The Saramonic BlinkMe B2 is a powerhouse of functionality and features packed into an impressively compact form factor. Whether you are a content creator, journalist or podcaster, the BlinkMe B2 offers an all-in-one solution to meet all your audio needs. Boasting an impressive battery life, two independent transmitters, optional onboard recording and a host of quality-of-life accessories the BlinkMe B2 aims to push the boundaries of what to expect from a portable Wireless microphone system.
With a host of microphone designs in its resume, Saramonic has the pedigree to do just that. With a couple of weeks of real-world testing complete it's time to see if Saramonic has accomplished its goal of creating the next evolution of the portable Wireless microphone in the BlinkMe B2. So grab that coffee, kick back and check out our review of the BlinkMe B2 from the gracious folks over at Saramonic.
Specifications
- Current Price:$249.99 (Amazon)
- Transmission Type: 2.4GHz Frequency
- Modulation: Digital Modulation
- Polar Pattern: Omnidirectional
- Antenna: Built-in Antenna
- Operating Range: 328’
- Sampling Rate: 48KHz
- Frequency Response: 20Hz-20KHz
- Sensitivity: -39±2dB
- Audio Input Connector: TX: Built-in condenser mic
- Monitoring Connector: RX: 3.5mm monitor port
- Audio Output Connector: RX 3.5mm auto-sensing contacts/ RX: USB-C
- Battery Life(TX): Approx 5 Hours (onboard recording enabled)/ Approx 8 hours (onboard recording disabled)
- Onboard Memory: TX: 8GB
- Weight: TX: 30g / RX: 70g
A Unique Design
The BlinkMe B2 is one of the most unique wireless microphone systems to come across my desk. Featuring two circular transmitters, Saramonic has leveraged a magnetic mounting system allowing for some creative options for attaching the mics. Each transmitter features a 1.3” high res, Panda glass touch screen that allows the user to control all of the features of the system with ease. Additionally, tactile power and noise reduction buttons can be found along the edge of each transmitter allowing for quick control options for the devices.
A single omnidirectional microphone sits nestled in the top of the bezel where an optional windscreen can be attached. The whole unit is sleek-looking and takes up as much real estate as a watch face, albeit slightly thicker. It's an interesting design that strays away from the familiar systems we are used to seeing on the market. However, its circular design does allow it to leverage the aforementioned 1.3” touch screen and this opens up a host of options and controls.
Weighing in at 30g, the transmitters feel fairly light to hold considering the size. As for attaching them Saramonic has opted to include an impressive amount of mounting options. Leveraging a magnetic system, the BlinkMe B2 comes with a carrying case that includes four circular magnetic backplates as well as two magnetic clip plates that seamlessly attach to the transmitter. Attaching one to your clothing is as simple as running the transmitter on the outside of the shirt and a magnetic plate on the inside.
While I love the design, at 30g the transmitter does weigh down lighter clothing such as athletic wear and basic t-shirts. A simple adjustment of the fabric and smart positioning typically resolved this issue in testing but it is worth noting that a subject will need to be strategic about placing their transmitter. Additionally, while I love the look of the receivers they do look a bit bulky when attached to a shirt. To offset the design, Saramonic offers the option to install custom images on the face allowing you to sport a logo while recording.
The receiver is also an impressive piece of hardware and works not only as a passthrough receiver to a camera of a phone but also has onboard recording capabilities. Sporting an 8GB internal storage drive, the receiver can store up to 22 hours of audio at 48kHz/16bit or 15 hours of audio at 48kHz/24bit. While impressive the fun doesn’t stop there. The receiver also acts as a charging station for both transmitters, each docking firmly in place thanks to the magnetic mounting system.
As with the transmitters, the receiver takes full advantage of the magnetic mounting system and comes with its own magnetically attached cold shoe mount that fits a standard tripod thread. While it's impressive in its own right, Saramonic once again upped the ante by including an MVC phone mount to hold your phone as well as the aforementioned cold shoe mount. This allows for a full audio/video solution in a single package.
Finally, the receiver hosts a USB-C recording connection as well as a 3.5mm TRS output jack for connecting to cameras or phones. More impressive is that the BlinkMe B2 supports dual output recording, meaning you’ll be able to capture to a camera as well as a phone simultaneously. All of this can be monitored in real-time thanks to the included 3.5mm headphone jack. To facilitate all of this Saramonic has also thrown in several cables for connecting to both Apple, Android and cameras creating the ultimate one-stop-shop for audio recording solutions.
