Customer Ratings & Reviews

The TL;DR version: yes, this is the USB lav that you are looking for. Samson is my go-to for wireless lav mics when you need quality audio that is suitable for podcasts or other simple standup video production, but I've almost always had to use some sort of fixed camera setup requiring my DSLR... hooking into a laptop to record was always too clunky or required in-software settings swaps that then later had to be undone... and if you're trying to record + produce in the same short window, good luck unless you're willing to drop several hundreds of dollars on equipment. The problem in the past has been that USB wireless lavs were so stupidly clunky or didn't work, or to facilitate the use of a wireless lav to your laptop/iPad/iPhone required dongles and no end of settings hoops to jump through. I've even resorted to just using my Yeti Pro to keep things simple and dealt with adding the noise filters in post. No more. Samson's XPD USB Wireless Lav + USB-C to USB-A attachment, plug it in, turn on the lav, pair it, done. Seriously. I was recording with stellar audio quality within 5 minutes of unboxing on both my MacBook Pro and my iPad Pro. Gamechanger. That has never happened before. No complicated setup. No weird setting swaps or driver installs or a jumble of horrible cords. Just plug it in, set ONE setting in your primary audio input, confirm your levels, and go. I only wish they'd included a USB-C adapter in the box (they include a USB-A extender in case your USB port isn't angled for easy use), but other than that... it meets all the promises they make in the description: - range is excellent, with minimal interference even in a crowded space like a mall - gain adjustment inside the lav is identical to other Samson lavs - the lav utilizes AA batteries (2 of them) and the USB receiver requires no batteries If you need quality audio for quick standup video productions and/or want to get into fast spot interviews without having to sell an organ to afford the equipment, this is the right route for you. WAY better outcome than a shotgun mic and pairing this with your iPad or iPhone is infinitely more portable than lugging around a DSLR rig. Samson's XPD wireless lav gives you a great option to save you time and frustration, which means you'll be able to produce more great content.

This guy comes with a microphone transmitter, USB Wireless receiver, Lav mic w/ lapel clip, and USB extension cable. Starting off with the microphone transmitter. It is quite compact at roughly 2 x 3 inches, with a belt clip on the back made out of metal and screwed into the device. There is an antenna on the top with a small power button and micro XLR cable port. On the front of the device you can open it up where it takes two double A batteries which are not included and a little flathead screwdriver to adjust the gain. Getting the screwdriver out is easy, getting it back in is not. The gain control is easy to move and adjust. I found that how much gain you need greatly varies from device to device. I kept my gain at about 75% on my iPad which sounded fine when played back natively on the device but needed to boost in post to get It where I wanted for the video. The entire thing is made out of plastic, but it feels extremely solid with no creaking or flexing. Overall, I really like it. Next up is the USB wireless receiver. This is shaped like a USB stick with a USB 3.0 type A port on one side and a line out via 3.5 mm on the other side next to the antenna. You have a pairing button in the middle in case you need to pair it but it comes pre-paired. There is a status light that notifies you it is on and working. This light turns on only when the transmitter is on. It is very lightweight which is a good thing as it will be sticking out of a device and you don’t want it weighting down your USB port. They say this works for Mac and Windows. Which I can confirm. I also bought a dongle (USB 3.0 Type A-to USB Type C Adapter) for $10 - 15 that allowed me to use it on my iPad. I tried to plug it into my Canon G7x Mark III via USB C and it didn’t work (likely due to the camera not providing power). I’m sure it would work on a phone via the same connection. But since Apple insists on using Lightning I couldn’t test it out without buying another adapter which I wasn’t going to do. I didn’t have any issues with connections such as drops or skips. Next you have the Lav mic. This is a pretty nice microphone with a thin wire (which I like as it blends into clothing easier or you don’t feel it if underneath) that ends in a micro XLR connection. It is quite long and there is a locking connection when placed in the microphone transmitter which I like a lot. There is a high quality lapel clip that holds part of the wire (so it doesn’t get bent and wear down over time) with a strong clip. It’s probably the best I’ve ever used. Overall sound quality from it certainly surprised me. As previous microphones like this haven’t sounded very good. But this was very similar to my dedicated XLR microphone w/ audio interface that costs dramatically more money. So I was very pleased. It’s not perfect sound but it is very good and will work for most people unless they are working in very professional environments. But even then you would probably be okay, or just need to spend a bit more money on another microphone and you’d be just fine. Last you get the USB extension cable. This guy is rather short, thick, not very malleable and USB 3.0. This is mostly to be used when you can’t get the dongle to fit directly into something. I’m glad they included it. I do wish they included other accessories such as the USB A to USB C and USB A to Lightning and/or USB A to Micro USB as that would make it work for everything. Overall, this thing is well built and just feels solid in your hand. But is also lightweight to the point you forget you are wearing it. The USB dongle is very light so it won’t damage the USB device you have it plugged into. You can tell that they paid attention to little small details (which usually means you are getting a stellar product as the engineering team really thought things through) as everything is super compact but has a specific purpose and does it well. The microphone you get with it sounds good. I think you could buy another to make it sound even better. You can easily peak with the microphone so having the ability to adjust the gain is nice. The screwdriver is a pain to get in and out and I would prefer a better way of doing it. I can see a lot of people losing it. I also would have preferred they added a few more accessories even if it were a bit more expensive to be able to make it work on all of my devices. But I will certainly be using this guy a lot.

