This wireless mic system is under £100 and packed with features – I put it to the test

The Maono Wave T5 is a wireless microphone system that has been specifically designed for content creators, although, to be honest, any videographer or photographer looking to shoot some video and capture an interview between two people would be perfectly happy with this setup.

It’s been designed to be as simple as possible, so the two mics are of the plug-and-play variety, meaning there’s no option for external microphones to be plugged in. Instead, you simply clip it to your subject or interviewee, and the mics are ready to be used directly. However, unlike some other systems, there are a few little extras. Each lavalier mic has a power button, and for privacy, there is also an on/off or mute button. So, if you need to step away and don’t want your visit to be captured by the camera’s microphone, a quick press of the red button will switch the mic off. Through these buttons, you can also switch the noise reduction on and off.

When it comes to the transmission unit, they really are nice and simple. But then you flip over to the receiver, and again, for a mic system at this price, it’s well thought out and does offer a little bit more than most—especially the fact that you have a volume/microphone gain adjustment knob, which is so easy to adjust compared with many other options at this price. One big features is the small Mono to Stereo switch on the side, this option enables you to either record the input from both mics to a single channel or split them to a stereo recording.

Whilst the twin transmission microphone system is pretty standard, those little extras—such as the volume dial and the controls on the lavalier mic—elevate this from a design aspect beyond most other wireless microphone systems at this price. Added to that, you also have additional USB Type-C and Lightning receivers, which will work for either Android or Apple. The inclusion of these is a really nice addition. Once you count in all the other accessories, such as the cables and wind jammers, you have a really comprehensive set that should see you through from being a beginner to a keen video enthusiast.

One of the first things you notice about the Wave T5 is the build quality. Considering these are a set of wireless microphones for less than £100, the build quality is exceptionally good. It all starts with a really nice semi-hard case that keeps all of the cables and accessories together. This is one of my bugbears with other cheap wireless microphone systems. Yes, you have the charging case with the wireless mic and receiver inside, but then you have to carry the cables separately, and if it’s a busy day, they could easily get lost in your bag. So, having a semi-hard case where you can keep everything neatly together is a real bonus.

Once you open it up, everything is neatly laid out inside, with a mesh pocket at the top that holds the cables and wind jammers. Then you have the charging case and four slots to hold the two magnetic clips that can be attached to the lavalier mic, as well as the two additional receivers that you can use in place of the main camera receiver to plug into the bottom of your Android or Apple smartphone.

Taking out the charging case and flipping open the lid, you then have the receiver on the left-hand side—again, really nice and lightweight. It does feel a bit lightweight and plasticky, but the quality is really good. Then you have the two transmitters, which are button-style, and they are a decent size, measuring roughly 2.5 cm in diameter. With a dark grey colouring, they should blend in with most clothing. I also like the fact that, although, as with all of these wireless mic systems, the logo is emblazoned across the front, they have actually toned it down so it’s not bright white like you get with Rode or DJI.

Each component of the wireless system has three contacts on the base, allowing it to interface with the charging case. Once the units are popped back inside, they can receive a top-up charge or a full charge, depending on how much they have been used.

The whole system has been designed to be as simple as possible to use, and there really is very little complexity. The only additional thing you need to know about handling is that when you’re using the main receiver with your camera, you need to connect it with the 3.5mm cable included in the box. When monitoring your audio, you can adjust the input gain using the large dial. Likewise, on the two transmitter mics, they both feature noise cancelling and the ability to switch off the mics in case you need to step away. In all situations, a different combination of coloured LED illuminations shows you what status the units are in.

Taking a quick look at the features, the first is intelligent noise cancellation. This is activated through the transmitter rather than on the body of the receiver, allowing you to activate it on one or the other mic depending on how it needs to be used.

Obviously, trying to gauge the noise cancellation using just the transmitter mic is a little bit difficult, but there is the Maono Link app, which you can use to fine-tune noise reduction with three modes and 14 levels of precision. In use, you’ll find that you really do have to rely on the app to monitor the audio for some of these more advanced features, and it’s a really good addition—again, considering the price of these units.

One of the features that I really do like, especially at this level of mic, is the mute function. This means that you don’t have to remove the mic if somebody needs to step away—just push the button to deactivate the mic. So, if they do nip off to the loo, anyone sitting behind the camera and monitoring the audio won’t have to listen.

Another function of this button is that if you pair it with your mobile phone, you can actually use it to remotely start or stop recording or take pictures by holding the button down for a couple of seconds. This is a really nice feature but obviously doesn’t work with a DSLR or mirrorless camera.

Moving on to some of the more traditional wireless mic features, if you’re plugged into the receiver, there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack on the side, enabling you to monitor the audio. You can also use the large dial to adjust the audio input as needed.

First and foremost, the Wave T5 wireless microphone system is really nice and easy to set up. I started using it with the Apple iPhone 15 Pro, which gives you a really good idea of how quick and simple the system is to use.

