Elgato Wave Neo microphone review

The Elgato Wave Neo is the newest mic out of the streaming kit company, following a legacy of very good microphones like the much beloved Wave 3 and Wave DX. While the Wave brand has a strong rep of quality mics, the Neo lineup is aiming to deliver more affordable and simple solutions. 

In that vein, the Wave Neo costs $90 USD, making it the cheapest Wave mic to date, but it does make some sacrifices to get to that point.

With the Neo lineup we are greeted by the thoughtful recycled cardboard box that contains only what you need. In this package you get a braided USB Type-C  (device side) to Type-A cable, a mic stand complete with some cable management, and the Wave 3 itself. The mic is rocking a pop filter natively. 

It really is everything you need to get started and have solid spoken audio recording right out of the box.

Condensers: 1
Directional patterns: Cardioid Polar Pattern
Frequency range: 20 — 20,000 Hz
Recording sample rate: 24 bit
Controls: Mute
Price: $90 USD | £90 | $149 AUD

The included stand is quite good, but admittedly a little weird. It has a solid circular base with an 8 cm diameter and standard ¼ screw connector accessible underneath. The first half of the pole screws in simply, and has a cable grip at the back to keep things inline. The second half is attached to the mic via another smaller screw connector, offset to the side. It slides straight into the first pole using a solid inner metal piece for strength and a tabbed connector. If it sounds confusing, it can actually only go together one way, so it's not so bad.

The stand brings it to a height that's perfect for talking into, but it doesn't lock in a way that stops it from being lifted out. You may learn this the hard way if, like me, you pick up your mic and have that solid base fall right on your foot. At least  there are a tonne of ways to mount this mic, whether or not you use the included kit. 

The Wave Neo mic can be pivoted backwards and forwards on various angles and will hold that