DJI’s Mic Mini 2 was a relatively minor upgrade earlier this year, but the Mic Mini 2S (note the added ‘S’) is a more expansive upgrade to the tiny wireless microphone form factor. It’s more foolproof and versatile, but such an upgrade comes with a higher price tag.
So much of the content we consume online is shot on phones. As good as standalone cameras are, the convenience and quality of modern phones make them a tougher sell. Ask people who make video content for a living, and most will tell you — aside from start with what you have on hand — that a good microphone should be the first major upgrade you invest in. Bad audio kills otherwise good-looking videos.
Highlighted and bolded on my mental checklist for a wireless microphone is that it must have internal storage. Technology hiccups are inevitable, so I don’t want a signal dropout to be the reason I lose an entire recording. Most mics with onboard storage are usually bulkier or pricier, unfortunately.
With the addition of internal storage, the DJI Mic Mini 2S is an easy recommendation for creators keen to step up their productions. Good audio, flexible settings, and broad compatibility make it one of the best small-sized wireless microphones, as long as you don’t mind paying a bit of a premium.
Table of contents
- Differences between the DJI Mic Mini 2S and Mic Mini 2
- The price of upgrades
- Specifications and price
- Design
- Control quirks
- Sound quality
- Testing noise cancellation
- Who is the DJI Mic Mini 2S for?
Differences between the DJI Mic Mini 2S and Mic Mini 2
I like to think of the Mic Mini 2S as the true sequel to DJI’s first petite microphone. Iterative changes summed up the Mic Mini 2, while the 2S feels a much more meaningful upgrade. Perhaps it’s part of DJI’s future product strategy: sell a basic cheaper model and then follow it up with the more feature-rich version.
Easily the biggest new feature is internal storage. Each DJI Mic Mini 2 transmitter has 16GB, which equates to nearly 30 hours of 24-bit audio recordings (enabled by default). It’s the first time one of DJI’s ‘Mini’ wireless microphones has included onboard storage.
Although the best-case scenario is that you’d never have to touch the internal recordings, it’s a handy backup. As good as wireless technology is these days, a bit of interference or a glitch is all it takes to ruin a recording.
Say you’re shooting a video, and something goes wrong with the connection between the transmitter and receiver; at least you could transfer the audio from the mic and manually sync it with the visuals. Plus, the onboard storage means you could use the Mic Mini 2S to quickly record interviews or foley when out and about.
Annoyingly, at the time of writing, the only way to retrieve internal recordings from the transmitter is via the full-sized charging case (as confirmed by the user manual). This leaves you stranded if you only buy the transmitter or the bundle with the smaller mobile charging case. Fingers crossed that DJI adds wireless file transfers to the Mimo app in a future update to bring the Mic Mini 2S in line with other devices.
On the topic of backups and flexibility, the Mic Mini 2S adds 32-bit float recording to the existing 24-bit audio support. It’s a format that captures a broader dynamic range, which might save the day if someone suddenly yells into the microphone and blows out the audio.
Another neat upgrade is that the Mic Mini 2S receiver can connect up to four transmitters simultaneously. With the Mic Mini 2, you could only connect two, so there’s more flexibility for group recordings.
The price of upgrades
These extra features come at a cost, though. Compared to the Mic Mini 2, the DJI Mic Mini 2S costs nearly twice as much across most bundles. One Mini 2 transmitter costs a relatively cheap $49 in Australia, while the Mini 2S costs $99.
On top of that, the Mic Mini 2S bundles cost $149 (one transmitter, one mobile receiver, and a charging case) and $279 (two transmitters, a receiver, and a charging case), respectively, compared to the Mic Mini 2’s $89 and $149 equivalent bundles. Over on Rode’s side of the fence, the Wireless Micro bundle costs $170.
Although realistically, the dual transmitter with receiver and charging case combo isn’t that much more expensive than the original Mic Mini’s $245 launch price (pre-subsequent price drops). For comparison, the equivalent bundle for the larger DJI Mic 2 is $309, and the recent DJI Mic 3 costs $479.
In other words, the DJI Mic Mini 2S is pricey as far as ‘mini’ microphones are concerned, but it’s still cheaper than the regular-sized variants.
