio plug that's 3.5 mm already on your phone, and you won't be annoyed.

A nice little plug and play mic that works well with iPhone. Produces fairly good audio results right from your phone. The audio quality is a couple of steps up from the iPhone audio alone without a mic. Background noise was minimized.The mic is much smaller than it appears in the photos, so be sure to check measurements before ordering.Also, mic must be unplugged before listening to the audio recording on iPhone.This is a lightweight mic, making it very portable and easy to take along with you just about anywhere.