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 21 to 40 of 331 Reviews
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
GREAT ... BUT NOT FOR MOBILE PHONES!!!
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Flushmike on B&H Photo Video
Overall a nice Lavalier mic. Laptop has TRRS audio port. Used a TRRS mic headphone splitter and the mic worked great for recording sound to my laptop. DOES NOT WORK WELL WITH MOBILE PHONES (poor audio quality). For reference, here are the mics I've used for mobile phone audio/video and my opinion of each. Rhode TRRS shotgun mic = excellent Built-in phone mic = so-so Polsen OLM-10 = poor Keep in mind I'm not an audio professional, so the poor results could be the result of my lack of skill/knowledge. Would give 3 stars, but the super long cable bumps it up to 4 stars: probably won't need an extension audio cable. Powered by a single LR-44 watch battery. Have some spares in case you forget to turn the mic off. ... More
Cool Mic
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Annie on B&H Photo Video
I've only had the mic for a few weeks but I really like it. I'm an amateur film maker and I needed a mic for interviews and talking heads. The mic does the job, it works great. You do have to make sure you don't put the microphone to close to the persons mouth or else you will get some bad feedback when the person says words that include P,S, and T. The cord is long BUT it works because a long cord is useful. A cord that is too long is better than a cord that is to short. You can wrap it up and twist tie it if you want it shorter. I used it to record my guitar too, it did better than I thought. I just had to make sure my guitar was not to close to the microphone, otherwise I'd get reaaaly bad feedback. The one con I can think of is that there is no volume control. It's real easy to use too! ... More
Pearstone OLM-10 saves King David
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by B-Helper on B&H Photo Video
When the brass, woodwind and large percussion orchestra filled the 600 seat auditorium with raucous music for Honegger's King David, the speaking parts within our 100 member community chorus didn't stand a chance of being heard. All our funds had been spent on orchestra and soloists. But the hall had a sound system, and I had a guiet old field mixer. I also had experience with a predecessor of the OLM-10. I took a chance and ordered six. For less than $150, they delivered excellent sound from voices among the singers. The omnidirectional pattern made for evenness with untrained performers. Their self-powering and 20' cords made hook-up very easy. Congratulations Pearstone! ... More
Flimsy Battery Cover Makes This Unusable
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Peter on B&H Photo Video
I can't trust this thing because a 6 inch drop onto a table knocks off the battery cover. So how I can I trust this with talent when they are moving around? I have other things to worry about, and I don't want to be worrying about whether the battery is in or not. I suppose I could put a bit of gaffe tape, but should I have to? I'll take an unpowered mic over this anyday. The cord is also ridiculously long. I suppose you might need that if you're recording directly to camera, but at that point you might as well get an external recorder or wireless system. I hate giving bad reviews, but I'm kind of (okay, I'm really) disappointed by this one. For those who might say, But it's so cheap, so you shouldn't complain, I'll respond by saying that you can get cheaper mics that work with fewer possible production issues. And if I feel that it's unusable, I think my one star is justified. ... More
Ads
Great Mic for the Price!
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Emily on B&H Photo Video
Impressed with the value of this little mic for such a low price! I was looking for a wired lav mic that would plug directly into a Nikon D7000 via a mini plug, and this is what I found. We're using the mic to record talking head footage and promotional videos for websites within a little studio. We have not tested the mic outside or with wind noise, but for our indoor purposes it's great. The length of the cord is perfect for our use - plenty of length to reach the camera and to move around. The mic pics up great audio - I'm really impressed by the quality for the price. We are able to position the lav clip low on the subject's shirt so that we can't even see it within the shots we're doing, and it still sounds great. Overall very happy! ... More
Great product!!
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Zabryna on B&H Photo Video
I bought these to replace a mic that I bought that stopped working soon after purchase. This was definitely an upgrade. I use this to record auditions and the sound is clear as crisp and picks up voices of the person I'm shooting with but not outside or ambient noise. The only complaint I have is that the battery compartment pops open with too much ease. I've taken to clipping it on me with the clip provided but otherwise it's a great mic.
Worth it at twice the price
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Ped Xing on B&H Photo Video
Note: Although not clear on the B&H site, the OLM-10 does include a foam ball wind blocker, lapel clip, 1/4 adapter, and battery! I've been using an OLM-10 for two years and have been very happy with the audio performance and compact size. I often use it with my Sony NEX-7 and it definitely measures up to the solid video quality of that camera! I've also used it with a Kodak Zi8, narrating unboxings and that sort of thing. My only complaint is the battery. The compartment is cheap feeling and plasticky; though the door has lasted this long I'm not confident in it forever. It's also easy to forget to turn off the power, draining the somewhat expensive and less common LR44 battery. ... More
Yes, I would buy this again.
