Saramonic BlinkMe B2 review

I first came across the Saramonic BlinkMe B2 microphone setup at NAB Show in Las Vegas, while touring stands in search of interesting mic solutions. Saramonic makes a range of audio gear for creators, but these stood out because of their eye-catching round LED display.

Clip-on microphones rarely draw attention for the right reasons; if anything we usually want to hide them. But the innovative design of the BlinkMe B2 adds an extra element of attraction, particularly for those of us who are on camera creating videos for YouTube and Tiktok or streaming on platforms like Twitch.

But you don’t just want a streaming microphone to look good, it also needs to deliver decent sound quality. When it’s a wireless mic rather than a desk mic like the Elgato Wave:3 or Joby Wavo Pod, we also need to ensure that it’s easy to set up, has a solid connection, and offers decent battery performance. So those will be the main areas of focus that I’ll consider in this review of the Saramonic BlinkMe B2 wireless smart microphones.

Pros

• Attractive, unique design
• Customizable touchscreen
• Two mics in one package
• Onboard storage

Cons

• You can’t charge the microphones separately from the receiver
• No lavalier mic so your transmitter is always visible

BlinkMe B2 Specs

These are the BlinkMe B2 specs:

BlinkMe B2 Features

One of the key features of the BlinkMe B2 is the fact that the receiver doubles as a charging case for both of the microphones, it’s slick. You just have to connect a USB-C cable to the receiver and the charge will be distributed between all three units, with the microphones magnetically attached to the receiver and the charge being passed through four connecting pins.

Saramonic created the setup to be suitable for creators using mobile phones or dedicated cameras to record or stream their content, which opens them up to a broader range of use cases. You just have to download the Saramonic app and then find your receiver, which connects via 2.4GHz wireless transmission.

The Saramonic app, available for iOS and Android, functions as an independent audio recorder, whether or not you’re using a Saramonic microphone, it just takes your iPhone as the mic input source and allows you to set levels, choose your sample rate, gain and set low cut. It also enables you to monitor your levels and set markers while recording in real-time, offering a lot of useful functionality, considering it’s free.

When you’ve got your Saramonic BlinkMe B2 receiver connected, it will automatically detect the microphones as they’re paired to the receiver straight out of the box, simplifying the setup process. Then within the app, you can control your microphones and customize the full-color LED display. The ability to customize your transmitter’s 1.3-inch touchscreen display and place your own logo or a picture that you like is the standout feature of this product. I especially like it as it removes the need to put text overlays with your logo/ident on the screen while streaming or recording.

Both of the BlinkMe B2 microphones have 8GB of built-in storage for onboard recording, which means you don’t have to worry about connection dropouts. This functionality actually saved me in a pinch, when I forgot to bring the supplied 3.5mm input cable to connect the receiver directly to my camera. Without onboard recording, I would’ve been stuck with the camera audio, but being able to record directly to the BlinkMe B2 transmitter meant I could still get quality audio from my subject and could just sync it in post. Another neat trick up its sleeve is the ability to record a secondary Safety Track at -6dB as a buffer against clipping and distortion from unexpected peaks.

The BlinkMe B2 receiver’s built-in battery is rated for up to 24 hours of charge. But in my experience, that translated into me charging it once or twice a week when recording a couple of hours every day. The transmitters are rated to hold up to 8 hours of charge but found that I was getting closer to around 6 hours before needing to connect them to the receiver, which can distribute 4.5 hours of juice to each transmitter. The discrepancy is likely due to the fact that I set the display to ‘always on’ so that my logo could be visible.

The good thing is the Receiver and Transmitters charge relatively fast, a ten-minute charge should get you about an hour or so of recording. You can also set the screen to off or eco mode, which extends the battery performance. It claims to offer an effective range of 100m (without obstacles), but we found it could hold connection at that range, even through two sets of doors and walls, which is impressive.

BlinkMe B2 Design

The packaging is clean and minimalistic. The box is roughly the size of the hardshell fabric case that it contains, which stores the two microphones, receiver, and requisite attachment accessories.

The system is all connected via magnets, whether you’re connecting the transmitters to the receiver for charging or connecting the magnetic clips, magnetic pucks, or the magnetic cold shoe adapter.

The magnets are all strong and feel reliable, so there’s no concern about the microphones falling off while recording, even if you’re moving about a fair bit. You can access all of the controls and functions using the touch displays on the receiver and transmitters, which are nice and bright and highly responsive to touch.

BlinkMe B2 Performance

The BlinkMe B2 microphones are incredibly simple to use. They come paired to the receiver straight out of the box, so there’s no faff. They’re ready to record within a matter of seconds, with or without the app. Setting a custom display is as simple as uploading an image from your camera roll or photo gallery. I found that the most effective options for camera visibility were white texts/logos on black or dark backgrounds. The app also allows you to customize the physical buttons on your transmitters and receiver, making it easy to access regularly used functions like Mute and Noise Reduction.

Despite their omnidirectional polar pattern, they pick up voices clearly, with an attractive resonance, without capturing much room noise at all. I didn’t experience any connection or lag issues either, which is reassuring. And if you find yourself in a situation where there is noticeable noise, there’s a one-touch Noise Reduction Button on each microphone, which does a good job of reducing any distracting background hum.

The mics have a frequency response of 20Hz-20KHz, so if you set a safety track, you’re almost guaranteed to achieve decent results from your audio. The battery performance is long enough to last a recording or streaming session of at least 6 hours with the screen set to “Always On” and if you’re only using one at a time, you’ve effectively got 12 hours of charge, minimum, between the two mics.

You can connect two different devices to the transmitter, one via USB-C and one via 3.5mm input, so you can effectively stream and record to the camera and computer or mobile device simultaneously.

Should you buy the BlinkMe B2?

• Yes: The Saramonic BlinkMe B2 wireless microphone system is a flexible and reliable solution that delivers high-quality sound
• Yes: The unique customizable display adds an extra touch of finesse
• No: You don’t want a wireless mic solution

If the BlinkMe B2 isn’t for you

Rode Wireless GO II

Priced a little higher but from a brand that most know and trust, the Wireless GO II offers many of the same features as the BlinkMe B2 system, but it also has a lavalier mic option and a slightly longer range. On the downside, it has an inferior frequency response of 50Hz-20kHz.