Whether you’re a seasoned content creator looking to upgrade your audio quality or a beginner looking to take your first steps, a solid microphone is a must-have.
DJI has built a solid reputation for offering brilliant microphones for content creators, professionals and beginners alike. So how do its most recent offerings meet expectations?
To help you decide, we’ve compared how the 4.5-star Mic Mini and the 4.5-star Mic 3 stack up in real-world use. Keep reading to determine which microphone will better suit your needs and see whether either has a shot at making our list of the best microphones.
Price and Availability
The DJI Mic Mini is the cheapest of the two, with a starting RRP of £59/$89, which includes just one transmitter and one receiver.
On the other hand, the DJI Mic 3 has a starting price of £169/$219, which also includes just one transmitter and one receiver. It’s worth noting that both the Mic Mini and Mic 3 offer different bundle options to choose from.
Design and Build
- DJI Mic Mini is just 10g, while the DJI Mic 3 is 16g
- The Mini’s RX doesn’t have a touchscreen – it just has a tactile dial
- Both TX units can be attached to clothes via the built-in clip or magnet
As its name suggests, the DJI Mic Mini is remarkably small, weighing 10g and measuring 26.55 x 26.06 x 15.96 mm. While the DJI Mic 3 is heavier in comparison, it’s worth remembering that it’s still a seriously small device at just 16g and considerably smaller than the DJI Mic 2.
Each of the DJI Mics’ receivers are also small, with the Mini weighing around 18g. However, the Mic 3’s RX benefits from a touchscreen display alongside a dial, while the Mini’s RX just sports a dial to manoeuvre from one menu to the next.
It’s clear that the DJI Mic 3 borrows a lot of its design from the Mini, and this extends to its charging case. The most significant difference is the size, as the 3’s charging case is slightly larger to accommodate the bigger devices and sports a dedicated section to store magnetic pucks.
Winner: DJI Mic Mini
Features
- Both provide up to 400m audio range when paired with the RX
- Audio range drops when using a Bluetooth connection instead
- DJI Mic Mini offers up to 48 hours of battery with the charging case
The DJI Mic 3 improves on its Mic 2 predecessor’s audio range and, alongside the Mini, promises up to 400m when paired with the RX. However, it’s worth remembering that in real-world use, obstacles like walls, floors and electrical interference can get in the way.
Both can also use a direct Bluetooth connection between the transmitter and a compatible device instead; however, you’ll need to check if the device is compatible. For example, while we had no issue pairing the Mic 3 with an Android smartphone, it wasn’t possible to work with the iPhone 16 Plus’ native camera app.
Otherwise, DJI promises the Mic Mini should see up to a whopping 48 hours of battery life when the TX and RX units are paired with the charging case. Broken down, the transmitter’s battery life lasts around 11 hours while the receiver’s is over 10 hours. Then, the fully charged case can top up two TX and one RX unit over three times, which equates to the 48 hours promised.
The Mic 3, on the other hand, provides up to 28 hours in total, with the transmitter lasting around eight hours while the receiver promises up to 10 hours.
Winner: DJI Mic Mini
Audio Performance
- Impressive audio performance with both the Mini and 3
- Both support two-level noise cancellation
- The Mic 3 especially impressed us when removing particularly loud background noises
It’s worth noting that we were left impressed with both the Mic Mini and Mic 3’s audio performance, as both effectively cement DJI as offering some of the best microphones around. Having said that, a few differences separate the two.
Firstly, while both support two-level noise cancellation, we were especially impressed with the Mic 3’s abilities in this department. Despite concluding that the Mic Mini’s noise cancellation wasn’t the most effective available, we still found it to work well and perform best at noticing and removing drone-type sounds, such as fans, traffic, and background noises.
The DJI Mic 3, on the other hand, seriously blew us away during our testing. Not only did we find noise-cancelling quietened the likes of street performers and notoriously busy areas of London with ease, but we noted that the Mic 3 still picked up our voice without any signs of distortion.
Finally, the Mic Mini supports 24-bit digital sound, which is more than crisp enough for anything from making podcasts and YouTube videos to everyday Zoom meetings. Unlike the Mic 3, the Mini doesn’t support 32-bit, which is a shame but perhaps unsurprising considering it’s a much cheaper option.
However, remember the quality drops slightly on both when using a direct Bluetooth connection instead.
Winner: DJI Mic 3
Verdict
Both the DJI Mic Mini and Mic 3 are brilliant wireless microphone options for beginners and seasoned content creators alike. If you’re on a tighter budget and don’t mind missing out on 32-bit recording, then the Mic Mini is a brilliant option.
On the other hand, for around £110/$130 or so more, you can enjoy the features and benefits of the DJI Mic 3, including its impressive noise cancellation capabilities. Just remember that it doesn’t quite boast the same battery life as its Mini alternative.