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Barrett on B&H Photo Video
The OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone works perfectly with my Canon T3i. I just plugged it into the mic input, and it received sound from the mic instead of the built in mic just as it was supposed to. Great product. I am using it to video our preacher doing 10 minute lesson intro's for our small groups ministry. I forward the link to where I posted the video on out church's youtube channel, so each small group and watch the video when they are ready. The sound is very good. I am sure a higher grade would be even better, but I have a background in TV news, and this is plenty good enough for speaking. The 20-foot cord is awesome, too. ... More
Excellent stereo sound
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Ashley E. on B&H Photo Video
I bought this wired lav to replace one I'd purchased that only records in mono. Since I'm forgetful and always seem to cut my green screen video without changing the clip to Mono as Stereo, I finally decided I needed something to record in stereo and started doing some research. For $30, this is a GREAT lav. The sound is smooth, and I speak pretty loudly. There's very little (if any) peaking, which is a godsend when editing my weekly show. I've had great results with little cons. The only thing I wish it featured was a light for the battery level, but that's fairly inconsequential. This is an excellent mic for at-home studios and single broadcasters. ... More
Decent quality for price, but fragile
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by tweedpatch on B&H Photo Video
I am a high school Video Production teacher, and the need to have enough gear to outfit an entire class often means having to settle for less expensive equipment. The price is certainly right for this lav, but if you are a teacher and your students are like mine (ie, not always super-gentle with the equipment), be warned that the on/off switch for this model is very small and somewhat fragile. One was actually broken already when it arrived, and after holding it in my hands I now worry that the others will quickly follow suit unless handled very carefully.
Nice Microphne
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Walt on B&H Photo Video
I bought the OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone to use with my Canon video camera because Canon always includes an 1/8 mic input jack which provides better sound than the built in mic when interviewing someone. My old Audio Technica lapel mic only has a tip-sleeve configuration so I always heard a 60hz buzz when ever I tried to use the wall plug-in power supply but the tip-ring-sleeve configuration on the OLM-10 Lapel mic allows me to use my video camera with the plug-in power supply instead of batteries without picking up any 60hz buzz. Thanks B&H for carrying lots of great products, keep up the good work. ... More
Great little inexpensive mic.
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by DriverJoe on B&H Photo Video
I use this at an auto dealership and use this mic for saleman introductions for our website and youtube channel as well as live customer reviews. I think this mic works very well for my application, I am not looking for the absolute best sound quality nor am I a sound expert, I just want to capture their voices from a distance without the subject having to yell for the standard mic to pick up their voice. The 20' cord sure is nice to get far enough away from the subject and capture sound like your right in front of them. ... More
Good Product
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Alex F. on B&H Photo Video
I did a lot of research on lavalier mikes and everyone says u need to spend $$ for quality products. Well, I didnt have $$$ to spend, needed something affordable, and this seemed fair. For my use, its great. Ive used it once so far to record a speaker and then paired audio with my video in post. I use it with a Zoom H4N. Results are impressive, way better than zoom's onboard mics. For the price, i believe its a great deal! Not sure how it would compare to high end expensive mikes since this is the only one i ever owned. ... More
Terrible hiss
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Dave the Pastor on B&H Photo Video
I am a pastor and I bought this microphone to record sermons onto an mp3 audio recorder. I went with this mic after my old radio shack mic died. I was very disappointed. The sound quality was really bad with a lot of background hiss. As an audio novice, it could have been operator error but I have never had these problems before. I returned this mic and started using another. Problem solved. The cord was also far too long for my use. I had to stuff a huge coil of wire in pocket.
Good for the money
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Seth C Brown on B&H Photo Video
Im a DSLR filmmaker and this mic is pretty good for the money.Good pick up, (but does pick up a good amount of back ground noise) Its biggest down seize is the high shelf noise (high frequency hum) which is a bit of a pain to be honest. But for a $mic, you cant complain very much. Not a good piece of equipment for a super polished job, but good for 90% of the rest of shoots. hence the 4 stars.the 20ft cord is great. Plenty of room to work with. The design of the 'on/off' switch is a little weird because of a odd amount of cord before and after it. ... More
Good Value
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Eileen P. on B&H Photo Video
This is a nice budget lavalier mic for general use. The sound and build quality are good. It picks up mid tones nicely. So far I have not noticed any hissing during silent pauses in speech. I have used it outdoors and, when placed properly, does a fairly good job of isolating my voice from ambient noises. That includes ocean waves crashing onto the beach. The cord is long, almost too long for my purposes. But the length of the cord makes it perfect for informal studio settings where the speaker is stationary. I would recommend this mic for in studio use. ... More
Not bad
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by wkong on B&H Photo Video
Much better than using the on camera mic. Subject sounds close to the camera, however, it has a descent amount of hissing. You'll need to do post to remove that. I shot with a wireless lav and this omni wired mic and this did have more much more hissing that I needed to remove in post. I primarily use it as back audio and to assist in syncing video clips in post. Like I said the audio quality is not bad and for the money it's not a regretful purchase but for anything professional, you may want to look to other options. 4 stars are for the pricing when added to it's quality. ... More
Nice sound, effective corded lav mic
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Kerry on B&H Photo Video
I purchased one a few weeks ago just to try, and when I tested it and heard how nice the sound was, I immediately ordered another one to have with me. I now have a backup for my first one or a second lav to use with a dedicated mixer. Don't forget that each one is stereo, so if you have the need for just one good mic, you can rely on it filling both channels without the need of a stereo adapter or Y cable. Comes with battery, phone plug adapter, 20 foot cord, mic clip, and foam screen.
Outstanding value and quality of sound.
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Reviewed by Duane on B&H Photo Video
I searched forever for a decent but entry level stereo lapel mic. I had to settle for a mono that gave subpar quality recordings. When someone suggested this I had to check it out but thought it couldnt be stereo or was an inferior. With recomedations from reputable sites, I ordered. Very pleased with this. I use it with my camcorder and the sound quality of my videos is great. I cannot beleive how an external mic makes 200% difference to the experience of the video. I like many are on a tight budget, but want to start off looking pro-like. This is a must. Thanks! ... More
