Olympus ME-52W Noise Canceling Microphone

by Olympus

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 5 x 2 x 0.1 inches ; 0.2 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000MYPPPE
• Item model number: 145055
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (86 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #44 in Office Products (See Top 100 in Office Products)
  • #12 in Electronics > Computers & Add-Ons > Computer Accessories > Headsets & Microphones
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 2, 2001

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The Olympus ME-52 Noise Cancellation Microphone is an ideal accessory to have around when background noise may be a problem. The ME-52W plugs directly into your digital recorder's 3.5mm microphone jack for unidirectional recording in high-noise environments. It will cut down on much of the background noise and result in a more accurate transcription. It also comes with windscreen cover, a tie-clip, and 3.3-foot extension cord. Please note: When using with a recorder with a 2.5mm mic jack, purchase the PA-1 plug adapter.

Product Description

Noise cancelling microphone for use with Olympus digital voice recorders. Comes with 3.5mm monaural plug, tiepin clip, and extension cord.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

128 of 129 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An outstanding compact microphone, May 21, 2010

By 

Lew Miller "Silver Eagle" (Florida) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Olympus ME-52W Noise Canceling Microphone (Electronics)

My first reaction to this microphone was astonishment at is its small size. It's larger than most lapel microphones, but that's because of the physical requirements for noise-cancellation. Still, it's very small, especially for a true "cardioid" (noise-cancelling) microphone.

The performance is superb! As Jim wrote, it is very sensitive. I tested it in a quiet room at distances up to 10 feet away. At about 3 feet, my voice was strong and clear. At 10 feet, it was obviously remote, but the sound was good and very clear, with no echo. Off-axis, the sensitivity drops rapidly. At about 70 degrees, the sound weakens noticeably, and beyond 90 degrees, it is almost inaudible.

M. L. Strickland is correct in warning that the microphone requires external power. The instructions on the box specify 1.5 - 10 volts. Writers who reported that the microphone was very weak were almost certainly using a recorder that does not provide the necessary excitation voltage. This energizer voltage draws negligible power from the recorder's batteries.

However, he is wrong when he writes, '... the noise "cancelation" is only provided by a directional shield. True cancellation is obtained by using a stereo mike with the two pickups wired to cancel noise that arrives at both equally.'

Noise-cancelling microphones have existed almost from the start, long before stereo ever existed. The close-up photo on this page clearly shows a slot ("port") in the side of the microphone's body. There is another on the other side. These ports channel sound to the back of the transducer (the sound-sensitive element) so that it is 180 degrees out of phase with the sound striking the front. These opposing signals cancel each other acoustically, but there is always some sound "leakage" through the case and because of imperfect cancellation, resulting in a weak output.

This microphone is intended for recording sounds at a distance, which is the purpose of all cardioid (unidirectional) microphones. Its output level is higher than on most microphones, so there is a possibility of distortion, especially if the sound source (such as the speaker) is too close. For a normal voice, I suggest it be held 8 to 12 inches from the speaker's mouth.

This microphone was bought to be used on an Olympus DS-330, a six-year-old monophonic digital voice recorder. The internal microphone is sensitive and effective, but because it is omni-directional, recordings in a noisy environment, or at a distance from the speaker, are unclear. The ME-52W mic worked equally well in the "Dictation" (low-sensitivity) and "Conference" (high-sensitivy) modes, but the "Dictation" mode is preferable. It's almost identical in sensitivity to the "Conference" mode, and omits residual background noise, such as radios and air conditioners.

With a rated frequency range of 100 - 15,000 Hz, and depending on your equipment, the ME-52W makes excellent voice recordings, and respectable, but not perfect, music recordings. It essentially eliminates echoes, and strongly reduces background sounds. If it's compatible with your equipment, it should be a winner.

98 of 99 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Does just what you want, July 12, 2007

By 

SoundGuy (SILVER SPRING, MD USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Olympus ME-52W Noise Canceling Microphone (Electronics)

For a cheapo microphone, I was pleasantly surpised with how well this worked at picking up speakers who were a distance away. You may have to adjust the sensitivity of the recorder, because the sensitivity of this mic is significantly higher than the built-in stereo mic, and recording to 'hot' will result in garbled, distorted sound.

The Olympus recorders seem to select sensitivity with labels like 'dictate' and 'conference', where 'conference' would normally be used in a distant recording situation but if the record bar hits the right side of the screen you want to set it to the lower sensitivity mode 'dictate'. In any case, with this (mono) mic you should change your recording mode to Mono so you can get double the record time.

61 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars good in a noisy setting, May 7, 2009

By 

Matthew Billings (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Olympus ME-52W Noise Canceling Microphone (Electronics)

I did an interview in a noisy restaurant and put the recorder on the table with the mic pointed straight up. The mic picked up both voices very well and cut down the background noise by at least 70%. The interview would have been impossible otherwise.