Despite the slightly bulky transmitters the overall design offers a lot of great quality-of-life options for creators. It is by far one of the most unique designs I’ve tested to date and offers a lot of flexibility for those needing options in their recording setup. With an impressive 8 hours of battery life per transmitter and 24 hours on the receiver, the BlinkMe B2 has no problem keeping up with whatever content you are creating.
Features and Functions
While the design itself is unique Saramonic has worked hard to build a wireless system that is exceptionally functional as well. For starters, each transmitter works independently with its own OS and touchscreen controls. Gain, recording controls, noise reduction and system settings are all easily managed with a quick swipe or touch gesture. The screen is quite responsive and bright making it easy to navigate and control the transmitter. As for connecting with the receiver, this happens automatically when powered up. However if for some reason a pairing is ever needed it's all handled effortlessly on the device.
As for the receiver, it plays host to the bulk of the features and options. Starting with recording modes, Saramonic has done an excellent job at offering some great onboard options for audio capture. The three included modes, mono, stereo and safety channel allow for some great flexibility. While mono and stereo are fairly self-explanatory, the safety channel recording is a nice feature. When capturing in this mode the receiver records two copies of the recording, one at the presets you’ve configured and one at -6dBs. This second recording exists in case of audio spikes or peaks in the initial recording.
It's also worth noting that each transmitter is recorded to separate channels automatically allowing for combined mixing in post-production. The receiver treats each transmitter as a separate entity so that capture presets are unique to each unit. Additionally, the record function can be turned on and off individually further pushing the limits of how you can leverage the transmitters.
Finally, the BlinkMe B2 also comes with optional noise reduction technology. It works to isolate certain frequencies and reduce their gain and in turn, isolate the primary audio. This can, of course, be managed from the menus on both the receiver and transmitter but can also be quickly turned on and off thanks to the aforementioned button on the side of the transmitter. It makes for quick adjustments on the fly with little downtime between recordings.
With everything from dual recording output and onboard recording to automatic dual channel recording the BlinkMe B2 plays host to some seriously impressive features and functions. It all seems to be designed to reduce the setup time for creators to allow them to spend more time creating. While it's all impressive on paper the question remains, “How does it handle recording in the real world?”.
Real World Testing
The BlinkMe B2 does perform exceptionally well in real-world tests for the most part. Saramonic states on their site that 6mm omnidirectional capsules are developed in-house. While there isn’t extensive detail on the construction or design of the capsules, in testing, they performed well. Capable of capturing sampling rates of 48kHz with a bit depth of 24, these little mics are powerful. Even sitting a solid 6-8 inches below the mouth the audio captured is crystal clear.
The overall capture is pretty true to life and while it won’t beat out a studio microphone the BlinkMe B2 is one of the better wireless systems I’ve tested. It's consistent and clean with little distortion and no notable signal interference in testing. As for range, the spec sheet rates the transmitters for 328” without obstacles. Distance testing took place inside a warehouse comprised of metal I Beams, steel studs and concrete and at a range of approximately 200 feet. Even in those conditions, the signal came through loud and clear.
Onboard recording likewise was a dream to work with and never once had an issue capturing and saving content. One feature I appreciated in testing was how the receiver separated each of the transmitters allowing for easy activating and customizing of each on the fly. This made it easy to add another person mid-recording without a lot of extra hassle.
Shifting from onboard recording to output, once again the whole system just works. Plugging the receiver into my Pixel via the included USB-C to 3.5mm cable I was able to easily start recording from within the Saramonic app. Speaking of the Saramonic app, this also works exceptionally well to manage not only recording (both audio and video) but also firmware updates and wallpaper settings for the transmitters. Addressing the former, audio and video recordings are easy to access and use. The controls are intuitive and, in the case of video, leverage the full power of both the front and rear cameras.
The only test that didn’t quite impress was the noise reduction testing. While it did functionally reduce the overall background noise the price to do so was more distortion in the capture than I like. However, I found reducing the overall TX gain and moving it a bit closer to the mouth worked exceptionally well at reducing much of the background noise.
Final Thoughts
The BlinkMe B2 from Saramonic is an impressive piece of tech. It truly does redefine what we have come to expect from a portable wireless microphone solution. While I have some minor critiques of the noise reduction function and weight of the transmitters these pale in comparison to what the BlinkMe B2 has to offer. It's a powerful and fairly affordable audio capture solution that would be a welcome upgrade to many portable recording setups. Priced at $249.99, the BlinkMe B2 is a solid offering from Saramonic and a step up in the portable wireless microphone market.
The product described in this article was provided by the manufacturer for evaluation purposes.
