Fulaim X5M review: a tempting budget alternative to the DJI Mic Mini
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Fulaim X5M: One Minute Review
The Fulaim X5M is another option that has become a thriving field of content creation technology: micro wireless digital microphones. This collection is designed for Vloggers, Podcasters, etc., and is a competitor like this DJI MIC 2 and Rode wireless miniaturealong with the clip transmitter wirelessly, it can be connected to a smartphone, computer or camera receiver, propagates the audio signal wirelessly.
Perhaps the main selling point of the X5M is its budget-friendly price, which weakens quality competitors like this DJIriding and Sennheiser wide edges. This is an attractive purchase for a fledgling newbie content creator, especially given the flexibility its adapter offers and the ability to record directly into the transmitter’s own 4GB of internal storage.
I hope any budget product will make some concessions, and the X5M I would say the main thing is its fairly cheap build quality, and its audio quality is at the top 16-bit, with premium competitors offering 24-bit or even 32-bit floating point options. The display on the receiver can be made more readable with some tweaks, but none of the above is what I’m talking about as a spoiler.
If more quality microphones are out of reach and what you want is more flexible than what is smartphone-only Paint miniFulaim X5M is very worth a look.
Fulaim x5m: Price and release date
- Listed at $199/£150/au $310 Dual TX Set
- Cheap non-recorded version
- For sale as one set only
The dual delivery kit with charging case is not much cheaper than the Fulaim X5M. It’s priced at $199/£150/au $311, but I find it much less in many online stores Amazon’s price is around $90 / Amazon UK for around £100so your payment is much less than yours DJI MIC mini Or ride wireless miniature.
That’s the price of the X5M version I’m sent, which includes built-in recording on the transmitter. The cheaper version missing the feature will also work, at around $30/£22/au $35.
Both sets are available now from a range of online stores, but it is worth noting that you can only get the X5M in the full package, which also includes two transmitters, a receiver, a toll box, a USB-C/Lightning/3.5mm adapter, two furry windshields, and USB-C cables; except for replacement bits like the adapter and magnet, the elements of the kit cannot be purchased separately, at least as far as I can tell.
Fulaim X5M: Specifications
|
aspect |
1.85 x 1 x 0.5 inches / 47 x 26 x 13mm (transmitter); 1.85 x 1.15 x 0.55 inches / 47 x 29 x 14mm (receiver); 3.9 x 1.65 x 2.6 inches / 99 x 42 x 66mm (charging box) |
|
weight |
0.63 oz/18G (transmitter); 0.75oz/21g (receiver); 5oz/144g (charging case) |
|
Transmission range |
650ft / 200m |
|
Connectivity |
Receiver: USB-C, USB-C/Lightning/3.5mm output for charging; transmitter: USB-C, 3.5mm input |
|
Battery |
6 hours plus extra cost of the case |
|
Voice |
16 |
|
Noise reduction |
Yes, one click |
Fulaim X5M: Design
- Most element slots are used for shipping charging cases
- Whole package weighs 8.5 oz/240g
- USB-C, Lightning and 3.5mm adapters include
Like many wireless microphone packages, the X5M includes two wearable transmitters, a receiver that can be connected to a smartphone, tablet, computer and camera, and not only can accommodate them, but also recharge the internal battery. The case also has the receiver (USB-C, Lightning and 3.5mm), a USB-C port for charging, and a connector adapter with four LEDs on the front and four LEDs on the front to quickly indicate its own battery life.
The entire kit will be easily mounted in the jacket pocket, making the X5M very portable. However, I would have liked to include some kind of bag or tote in the set, because there is nothing to stop the box from opening in your bag and spreading its contents. Plus, there is no room in the charging box, including accessories that include two furry windshields or USB-C cables, so having a bag that packs everything makes a big difference.
I found that even though it was a little cheap and proton, I found that the average build quality was OK. More expensive microphone sets like the DJI MIC 2, SENNHEISER Profile Wireless, and Saramonic Ultra are more rugged than that — but that’s one of the reasons you have to pay more for them. No element here is waterproof, either – at least not mentioning Fulaim – so if you want to record outdoor activities in more and more weather, you need to practise caution.
The transmitter is small and lightweight and can be attached to the clothing by a clip or magnet. The clip is good and strong, but I found the magnet to pull a little weak and I didn’t want to risk using it on clothes that were thicker than the lightweight T-shirts to avoid it falling off.
Each transmitter has a USB-C port for charging and data transfer, as well as two buttons: one on/off button and the other can be mined to attract noise reduction technology and keep recording. It also has 3.5mm input, enabling users to connect to third-party Lavalier Mic.
The receiver has a USB-C port for charging, and an interface on the back, which can accept one of the adapters, allowing it to be directly connected to a product with Lightning, USB-C or 3.5mm ports. I’m on iPhone 13 and Matsushita The GH6 II camera (with lightning and 3.5mm ports respectively) was found to be safe and quite low in fit.
It also has a small non-TV screen display that indicates battery life, recording mode, connection status, and audio gain. Due to the choice of fonts and icons and their small size, it is sometimes hard to see this from a distance, but I want to have more than nothing.
The receiver also has two hardware buttons: one for power supply and one can be switched with five levels of gain adjustment.
Fulaim X5M: Performance
- 16-bit audio quality that reduces noise
- Stereo, mono and safe recording modes
- The launcher can be solo
There are no signs of 24-bit or 32-bit audio here. The X5M is in line with its budget status and is used continuously with 16-bit audio – I think that’s good for cheap wireless microphones. I was very happy with this after testing the recording quality indoors and outdoors – I strongly doubt anyone who upgraded from a phone or a built-in microphone on the camera would feel the same. In dedicated microphones, the sound becomes richer and richer, while the furry windshield successfully reduces wind noise when recording outdoors.
There is even a noise reduction mode that, although I wouldn’t rely on it in really challenging conditions, is very effective in reducing background buzz – buzz like fans, air conditioning and road noise.
The X5M can be recorded in three different modes: mono (using a single transmitter), stereo (where two transmitters are recording at the same time to create a single record), and security (where the second transmitter records at a slight gain drop as a backup track to standby the main track experiences sudden loud noise or similar backup tracks).
Each launcher can also be used for solo recording, so if your trip is really light, you can throw the rest away. Using 4GB of internal storage, it can record about 9 hours of audio.
Battery life is close to six hours, however, two full-electric stroke cycles are retained in the charging case. In theory, with your pocket charging case, you can get 18 hours of use from the X5M before you can track down a wall outlet or power library, which is about the average for the wireless microphone group.
As for wireless range, Fulaim claims that the X5M can run a range of about 650 feet/200m, i.e. the distance between the transmitter and the receiver. Of course, this is a perfect condition and I hope the real world numbers are much lower, although for the vast majority of users it will never be a problem. During my review, I certainly had no issues with connectivity or transmission.
Should I buy fulaiim x5m?
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Fulaim X5M: Consider it too
How do I test ellaim x5m
- I use it regularly for a week
- I’m testing outside and indoor
- I used it alone and paired with iPhone 13 and Panasonic Lumix GH6 II
To see how it develops in different environments, I tested the Fulaim X5M in a variety of situations, from the quiet and relatively controlled environment of my home office to the coast of southeastern England.
I also recorded it in several different ways: using the transmitter’s built-in recording function; the receiver is connected to me apple The iPhone 13 uses a lightning adapter; and connects to my Panasonic Lumix GH6 II mirrorless camera via its 3.5mm analog adapter.
