Polsen OLM-10 Review
Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
- Self-Powered Electret Condenser Mic
- Sends Audio to Left & Right Channels
- Accurate Voice Reproduction
- 3.5mm TRS Dual-Mono Connector
- 20' Cable
- In-Line Power Switch
- For Camcorder or DSLR Recording
- Lightweight, Discrete Design
- Omnidirectional Polar Pattern
- Includes Tie Clip, Windscreen, & Battery
Introduction
In this article, we delve into a detailed analysis of 1,462 user reviews from various languages worldwide to examine the Polsen OLM-10. This analysis is performed by the RR artificial intelligence and updated daily with newly submitted reviews. The RR AI utilizes a complex algorithm to first scrutinize user reviews for credibility, filtering out unreliable ones. It then proceeds to dissect and evaluate the valuable insights within these reviews, providing users with ratings regarding the features of this product. Based on these assessments, users can make informed decisions about whether this product is suitable for them or not.
Ratings Based on Features
These results are a summary of user reviews of the Polsen OLM-10. For example, 40% of 77 users who have commented on the Value for money of the Polsen OLM-10 have given positive feedback.
Highlighted Customer Reviews
Showing 1 to 20 of 331 Reviews
HELPFUL USAGE TIPS
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by SPEEDORMS on B&H Photo Video
FOR PRO MIXER INPUT, use the B/H HOASMFPM adapter to provide 1/4 unbalanced audio that WILL work on a pro mixer 1/4 balanced mic input. :) FRYING BACON STATIC NOISE, developed in my testing. solution, polish the battery edge and faces on a mildly rough cloth to remove invisible oxide, and if you are good with tools, carefully bend out the side contact to make it a firm fit. test this by hard tapping on the battery case and see if you have 'funnies' in the audio. a loose battery fit will suddenly inject 'bacon frying and static' into audio. making a tight/clean contact will stop/prevent that. with the adapter, tight battery fitting contacts, you will have a killer mic for little money. lastly, maybe they will make battery contacts much tighter and reverse the location of the battery holder to be at the mixer end so as to avoid battery jossling/noise, and a chance to fix it fast if you get unlucky and it happens. sorry about the runon and long wind, but i hope this and my last review are helpful in your using this GREAT LIL MIC. ... More
Excellent mic
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Nathaniel on B&H Photo Video
I have been using Olympus ME-15 microphones very successfully but I wanted to try the Polson OLM-10. I tested each mic against the other. The Polson has a slightly better sound quality but only slightly. These are the pros and cons of each of the two mics: Olympus ME-15 vs Polson OLM-10 Sound Quality: Winner Polson OLM-10 If the Polson is 90%, the Olympus is 85%. They are very close and both sound good but the Polson has a slightly greater clarity. Cord Length: It depends Which one is better depends on your use. If you use it to put a recorder in your pocket and use the lav mic just on you, then the Olympus is better because the cord is long enough to go from your lapel to pocket (3 feet) but not so long that you have extra cord to deal with. If you want to plug the mic into a camcorder and be up to 20 feet away then the 20 foot cord of the Polson is better. Battery: Winner Olympus The Olympus does not have a battery or an ON/OFF switch. This means that you do not have to worry about remembering to turn it off, leaving it on and finding out your battery is dead, or buying and replacing the battery. The Polson will not work with a dead battery. Clip: Winner Polson The Olympus has a shiny aluminum clip which looks terrible on video. The Polson has a black clip that matches the mic so it blends in. I've had to buy another and replace the clip with Olympus mics. Price: Tie - They both are basically identical pricing. Conclusion: If you want the best possible sound at this price and the most versatility, get the Polson OLM-10. If you want to always be sure your mic will work regardless of whether or not you remembered to turn it off or change the battery and if you use it with a recorder that is within 3 feet and you don't mind buying a black clip, get the Olympus ME-15. ... More
good for the price
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Sarah on B&H Photo Video
I am using this attached to a Zi10 Playtouch for youtube and home videos. I like this lavelier microphone for my purposes. The mic quality in most video cameras is terrible to horrible. As far as I am concerned an external mic is absolutely necessary. The quality is not professional but is adequate for my needs.It improves the sound quality 100%. It is certainly good for speaking and instruction. If you are a singer or music professional you may want to invest in something stronger than this but for just speaking and regular sound capture this is good. The clip could be better but it is adequate. ... More
So far, so good
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Aspiring Documentarian on B&H Photo Video
