The World’s Most INSANE Lav Mic! Boya BY-M1S Review

Summary

This video provides an in-depth review of the budget-friendly BOYA BY-M1S microphone, comparing it to the more expensive Rode SmartLav+. The presenter tests the mic in various environments, highlighting its pros and cons, such as its long cable and high gain. Although it has some drawbacks, including tangled cables and the pop shield frequently falling off, the BOYA mic offers impressive sound quality for its low price. It’s ideal for those looking for a portable, affordable microphone option, particularly for travel or secondary use outside the studio.

Takeaways

• 🎤 The review focuses on the Booyah M1S mic, a budget-friendly option retailing for about £15-17 in the UK or $20 in the US.
• 💰 The Booyah M1S mic is significantly cheaper than its competitor, the Rode SmartLav Plus, which costs twice as much.
• 👍 The mic is suitable for those looking to upgrade from built-in smartphone or SLR mics, as well as for those needing a secondary travel mic.
• 🛠 The Booyah M1S no longer requires a battery, is powered by your device, and loses the -10 dB switch from previous models.
• 📦 The unboxing reveals the mic, a sturdy clip, a foam pop shield, and a TRRS connector. The packaging is simple but effective.
• 🌍 The mic performs well for out-and-about recordings, although the long cable can be a hassle to untangle and manage.
• 📱 When used with an iPhone, an Apple Lightning adapter is required, adding extra cost and length to the cable.
• 🎚 The mic's gain runs a bit hot, about 5 dB higher than the M1 Pro, so users need to be cautious about their recording levels.
• ⚠️ The long cable presents a tripping hazard, but it's a trade-off for not paying significantly more for a wireless mic.
• 🎬 Overall, the reviewer finds the mic offers excellent sound quality for the price and is a great budget option for YouTube content creators.

Q & A

What microphone is being reviewed in the video?

The microphone being reviewed is the Booyah by M1S.

How much does the Booyah M1S microphone retail for in the UK and US?

The Booyah M1S microphone retails for about 15 to 17 pounds in the UK, which is approximately 20 US dollars.

Which well-known brand's microphone is mentioned as a competitor to the Booyah M1S?

The Rode SmartLav Plus is mentioned as a competitor to the Booyah M1S.

What are the two main groups of people that the reviewer thinks the Booyah M1S would appeal to?

The Booyah M1S would appeal to people looking to upgrade their built-in smartphone or SLR microphones and those looking for a secondary microphone for use outside of a studio.

What is the main difference between the Booyah M1S and its predecessor, the M1 Pro?

The Booyah M1S does not require a battery and loses the -10 dB switch found on the M1 Pro.

What is the frequency response and signal-to-noise ratio of the Booyah M1S?

The frequency response is 50 Hz to 20 kHz, and the signal-to-noise ratio is 78 dB.

What does the reviewer find both a blessing and a curse about the Booyah M1S?

The cable of the Booyah M1S is both a blessing and a curse. It allows for more ambitious shots but takes a long time to untangle.

What does the reviewer say about the gain levels of the Booyah M1S compared to the M1 Pro?

The reviewer mentions that the Booyah M1S runs about 5 dB higher in gain than the M1 Pro, so users need to be careful not to talk too loudly.

What issue does the reviewer face with the pop shield, and how does he solve it?

The pop shield falls off easily when taken out of the pouch, so the reviewer uses double-sided tape to secure it.

What is the reviewer's overall impression of the Booyah M1S, especially given its price point?

The reviewer is impressed with the sound quality for the price point of 15 pounds and believes it outperforms its cost. Despite some fiddliness with the cable, they are satisfied with the product.

Outlines

00:00

🎙️ Overview of the BOYA BY-M1S Microphone and Comparison

This paragraph introduces the BOYA BY-M1S microphone, highlighting its price in the UK (around £15-17 or $20) and comparing it to the Rode SmartLav+ mic, which costs twice as much. The narrator hasn't been sponsored by BOYA and provides an honest review, noting that this mic could appeal to two types of people: those upgrading from built-in smartphone or DSLR mics, and those needing a secondary, travel-friendly mic. The author himself falls into the second group and praises the mic for being compact, affordable, and a good travel companion, especially when compared to bulkier alternatives like the Rode VideoMic Go II.

