Elgato Wave:1 Microphone Review

A Closer Look

Included in the box, Elgato give you this handy mounting adaptor. If you’re using one of the larger screw tripods or mounts of your own, this will be a welcome adaptor.

The cable is a USB Type-C, which is fantastic, and I’m always happy to see hardware adopt the newer form factor. Of course, it’s not a proprietary cable, so you can easily swap out your own custom one at any time.

The Wave:1

It looks pretty fantastic the moment you take it out of the box. It’s very clean looking, with a really nice finish to it. The all-black hardware means it doesn’t stand out. However, the subtle curved edges, rounded corners and very dark black shine to it give it a premium look that does draw your attention a little too.

There’s a small Elgato logo recessed into the top section.

The actual microphone section has a built-in foam head, as well as that perforated metal exterior. I like this kind of design as you can bash and knock the thing extensively and not cause it any real harm. It’s built to last.

Towards the bottom, there’s a simple control for adjusting the volume, or push it for a quick mute/unmute. There’s an LED indicator ring around it too.

The base is weighted, so a firm knock shouldn’t topple the microphone. It’ll stop it sliding around and also reduce any resonance in the microphone. I should point out that Elgato do see a shock mount too, as well as an external pop filter should you really need it.

The volume wheel has a good tension to it and is easily adjusted in small increments.

However, the microphone needs to be braced at the back while hitting the mute button or it’ll topple over as the button needs a firm press. So like this…

Not like this…

Down the side, you’ll find adjustment screws, allowing the angle to be adjusted.

On the other side, you’ll find a USB port and headphone jack.

The USB is not optional, it provides both power and data between the computer and the microphone. It also means it can only be used with a computer, as it doesn’t have an analogue input/output option. There’s a headphone jack too, so you can get direct and lag free monitoring.

The base has a rubber grip on it, which stops it sliding around and also stops it scuffing up your desktop.

It’s completely removable too, allowing you to use your own tripods, arms, or any other mount really.