Customer Ratings & Reviews

The Wave Neo is Elgato’s entry level USB mic for everyday users who want excellent mic sound without any fuss. Elgato delivers on this promise with one exception – see comments below about the excessively bright LED. PROs • The default sound is quite good. The mic is plug and play and requires no fine tuning for decent sound. The mic will be recognized as an input source without installing any additional software. • It’s lightweight, low profile, and made of sturdy finished aluminum. The base is thin enough that I can slide my desktop computer’s keyboard over its base a couple of inches to bring the mic just a little closer to my mouth, which helps sound quality. • You can mount the the microphone directly on the base, or use the extender to raise it a bit higher and closer to your mouth. The screw that comes up from underneath the base has a D-ring so you don’t even need a screwdriver. • There’s an LED strip that’s white when the mic is on. A gentle touch of the strip mutes the mic and the strip turns red. It’s a great visual indicator, especially since the strip is a decent size. • Elgato allows you to customize the sound coming out of the mic with their free optional Wave Link software. This software allows customizations by downloading plug-ins from Elgato’s marketplace. While there are only a handful of plug-ins, Elgato has their own free ones for EQ settings, noise reduction, and even making your voice sound like a post-apocalyptic broadcast a-la Fallout. CONs • The optional Wave Link software once installed on a Mac shows up as Corsair Memory, Inc. on the Login items of System Preferences. I’ll never remember that that’s for my Wave Neo. They should really register with a more obvious name. The software is a little buggy. When first installed on my Mac, it kept crashing when I launched it. But a computer reboot stabilized it. Then, when trying to use my headphones to monitor the output, I couldn’t hear anything from my monitor headphones. Finally, I toggled the monitor output just a bit and I could hear. • Similarly, the website for the Wave Link plug-ins is just as buggy. Once I download a Mac compatible plug-in, it recommends other plug-ins that are the Windows compatible ones, even though there are Mac versions. It’s very confusing. • And lastly, Wave Link software when running with Elgato’s plug-ins uses 35% or more of my CPU! Unless you need sound effects, you may want to avoid using Wave Link. • The LED light on the mic is annoyingly bright. I suspect many people will want to dim it. But to do that, you will need the Wave Link software which has a setting for it. Otherwise you will have a permanent key light for your chin. The good news is once the LED has been dimmed, you do not need Wave Link running, or even installed to keep the light dimmed. • The mic does not fit snuggly into the extension pole. There’s a little bit of wiggle that can introduce noise when touched and just feels cheap versus the rest of the build. • There’s no option to set the mic’s input pattern. It only picks up sound from the front side, i.e., a cardioid pattern. That means you can’t use it, for example, to record a face to face interview. • Despite a fixed cardioid input, the mic picks up a faint amount of sound from the back side of the mic. My other mic does not pick up backside sound at all, albeit, it’s more expensive. You might have to be careful of volumes causing echoes. • The cable that comes in the box has a USB-C plug for the mic’s port, but the other end of the cable is USB-A. That’s a very odd choice given that USB-A is no longer the standard. You can, of course, use your own cable, but the included cable has an nice form fitting plug for the mic side. This is a very solid entry level mic that works great out of the box. If you need a simple mic for video conferencing, streaming and recording, it’s a solid value for its price. With the optional Wave Link software, you can boost its functionality. And though it’s optional to use Wave Link, I think it’s unfortunate it’s needed to turn down the LED brightness. For that and the overall experience of the Wave Link software, I deduct one star, but still recommend the mic.