05:01

📦 Unboxing and Initial Impressions of the BOYA BY-M1S

The narrator unboxes the BOYA BY-M1S, humorously describing typical packaging elements, such as a pouch, instructions, stickers, and the mic itself. It connects via a TRRS plug and can work with smartphones or DSLRs, with a quick note about needing an Apple Lightning adapter for iPhone use. The mic doesn't require a battery, unlike its predecessor, and includes a clip and foam pop shield. The narrator appreciates its compactness and remarks on how it's an excellent choice for portable shots despite the cable being long and slightly inconvenient to manage.

🌲 Outdoor Test and Sound Quality of the Mic

In this outdoor test, the narrator evaluates the mic's performance in a natural setting, with light road traffic and falling leaves. The sound quality is reviewed, showing how the mic picks up ambient noise, and the narrator expresses satisfaction with its portability. Though the cable length can be both a positive and negative, it's easy to carry around for capturing spur-of-the-moment audio recordings. The narrator also jokes about being careful not to speak too loudly to avoid sounding suspicious in the woods, as the mic's gain is a bit high.

🛫 Testing the Mic in France and Observing its Portability

The narrator humorously transitions to a new location—France—where they continue to test the mic's audio quality in a different environment. The mic performed well during travel and even passed through security unscathed. Ambient noise from the surroundings, like children and croissants, is captured during the test. The narrator shares that one of the reasons they chose this mic was its durability for travel, reaffirming its portability and affordability while keeping sound quality intact.

🎧 Off-Axis Sound Test and Practical Use Challenges

The narrator tests the mic's sound quality from various angles, moving left and right of the microphone to demonstrate how it handles off-axis audio. However, they point out some practical challenges with the setup, such as cable management issues and the difficulty of getting the mic ready for spontaneous use. They note that untangling the cable and routing it through clothing can be time-consuming, making it less ideal for quick, impromptu recordings. Despite these challenges, the narrator believes the mic offers good value for money given its price point.

🔊 Final Thoughts on BOYA BY-M1S: Pros, Cons, and Value

The final paragraph summarizes the narrator’s overall impression of the BOYA BY-M1S microphone. They acknowledge that the cable can be cumbersome, offering both the mobility of a wireless mic with the hassle of managing long wires. The mic’s gain runs a bit hot, which could affect recordings if not managed properly. They also mention minor annoyances like the pop shield frequently falling off. Despite these issues, the narrator is impressed with the mic's sound quality relative to its price and might even use it more often in their studio. Links to the mic and the necessary Apple adapter are provided, along with a hopeful wish for a shorter-cable version in the future.

Keywords

💡Booyah by M1S

The 'Booyah by M1S' is the lavalier microphone being reviewed in the video. It is presented as a budget-friendly alternative to more expensive lav mics. The reviewer discusses its build, functionality, and sound quality, making it a central item of the review.

💡Rode SmartLav Plus

The 'Rode SmartLav Plus' is referenced as a more expensive competitor to the Booyah mic. Although the reviewer doesn't own one, they compare it in terms of price and expected quality, showing that the Booyah mic offers similar performance at a much lower price.

💡TRRS connection

TRRS stands for 'Tip-Ring-Ring-Sleeve,' a type of audio jack that supports stereo audio and a microphone signal. In the video, the Booyah mic has a TRRS connection, which allows it to be used with both cameras and smartphones, contributing to its versatility.

💡Gain

Gain refers to the level of amplification of an audio signal. The reviewer mentions that the Booyah mic has a higher gain compared to the M1 Pro, meaning it picks up louder audio, which can cause distortion if not carefully managed. This is highlighted as a potential issue for users to watch out for.

💡Pop shield

A 'pop shield' is a foam cover that reduces unwanted noise from plosive sounds (like 'p' and 'b') in recordings. The reviewer complains that the pop shield on the Booyah mic frequently falls off, indicating a minor design flaw in the product's accessories.

💡Lavalier microphone

A lavalier microphone is a small mic that clips to the speaker's clothing, often used for hands-free operation in video production. The Booyah by M1S is a lavalier mic, making it useful for vlogging and outdoor recordings, which is a key appeal for the reviewer.

💡Cable management

Cable management refers to the handling and organization of cables to avoid tangling or interference. The video script highlights the long cable of the Booyah mic as both a benefit for mobility and a curse due to the hassle of untangling it during setup.