DJI Mic Mini 2S specifications and price
| Recording formats | 24-bit 48KHz 32-bit float 48KHz |
| Internal storage (transmitters) | 16GB |
| Size | Transmitter: 28.58 × 28.04 × 13.52 mm (transmitter) 12g Receiver: 46.50 × 29.61 × 19.32 mm 19g |
| Processing features | Voice tone presets (regular, rich, bright) Noise cancelling (off, low, high) |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 6.0 2.4GHz wireless (via receiver) |
| Price (RRP) | 2 TX + 1 RX + Charging Case: $279 1 TX + 1 RX: $149 1 TX + 1 Mobile RX + Charging Case: $149 Transmitter: $99 Charging Case: $79 |
| Warranty | 12 months |
| Official website | DJI Australia |
Design
Not much has changed, form factor-wise. The DJI Mic Mini 2S is still a petite little unit, not much bigger than a name badge (depending on how big your badge is, of course). It turns out that 16GB of storage weighs roughly one gram, because a transmitter is 12g, compared to the 11g of the Mic Mini 2.
That’s before you attach the magnetic clip to the back, which you can use to attach transmitters to clothes. Alternatively, you can bypass the clip entirely. If you detach the clip, you can put it inside your top and magnetically connect it to the transmitter on the outside.
Not that the mic is very heavy, but it looks neater without the clip drooping off looser clothing and collars. I tried attaching a transmitter magnetically through a thick hoodie, which worked well enough. The force was strong enough to hold the mic in place, but I felt that a gentle bump would’ve dislodged it. I’d recommend using the clip for thicker clothes, and the magnet for shirts and thinner sweaters.
Thanks to the small size, I found it much easier to attach the Mic Mini 2S than my older Rode Wireless Go II. I haven’t used the Rode Wireless Micro, so I don’t have a like-for-like comparison, but the smaller mic and magnetic option proved more versatile than the comparatively bulky wireless mics I’ve used before.
Because the DJI Mic Mini 2S doesn’t have an audio jack for lav mics, your only way of recording is to stick the transmitter prominently on your talent. For everyday creators, that’s fine; much of social media’s aesthetic leans into microphones being visible. It’s why DJI also sells multicoloured magnetic faceplates (a set costs $35 in Australia) for the microphone, so you can accessorise and pair with outfits. I wear all the colours of the rainbow, so it makes sense for folks like me who assault people’s senses with bright hues.
Unfortunately, the prominent DJI branding and lack of audio jack are less ideal for professional productions. On broadcast TV or commercial projects where branding can’t be visible, the DJI Mic Mini 2S isn’t as suited as a ready-made audio solution. If it’s the DJI ecosystem you want, the Mic 2 (non-Mini) is the most recent model with lav mic support. Controversially, DJI removed the audio jack from the Mic 3 when it downsized the form factor.
Depending on the bundle, DJI supplies two different sizes of charging case. The smallest case comes with the mobile recording bundle, fitting one transmitter and a dongle. DJI’s larger case houses two transmitters, a receiver, and space for a USB-C adapter to connect the receiver to other devices, like phones, computers, and cameras. It’s a convenient setup that charges via a USB-C port, keeping the equipment topped up in between uses.
Control quirks
It took me a while to remember the DJI Mic Mini 2S’ on-device controls. On the transmitter are two buttons: the larger one with red colouring is the record and power button, and the smaller one is the connection button.
Pressing the big button starts an internal recording, met by a small vibration to confirm. You can disable the vibration or the on-device lighting, but I liked it as a clear indication that the mic was up and running. Another press stops recording, and a long press turns the transmitter off.
What confused me at first was the connection button. Holding it down puts the transmitter in pairing mode. Here, you can connect a mic to a phone over Bluetooth or with a 2.4GHz dongle included in one of the bundles. A blue light indicates Bluetooth, while green indicates a 2.4GHz connection. When I first paired the Mic Mini 2S with my phone, it was via the 2.4GHz USB-C dongle. But the DJI Mimo app that manages the brand’s devices wouldn’t let me update its firmware with the dongle attached.
After unplugging the dongle, I put the transmitter in pairing mode and connected via Bluetooth. Mimo then downloaded and applied the update without further delay. However, when I wanted to reconnect using the 2.4GHz dongle, the mic kept defaulting to Bluetooth.
A bit of reading confirmed that double-pressing the transmitter’s connection button is what manually swaps it between Bluetooth and 2.4GHz modes. With that morsel of knowledge, it was smooth sailing, but it took a while to figure out. Why couldn’t I change the connection method via the Mimo app? If I’m already in the device management software, I’d at least like to have the option to toggle connection settings without touching the hardware, especially if someone else is wearing the mic during a shoot.