I've been trying out the Elgato Wave Neo and I think it's pretty good. I’m coming from the Wave 3 that I purchased from Best Buy two years ago and it's like the little sibling of the Wave 3, that said, it’s NOT the Wave 3, it’s the up and coming younger bro. The sound quality is good for a budget mic. It's warm and clear, picking up my voice without too much background noise. Is it as clean and crisp as the Wave 3? Really, no. The Wave 3 is a much much finer mic, but it’s $150 more! The Wave 3 definitely has a bit more clarity and depth, but at about 2/5 the price, the Neo will do just fine for a vast majority of people. The design is sleek and minimal, which I like much better than the Wave 3. It's all white and looks pretty clean on my desk. The Wave 3 has a more premium feel with its metal construction, but the Neo doesn't look cheap, nor does it feel cheap, but it does when compared to the Wave 3. Now, here's where the Neo falls short of its big bro: controls. The Wave 3 has a multifunctional dial for adjusting gain, headphone volume, and mic/PC mix. The Neo? Just a tap-to-mute button. If this is all you need, and you control your levels from a board, then that’s all you will need! Another difference is the max sample rate. The Neo tops out at 96kHz, while the Wave 3 can hit 192kHz. For most folks, this won't matter, but if you're doing serious audio work, it might be a factor. One thing I really like about both mics is the Elgato Wave Link software. It's pretty easy to mix and control your audio sources, and it works great with both models. If you need a solid mic for calls and content creation, the Neo is a great choice. But if you want top audio quality and want more control, the extra cash for the Wave 3 might be worth it. Now the awesome thing is that this mic is part of the new Neo set from Elgato and it’s HOT. The design of these together will really make your setup look really modern and fresh and cool. The series looks and feels meant to be together and they look really good on camera! That’s why I gave this mic a 5. When you consider getting a Facecam and a Stream Deck and a key light all in Neo flavoring, wow... it’s a hot hot hot setup for a reasonable cost; Definitely a recommend on its own.

The Elgato Wave Neo Mic has been a great addition to my home office and gaming set up. It has brought great consistent sound with taking up little space on the desk. The setup for the Elgato Wave was very simple and straight forward. When it says that it's plug and play, it truly is. You can mount the microphone directly to the stand, or use a extension that gives you a little bit more height. The sound quality of the Elgato Wave is very good and very consistent. I've used other mics in the past and they sound relatively good comparing them to build in mics on headsets, but the consistency of the quality varied. Not with this Elgato, it is crystal clear all the time. I've used this microphone for video calls for work, and for gaming and have had no issues what so ever. The position of the mic helps reduce the sound of the keyboard when i am gaming or typing for work while on a video call. Very pleased with the versatility this microphone offers. Overall the Elgato Neo Wired Microphone is a great consistent microphone. It wont wow you with the flashiness or features, but it gives a very simple useful user experience! If you're looking for a microphone that has a lot of features i would look elsewhere, but if you want something simple but effective, that won't break the bank, this is the microphone for you!

Ok so I just received my new Elgato Wave Neo few days ago and have been putting it through its paces. I have used other Elgato branded products in the past and have come to love the brand in recent years. 
This microphone came along just at the perfect time as I've been looking for a decent microphone I can use while at work for my Zoom/Teams meetings and staff trainings. When you open up the box, immediately you're greeted with the white Wave Neo (not a dealbreaker, though I wish it was black). Further unpacking and you will find an extension pole, desktop stand, USB-A to USB-C cable, extension pole screw, as well as the base screw and user documentation. Setting up the microphone is fairly simple, and I love that Elgato includes and extension pole for those that want to make their microphone a little taller. My only problem was when connecting the screw to the extension pole the inner hardware became somewhat loose and I had to tighten that back in place. Also once I got the extension pole connected to the microphone, everything still felt a bit wobbly to me and not as secure as it is without using the extension pole. That's the beauty of it, you can switch it up however you see fit. On the front of the Wave Neo is a white illuminated touch-senstive strip. When lit white, that means the Wave Neo is operational and its picking up sound; when you touch it, it turns red and the Wave Neo is now in mute mode. On the back of the Wave Neo is the connecting port for the cable and also a headphone jack port. Over the last week, I've had to participate in a couple of conference meetings from my desk and the Wave Neo came in hand over my old webcam mic. During my participation, everyone stated that I sounded a lot more clearer than I normally do with my webcam mic. I even had a couple of them stop by my office inquiring about the Wave Neo. Now I've only used this with my Windows-based PC, however, it is compatible with macOS and I'm assuming probably ChromeOS as well. All in all I really like this microphone. My only qualm which isn't a dealbreaker was the extension pole not sitting flush or when I go to grab it and move it around my desk it came apart. Something wasn't tight, but at the same time the inner hardware appeared to have come loose somehow. For a standard basic mic, you can't go wrong with the Wave Neo.