I was initially surprised at how much audio the microphone picked up around the interviewees' surroundings, considering that the mic had been placed on their collars, roughly 6 inches or less below their chins. However, I was conducting my interviews in a pretty challeneging setting as there was an air conditioner running in the background. I tweaked the camcorder's settings to narrow the area that the microphone was picking up from and that helped a lot. I highly recommend users test the mic by having their interviewees speak a few sentences and, if your camera doesn't have a headphone input, listen to the test recording to confirm the camcorder is on the best audio setting before proceeding with the interview. Figuring out how to open the battery compartment was a little bit of a challenge. I couldn't find the directions in the packaging on how to do that. B&H's customer service solved that problem. Attaching the mic to people's neckline's can be awkward, but that comes with territory when using this type of lavalier. Additionally, I plan to order a couple extra clips in case they break in the future since they're made of thin plastic, as well as carry a backup battery at all times. Since there's no light to indicate that the mic has been turned on just a little red spot that one has to look closely to see when you've pushed the switch to the on position it's easy to not notice if you've forgotten to switch it off, or have accidentally turned it on while handling it. Overall, I feel the quality of the audio I got while using the mic is fine, no problems that I've noticed. If you're on a tight budget, this mic will probably be sufficient for your needs until you can spring for that professional lavalier. ... More
Buy this microphone
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Stan on B&H Photo Video
You have stumbled across the best deal in audio technology, ever. I use this in the field as a freelance journalist. I was broke and tired of relying on others to borrow their audio equipment, so I bought this microphone thinking it was a gamble. Not at all. This microphone performs like a champ for field use, and the long audio cable wasn't as annoying as everyone says it is. I would just suggest wrapping it in a couple big loops rather than a bundle of small loops. Here is a link to a segment I did with this microphone. I plugged it directly into the camcorder: http://agourahills.patch.com/articles/malibulost-hills-station-celebrates-20th-anniversary-with-open-house-2600d1eb#video-7827714 There is a lot of ambient background noise -- but a lot of that was left in from other tracks intentionally to get the mood of the event. ... More
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SAVE YOUR MONEY
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Blue flash on B&H Photo Video
I tried to use this microphone with a new Canon VIXIA camcorder. The mic in the camcorder gives better results. The camera has to be several feet from me and it seemed that a lavalier type microphone would give better results. This is for a training video so I do not need quadraphonic or anything fancy. The unit comes with a windscreen. With the ribber foam windscreen in place the results are reasonable. Without it it is pretty poor with sloppy SSSSS sounds when you say the letter S. I won't go into what happens when you say P. There should be a flange to hold the rubber windscreen in place but there is not, so after losing it for the third time I stopped looking. I doubt I can replace it. I tried folding a piece of foam rubber over the microphone, but there is no easy way to hold it in place. The switch is so tiny that it is easy to forget to turn the unit on or off. It is on the battery compartment which is several feet into the line. I would really rather have this near one end or the other. If this were a foot or so from the plug it would be more convenient. A better red flash on the unit would make it at least a little more easy to tell if it is on or not. Finally, I guess that in a studio where the microphone is used a lot there is a hook for it, or a place where it can be stored. A studio probably wouldn't be using a $20 microphone, so it would be nice, since this is obviously for people who only use the thing once in a while, to have a spool or some method of keeping track of the cord so it doesn't get tied up in knots. The modern camcorder used indoors is like an octopus, with one cord for the power supply, another to the computer (Canon says I should tether it to the USB port and they hide that behind a door that barely opens wide enough to accept the plug-) plus one out to a monitor or TV so you can see what you have shot. I was ready to hang myself by the time I got done with this microphone, and I already had the cords to do it. The color is very nice, the clip is very versatile. But they really should either make a better way to hold the windscreen in place or make them easily replaceable, maybe in packages of a dozen. Sorry Pearstone. There must be a better way to design these things. I would rather pay -- or even -- more for one with a way to keep the cords straight. I hope that anyone who needs a lavalier microphone can justify using a better one than this. ... More
Gets the job done!