Fortunately, the rest of the settings, like gain adjustments and recording formats, within Mimo worked as intended — for the most part. Connecting to DJI cameras, like the Osmo Pocket 3, is as seamless as can be. Depending on the connection type, though, some quirks remain. For example, when using the mobile dongle, Mimo can’t change the noise cancellation levels. This must be done via the physical switch at the base of the dongle.
Another annoyance is that the Mic Mini 2S receiver doesn’t display any sound levels. Unlike the non-Mini DJI mics, which have a receiver with real-time monitoring, the Mimo app is your only source of live levels.
The fact that most of my (admittedly minor) irritations were merely quirks, and not anything more severe, boded well for the overall user experience. Once I got past the initial learning curve, DJI’s ecosystem was without much friction.
Sound quality
You get one of these microphones because you want something that sounds better than a phone or a camera’s built-in microphone. On that front, the DJI Mic Mini 2S easily clears the bar. Recordings are clear and capture far more depth than any built-in mic.
Part of the problem in getting good audio is getting close to the source. When a camera or a phone’s microphone is away from the speaker, you lose a lot of detail and usually pick up a lot of reverb when indoors, crosstalk when in crowds, and wind noise when outside. Because the Mic Mini 2S is so easy to position, it’s a simple answer to most audio troubles.
By default, DJI’s microphones record a reasonably neutral-sounding tone. In Mimo, you can also choose between ‘rich’ and ‘bright’ tones that aim to accentuate different frequencies. Rich brings out a voice’s bass, while bright reduces the bass and brings out the higher frequencies in an effort to improve clarity.
These voice tone presets are subtle but noticeable when wearing headphones. I have a naturally deep voice, so I preferred to use the regular setting without any post-processing applied. If I want to change anything afterwards, I figure I can do it in the edit suite.
By comparison, ‘rich’ sounded a little muddy, but would likely work well on voices without much natural bass. ‘Bright’ reduced the bass of my voice, which would help it stand out in recordings with a lot of low-end sound. But again, it’s best if I do the edits manually later for the most flexibility. However, I see a use case for time-poor creators or those unfamiliar with digital audio workstations.
Testing noise cancellation
Next, I tried DJI’s built-in noise cancellation settings (also known as ‘noise reduction’ in the Mimo app). On previous Mic Mini models, DJI advertised the feature as ‘Active’ noise cancellation. This time, the Mic Mini 2S has what’s called ‘AI’ noise cancellation.
DJI claims that an improved chip uses a neural processing unit to provide better vocal isolation with less of the distortion that can happen with voice noise cancellation technologies. I don’t have previous DJI Mic Mini models on hand to compare, but I was impressed by the Mic Mini 2S’ voice isolation on the whole.
By default, noise cancellation is off, recording everything the mic picks up. Either through the Mimo app or the mobile dongle, you can choose between two noise cancellation levels.
Where it gets slightly confusing is DJI’s use of different wording: the app lists ‘basic’ and ‘strong’, while the mobile dongle uses ‘O’ for off, ‘L’ for low, and ‘H’ for high. They all refer to the same thing, but ideally there would be universal language between the hardware and software.
To test how it works in action, I recorded outside (without a windshield) near a noisy air conditioning unit, with construction work happening nearby, and birds chirping overhead.
Without any noise reduction, I could hear all the nearby sounds, but my voice came through above everything as the nearest audio source. Setting the noise reduction to low noticeably brought down the air conditioning sound. It was still audible, but much less prominent. I’d pick the low setting for recording at events or crowded places to capture my voice clearly while retaining the ambience of the surroundings.
Turning the reduction to the highest setting eliminated the air conditioner entirely, as well as all other neighbouring sounds. Through headphones, I could detect the slightest bit of processing at the edges of my voice, but it didn’t sound robotic, like you can get from some vocal isolation technologies.
I’m astounded by how such a small wireless microphone can produce such good audio. Its built-in processing features aren’t a novelty, either, providing genuine usefulness should a situation warrant it.
Who is the DJI Mic Mini 2S for?
If I were in the market for a wireless microphone, the DJI Mic Mini 2S would be at the top of my list. It retains the convenient form factor of other ‘mini’ microphones while adding internal storage and more recording options.
Internal storage alone makes it worth a look for creators who want to avoid a single point of failure. More expensive than similarly designed microphones, the DJI Mic Mini 2S justifies the premium by adding a safety layer not previously available in this form factor. Gaining more features on top of that is a nice bonus.
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