Howdy folks, today we’re going to be looking at the Movo VXR10, a super budget-friendly microphone that’s perfect for those just wanting to get their feet wet with video.
Why You Can Trust Me
Chance (that’s me) has been practicing photography for 10 years and has been a paid professional for most of it. I bought my first camera in 2015 so this site is a culmination, so to speak, of ~10 years of photo/video experience (full site history). For this mic in particular, I’ve owned it for a few years now and still use it daily (read how I review/test gear).
As of the time of writing, this little guy clocks in at around $39, so it’s not “toy”-level cheap, but it’s also not as expensive and imposing as say a higher-end mic from Rode. Personally, I’ve had this mic for quite a while, and it, up to this point at least, has been what I’ve used for my dozens of YouTube videos on my growing channel.
Anyways, let’s dive right in.
Pros:
- Decent sound quality
- Comes with a windscreen
- Very lightweight/compact
- Dirt cheap
Cons:
- Shock mount feels flimsy
- Generally meh build quality
Verdict: Although build quality is a little “basic”, the Movo VXR10 offers surprisingly crisp sound quality at an extremely budget friendly price. Keep reading for my full impressions, or check out what other users have to say (affiliate link).
Build Quality
So, first up, let’s talk build quality as that’s the most common complaint I’ve seen about this mic. My impressions are: yes, the shock mount is VERY plastic-y and feels flimsy, but I personally haven’t had any issues with it.
When I’m using the Movo VXR10, I’m not gallivanting through the woods or trying to shoot content for NatGeo. I typically have it mounted on my camera, which in turn is mounted on a tripod, usually in my studio or my backyard.
So, if you’re routinely beating the heck out of your camera, maybe the build quality concerns are warranted. However, if you’re not spiking the microphone like Lebron James, you’ll probably be alright with it.
Setup/Mounting
As far as mounting/setting up the VXR10, it’s stupidly easy. If I can figure it out, you certainly can too. It has a cold shoe mount, so you can simply slide it on top of your camera, and then spin the little “dial” to clamp it down into place. This, being a cold shoe mount, is of course compatible with anything that has a cold shoe (my flash/lightbox or my camera cage, for example).
To connect it to your camera (or phone), the mic does ship with two cables. One is TRS and the other is TRRS. When I first starting doing video, I had no idea what this meant, so I ended up using the wrong cable and getting no audio out of it. Turns out that my ZV-E10 (and most cameras) takes “TRS” style cables and not TRRS (which is what my old aux-friendly phone took). That was a fun learning experience for a noob like me.
Audio Quality
Now, with this being a microphone review, I’m sure you’re itching to know what it actually sounds like. My overall opinion is “good”. It can pick up some background noise if you’re recording outside, but it sounds pretty solid indoors in a controlled environment.
My studio doesn’t really have great soundproofing. I have hardwood floors, high sloped ceilings, and literally no soundproofing panels. Yet, it still sounds pretty good and does a decent job at cutting echo.
I’d recommend scrolling back up and clicking through the video if you want to see the actual comparisons. Hearing a microphone test is a bit more helpful than simply reading about it. (0:14-0:56 in the video).
Conclusion
That about sums it up. At the end of the day, the Movo VXR10 is a cheap, budget-friendly microphone that does the job. If you’re looking at just dabbling in video, you’ll be quite happy with how much of an improvement this little guy is over the integrated mic on your camera (or phone, for that matter).
I’ll drop a link below so you can check it out yourself. Like I said, I bought mine for $39, and I’ve seen it hover at that price consistently for the last two years. Thanks for reading!
Buy from Amazon <— affiliate link 🙂