The NEEWER CM31 Wireless Microphone System is a wireless solution designed for creators. Designed as a budget-friendly wireless microphone alternative, the CM31 is equipped with features and quality-of-life enhancements that combine to create an intuitive wireless microphone system, offering incredible flexibility in application and connectivity. It’s a budget-conscious solution that swings above its weight class.
The NEEWER CM31 comes with a charging case, single receiver, two transmitters, paired windscreens, two OTG cables, one audio cable, a charging cable, and a carrying pouch. It’s an impressive amount of kit for a budget wireless microphone system. As for construction, the charging case feels solid, although not quite as sturdy as the Saramonic Ultra, and utilizes a magnetic catch to secure the lid. I was quite impressed with the clasp, as I was able to pick up the whole unit by grabbing the lid without worrying about the case opening and spilling its contents onto the floor.
As for the receiver and transmitters, both are exceptionally light at 33g and 22g, each with an attached clip for easy fastening to clothing. Constructed of hard plastic, there is unfortunately no option for magnetic fastening; however, due to their light weight, clipping the transmitters to clothing resulted in minimal pulling. The transmitters offer several notable features, with standout highlights including a mic port for external lapel microphones and a USB-C cable for charging and file management.
“The NEEWER CM31 is a budget-conscious solution that swings above its weight class.”
This brings me to one of the most impressive features of the NEEWER CM31, the onboard recording to both the receiver and the transmitters. This creates some great options for capturing, regardless of the conditions. The transmitters also come with two onboard controls that handle power management, as well as mute and active noise cancellation (ANC) controls. All of which is simple to use and easily accessible. An attachable windscreen clips into place with ease, making the transmitter a robust and flexible microphone for creators.
As for the microphone, it offers some impressive capture capabilities with 48 kHz/24-bit recording. As for frequency range, the transmitter mics are rated for 20Hz up to 20kHz with up to 14 hours of onboard capture. These are some impressive specs for a unit that is around $80 cheaper than competitors with comparable specs.
As for the overall audio capture quality of the NEEWER CM31, it’s solid. It delivers a fairly true-to-life recording of the audio source, with only slightly noticeable room tone. While the low end could be a bit punchier, the overall sound profile is clean and well-balanced. It’s worth noting that the room tone was only noticeable when using editing headphones. Other output speakers didn’t register it in any significant way.
More impressive still is the gain pickup on the CM31. With 360-degree omnidirectional pickup, the NEEWER CM31 can capture everything in the room if needed. I was particularly impressed by how well it handled dialogue between two people using a single transmitter. While this isn’t necessary due to the inclusion of a second TX, it remains an impressive microphone nonetheless.
“The NEEWER CM31 can capture everything in the room if needed.”
On the note of internal recording — thanks to the onboard 8 GB of memory — the NEEWER CM31 is an excellent solution for those looking for a minimal setup to meet their recording needs. In testing, recording directly to the transmitters was as simple as a quick button press. When finished, pressing the button again stopped the recording. Accessing the files is handled via the included USB-C to USB-A cable and a PC or Mac.
When using both transmitters, the receiver can be set to handle each as a solo, separate channel or as a dual-channel recording, providing plenty of options for post-production. The inclusion of a mono safety track also helps reduce the risk of ruining a recording due to clipping.
To further reduce these risks, the NEEWER CM31 is rated for a sound pressure level (SPL) of 115 dB, with distortion under 0.1 per cent and a 78 dB signal-to-noise ratio. In layman’s terms, this means the microphones can handle impressively loud audio input without distortion, while clearly and distinctly presenting the foreground (or subject) audio over background noise.
In testing, the CM31 performed well in both loud environments and audio spikes. When active noise cancellation (ANC) was engaged, the capture remained clear, with little artefacting present in the vocal recording. While a 78 dB signal-to-noise ratio isn’t the highest I’ve seen in this style of wireless system, it’s still quite impressive considering its $169.99 price tag.
The transmitters are impressive in their own right, featuring onboard recording, individual mute controls, and ANC toggles. However, the receiver also stands out with its own set of features. Most notable is its ability to connect to three separate devices simultaneously, thanks to the included cables. When connected to two devices, the receiver can support audio monitoring and noise reduction. While I can’t think of many use cases for three-device support, I’m nonetheless impressed by how robust and versatile the system is.
“The NEEWER CM31 is a plug-and-play solution requiring no additional software or setup.”
Another notable feature is the 1.3” LCD screen that offers easy-to-understand information about which transmitter is connected, as well as real-time level monitoring. While it doesn’t offer any touchscreen capabilities or menu selection, the NEEWER CM31 is designed without requiring either. In fact, the CM31 is a plug-and-play solution requiring no additional software or setup. It’s easy to use in various settings, offering maximum flexibility for the user.
Everything mentioned so far is impressive in its own right, but even more impressive is the range on the NEEWER CM31. Rated for 300 metres (1,000 feet), the NEEWER CM31 offers outstanding capture range. I tested the system in a field near my workplace and can confirm that the transmitters performed as expected at that distance with a clear line of sight. While I’m not sure why most users would need to capture audio at that range, the fact that a sub-$200 wireless microphone system can handle it is an impressive feat, normally found in more expensive systems from brands such as RØDE.
Battery life on NEEWER’s CM31 is decent. Rated for 9.5 hours of pass-through recording (outputting to an external device), and testing revealed this to be fairly accurate. In testing, I managed just over 9 hours with two transmitters running both in solo mode to the receiver, which was being captured to my PC via Reaper software. While I’ve worked a couple of other wireless mics that have recorded longe,r the Neewer CM31 will have no issue getting you through the day. For the moments when not in use, the transmitters and receiver can be dropped into the charging case to help prolong the usage.
The NEEWER CM31 wireless microphone system from NEEWER is an impressive piece of hardware. Built as a budget-friendly solution for creators, its plug-and-play nature, impressive battery life and range, along with onboard recording, make the NEEWER CM31 a solid competitor to systems well above its price bracket. While competitors may offer a few more bells and whistles, you’d be hard-pressed to find anything that can compete with the NEEWER CM31 at its $170 price point.
