Ulanzi J12 Wireless Microphone Review – Can This Budget Lapel Mic Be Any Good?

Ulanzi J12 Wireless Lapel

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Current testing methodology is v1.2

Release Date
April 1, 2022
Price
$49.95
Model:
J12
Weight
2.43 oz
Size
1.18 x 1.57 x 1.97 in

I didn’t actually have any intentions to buy a wireless lapel microphone.

Someone I know had recently bought the DJI Mic kit and that apparently has a ridiculous range, something like 250 meters. A serious piece of kit.

At that point, I didn’t quite understand what format that came in. I kind of assumed that all lapel mics came with a belt pack, a cable, and a lavalier microphone.

And because I wasn’t in the market for a wireless lapel microphone for my iPhone, I wasn’t really aware of all the different brands and physical formats that were available.

So, one day while playing around on AliExpress looking for some new solar garden lights, they read my mind and presented me with the Ulanzi J12 in the related products section.

Budget Pick

ULANZI J12 Wireless Lavalier Microphone

Affordable and Functional with some small exceptions

4/5
Price Range: $
Brand: Ulanzi
Ulanzi J12 Wireless Lapel clipped on a shirt

TL:DR;

Ulanzi have produced something that is both affordable and something that works effortlessly with their J12 wireless microphone kit.

The charging case offers some protection from battery anxiety and the units themselves can be charged directly.

The set up was so good and overall sound, good enough. I have to take a couple of points off for clipping in noisy environments.

The Specs

  • Product material:  ABS
  • Transmission distance:  20m/65ft
  • Sound delay:  ≤25ms
  • Headphone monitoring:  Support
  • Transmitter battery capacity:  80mAh
  • Rechargeable case battery capacity:  800mAh
  • Adapter:  5V/1A

What’s in the Box?

  • 1 x Receiver
  • 2 x Transmitter
  • 1 x Storage Cage
  • 1 x USB-C Charging Cable

Stuff I like

  • The J12 is very affordable
  • Excellent connection
  • Super easy plug-and-play
  • Stable when within given coverage distance
  • Charging case and direct charge per lapel microphone
  • Very portable

Stuff I like less

  • No clear battery level indicator
  • Some clipping in very loud environments

Comparable products to consider

DJI Mic Kit
DJI Mic Kit – if you want to blow your budget real fast.
MAYBESTA Wireless Lapel Mic.
MAYBESTA Wireless Lapel Mic.

I knew the brand already

I do have a lot of Ulanzi gear that I use in content creation. 

My LED RGB lights that I use in a lot of my photo shoots, some of the fill lights that I use in my videos, and a couple of different camera bits and bobs in my gear bag.

I’ve always found them to be a really good value for money and have never really let me down to date. So, it was this past purchase experience that probably led to the recommendation of the Ulanzi J12 to me.

Immediately, my first thought was, “Wow, that is really cheap for a wireless lapel mic kit.” 

It was less than $50, came with two lapel mics for any event that I might need to interview people, and the lightning adapter for my iPhone, although they do have two different models with two different connectors.

When you are constantly making content, you always feel like you need to have something in your bag just in case, and I figured that this was a really good investment just to throw in the car or in a bag while traveling so that in the event that I needed to quickly shoot a video or do a quick interview, that I’d have a microphone ready to go without needing the full camera set-up and belt pack.

Ulanzi J12 Wireless Lapel transmitter and receiver charging
Compact and excellent design | Make Life CLick

Build Quality

Like all Ulanzi things, this is made well enough.

The plastic molding is okay. The materials are okay, and it is a very light case.

The design elements of the unit are everything you need and nothing you don’t, and the case itself is not too large.

In the box, you get the charging case. And inside the charging case are the lightning phone adapter and the two wireless lapel units.

There’s also a short USB-C charging cable that can charge all the units.

Things I liked.

There are some things that surprised me about the J12 Ulanzi microphone kit and one of those things was that not only does the case have charging capabilities and can therefore charge the wireless units in the case, but each of the lapel mics itself has a USB connector on the side which you can independently charge.

So, if you have any concerns about having battery anxiety while you’re using it, you know that there are multiple ways that you can get these things back up and running.

Ulanzi J12 Wireless Lapel receiver in use
No need for an app, just plug in to connect automatically | Make Life Click

Connectivity.

The J12 was so easy to set up and get going. I literally plugged in the lightning adapter to the bottom of my iPhone, which I should add is a nice small, slim-looking unit, and press the power-up button on one of the lapel mics.