💡Signal-to-noise ratio

The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is a measure of how much useful audio signal is present compared to background noise. The Booyah mic has a signal-to-noise ratio of 78dB, meaning it can capture clear sound but may still pick up some noise in certain conditions, as referenced in the review.

💡Smartphone recording

The video emphasizes using the Booyah mic with a smartphone, specifically mentioning the iPhone 12. This setup requires an Apple Lightning-to-headphone adapter. The reviewer appreciates this feature, as it allows for portable, high-quality recording while traveling.

💡Frequency response

Frequency response refers to the range of audio frequencies that a microphone can accurately capture. The Booyah mic has a frequency response of 50Hz to 200kHz, which covers most sounds in typical recordings. This specification is discussed to give viewers an idea of the mic's sound capturing capabilities.

Highlights

Introduction of the Booyah M1S mic, retailing for 15-17 pounds in the UK, which is much cheaper than its competitors.

Comparison with the Rode SmartLav Plus, which costs twice as much.

Disclosure: The reviewer purchased the mic with personal funds for an honest review.

Booyah M1S is ideal for users looking to upgrade from built-in smartphone or SLR mics, or as a secondary mic for travel.

Main upgrade of the Booyah M1S from its predecessors: no need for a battery, powered directly from the device.

The mic loses the -10 dB switch found in the M1 Pro, but offers a frequency response of 50 Hz to 20 kHz.

Unboxing includes a pouch, mic, clip, pop shield, and a TRRS connection, with a sturdy clip part metal and part plastic.

In-field sound test: The mic is used outdoors with minimal breeze and some background traffic noise, showing decent ambient noise isolation.

The mic's long cable is both a benefit and a hassle, allowing flexibility in shots but requiring effort to untangle.

Review mentions higher gain on the Booyah M1S compared to the M1 Pro, about 5 dB higher, which needs careful attention during recording.

Pop shield consistently falls off during use, requiring a workaround like double-sided tape.

Despite its low price, the reviewer is impressed with the sound quality, especially considering the mic's price point.

The mic performed well in travel situations, surviving international security checks without damage.

Discussion of cable length, suggesting that an 'off-road' version with a shorter cable would be beneficial.

Reviewer gives the Booyah M1S a stamp of approval, considering its performance relative to its affordable price.