While the name XPD2 might strike visions of an eXperimental Prototype Droid that is a pre-R2-D2 robot; the Samson XPD2 Lavalier is an amazingly useful USB Digital Wireless System. This device consists of a belt pack transmitter with an LM8 Lavalier microphone, and a USB stick receiver with 1/8” headphones/line output to provide high-definition wireless audio to a variety of use cases including but not limited to capturing audio via a computer, a mobile phone, a tablet, a Public Address System, a mixing board, and karaoke systems. The device retails for $129.99. You can see a video review of this device and its audio at: https://youtu.be/cVn8x02OMYU While testing this device I used a laptop, a desktop, and my portable phone. In each case the setup was to plug it in and select the device as the recording device – no software or other special requirements were needed, the device just worked. In the case of the mobile phone, I did have to connect it to the phone via a USB on-the-go adapter and a USB C to micro-USB adapter that I had on hand but other than that is just plainly worked. The device has a 100’ range and the belt pack is powered by two AA batteries. The belt pack also has a gain adjustment with a small screwdriver contained within the belt pack to make those adjustments. The USB receiver gets power from the device it is plugged into, or it can be connected to a 5- volt USB adapter to gain power – this is useful when using the device with the line output to an analog device. Using the device results in high-quality audio for whatever audio needs you may have – this could be streaming, video production, public speaking, etc. The device is compatible with the Samson Expedition Series Portable PAs and Apple’s Lightning USB camera adapter for use with iPADs® and iPhones® (sold separately). Overall, this is an extremely nice addition to the audio recording capabilities that my wife and I use in producing YouTube videos and other content. I believe that you may as well.

