Welcome to the latest installment of Staff Picks. Each week, we’ll tell you about the tech we’re currently testing — everything from cameras to headphones, 2-in-1 laptops and home appliances — as well as the grail items we wish we could buy. For our last selections, click here.
Sennheiser MKE 2 Elements
This bulbous GoPro microphone has to go a long way to solve a knotty problem — generally lousy audio quality from the otherwise excellent action camera. The omnidirectional mic is affixed to its own housing, which replaces the back door on the Hero4 waterproof housing. (It only works on that specific camera.) You plug it into the USB port via a flat, flexible circuit board, close up the whole affair, and you’re good to go.
I tried it out on a drive in an Acura NSX to a Cars & Coffee event last weekend, with the camera mounted outside the car. At low speeds it was great — I could hear the engine sound beautifully, as well as that of other cars, and while pulling in I could pick up chatter from spectators around the car. At high speeds, it’s all wind noise, which is to be expected. The camera is fully waterproof, so you’ll be able to grab excellent audio even in rough, wet conditions. Sennheiser hinted that a similar mic is in development for the Hero5, which would be excellent. In the meantime, this mic has breathed new life into my once-shelved Hero4. – Eric Adams, Contributing Tech Writer
