Joby Wavo POD Review

Joby’s GorillaPod adjustable tripod placed the firm on the map in the world of multimedia creation, and now the company’s Wavo microphones go beyond phone and camera attachments. The Wavo PRO shotgun mic and the Wavo Lav PRO lavalier mic, for example, are situational and aimed at professionals, but that doesn’t mean desktop podcasters and streamers have been ignored. The Wavo POD is a $99.95 desktop USB microphone that includes cardioid and omnidirectional recording patterns, integrated gain adjustment, a lag-free headphone connector, numerous screw mounts, and a pop filter for the price. It also has a very clear sound, making it suitable for any voice capture application. Our Editors’ Choice selection for USB mics goes to the Wavo POD, which sits comfortably between the ultra-affordable and basic Blue Snowball Ice ($49.99) and considerably more expensive, more complex devices like the Apogee HypeMiC ($349).

Joby Wavo POD

An affordable, versatile voice mic for podcasters and streamers

Buy this item

PROS
For recording voices, you need a crisp, clear sound.
Cardioid and omnidirectional modes are available.
Jack for headphones
Several screw mounts
 
CONS 
Without the integrated pop filter, it doesn’t catch much bass and can be sibilant.
The volume/gain knob is a little odd.

JOBY WAVO POD SPECS

Lots of mounting options, black mic, red pop filter

The Wavo POD is a simple black capsule-shaped USB microphone that appears similar to the Blue Yeti X and JLab Talk Pro. The front has a multifunction knob with a light ring around it; the light is blue by default, and the knob regulates the headphone jack output level. The mic is muted when you press the knob once, and unmuted when you press it again. When you press and hold the knob for a few seconds when the ring is blue, it turns light purple, indicating that the knob now regulates mic gain rather than volume. It’s not quite as convenient as having separate gain and volume knobs, but it’s good to have both.

The mic may be switched between cardioid and omnidirectional patterns via a button beneath the knob, with blue LEDs indicating which mode is active. A USB-C connector for connecting to a computer (both USB-C-to-USB-C and USB-C-to-USB-A cables are included), a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a 5/8-inch universal mount are located on the microphone’s bottom end. A 3/8-inch universal mount may be found by unscrewing the metal base from the stand the mic is installed on, and a 1/4-inch universal mount can be found by unscrewing the metal base from the stand the mic is mounted on. That’s the whole range of standard mounts, which is excellent for a $100 microphone.

The Wavo POD is mounted on a U-shaped support on a flat, circular aluminum base with two thumbscrew knobs. Mounts for additional devices, such as a GorillaPod Arm Kit for holding a phone, can be attached to the support via quarter-inch screw holes below the mounting points. The screw mounts are metal, however the mic’s support and body are made of plastic. Both feel robust, if not as high-end as metal-bodied microphones.

The Wavo POD‘s final touch is the most visually striking feature. The mic comes with a bright red pop filter attached on the back with a third thumbscrew knob and a three-point ring that wraps around the metal grille on top. The filter is a curved and perforated metal plate about three inches square that hovers about an inch in front of the mic.

Clean and crisp voice recording

The Wavo POD is a condenser microphone featuring omnidirectional and cardioid polar patterns. With a sensitivity of -36dB and gain adjustment between 0 and 42dB, it allows 24-bit, 48kHz recording.

The mic produced clean, crisp recordings with a wide frequency response from the mids to the highs. My voice didn’t have much low-end presence, but my words came through loud and clear. Certain upper sounds may (and did) sound too sibilant, however the pop filter prevented any unpleasantly detailed lip smacking from getting through.

This balance clearly distinguishes the Wave POD as a microphone best suited for voice recording, so if you want to record music, you should probably search elsewhere. However, it is ideal for podcasting, streaming, and any other voice work. The cardioid and omnidirectional patterns make it suitable for single and numerous users, and while it lacks bidirectional or stereo recording modes like the Blue Yeti X or JLab Talk Pro, such settings aren’t as important for speech recording.

Recording for Content Creators at an Affordable Price

The Wavo POD gets a lot right for Joby’s first attempt at a podcast- and streamer-friendly USB microphone. It comes with two recording patterns, a pop filter, inbuilt volume and gain adjustment, a headphone jack, and support for nearly any boom arm or mount for just $100. Although it doesn’t catch much bass and the volume/gain knob is a little clumsy, it’s still a great deal for the functionality and voice recording quality it offers, earning it our Editors’ Choice award. If you want to record good audio for even less money, the Blue Snowball Ice is a good choice for $50, albeit its controls and 44.1kHz/16-bit recording quality fall short of the Wavo POD. Meanwhile, the Apogee HypeMic delivers 96kHz/24-bit recording and a built-in analog compressor for more professional applications, but it costs $350.

Joby Wavo POD

An affordable, versatile voice mic for podcasters and streamers

Buy this item

PROS
For recording voices, you need a crisp, clear sound.
Cardioid and omnidirectional modes are available.
Jack for headphones
Several screw mounts
 
CONS 
Without the integrated pop filter, it doesn’t catch much bass and can be sibilant.
The volume/gain knob is a little odd.

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