REVIEW: SAMSON - XPD SERIES WIRELESS LAVALIER MICROPHONE SYSTEM Model: SWXPD2BLM8 Best Buy Tech Insider Network WIRELESS MIC SOUNDS GREAT - EXTRA STEPS WIN 10 PRO - MAX 20 FEET Very good sound Quality. For me it took several extra steps to get the SAMSON – XPD2 USB WIRELESS MIC to work at an acceptable level. Once I had it working, it worked well, and I liked it overall. I tested the SAMSON – XPD2 USB WIRELESS MIC on 3 different systems (and with 2 difference XPD test units), all Windows 10 PRO, all from various makers. The main issue I had is that even with all Windows settings and device gain settings maxed out, I could barely get any input volume from the mic via the USB dongle. Once I overcame the input issue (tips below review) it worked really well for my needs, which is hands free voiceover for video blogs. If you want a hands-free mic for close distance, maybe a video demonstration or a lecture in a small room, then the SAMSON – XPD2 USB WIRELESS does a very good job. Beyond 20 feet (between mic and the USB receiver) or any with obstructions (example 5 feet away separated by a drywall wall), then you might want to look at a different wireless solution. In most speaking / presentation situations, this is fine. The presenter is in the front of the room with the PA / Soundsystem / Mixer, which then projects sound into the room. So most people would rarely need more than 20 feet of distance between them and the PA system. You would not want to “risk” walking into the middle of a room away from the USB receiver, in my opinion. FAVORITE FEATURES - Seems well made physically - Standard (Typical Lavalier Lecture Mic) form factor (lapel clip , belt for transmitter, and so on) - Good Support (Quick Response) - Easy to use / setup - USB Extension Cable OVERALL RECOMMENDATION I can only recommend this for close distance work, where hands free is still required. The sound quality was great and it really made it easier for me to do what I needed with free use of my hands. Minus 1 star for not working though USB port and for really short line of sight distance. ----- OTHER INFORMATION / WORK AROUND FOR WEAK INPUT VOLUME I could only get a tiny amount of input level (like 3%) when using the mic via the USB dongle. I even had a replacement unit sent from tech support and it had the exact same problem. (This was on 3 different PC’s). The manual says it can be attached to any USB power source and used without a PC. I attached it to 1 AMP USB plug (from a ROKU) to power the usb device for pairing and pass through of analog output. I then plugged LINE-OUT from the USB dongle to LINE-IN on my PC and bingo, I finally had full signal strength on audio input. In the end this is not that big of deal as the end result was the same. It allowed me to use the SAMSON – XPD2 USB WIRELESS hands free as I needed to do. Still, it did not work as advertised for me. In all likelihood it is an incompatibility with a default windows driver for audio devices or a USB driver or something else. Even so, there are no special drivers indicated as needed in the manual or the company website (that I could find), so that implies to me, that it should be fully compatible with modern windows. Instead of support asking me to install a driver or upgrade firmware, they sent a new unit. So, if it was as simple as a driver, I assume they would had said something. Again, support was prompt and offered to RMA the original unit quickly.

Straight out of the box, add two AA batteries and it is ready to use. My first attempt at using this system was with an older USB-A to USB-C adapter and the included extension cable to an Android phone. Sound quality was crisp, clear and steady compared to the built-in phone microphone. However, when walking with a person wearing the transmitter and another recording it would constantly break up at about 20-30 feet. I then found a newer USB adapter and didn’t use the extension wire but was getting breaking audio while both moving at about 30-40 feet. Although, with the receiver remaining stable and open line of sight I could walk 100 feet away with the transmitter and still have the same level of recording audio, example photo. There were some occasional breaks when turning the transmitter away from the receiver though. I then tried this plugged to a battery pack and used the line port to the mic-in on my camcorder and it had less breaks in audio. I am assuming the battery pack is providing a slightly higher and stable power source compared to the phone, that is trying to do all its other functions at the same time. What this comes down to is that it is situational on the range, but in a stable clear line of sight environment it can get 100 feet. As mentioned, the recording quality is clear and crisp without any noticeable delay. You can adjust the gain on the transmitter to pick up audio even easier, but it has a very odd way of adjusting it with an included small screwdriver. This does make it so that the gain isn’t something that can easily be adjusted by accident or with curious fingers, but seems old. When using the device to USB, you can use a set of headphones to monitor the audio at the same time and may have had an effect on the shortened range when I was using the Android phone. Overall, this can be discrete looking and good for normal movement and recording at about 20-30 feet. If you want further you must pay attention to the clear line of sight and stable receiver.