Once you’ve taken out the wireless receiver and plugged it into the base of your phone, the two wireless microphones are instantly picked up, highlighted by two blue LEDs that appear on the receiver. You can then open up whichever recording app you want, and you’ll instantly get access to the two microphones. So, if you want to do an interview with an interviewer and interviewee, it’s ready to use straight away. There’s no need to download any app—it will just utilise the standard Apple app. Likewise, if you’re using an Android phone, it will work in exactly the same way. This is as quick, easy, and straightforward as any wireless microphone system on the market at present, and what’s good about it is that the mic pickup quality is actually exceptionally good.

However, that’s only half the story when it comes to mobile phone connection. If you download the Maono Link app, you can take the use of the microphones to the next level. First and foremost, it allows you to monitor the microphones, but it also enables you to update firmware as and when it becomes available. Keeping an eye on firmware updates, like with any piece of electronic equipment, is essential to ensure you get the best possible quality from these devices.

During testing, when I made the first firmware update for the transmitters and receivers, there was a noticeable improvement in noise reduction quality. So, I would highly recommend that if you go for these wireless mics, your first step should be to download the app and update the firmware to the latest version.

Once that was done, I was able to take full control of the wireless system. Opening up the Wave T5 app, the first thing you see is the microphone gain, which can be adjusted using a simple slider from 1 to 20 to increase or decrease the audio gain. At the top of the screen, you can also see the battery levels for Mic 1 and Mic 2. On the left-hand side, there are two icons for Mic 1 and Mic 2. By tapping each of these, you can quickly mute either microphone, and if you use the mute button on one of the wireless mics, it will also appear in the app interface—a really nice touch.

Below the mic gain section, there’s the noise reduction setting, which can be changed from “Slight” to “Strong” or set to “Custom,” with the custom option allowing adjustments from level 1 to the maximum of 14. Through testing, I found that a moderate level worked best. There’s also a sound enhancement option, which noticeably boosts vocal quality. Likewise, there’s a phone speaker output option, enabling you to adjust the quality when picking up phone audio alongside your voice.

One feature I really like—is the ability to switch from mono, where all audio is recorded onto one channel, to stereo, which separates the two microphones onto separate channels. This means that if one person is slightly louder than the other, you can separate them in post-production and adjust the audio levels individually. Unfortunately, even when using this feature through the app, only one level graphic is displayed, so you can’t actually see the split between the two wireless microphones.

So, that’s the experience of using the wireless microphone system with a mobile phone, and to be honest, it works really well—especially once you’ve downloaded the app, which elevates it above most other wireless microphone systems at this price. However, alongside using it with smartphones, you can also use it in a more traditional way with a mirrorless or DSLR camera, as long as it has a mic input option.

Using the mic with a mirrorless or DSLR system means you can’t use the app, so setting noise reduction has to be done using the options on the side of the wireless transmitter. This makes it a little trickier to adjust.

Otherwise, the rest of the operation of this wireless microphone system is very straightforward. The receiver slots neatly into your hot shoe, and you can connect the included 3.5mm cable from the wireless receiver to the audio input on your camera. Unfortunately, there’s no headphone jack for direct audio monitoring, so you have to monitor the audio through the camera itself.

One nice feature is the large dial, allowing you to easily adjust the input volume. If you enable noise reduction on the two transmitter mics, you’ll be able to check the noise reduction quality, although it’s worth noting that settings adjusted via the app do not transfer when using the system directly with a camera.

It’s also worth noting that if you want to switch from mono to stereo, you need to slide the switch on the side of the receiver. This switch is quite small and a little tricky to see, but as it’s the only sliding switch on the unit, once you know where it is, it’s easy to use. As standard, the receiver is likely to arrive set to mono, so just push the switch forward to enable stereo. For most recordings, I found that using stereo rather than mono works much better.

Beyond that, like using it with a smartphone, the setup is really simple and straightforward. Just get the two people you’re recording to start talking, adjust the input volume using the dial, and ensure you’re monitoring the audio through the back of the camera—preferably with headphones as well.

Once the audio input is slightly adjusted, the quality is exceptionally good. Considering the price of these microphones, the overall quality rivals some far more expensive units.

Throughout testing, including a few interviews, the audio quality remained exceptionally good. Although I didn’t test the distance beyond 3–5m from the camera, the signal strength seemed strong, and the audio remained reliable without any noticeable dropouts.

Overall, at the end of testing, I was really pleased with how good the audio quality was, along with all the additional features. Some of the highlights included the app, which enhances functionality when used with a smartphone, and the quality and level of adjustment available when used with a mirrorless or DSLR camera. The fact that it comes with a semi-hard case and all the accessories needed to get started also adds to the value of the system.

At the end of the test, I was really impressed with the Wave T5. Considering the price, the fact that it comes in a semi-hard case with accessories and two smartphone receivers just adds to the system’s flexibility.

The design is also really nice, and whilst it’s very light and a little bit plasticky around the edges, there’s no denying the actual audio quality it is able to capture.

Utilising the app really does boost functionality, and the voice enhancement and noise reduction work really well. Likewise, when used directly with your camera, the improvement in audio quality compared with the built-in camera microphone is significant.

A couple of years ago, you would have had to spend a few hundred pounds on a decent set of wireless lavalier mics. Now, you can get this kit for less than £100, and one of the things that really stands out for me is that you get everything you need in one small case for such a great price.

So, for the money, this is one of the best wireless microphone systems when it comes to providing a complete solution as well as high-quality mics and audio capture.