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Garrett on B&H Photo Video
The OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone is a higher-than-average quality microphone. The overall sound quality for the microphone is good considering the price. The material used to fabricate the microphone feels sturdy, and that it will last. Overall I'm happy with the quality of the sound, and the microphone itself. The 20-foot cord helps when you are walking around a room, just don't go too far. I do have a few complaints. When recording fairly close to the interviewee, the 20-foot cord length can be a bit cumbersome. What I typically do with the extra cord is tie it up with a twist tie. That way, you only have to feed a small bundle of cord through your shirt, rather than 20 feet of loose cord. Another complaint I have is related to the battery compartment: there is no way of knowing how much battery life is left, or if it's even still working. There's only an on and off switch, that's it. No light to indicate when it's on or a battery life indicator. If you begin recording, you need to be sure you will have enough of a battery life to complete the recording. This is a bit of a hassle. I would much rather have a battery light indicator and not have to deal with potentially dead batteries. One last complaint is a minor one that can be fixed in post-production with video editing software. This microphone records in mono in one channel (the left channel, I believe). Despite my complaints above, I do highly recommend the OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone because of value and it gets the job done in the end. ... More
Decent sound for cheap
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Aaryn on B&H Photo Video
If you have the option, nothing is better for dialog audio than using a lapel. I own several @ 33-3013s which appears to be the same lapel as the OLM-10(it is stereo vs mono for the 3013s) and ATR3350 that I use for event and corporate video along side my Sennheiser wireless ew100 G2. Though some processing might be needed with the wired lapels, at the end to of the day, the client can't tell the difference between my $ lapel and my $ wireless. Sometimes I can't tell the difference. I quit using the RS 33-3013s in favor of the stereo output of the ATR3350s which produced a nearly identical image. When tested against the 3350, the cheaper OLM-15 had slightly more noise in the midrange and less dynamic range. I like the body style of the OLM-10 better with easier battery access, red paint on the power button to make on/off easier to see and I think the clip is more conducive the weight imposed by the cable when attached to a pocket or belt loop. It's all plastic vs the metal body and clip of the 3350. Given the small price difference, the more rugged metal body and slight edge on the sound quality puts the 3350 in recommendation above the OLM-10. As final side note, I didn't test it with the camcorder plugged in to AC power. If I use the ATR3350 connected to the camera on AC power, it produces a hum in the signal. Given the similarity in design, I would be leery the same thing would result with this lapel. ... More
EXCELLENT VALUE
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by richard on B&H Photo Video
SMALL SIZE, BIG SOUND, GREAT PRICE. the cable lengths give lots of options for locating your cam or mixer and includes a 1/4 adapter that sends its in phase mono to the TipL and Ring R channels for some equipment that will work with that configuration. NOTE: pro mic inputs require that the Tip/Ring signals are out of phase balanced and using the provided adapter in a 1/4 trs mic input will give zero output. This is normal as the mic ckt needs diffrent phased +/- on each input or it cancells the signal as if it were noise. A great work around is to find an adapter that connects the Tip and Ring signals to only the TIP while the sleeve internally shorts the R input to ground. Now you have a 'single ended' input, and the mic will boom thru. It would be fab if Polsen included this adapter as well, and you can mic any mixer with this lav. suggest that you find a stereo to mono adapter to use with this mic if you dont want to make one kinda messy and more 'stuff' to track. I AM BUYING 6 MORE to use for in field legal video recordings and other productions, AND I HOPE THEY OFFER REPLACEMENT CLIPS, WIND SCREENS IN THE FUTURE. NEEDS A 1/8 TO 1/4 STEREO TO MONO ADAPTER.. but its a great overall value. GET SOME. YES.. I AM AN AUDIO/VIDEO ENGINEER. ... More
Well Worth The Money!!
