Sony ECM-W3 2-Person Wireless Microphone System with Multi Interface Shoe

I have been working in film/video production for about 40 years and have had the pleasure of working with many professional microphones. The ECM-W3 does a sterling job at a reasonable value. There are cheaper alternatives, but they don't have the ease of use for Alpha cameras. There is no need to connect a wire to the side of the camera or balance the levels. The ECM-W3 main advantage is that it works seamlessly with Sony Alpha cameras. The receiver plugs into the hot shoe. The units are already paired with the transmitters. The camera (In my case a#ILCE-7CM2) recognizes the unit and displays the status in the camera menu. Included are low-pass filters and a button for attenuating the level if it is too hot. Of course, the ECM-W3 can be connected to a computer or camera through USB or 3.5mm analog plug. I prefer to record sound with no filters and clean up BG ambiance in post. The quality of the recording is excellent. The mic is sensitive to a wide dynamic range and sounds very natural. I have now used the system from about 30 feet away, and it works very well. The transmitter unit is slightly cumbersome. The 2 x 1 unit is difficult to hide on a person's clothing. Fortunately, it is possible to plug in a standard lapel mic with a 3.5mm analog plug and hide the transmitter on a belt or inside the person's shirt. A smaller mic is easier to hide on a lapel, behind a tie, or in a collar. The audio quality is still excellent using the lapel mic. Sony does not include a lapel mic in the package. The two transmitters and receiver fit into a box for charging and storage. The box is made of hard plastic with a single LED status indicator. The kit included a cinch sack to hold the charger and windshields.

Super happy with product due to the fact that super easy to set it up. I pair it with my Sony 7R4 camera and all I did is just take it out the box turn them on then attached the receiver to camera, turn them on and start recording. Love the fact that Mic and receiver all have physical button so you don't have to cycle through complicate LCD menu to activate feature settings. One thing I wish Sony add a back up local recording as well battery indicator then we are golden.

With how quick social media fades, creating content at a viable pace has become paramount. The ECM-W3 takes away the worry and fear associated when not being prepared. Eliminating the need for cables, and having a charging case, the ECM-W3 takes any creator's audio up to the next level with its clarity and depth on this system! The integrated switches makes on the go recording absolutely versatile, eliminating the nuisance of having to swipe to get into settings! Once you attach the W3 onto your camera, monitoring becomes a little different than the typical analog approach. That said, what you hear is what you get when you use a good pair of headphones with this mic! The noise cut is the real deal, even in a loud and busy cocktail bar!

The audio recording quality from ECM-W3 wireless mics is excellent. It made the speaker's audio level consistently loud and clear with richer audio tone compared to Sony Alpha a7R V's built-in mic. The two clip-on transmitters with built-in mics pairs flawlessly to the dual channel receiver that connects to Sony camera with Multi Interface hot shoe (e.g. A7R IV, A7R V, A1, FX30, etc.). I love how the storage case is also a charging station for the transmitter mics and receiver. I can easily go about 400ft away from the receiver outdoors without any connection loss. Battery life is also excellent.

The ECM-W3 makes sense. I like the form factor and how it works with most cameras in the Sony ecosystem. The peace of mind of knowing once you plug into your hotshoe, it will work is refreshing. I also use my ECM-W3 with my laptop during video calls, and it works perfectly.

