In this video I compare the three cheapest lavalier mics in the world (according to ebay) to find the best cheap lavalier mic.

If you want to skip through the video, time stamps are at the bottom of this page

Goals of the test

• Can you get decent sound from a vlogging mic that costs less than 2USD delivered?
• How accurately do you have to mount the mics?
• How do the mics perform with loud background noise/music?
• Build quality, will they last?

Test Methods

The mics were tested for build quality, directional sensitivity, with loud background noise & their performance outdoors.

Test 1 – Build Quality

Best quality mic was the metal mic. Good clip, metal casing, good stress reliever on both ends of the cable

Plastic mic 1 had some build issues namely the magnet was loose inside the mic.

Plastic mic 2 had build issues, loose cable in the mic, clip on the mic not stable and the mic was extremely large compared to the other lav mics in this test.

Result: Metal mic wins

Test 2 – Directional Sensitivity

Again, the metal mic was much less sensitive to the direction in which it was pointed. Sound quality was also superior to the other two plastic mics.

Plastic mic 1 came in second. Sound quality was okay if it was pointing directly at the mouth.

Plastic mic 2 gave horrible sound in all directions

Result: Metal mic wins

Test 3 – Loud Background Noise/Music

Plastic mic 2 gave the best isolation to background noise, probably because it was the worst at picking up any noise. Again, the worst performer.

Plastic mic 2 performed okay if it was pointed directly at the mouth.

Metal mic, again the best, good quality sound in all directions, it did pick up more background noise than the other mics but my voice was still clear regardless.

Test 4 – Outdoors

• How do the mics perform in a windy location?
• How do the mics perform with the windows open of a fast moving car?
• How do the mics perform next to a busy road?

In this test I did not use Plastic Mic 2 because its performance and build quality are nowhere near as good as the other two mics.

Busy Road

Plastic mic 1 did not isolate as well as the metal mic and the sound of my voice was less clear with the plastic mic.

Another win for the metal mic.

Driving @ 100km/h with Windows Wide Open

A remarkable performance from both mics. Even though a passenger in the car would struggle to hear the driver, both mics picked up my voice well. No issues understanding what I was saying.

The metal mic again came out on top, better isolation from the wind noise and better quality in general.

Windy Beach

Both mics a million times better than the camera’s built in mic. The camera’s mic would be blown out totally while both of these lav mics pick up my voice easily.

Again, the metal mic gave a superior performance, better quality in general and less effected by the wind direction.

Result – Best Cheap Lavalier Mic Comparison

The clear winner in the Metal Mic.

I have been using the Plastic Mic 1 in my videos for a few years & I wish I have ordered the metal mic before because it is in a different class.

Very good sound, not really effected by extreme wind, good build quality and a nice clip which makes mounting on the clothes easier.

All in all, a grand slam for the metal mic.

Things to note

When you are ordering the best cheap lavalier mic from eBay, make sure the jack on the mic is what you need.

For mobile phones you will need a 4 pole jack. Stereo input, eg dictaphone, you will probably need a stereo jack, 3 poles and if you have converted your action camera to have an external mic connection, you will probably need a 2 pole jack (mono).

If you can’t find the mic with the jack you need you can also get a separate jack adapter which will convert 3 pole stereo to 4 pole hands-free, 2 pole mono to 3 pole stereo etc.

Time Stamps

====Vlogging Mics Build Quality====

-Plastic Mic1
1:00 Plastic Mic 1
1:09 The casing
1:24 The clip
1:43 The cable -Metal Mic
2:23 Metal Mic
2:32 Materials
2:39 Cable
2:43 The clip -Plastic Mic 2
3:22 Plastic Mic 2
3:25 Size & the casing
3:39 The clip
4:06 The cable – Major Issue
4:58 Magnet inside the mic

====Sound Tests Back-to-Back====
5:10 Sound test how we do it & direct comparison
5:23 Back-to-Back Tests in each position
6:20 With loud background music Back-To-Back tests ====CHANGE OF PLAN!====
7:32 A confession!
7:40 The background story to this test
8:20 I thought Plastic Mic 2 was going to be close to the other two
8:40 No point continuing with Plastic Mic 2
9:00 Summary of Plastic Mic 2
9:54 Nowhere near as good as the other two mics Metal Mic vs Plastic Mic 2 Review
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZc2x…
10:44 Metal Mic summary
11:10 Benefits of Metal Mic
11:40 Clips, Plastic Mic 1 vs Metal Mic
12:39 DIY Upgrade video. Possibly….
13:10 Wrap up
13:30 3rd – Plastic Mic 2 2nd – Plastic Mic 1 1st – Metal Mic

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