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Whether you’re belting out the classics at a karaoke party, recording your own material, or playing a live show, you’re probably going to need a microphone. The best wireless microphones will give you more freedom to move around without being restricted by a cable, which can pop out of your amp or recording interface if you make a sharp, sudden movement.
A good wireless mic also comes in handy for conferences, speeches and presentations, where you want to move around the room to interact with the crowd, or free yourself up to operate a projector or props, without getting tangled up in wires.
Wireless microphones come in two parts: the microphone itself, and a wireless receiver. The size and shape of the receiver varies, but the two connect to each other via a UHF (ultra high frequency) signal. This is a standard used by many pieces of audio and video gear, including old school TVs, so the connection should be rock solid. You may experience some dropouts or irregularities if you put a physical object (think piano or the wall of a vocal booth) between the microphone and receiver though so be aware of that.
What You Need to Know Before Buying a Wireless Microphone
There are many factors to think about when choosing the right wireless microphone for you; below are the most important ones, which we considered while we were researching this list.
Range:The biggest benefit to using a wireless microphone is the freedom to be untethered from a cable, but a short wireless range is just as constricting. We made sure to pick microphones that can work from at least 65 feet away to avoid this pitfall.
Frequencies:Wireless microphones all use UHF to send their signal to their receiver, but we chose ones that allow you to change their frequency to avoid interruptions from other wireless signals in your house, like the one coming from your WiFi router.
Battery Life:Wireless microphones all run on battery power, and our picks work for at least six hours per charge, which is enough to get you through a rehearsal, show, or long karaoke night.
Wired vs. Wireless: The one downside to using a wireless microphone over a wired one is latency, a fancy word for lag. There will be a few milliseconds of latency between when you start singing and when you’ll hear your vocals from the speakers. It’s virtually imperceptible, but it’s there. This isn’t the fault of wireless microphones — all wireless gadgets, from Bluetooth headphones to wireless keyboards and mice have some level of latency. This isn’t a deal breaker, just something to be aware of.
