Deity Microphones W.Lav Micro 3mm Lavalier Microphone with DA4 Shure TA4F to Microdot Adapter, Beige

2020-11-27T18:54:57

Deity is going directly after the Countryman B6 with this W.lav Micro, (all their literature to Youtube influencers direct them to compare it to the B6), which is a hard nut to crack since the B6 has a proven track record in TV and film. And the price difference is marginal in my book, 200 retail for the Deity vs 300 retail for the B6. But if you watch YT influencer vids they all say it’s better or equal (i disagree). If you want to watch a good professional review watch Curtis Judd on YT, he does a superb job as he always does comparing the W.lav Pro and Micro to other professional lavs - no colab here. If you are a sound mixer production engineer this probably won’t replace your Countryman B6, Sanken COS-11D, Sennheiser MKE1/MKE2 or DPA 6060/4160 but it is a nice mid level substitute. The W.lav Pro is a 4mm capsule with much higher SPL and water resistant rating of IP57. The W.lav Micro here is a 3mm capsule with a very thin (fragile?) 1.2mm cable. It sacrifices SPL and water resistance for smaller size. My personal take on the W.lav Micro is that it requires much EQ work to naturalize (to be fair so do most lavs). Lack of IP rating can cause issue especially if concealing in high humidity area like hair on a hot day, or outside on a rainy day. Of the Pro version VS the Micro I am more for the Pro with its IP rating and higher SPL but if you really need subminiature for maximum concealment this is a good cheaper alternative to pro level mics without sacrificing too much quality. The cable length is 5’11” foot (1.8 meters) which is long enough to reach a transmitter at the ankle in most cases I would say the main difference between pro level mics and the Deity W.lav mics is in the cabling. Pro mics have a much higher level of survival over a longer period of use. I especially feel the 1.2mm synthetic sleeve on the Micro is not going to last long at all with repeated use and abuse. My advice is this: if you are considering this mic for self work, passion projects or where it won’t get much use or your mic’ing yourself its a good mid level lav mic. But if you are a pro sound mixer engineer looking for cheaper solution, this might not work for you for the long haul and the Countryman B6 is a better bet for not much more.

DANIEL F.