--- SETUP --- The Samson XPD wireless microphone system is quick to set up. Insert 2 AA batteries into the belt pack transmitter, plug in the mini XLR microphone cable, and connect the USB receiver to a computer or iPhone with a camera kit. The receiver and transmitter are already paired upon first use. --- FEATURES --- The Samson XPD features clear, wireless audio with a working range of 100’ lines of sight, frequency of 2.404 - 2.476 GHz, and a battery life of up to 20 hours. --- PERFORMANCE --- I planned on using this device with the Apple Lightning to USB Camera Adapter, which is not included. If you connect the receiver to the iPhone using the camera adapter, have a pair of headphones connected to the line in on the receiver, and turn on the transmitter, you can immediately begin to hear the audio picked up without opening any app. This allows you to adjust the transmitter’s gain using the included mini-screwdriver so you know exactly how your subject will sound when recording your video. I was able to clearly record my subject’s voice while capturing footage with no problem. --- EXPECTATIONS --- This little device has surpassed my expectations. It works amazingly well and it is intuitive to use. As a content creator, this serves my needs to do interviews with my phone but capture a more clear voice without showing a giant microphone in the camera. It works surprisingly well with the iPhone Camera USB adapter without needing to download any additional apps. I wasn’t able to add filters to the mic via the iPhone, though, but I sure wanted to try this with my PC. I connected the USB receiver to my streaming PC. The receiver can’t easily plug into a USB because of how thick it is, but Samson brilliantly included a short USB 3.0 extension cable that solves that issue. Using this with Streamlabs, I was able to add the following filters: noise suppression, limiter, and noise gate. This provides a much better sound and serves a better purpose when I don’t want to do a podcast and instead want to have a more concealed mic look. As great as this lav mic is, I found one thing that could be improved on. The transmitter has a mini screwdriver used to raise or lower the gain. Removing it is simple but securing it back into place is not. If adjusting gain on the fly, this will consume a bit of time lest you temporarily place it elsewhere and misplace it. Additionally, a small bag to put everything in it would have been great. However, this shouldn’t detract from what is a great lav mic solution. --- VALUE --- This microphone will increase your voice recording quality and give you a professional feel when recording your subjects. If you’re trying to upgrade your production value, look no further. --- APPROVAL --- I recommend Samson XPD wireless lav mic to content creators looking to have a more professional look and sound when recording their content.

This is a great little wireless mic! I used it with a small wireless speaker using the line output (with a standard 3.5mm audio cable - not included) and plugged in the receiver with a standard usb phone usb plug and also got it working with a USB stick battery. I also used it with my iPhone X with a usb to lightning adapter (also not included) and it worked great. Nothing else to setup, it powers the reciever and I was easily able to record video on my phone with me standing 40' away from my phone and the recorded mic audio was crystal clear. Main lav mic runs off 2 AA's, belt clip is metal and sturdy, the lav mic is very small and light weight. Great little gadget if you need to speak to a group without having to bring anything but a power adapter and a portable speaker with you. Or if you want to do videography, become an internet video creator, record how to videos, etc. this works perfectly. Light weight and no setup at all - it just works!