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by OTH Media on B&H Photo Video
I took a gamble on trying out this microphone. I wasn't able to find any reviews or sound sampling. Well, I must say, this mic does what it is suppose to do. Now the only things I have done with this mic are video interviews and ad promo for a political candidate but this mic has worked above my expectations. The only Con that I could think of is that the fact that there is no battery life indicator. So, besides the lack of a battery indicator, I think that this mic is WELL worth the money. My videos have been compared to the professional political company with very expensive equipment ($1,000+) and to just be in that conversation speaks volumes. Look up my examples on YouTube Keyword OnTheHillMedia and hear the mic quality for yourself. ... More
Low Cost, High Quality Interview Mic
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by QuickSilver Motion Picture Company on B&H Photo Video
I purchased this mic on a whim in response to a B&H email flyer. I noticed it looked almost identical to the ATR3350, but was half the cost. I wanted to have a second mic for interviews with similar sonic characteristics. I wasn't disappointed. This is a dead ringer for the Audio-Technica product. I cannot tell the difference in the build or sound quality. Comparing between the two, this mic has a plastic phantom power unit, and the ATR has a machined metal one. Also this mic has a stereo 1/8 plug, while the ATR has a mono plug. I actually prefer to use the stereo plug, because then the same sound goes to both channels of a stereo recorder without an adapter: one less piece of gear to lose in the field. This mic is unbalanced, so there is some residual noise in the recorded signal. It's not noticeable when recording people talking at normal volume levels, but is noticeable with critical listening when recording people whispering. This is a great mic for video interviews, primarily because the long twenty foot cord can be run behind set to a recorder off-camera. Not having wireless does improve sound quality. Five stars because it's the same quality as the ATR3350 at half the cost. ... More
Here's a SWINGIN' sample of how I used this microphone:
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by David on B&H Photo Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDSuXR3_E2U Gave it five stars simply because it is essentially just like the one I bought 14 years ago. But after 14 years of regular and reliable usage, it met with an unfortunate accident through no fault of its own. So I was very glad to be able to replace it. It's a simple, no-frills powered microphone - which is exactly why I like it. Tiny and unobtrusive enough to attach to my violin, cello and woodwind instruments...and the sound seems entirely true to the musician using it (me). By the way and with respect to references that state that this mic does not replicate sound correctly: One thing I noticed when using it with its 1/4 adapter (that was included, never hurts to have spares) is that the adapter-plug itself needs to be rather forcibly attached to the mic's 1/8 plug. But if the adapter-plug is only partially snapped on, it will definitely cause unpleasant static. Thus one needs to make a point of forcefully snapping the adapter all the way on. But that extra-tight fit is perfect in terms of ensuring a solid, static-free contact. Hoping to get another 14 years out of this one. Swing on! Sincerely, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjB-TDoEXHI59cWk-VHcENQ ... More
Good for the price, but there are better
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Mark on B&H Photo Video
Based on the price, it's an okay lavalier microphone..but for anything semi-serious, you will have to work with post-production in your editing software to fix up the quality; EQ, mastering and whatever you can throw at it. The hot spot of the mic doesn't register while the mic is clipped below the speaker/only when holding up close, so levels record at a low volume. Once you bring them up in post, you have to address the hiss. That being said, if for a low-budget production with a camcorder, it will be good enough. Those not aware of such processes with audio probably won't even notice any of these issues. Overall, the construction of the mic clip and other parts of the unit are actually decent. For those concerned about a more semi/or pro quality, B&H has a lot of other great lavaliers for a bit more cash. If you just want to have a lavalier in your kit for occassional use and are willing to do the corrections in post, this will suffice. ... More
You get what you pay for
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Sturm, co-host of Trekosophy on B&H Photo Video
I purchased this mic so that I would sound better in my self-recorded videos using my Canon Rebel T2i DSLR camera. It has an extremely long cord and a clip for the mic so you can even use a decent portrait lens and clip the mic to your shirt. There is a box which houses a battery and an on/off switch, so it acts as a very weak amp. The muffler comes off very easily, so if you're not keeping track of it, you could easily lose it. Anyone who uses a DSLR for video recording knows that anything is better than the built-in mic. While this lav mic is certainly low-quality, it is still miles better than using the DSLR built-in mic while saving yourself some money. Just remember that you get what you pay for. ... More