There is a nice LED light that shines from the lapel mic, not strong enough to pick up on camera, with green and red indicators to let you know what your connectivity status is, with red being, the record.

The lapel unit connected quickly and immediately I was recording with audio on the microphone. 

It probably all took all of 10 seconds to get sorted.

Range.

As the video that we’ve done to accompany this will show you, the range is estimated at around 20 meters. And the test that I did on the beach with incredibly loud waves in the background, proves that it definitely makes it at around 20 meters.

I probably made it further, but I had a good line of sight where I was, so I wouldn’t want to rely on anything more than the 20-meter mark.

Ulanzi J12 Wireless Lapel transmitter charging port
Comes with two transmitters with 20 feet transmission distance | Make Life Click

Interview style.

A short interview with one of the kids showed that these work really well in interview mode.

We weren’t standing too close, but there was no spill from microphone to microphone, and I was probably speaking a little too loud, whereas he was speaking quieter and I think the audio on his mic came through a lot better.

I used this just in video mode, but you could also, I’m sure, use it for your voice notes. So, I’ll do a test on that and add that below so that you can hear what that sounds like.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS ONE?
ULANZI J12 Wireless Lavalier Microphone for iPhone iPad, 2-in-1 Plug-Play Mic with Charging Case for Phone Video Recording, 65ft Transmission Range
Ulanzi J12 Wireless Lapel Microphone

Overall.

My overall thoughts and feelings on the Ulanzi J12 are that it is a really great little unit.

However, there are some concerns I had when I was using it at the beach with very loud background noise in that I felt like I was speaking a little loud to be heard and that the microphone was clipping a little bit.

In a quieter environment, that was not an issue. And if you are using it in a studio environment or anywhere indoors, then it’s highly unlikely that you’ll have this issue.

You could also mitigate this somewhat by moving the microphone a little bit lower down on your chest.

The range is as described and I have not managed to yet exhaust the battery on the unit.

Ulanzi J12 Wireless Lapel transmitter and receiver port
Wide range of compatibility with two interfaces to choose from (Apple lightning or Type C) | Make Life Click

Summing it up.

For 50 bucks or less, the Ulanzi J12 is an excellent budget option for a twin wireless lapel mic that is plug-and-play to your iPhone.

The sound quality is acceptable for anything that you want to do, and with the exception of very loud outdoor environments, it seems to cope well.

Check out the video and the accompanying audio in this post, of course, to hear the sound quality of the unit. And if you’ve got any questions, let me know.

I’m very happy with the unit.

The fact that it has a wireless charging case, that it is small enough to throw into anything I’m traveling with, and I’m sure that it’s gonna get some use in the future.

Ulanzi J12 Wireless Lapel inclusions
Ulanzi J12 Wireless Lapel Microphone
Build Quality
Easy to Use
Sound Quality
Reader Rating0 Votes
4.7

Endless hours of experimentation, professional work, and personal investment in Home Theatre, Hi-Fi, Smart Home Automation and Headphones have come to this.

Former owner of Headphones Canada, a high-end headphone specialty retailer.

This post was last updated on 2024-03-26 / Some images from Amazon Product API & some links may be affiliate links which may earn us a commission from purchases.


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2 thoughts on “Ulanzi J12 Wireless Microphone Review – Can This Budget Lapel Mic Be Any Good?”

  1. Mark, I am an amateur attempting to learn how to record video so I can share with Friends and Family. I just received my version of the U12 which for all intentional purposes is a Ulanzi Wireless Microphone (sans labeling). Instructions were sparse. However, after going thru several video instructionals I found out about ANC (Active Noise Canceling) which should help your issue with seaside noise levels and I know how it can really be difficult to deal with.

    Once turned on with a three second press on link button. You can press “one click” to get to Level 1 ANC (soft; good indoors); single blink confirmation. Another single click and get Level 2 ANC (mid; good for outdoors); two blink confirmation. Finally another single click and get Level 3 ANC (high; loud conditions). Personally I believe I may just set it at Level 2 and leave it alone.

    You can do a “double click” and mute mic.

    You can “triple click” and get reverb…why? I don’t know.

    Finally press and hold down link button on side of transmitter/mic for three seconds and it should turn off.

    I wish there were better instructions included with my unit.

    The best YouTube instructional that had a detailed explanation on ANC is below.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqgUoGdc3dc&list=WL&index=17

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