When JBL asked us if we were using an iPhone 13, 14, or 15 to review new Apple Arcade games, I was a little confused. I answered iPhone 14 Pro Max and then asked a follow-up question about what that information would be used for. “For the recipient” is their answer. Two days later, the newly released JBL Quantum Stream Wireless Lightning comes with a Lightning-compatible dongle (ugh!
Super easy for those who want to improve the sound of their selfie videos.
So, what is this? A wireless iPhone microphone for recording mobile video, it’s simple. We already have the Røde Wireless Go in the newsroom and the Ulanzi UW which does the exact same thing. You plug the receiver into your phone, then connect to the microphone the moment it’s powered through the phone, and it records what you say when recording starts on iOS. It couldn’t be smoother, it couldn’t be simpler, and while JBL certainly isn’t reinventing the wheel here, they do offer a very attractive bundle here that exudes quality. The box includes the microphone itself (which weighs just over 11 grams), the charging case (which is roughly the same size or smaller than what comes with JBL’s Bluetooth headphones), and the dongle itself, which weighs 6.6 grams.There’s also a magnetic windshield that looks like a tiny gray wig, and overall, JBL offers a super-functional alternative to the Røde, Lippa, Ulanzi, and Saramonic.
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In terms of sound quality, I first compared the JBL Quantum Stream Wireless Lightning to the built-in microphone in the iPhone 14 Pro Max, and then mainly to the Røde Go. JBL’s small microphone provided better sound quality than both options, Although it matches Røde’s replacement very well. JBL’s microphone is omnidirectional, which means it can pick up a lot of sound from your voice without picking up too much ambient noise or surrounding chatter (if you’re speaking in an environment without any background noise). When a windshield is installed, it also has the amazing ability to block wind and harsh weather. When using the JBL Quantum Stream Wireless Lightning, my voice sounded clear and natural without losing tone or bass. Of course, it’s not comparable to the Sennheiser USB Profile I use for all my video conferencing, but that’s not the thinking here either, because the JBL Quantum Stream Wireless Lightning is tiny in comparison.
The charging case looks almost identical to the one that comes with JBL in-ear headphones.
£120 certainly isn’t a lot of money for those who want a smooth, well-made microphone for recording iPhone and mobile movies. However, that’s a relatively large sum of money compared to competing models from other manufacturers, which offer decent alternatives for about half the price. In the end, though, it’s hard not to like the JBL Quantum Stream Wireless Lightning, which is a great overall package but probably should be priced under £100, or even under £100.
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