Transcripts

have you ever wanted to be so far from

your audience they can barely even see

you this is the booyah by m1s and so is

this

and so is this

and this

that's a lot of mic currently retailing

for about 15 17 pounds here in the uk so

about 20 bucks the nearest competitor to

this from a well-known brand is probably

the rode smartlav plus and that's still

twice the price i don't have one of

those but my friend steph does so she's

very kindly offered to help me do a bit

of a sound comparison between the two on

your mark ready set let's go on your

mark ready set let's go dance floor pro

i know

you know i go psycho when my new joint

hit just can't sit got to get jiggy with

it

that's it before we get into this it's

worth saying i haven't been sponsored by

booyah i bought this with my own

hard-earned cash so i'm going to give

you an honest review of this little mic

i think this mic will probably appeal to

two different kinds of people the first

is those just looking to upgrade their

built-in smartphone or slr mics and then

the others are those looking for a

secondary mic which they can use outside

of their studio and that's the camp that

i fell into when i was buying this when

i'm in my studio and the mic that you're

listening to now is the rode videomic go

to i wanted something for traveling that

was a bit less bulky and the road does

look a little bit like a sex toy so i

just wanted to avoid any awkward

conversations at the airport i also

wanted something really cheap so i

wouldn't cry too much if i broke it

while i was out and about but this

little bad boy is a successor to the

very popular m1 and then the m1 pro

after that the main changes are this

little capsule doesn't need a battery

anymore so it's just powered from your

slr or your smartphone it does lose the

-10 db switch that you got on the m1 pro

and if you're interested in that sort of

thing the frequency response 50 hertz to

200 kilohertz signal-to-noise ratio of

78 db and a weight of 68 grams which is

about the top range of what a mouse can

bench press let's travel quickly into

the past and unbox this thing now

companies typically use boxes to

transport goods so that they don't get

damaged and they hopefully have added a

picture of the mic on the box so that

you know what is inside the box

so inside we find a pouch which is

probably made from the hopes and dreams

of small children some instructions

warranty card and a few stickers that

you can stick on your toilet door if you

so wish

here we have the mic itself it's a trrs

connection and the extra r stands for

raunchy in case you were wondering i'll

be using this with my iphone so i'll

need to use the extortionally priced

apple adapter

to plug into the lightning port

we have the capsule here which allows

you to set it from

camera if you're using an slr or

smartphone if you're recording on your

phone like i am and then the mic here

quite nice and small inside this bag we

have yet another bag containing the clip

for the mics like past the parcel or

some

and then we have a little foam pop

shield here so here's the clip feels

quite sturdy this bit's metal this bit

is plastic

clip on like that and we are done one of

the main reasons i wanted to get this

mic was to do these kind of out and

about shots not too breezy today we've

got a few leaves falling

slight bit of road traffic in the

background just going to shut up now so

you can hear what it sounds like

not sponsored the cable is both a

blessing and a curse it obviously lets

you do

slightly more ambitious shots like that

but it takes forever

to untangle it but it's definitely

easier than rigging up

a full-on shocker mic or something and

if that's the difference between

shooting something and not shooting

something that's probably worth it the

gain does seem to be a bit high so i'm

being careful not to talk too loud

not least because i'd sound

like a murderer in these woods

but overall pretty happy it's going

straight into my iphone 12 in a minute

with the apple lightning adapter because

what could be better than making this

cable even longer one thing i've always

wondered is like swearing the

microphones sound better in france

let's find out brb

[Music]

well that was a pretty excessive segway

wasn't it so here we are in the south of

france and the mic is doing its first

test as i mentioned one of the reasons i

got this was to be a bit of a travel mic

that i could take out and about and not

really care too much if it got damaged

while it was traveling i'm happy to say

it did make it through french security

without getting destroyed so well done

if you listen in the background you

should hear some croissants baking maybe

the sounds of some french children

probably speaking french

let's do a quick test of some ambient

noise as you can see it's clipped just

about my chest level

and just so i can justify this trip

let's do some more sound tests so i'm

going to move off axis so to the left

and the right of the mic and you can see

how it sounds

this is me talking to the left

this is me talking to the right

i can now just fell down a ditch there

it's not quite as fast as i'd hoped to

just grab out the bag and get ready to

record because you do have to do a lot

of untangling and once you slip it

through your t-shirt or your top or

whatever you'll clip the little capsule

onto your belt and then figure out the

cable with that as well so not quite as

plug and play i think that concludes our

test in france after being here for less

than five minutes let's fly all the way

back to london

[Music]

hopefully that's given you a bit of an

idea of what this mic sounds like and

how it might sound in your setup i'm

going to talk about some of the things i

found a bit annoying about this

obviously the cable is the first thing

to talk about it's absolutely insane it

gives you all of the benefits of a

wireless lav mic in terms of being able

to move around as you're talking with

all the added fun of cable management

and there's also a very real risk of

tripping over the cable and dying but of

course the cheapest decent wireless lav

mics cost at least four or five times as

much as this so you have to weigh that

up as well the other thing i notice is

the gain does run a little bit hot from

other reviews i've seen it runs about

five db higher than the m1 pro so you

just need to be mindful of your gain

settings and make sure you're not

screaming ahead of while you're talking

another tiny niggle was that every time

i took it out the pouch the little pop

shield fell off and i had to search for

it on the floor i think this is a common

problem with most lav mics so i can't

get too annoyed about it and i solved it

by just sticking it down with some

double-sided tape like many people that

make youtube videos i love buying gear

when you buy something expensive you

kind of expect it to work pretty well

and it's almost a little bit

disappointing when it does but when you

buy something cheap and it really

outperforms its price point that's where

i really get the most fun from this and

to be honest i think this falls into

that category yes it's a little bit

fiddly with the cable but for 15 pounds

i actually think the sound quality is

really good after having used it for a

few days listening what kind of sound it

can get i'm actually really impressed

and i might consider using it more in my

youtube studio as well i popped all the

links in the descriptions for both this

mic and the road if you're interested in

that bear in mind that you do need to

use an apple lightning to headphone jack

adapter if you are planning on using it

with your smartphone like i am that adds

another eight to ten pounds on top of

the cost but yeah well done

maybe in future off-road version with a

slightly shorter cable i think 800

meters is probably fine but this one

against my stamp of approval