This is a great sounding overall Microphone for streaming/gaming with friends, even *gasp* video conferences for work. ****SETUP**** It comes in a simple box with a fixed stand, and a USB C cable. The only downside is they made their cable a custom shape to fit in the back, so if you damage your cable and use just a normal USB-c the back of the microphone won't have clean lines, but it's in the back. However, on Windows 10, I plugged the cable in, and it was detected instantly and ready to, though only downside since it has a 3.5 mm jack for headphones it took over my headphones and I had to go into settings and switch back to my headphones, so be aware when you plug in for the first time you'll have to switch your sound output back to where you want it. ***Usage*** Without any other software though I was able to add it to my current setup and OBS without issues. However I recommend downloading the Wave software from Elgato as it gives you functionality and tuning of the microphone as well adding VST plugins to change and tune your sound. Also it has a nice LED on the front that is white when the microphone is recording and red without, using the wave software you change the intensity, and its large enough that you can't miss your mic being muted or open, so less of a chance of chat yelling at you that your muted. The only major downside is the Mic stand itself is fixed height and I would have liked the ability to raise or lower based on my setup. But its a minor bug for good voice sound. Overall I'm happy with this mic, and the wave software from elgato and easy intregration with my Stream Deck from them is a great plus and am very happy with this Mic.

Sometimes simple is best. Just the basics kind of thing. And that's what this Elgato Wave Neo Wired Cardioid Condenser USB Microphone is. Basic, but really good. Firstly, this microphone is easy to setup. Then it's pretty much "plug and play." Nothing fancy to see here. Which isn't to say that this Elgato mic isn't nice. Cause it is. It's made well. The stand is metal, and can be used with both sections of the pole or just the one, depending on how tall you want the mic to be. The bottom of the round base of the stand has a grippy texture, so the microphone will stay securely put on whatever surface you place it upon. The foam 'pop filter' works well, and having the mute control right there accessible on the mic itself, with just a finger tap, is oh so easy and convenient. The USB power connection cord is a good length; highly flexible, and covered in that fine woven material. The Elgato Wave Link software isn't necessary to use this microphone. There isn't much to play around with in the software, at least for this mic. It would be much more useful for the brand's other devices. The audio quality put forth by this mic wasn't bad. The sound of my voice was clear and sure, with no distortion, echo, or crackling. Yet even with no extensive customization options, this Elgato microphone does what it's designed for. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I like this Elgato Wave Neo Microphone. I'm already planning on how I can best make use of it for my online content creation. Plus, the price is more than fair. Quite affordable as an 'entry level' microphone.

I love the stand and simplicity of this mic; it works with my Android or PC without an issue. The mic quality is excellent and picks me up easily from a comfortable sitting distance, even when I’m relaxed in my chair during a meeting. There are a couple issues with it, the stand comes in two segments that don’t click together, so if you move the mic stand the bottom will fall off unless you grab both parts. The screw to adjust the mic angle tends to come lose for me if I mess with the mic at all instead of just not budging. Lastly, this is a personal preference, I don’t love the aux port on mics, most of them have them, and I understand that, however software like MS Teams likes to select that one instead of my normal speakers, so I must remember to switch the audio source (even when I set it as default sometimes). This is more of a specific software glitch, but it does make me wish for a physical switch that would disable or enable the aux port on a microphone like this. The mute button is a little weird as it is a capacitive button, but it visually turns red so I’m perfectly good with its functionality. It has a USB C port on the back and the white cable that comes with it fits nicely, but I was able to use a different USB C cable that had USB C on both ends without an issue, so if that cable ever fails or you just need/want a USB C to USB C cable, you’re not trapped into that specific cable. Overall, this has turned into my go to microphone, I just made sure to put in a spot I don’t have to move it.

The Elgato Wave Neo USB microphone is a great choice for anyone that is looking for something better than their subpar headset audio for work, play, or streaming. It is an easy to use and easy to setup USB wired microphone that doesn't require any additional parts to use as everything you need comes in the box. The cardioid condenser style microphone, which is best for picking up sound directly in front of it, is great at capturing voice which makes it ideal for work meetings, creating content for streaming or videos, and even makes a great replacement for horrible headset microphones when playing games and chatting. I appreciate the very simple and pleasing aesthetics of the Elgato Wave Neo and feel that it looks great in any environment. Elgato sells accessories if you want different mounting options, but this particular kit comes with everything you need to use this right away. I think this is a great option for anyone that is looking for a good USB microphone that looks great and is looking for great audio quality.

