The SmartMike+ from SabineTek is not a mic that was on my radar, and I was not familiar with SabineTek. However, they were nice enough to send me their SmartMike+ Bluetooth mic for an unbiased review.
With the hundreds of wireless microphones available, why choose this one? This one is geared towards mobile or phone use and operates entirely through Bluetooth. Since it works through Bluetooth using SabineTek’s SWISS Bluetooth protocol, a separate receiving unit is not required when paired with a phone.
Package Contents
In the box, you get the microphone, a one-sided earphone to monitor the audio, a micro USB charging cable, a sponge wind cover, a large furry wind cover, a quick start guide and a manual.
Technical Specs
✅ 48 Khz Stereo Sound
✅ Qualcomm CVC Noise Cancellation Technology – 4 Levels of Noise Reduction (via App)
✅ Manual & Automatic Gain Control (via App)
✅ Real-Time Audio Monitoring via 3.5 mm port
✅ Teleprompter (via App)
✅ 110 mAh Battery – Rated for 5 Hours
✅ Bluetooth Protocols: A2DP, HFP, SWISS
✅ Transmission Range: 15 meter / 50 feet
✅ Weight: 14 Grams
Price & Value
The SmartMike+ retails for around $139 USD, so it’s a pretty good value when compared to other more well known brands. There is also another option for $280 USD, which allows you to use the unit for DSLR cameras and other devices, aside from a phone.
The link above is a referral link, which means that I earn a small commission for each qualifying sale. However, there is no additional cost to you.
Build Quality & Design
Coming in at 14 grams, you can’t expect impressive build quality since there is a balance to keep the unit lightweight and durable. The top part of the mic, which is gray coloured, is a bit heavier and cooler to the touch and feels like metal. The bottom part of the mic seems to be plastic, which is the same as the rear clip. However, the unit has no creaking or flexing, and it feels solidly built.
One side of the SmartMike+ has a red power button and a recording port. The power button also doubles to start and stop video recording when using the SmartMike+ app. The other side of the microphone does not contain any buttons. The top of the mic has a 3.5 mm port, which can be used to monitor audio using the supplied one-sided earphone.
The bottom of the mic has a micro USB charging port. I wish it was a Type C charging port, but it isn’t a deal-breaker.
Using The Mic & App
Since this Bluetooth mic is mostly geared towards cellphones, adjusting settings and getting fine control of the microphone relies on using the SmartMike+ / MetAudio app, which is available for iOS and Android devices. I tested the MetAudio on my Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra without any issues.
Using the app is pretty straight-forward and is broken into different sections to adjust the audio and video settings. I didn’t experience any crashes or hiccups using the app to record videos. The app communicates with the phone’s cameras to detect the corresponding video resolutions, frame rates, etc. The app stores the video files in the app’s database and gives you the option to save the video to your phone’s media library or gallery. You can also share the video to Google drive or another similar service.
In the app’s audio settings, the gain level and noise reduction levels can be manually adjusted. There is also an option to have everything automatically adjusted. Real-time audio monitoring is also available if needed.
There is also a built-in teleprompter in the app, which can be very useful since it can be placed near the phone’s selfie camera to help you maintain eye contact with the lens while reading from the teleprompter. That is, providing you have the patience to type content for the teleprompter.
There are also video filters that can be applied to change the look of the video. I found that using the first filter and putting the smoothing to around 25 was a good middle ground for this effect.
Another feature that is pretty unique but needs some polishing is the auto-generated subtitles. Once you finish recording a video, there is an option to generate subtitles in a few languages. You can’t copy and paste the subtitles, but it does give a pretty good starting point for editing the auto-generated subtitles. I’d put the accuracy of this feature at around 60 to 70% in my tests.
Overall, the microphone is easy to use through the app, and the lightweight nature of the mic doesn’t weigh or sag my shirt or sweater down like the Rode Wireless GO system.
Sound Quality
The sound quality is a step up from the microphone on my phone in some areas. There is a noticeable improvement in eliminating background noise when I enable the feature in the app, under the noise reduction setting to the highest level. The sound seems slightly more on the bass side in my tests, so I would have liked more of a balance towards the treble side, like I had with my phone’s built-in microphone.
While I wasn’t blown away with the audio quality on the SmartMike+, it does offer two distinct advantages over my phone’s built-in mic. One, is the 15 meter transmission range. If I was to put my phone on a tripod and sit away from it for a wide angle shot, the sound pickup would be lacking using the phone’s built-in mic. It also offers background noise reduction adjustments, which are not native on my phone. The ability to adjust the gain is handy to have too through the app.
What About Using It On Cameras?
If you buy a single SmartMike+ unit, it can only be paired with a cellphone via Bluetooth connection. If you want to use the mic with a DSLR camera, a second SmartMike+ unit needs to be purchased and connected to the camera via an audio cable. Once that is done, the SmartMike+ unit attached to the camera would act as a receiver. I have not tested this functionality as I only have a single SmartMike+ unit.
Summing Up
While there are a number of wireless microphones that can be used for cellphones, this microphone uses Bluetooth to connect to your phone, and by doing so, it negates the need for using a receiver on the phone. This results in a lightweight setup. You are going to have to use the SmartMike+ app to make the most of the mic’s settings, but other apps also support the SmartMike+, which can be found on SabineTek’s site.
If you prioritize a lightweight setup, both on your phone and on your body, then there aren’t many other options that let you use Bluetooth to bypass using a receiver. Just keep in mind that you will need to use the SmartMike+ app, or another supported app to properly use the microphone.
If there is anything that I missed in the review, or if you have any questions that I did not cover, please leave a comment below.
The link above is a referral link, which means that I earn a small commission for each qualifying sale. However, there is no additional cost to you.
