The kit includes two transmitters and a receiver, and it supports 32-bit float recording.
Sony has announced the ECM-W5, a $400 wireless microphone kit that's clearly designed to be as easy to use as DJI's affordable wireless mics, provided creators are willing to pay a comparatively premium price to use it. The ECM-W5 combines wireless transmitters and a receiver that can directly record to a Sony camera (or other devices over USB-C), capturing 96kHz audio from up to 500 meters away in line-of-sight conditions.
The ECM-W5 is easiest to use with Sony's Alpha series cameras, where it can connect over the Multi Interface Shoe (Sony's modern answer to the hotshoe) to receive power and transfer data. A kit only comes with one rectangular receiver and two microphone transmitters, but if you're willing to purchase multiple $120 transmitters separately, you can record up to four tracks at once. Each transmitter includes 64GB of internal memory, which should work great as a backup. The internal memory also enables 32-bit float recording, which means the ECM-W5 can capture both quiet and loud sounds without forcing you to make gain adjustments.
One benefit of Sony's system compared to the latest DJI mics is support for external lavalier or other mics, something many broadcasters require. The transmitters themselves have 11 hours of battery life and come with magnetic backplates so you can pin them to a shirt. If you don't have a Sony camera, the receiver also includes a USB-C adapter that lets it connect to a smartphone or a PC for other recording scenarios. And while you're making adjustments on the receiver's touchscreen, you can listen to playback wirelessly using Bluetooth LE and a pair of Sony headphones.
In comparison to the $259 DJI Mic 3 or the $99 DJI Mic Mini, it's hard to imagine the ECM-W5 would be a compelling alternative unless you're specifically interested in using the new microphone kit with Sony's cameras. If you can stomach paying $400, though, 32-bit float recording could simplify your post-production workflow significantly.
The ECM-W5 is available to pre-order today for $400 and ships in November. You can also pre-order a standalone $190 ECM-W5R receiver or $120 ECM-W5T transmitter if you plan on expanding your kit.