Hissing Sound
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by SammyDeZ on B&H Photo Video
I planned to use this mic for some wedding shoots that I will be doing in the future, I planned to stick on the groom and put the excess in his pocket. Right when I received this microphone, I tested it out through my Zoom H1 and when i put my headphones in I heard this really bad hissing sound coming from the mic. I could not believe that the mic would be making that sound so I was concerned that it was my Zoom, thinking maybe that was defective. Sure enough though, it was the mic, because looking at the monitor on my zoom I could see that the input level was very HOT. The only way to stop the hissing was to fiddle with the wire of the mic. Then it would stop... just to start again when moved the wrong way. That surely was not going to work for me, knowing that this mic would be moving around in a grooms pocket. I returned ... More
A good solid lav mic with a long and annoying cord
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Mike on B&H Photo Video
All in all a solid product and a good buy for someone on a budget that needed a powered lav mic. I use mine in an open motorcycle helmet on the street (think dirt bike helmet) and have made a small wind muffle for it and the quality of the audio is really quite good and picks up my voice over the wind and road noise quite well when fed into my zoom h1 recorder thats tucked away in my jacket pocket. The only major problem I have with this mic is that the cable is SO long 20' or so and makes having to bundle the cord a slight chore but not a deal breaker. The other minor grief I have is that it came with the battery installed already and looks to have some slight corrosion in the battery bay, I just cleaned it up with a q-tip and isopropyl alcohol. I do wish there was a power on indicator light for the power switch. Ive left it on twice thinking I had turned it off, so make sure its off or youll kill the battery in no time ... More
value product with high quality results
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Gunner7261 on B&H Photo Video
used this mic with several different devices such as the Marantz professional PMD661 and Tascam DR-07 MKII audio recorders with great results. I intend to try it with my video camera soon as the cable is long enough to produce a instructional type scene while standing in front of the camera. The audio pickup is phenomenal considering the size and price of this little mic. I've had incredibly clear narrative audio captured with this little guy that I use as audio overlays for video compilations. I'm an audio nut (it just isn't a great movie/TV show/video without good audio). My experience has been that it's every bit as good as a consumer type external microphone such as the Rode Videomic Directional Video Condenser Microphone. I wouldn't rely on it to capture studio level production elements, but for amateur videographer and audio geeks - this is worth having in your arsenal. ... More
Good Mics
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Zellis Photo Video on B&H Photo Video
So i bought a couple of these mics for a video project i had to do a couple of weeks ago. I needed better audio then using an in camera mic considering i had to film interviews and get good audio of myself asking questions and my interviewee answering them.I must say these were definitely worth the money, i was able to put two of them into a 1/8 splitter and plug that directly into my DSLR. I gotta say i was actually pretty surprised with this things performance, it gave me clean and clear audio in all my footage and the long cords were really helpful. Don't get me wrong it isn't the best mic ever, but for it's price id say it's definitely worth it. The only problem i had with them was getting the windscreens to stay on. ... More
GOOD WHEN HISS IT FIXED
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by SPEEDORMS on B&H Photo Video
STOP HISSING AND STATIC. SPRING OUT THE BATTERY CONTACTS, BUFF BATTERY ON CLOTH JEANS, ETC TO POLISHAND REINSTALL BATTERY WITH A PIECE OF FOAM COMPRESSING IT INTO THE FLIMSY BATTERY MOUNT. TEST BY TURNING ON AND TAPPING THE POWER CLIP AGAINST HAND.. IF NO POPS, OR JUNK, YOUR GOOD TO GO. IF NOT, REDO THE 'FITTING' FOR TIGHTNESS.
For the money it's acceptable, barely
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Tatsu on B&H Photo Video
The cord is really long, and even though i ziptied it up, it's impractical for mobile use. The inline battery compartment isn't that well designed, the power switch is small, has no LED, and can't be locked. The battery door is flimsy and easy to lose, and doesn't really stay in place. I use gaffer tape. Even with gaffer tape, if you tap the inline battery compartment, it will cause tons of noise because the contacts will get loose. The mic itself is kinda big, the clip is huge, and because it doesn't have any relief, getting a windscreen on is kinda impossible. I would only use it indoors, but I'm trying to use it in my car. Because the mic is kinda big, it picks up a surprising amount of background noise. ... More
