Elgato Wave Mic Arm Review - Durability and Versatility

Elgato knows what its customers want—and perhaps more importantly, what they need. Coming from the days of simply offering capture cards and effective ways to stream games, Elgato has recently been offering more of a full-featured lineup of streaming and content creation supplies and solutions. But far be it from only streamers to find value in Elgato products, the advent of work from home thanks to the pandemic has created a market where anybody can reasonably find a use for Elgato’s assortment of products, even if they aren’t clicking heads in the latest Call of Duty on Twitch.

The Elgato Wave Mic Arm comes in two models, which are actually quite different based on your needs: the standard Wave Mic Arm, and the Wave Mic Arm LP. Both are desk-mount mic arms, but the standard is a boom arm that angles up, will the LP is a low-profile arm designed to sit sleekly along the surface of your desk, designed to come up from underneath monitors rather than in from above them. Which one works best for you will depend entirely on your setup.

Elgato sent us the standard Wave Mic Arm, which clamps to your desk and his an adjustable boom arm that brings the mic in from above. It also comes with an extension mount that gives it a bit more height (nearly 6 inches) if needed, allowing it to really fit into almost any desktop setup. I say almost any, because my old corner Ikea desk was not compatible with the mounting clamp, which maxes out at 2.4 inches. I had large back panels on the desk that didn’t allow anything to clamp to them, and bulky desktop shelving that got in the way of the boom… which was the perfect excuse to get rid of the old desk and completely change my office setup. However, be aware that you’ll want to check your own desks or workstation to make sure you have clearance to clamp the Wave Mic Arm somewhere.

Elgato Wave Mic Arm Review – Real-World Use

With a wide range of motion and the optional height extension, there’s a lot of flexibility to put the Wave Mic Arm wherever it works best for your setup. The horizontal arm reaches about 30 inches, with the default vertical arm also extending about the same (with an added 6 inches from the riser). The base has full 360-degree range of motion with a ball head on the mic-mount end to position your mic at any angle. It can safely support up to 2.2 lbs on the mic mount, which is easily enough to handle most microphones, along with a shock mount and pop filter. It’s compatibility with 1/4, 3/8, and 5/8-inch mic mounts out of the box makes it perfect for whatever you’re already using or plan to buy. A counterweight is also included for use with lighter mics, which will help offset the tension and allow you to keep the Wave Mic Arm exactly where you want it. And to keep a clean look on your desk—or at least not add to the clutter that’s already there—handy cable channels along both lengths of the arm will keep your mic cable under control.

Elgato Wave Mic Arm review 1 — Image: Elgato

While I was initially concerned that the boom arm would get in the way of one or both of my monitors, there’s enough flexibility in the length, rotation, and positioning of the Wave Mic Arm to find a place that works perfectly for my setup. The sturdy metal chassis and clamp are strong enough to feel like a durable and quality product, while also being slim enough to not dominate the space. It simply and effectively holds your mic in place when you need, and tucks away nicely back over your desk when you don’t. The movement of the Wave Mic Arm is smooth and nearly effortless, which makes pulling the mic in, pushing it away, and doing any repositioning a breeze.

I also have to reiterate, Elgato isn’t just for streaming. The Wave Mic Arm comes in handy for video calls—an increasingly common occurrence in the work from home world. I now get to have great sounding audio via my mic rather than a headset, with a solution that allows me to keep the mic in an unobtrusive place that doesn’t interfere with my webcam. It’s also great for recording quick voice overs from my desk (though admittedly I’ll still step into my more formal vocal booth for most voice work, just due to the acoustics).

While $99 may seem a steep price to spend on something to hold your mic, this is a case of getting what you pay for. The overall quality of the Elgato Wave Mic Arm, as well as its flexible use, range of motion, and sleek design, makes it well worth the cost of entry if you are looking for a desk mounted boom mic arm solution (or even if you aren’t). It also pairs well with the wider Elgato suite of products that enable versatility and quality not just for streamers, but for anyone looking to upgrade their home desktop and/or workstation setup.