I’ve been using Samson for my audio capture solution for some time, being a huge fan of their USB condenser Mic’s for content creation voice overs. However, it required that I have a USB cable connected, making it a less appealing for recording things on site without a microphone being in my face. I was happy to see that Samson was offering a solution that worked not only with Windows PC, by Mac and iPhone! Using my iPhone, I’ve constantly utilized a USB to Lighting cable for my previous Mic and the Voice Memo app. Now, I have the convenience of a microphone I can simply connect wirelessly using my USB Camera Adapter to wireless record my audio. In the box, you’ll find the PXD1 which wireless transmits audio, a microphone with a mini XLR connection cable and lapel clip that hold the wire in place with a “S” like grip, the USB controller for connection to a PC/Mac/iPhone USB Camera Adapter, and a small screwdriver stored in the battery compartment to assist with gain adjustments. I first tried using this on my Windows PC based laptop, and was happy to see it was a plug and play installation. It was detected quickly, and when the PXD1 (transmitter) was powered on, it paired quickly. The microphone plugs into the PXD1 using a miniXLR (3 PIN) plug on the top near the antenna, and the PXD1 includes an attached metal belt clip. The Cable is more than log enough to run inside you clothing, and since the microphone is simply held in place using the wire, the microphone can move freely into place. You will need to source AA batteries for the PXD1, as this doesn't include them. When I read this would with an iPhone, I dug out my USB Camera Adapter (an aftermarket one) and was disappointed to see it would not pair properly, as it would simply blink on the status light. However, once I used the Apple branded dongle, the microphone paired quickly and was able to record audio using the Voice Memo app with ease. The light would just come on the second I hit record on the Voice Memo app. You results will vary depending on the USB adapter you are using, but I’d recommend just sticking with the Apple branded one for guaranteed functionality. I don’t think this is a fault of the USB controller, but more so a cheap dongle not working with everything. So far, I’ve recorded audio for my own content, and even assisted a friend with a recent video he just posted to YouTube using the mic with the wire conveniently tucked away in his shirt. I did have to adjust the gain, by starting at the highest setting and working my way down, until it was capturing only the audio I needed without all the background noise. When using with Windows/Mac, I utilized the Audacity app, which is an opensource (free) app used by a lot of content creators to capture audio. It’s easy to use, and didn’t have any issue utilizing the USB controller to capture audio. You even have a line out port (headphone jack) on the USB controller for monitoring the capture or for running to an external amplifier or capture card if you’d like. So long as the device is getting 5V power from a USB connection, it will receive and output using the line out connection to an external device. It worked well in every environment, and the range seemed to work up to 80 feet flawlessly during my use. It does state that it has a line of sight range of up to 100 feet, but never had to go that far, but don’t doubt that it will; as long as there isn’t anything to interfere with the wireless connection. Overall, I’m extremely happy with the XPD2, and would highly recommend this for any content creators out there that need a mic for on-site audio without the cable mess. This worked with Windows, Mac, and my iPhone (with the Apple branded Camera dongle) without issue.

The Samson XPD Lavalier is a relatively low-tech piece of equipment that works well for what it does. The microphone unit itself isn’t super high-end build quality, mostly plastic and some metal and is very light feeling but it doesn’t have an integrated battery so that’s a big reason why. You need two AA batteries that are not included, so once they are inserted the unit feels heavier. The USB dongle attaches to any PC or Mac and functions like any microphone device at that point. You will need to use recording or capture software to record. The dongle unit also has a stereo output which can be muxed into a more advanced AV or PA system or even a camera that has a microphone input for vlogging. Sound quality overall is clear and picks up well although there is a slight echo. Overall this unit does the job without any major bells or whistles. Definitely works better than a microphone on your phone if you are trying to do voice overs or speak to a larger audience.

I was looking for an easy way to add a robust mic for some outdoor recording using iPhone. I didn't want to mess with connecting a bluetooth headset for performance and aesthetic reasons. I couldn't be happier with the plug and play performance of the XPD2! I simply use a USB to Lightning Adapter that I already had to plug the receiver into my iPhone and position the mic/transmitter accordingly. Everything pairs automatically and just works! 5 stars!

This microphone has allowed me to record my class lectures to my computer without requiring me to have to stand right in front of the computer. Good ability to catch everything I'm saying while allowing me to roam the room, gesture and demonstrate things in class. I also share videos during lecture and the microphone does a pretty good job of picking up the sound from the speakers in the lecture hall. A good purchase.

Easy to connect. Great range and easy to use for all.

Great mic, easy to use. Does not seem to have advertises 100ft of range, but otherwise the sound quality is good.

Works good for making video and voice overs. Works great for making video shorts, video reviews and voice over, etc work.

Easy to use and simple to install, for a quick microphone , easily detectable on obs software.

Needed a device to improve our weekly broadcast segment and this wireless unit is it. Great wireless mic and easy to connect to any device via usb for filming with improved sound quality.

Worked very well and was super easy. No configuration.

From the setup to using, this should be the gold standard for wireless audio.

I tested this for a zoom call and the quality is not what i expected. Everyone said they heard me better with my regular microphone. So then what was the point of getting this one? I got it to use it for better quality and audio and obviously to move around to use it better but it didn't exactly work. I returned it but still easy to use and if you don't care about the audio then you can use. For the price tag i expected a better audio quality. And yes I played with the settings to check but still the same

Will definitely recommend this microphone to others