The Elgato - Wave Neo Wired Cardioid Condenser USB Microphone is a great choice if you have need for it! My daughter (we live in Colorado) has a best friend who lives in Indiana. They are both multi-instrumentalists, singers and original songwriters... Not to brag, but between the two of them, they have over five-hundred songs written, and about two-hundred of those are co-written collaborations between the two if them. As mentioned, they are about 1100 miles apart. But thanks to modern technology, maintaining on-going collaboration is not only possible, but realtively easy. And here is where this great microphone comes into play... They use a computer recording program that allows for real-time online and offline recording, editing and mixing. When she switched from her previous microphone to this one, the sound quality improved noticably. It was not a drastic improvement, but certainly available to the ear to easily discern. The lows are richer, the highs are crisper, the vocals are "cleaner", the guitar and keys are brighter. Just better sounding all around. This is not a studio quality mic, but those can run by orders of magnitude more than this one. For4 most consumer grade uses, this will make a great choice. Nice sound, affordable, easy to use and very attractive form. Well done Elgato! End of the day, I would reccomend to a freind!!

TL;DR - The Elgato Neo Wired Cardioid Condenser USB Microphone is a great option if you want easy-to-use equipment for not just podcasting and game streaming, but also for recording vocals and acoustic instruments. The noise floor of the mic is low enough to give it great dynamic range, and the audio quality is excellent for being an all-in-one unit. An added bonus is the included headphone output for use as either an audio monitor output or as your audio output. The white finish also stands out among a sea of nothing but black equipment that you normally choose from. The only problem is I'd like the touch-sensitive power/mute indicator to either be dimmable or something that can be disabled, but at least software isn't required to use the indicator. Unboxing at setup: Elgato boxes this mic well, even if the packaging is plain. You'll find most everything you need in the package - the mic itself, a white base and stand for the mic, a sleeved USB-A to C cable, and all the mounting hardware. I would have liked to see either a USB-C to C cable and A-to-C adapter, or both the standard A-to-C cable and a C-to-C cable since laptops, tablets, and phones are going that way these days. No tools are required for assembly. Everything is well-protected. Assembly is easy, with a single thumbscrew to attach the base to the stand and a second thumbscrew that allows for the upper part of the stand to be easily removeable from the bottom part. The bottom part of the stand has a soft-touch wire guide in a slot that works well. Usage: You can use this mic without any of the Elgato Wave Link software. Windows will recognize it as a standard USB audio device. You'll just want to make sure that audio is routed out of your main speakers and not the mic's audio output. With the Elgato Wave Link software, you'll be able to mix the input of this and other microphones, audio sources such as web browsers, music editing software, and games, and even control the balance of those inputs with ease. The software is also surprisingly lightweight for what it is. Honestly, I find Wave Link to be a huge part of why I scored this microphone 5 out of 5 stars, especially with VST plugin support. With other operating systems, the Wave Neo mic shows up as a USB audio device as long as the operating system supports USB audio class devices. I was able to use this mic with older versions of Windows, macOS, and on phones with USB-C connections (iPhone, Samsung S23, and Moto Razr). It worked as expected using other platforms. It was even recognized with an older Android TV, which allowed for "Hey Google" functionality. The noise floor really impressed me. While leaving my computer as close to 0DB as possible (intake, exhaust, and GPU fans off, CPU fans set to their lowest operating speed, AIO pump at 80%, and behind something to block PSU sounds), I would have to amplify the recorded input in Audacity by around 150% before you could see noise on the waveform; My basement's noise floor on a calm wind day is somewhere around 39 db A-weighted. The only real shortcoming was that the mic mute indicator lacked any sort of customization. I would have loved to have dimmed the white light, as it was at least as bright as any of the RGB on my most recent computer build. In conclusion, the Elgato Wave Neo Wired Cardioid Condenser USB Mic is a solid choice for those looking at podcasting, game streaming, or recording live instruments. I wouldn't consider it a pro-class mic, but the sound quality is there and it's much easier to use than pro-level equipment will be at the cost of giving up some customization.

The El Gato Wave Neo wired USB Microphone is a pretty little neat device. It picks up the voice very well and it filters out other noises, thus providing a clear voice reproduction. The set up is basically plug and play, nothing complicated. It looks nice it is a very solid build. The stand it comes with is very sturdy and compact to fit most set ups. The stand does come with its own small cable channel to help with wire management. But what i am most impressed with is the audio quality it records at. Like stated above outside noises at cancelled out unless they are very loud, and it only captures the speaker's voice. It is perfect for those voice overs when the original audio comes out distorted or even to have meeting with. The sound quality is very professional, clean and crisp as it should be expected. I would highly recommend this microphone if you are looking for a standalone microphone for your meetings video production. Th microphone head itself does have an led light that makes it look stylish and the solid white stand makes for a clean set up.