As a multi-camera user, with everything from my A7III through to my FX6, The Sony ECM-W3 is the perfect addition to the Sony multiverse because of it's direct delivery of digital audio via the camera's hotshoe (also referred to as the multi-shoe). I own other brands of wireless lavaliers that, while they fit into the camera's shoe, are just a cold shoe mount that require an analog out cord to plug into th side of the camera. The all-in-one storage and charging system has become a given among this lavalier category and price point, and this solution does not disappoint. Included is a small piece that serves to both cover the receiver hotshoe when not charging and has a 1/4-20 integrated so you can mount the receiver if you are using it outside of the hotshoe connection. The receiver is also much smaller than the others, largely because the switches on it are all that's needed, and the audio meters that take up the screen space on receivers can be seen on your camera screen without any problem. Further, when paired with a Sony camera the camera supplies power to the receiver, so your receiver is always being charged by the camera. While the ECM-W3 provides excellent option for two lavaliers, if you are sure you'll never need a second mic, you can opt for the ECM-W3S. I'd recommend you go with the ECM-W3 for future functionality you might need and be able to work with a second mic, whether that's for a second person speaking, or when you want to record continuously for long periods of time and as the receiver maintains charge from the camera, you can just rotate between lavaliers with one in use and one charging, but with a 6+ hour battery life per lavalier, you're likely doing extensive recording and this is an outlier use case, but a good one to be prepared for. The audio quality is excellent, and without any tweaking in an editor, is warmer and sounds more robust when compared side by side with other options. There is also a -20dB safety option, so you can protect against unexpected peaking that could blow your audio out. The system auto-controls your levels, but receiver allows you to attenuate down for loud environments, as well as a switchable option to engage a Low Cut and Noise Cancelling feature, when needed. While the Sony does not offer on-mic recording like some other choices, with a line-of-sight range of about 500ft, using the mic at this distance is also an outlier case and unlikely. A mic input on the transmitters is an option, should you want to use one. The simplicity of the Sony can't be beat, and you can immediately check playback with the video and audio on camera, if you have any concerns, something that's not as easy to do with other choices. The key here is simplicity without sacrifice. This lavalier kit travels in my FX6 A Camera case, and is the lavalier I reach for before the other brands I also own. John Harrington Award-winning Documentary Filmmaker

This is my new favorite wireless microphone system. The range is great but I don't think I ever moved far away enough to see when they would drop off, but that being said I know in line of sight in a crowded (airwave interference) environment I never moved out of range, even when I was over 100 feet away, which is more distance then I would probably ever need in real world applications. I love how Sony kept the controls similar to the rest of the microphone ecosystem they have developed. The same controls make learning the system easy and is well matched across the different devices within the system. Sound quality was top notch and never had an issue. Where I really wasn't impressed with this set was in the overall design of the product. I have several issues that stand out. The first is the carry case/charger, while I really appreciate the idea of it, I would rather it be a bit bigger so it can hold both wind socks, and the foot adapter for the receiver. In order to use the case, you can not have the foot installed on the receiver, nor the wind socks installed. The case needed to be able to carry all of it, foot, the wind socks, and a small USB-C cord to fully win me over. I am still having to carry these items separately in my camera bag, and try not to lose them. The next big issue for me, (and will only be an issue for a few people wanting this system) is, I use the XLR-H1 on my FX30 with a mono XLR microphone attached. You must plug the receiver into the XLR-H1 using a TRS cable. While this option works....you must also mount the receiver only using it supplied mounting foot. This must be done by using a double ended 1/4-20 treaded adapter. The receiver does fit in a standard cold shoe mount, but it (one) leaves the small hot shoe pins exposed, and (two) fits too loosely to actually use. Like I said however, this is only a real issue for those of us with slightly more advance line up of equipment. Mount it right on top of the camera as most people would, and this isn't even an issue. It is nice that it does at least have the TRS output available, so you don't have to rely solely on a Sony camera with only a hot shoe input, to be able to enjoy this wireless set. Lastly, my last critique on this set is the transmitters themselves. If I had to put these microphones on a couple at a wedding, or other client type work, I see the on/off switch and other setting switches far to easy to operate. It would be nice to see either an old fashioned hold slide hiding on the body somewhere, or a switch system that wouldn't be so easy to switch. Speaking from past experience,(and not with this Sony set) its a bad day when a client accidentally shuts off the microphone as the bride starts walking... With those items of design in consideration, I would recommend this only to someone that is just a self or solo creator that works for themself or does YouTube. While it will work very well for most people shopping in this range of wireless microphones, the design is limiting for those reaching for a more professional use.