Joby Wavo POD review 2024: for podcasters and streamers

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The Joby Wavo Pod is a low-cost microphone made for podcasters and streamers who want to improve their current setup. Since the Pandemic, we’ve seen a rise in the number of content providers and online gamers who broadcast their gaming sessions and give walkthroughs. Having a desktop microphone is now an important piece of the puzzle when putting together a steaming setup. In this review, we take a closer look at the Joby Wavo Pod, which can be bought for $89.95 on Amazon right now. This is not the first time that our team has looked at a product from Joby.

We’ve tried out a number of Joby products, like the Joby Wavo Air and the Joby Podzilla, and found that both the way they’re made and how well they work are always impressive. In February of this year, you could buy the Joby Wavo Pod along with the Joby Wavo Pro, Joby Wavo Pro-DS, Joby Wavo Air, and Joby Wavo Lav Pro. So, after we’ve looked at the Wavo Air, we’ll move on to the next product in that group of new releases.

Joby Wavo POD review Specifications

Specification	Description
Compatibility	Smartphones, action cameras, and other small cameras
Maximum load capacity	325g
Tripod weight	53g
Maximum height	16.5cm
Material	ABS plastic and stainless steel

Joby Wavo POD review: Design

The Joby Wavo POD is different from other core USB microphones because it is small and doesn’t take up much space. Even though the mic is the same size as the one on the Blue Snowball or Blue Yeti, this device is much smaller. Even when things are going well, my desk is always full, so I can appreciate a microphone that only takes up as much space as it needs to.

We really like the Joby Wavo POD’s color scheme, which consists of a clean all-black look with a red pop filter that stands out. We don’t often see USB microphones at a reasonable price with this attachment, so it’s a definite plus for the item. You can buy this microphone from its official website.

Joby Wavo POD review: Connectivity

In terms of how it connects to your device, the Joby Wavo POD has a big advantage over its competitors because this USB microphone can be plugged into any device with a USB-C port. We don’t see many microphones at this price point offer this type of power type. Instead, they use Mini USB or Micro USB, which are older and slower.

This future-proofing feature is, in my opinion, a huge plus. Also, it means that you can use this device with an iPad without having to buy an expensive adaptor. This makes it perfect for anyone who makes content or is a musician who wants to use it on the go.

Joby Wavo POD review: Controls

The Wavo POD looks like a simple black USB microphone in the shape of a capsule, like the Blue Yeti X and JLab Talk Pro. The front has a multifunction knob with a light ring around it. The light is blue by default, and the knob controls the headphone jack output level. When you press the knob once, it mutes the microphone, and when you press it twice, it unmutes it.

But if you press and hold the knob for a few seconds while the ring is blue, the light will turn purple. This means that the knob no longer controls the volume but rather the mic gain. It’s not as easy as having separate knobs for gain and volume, but it’s great to be able to do both.

Joby Wavo POD review: Sound quality

In general, the Joby did a good job of making sound. Because of how it looks and how it works, it costs more than the cheaper options. But I thought the Razer worked better than the Joby, even though it cost only half as much. The sound from the Wavo Pod is close to the front of the soundstage, and it doesn’t seem to pick up low frequencies as well as the Razer does.

On the other hand, the sound from the Joby sounds like a walkie-talkie. The Joby Wavo Pod might work well for streaming, but it doesn’t look like the best mic for voiceover work or playing music. Podcasting doesn’t make much of a difference. Because the mic picks up sound from all directions, Joby sells it for single use when it is put between two people.

Joby Wavo POD review: Features

The Joby Wavo Pod costs the same as a Neat Bumblebee II or a Blue Yeti, which are both widely thought to be the best microphones for streaming and gaming. I chose to compare with the Blue Yeti because I had it with me when I was testing. Even though the Blue Yeti is about 3 inches taller than the Wavo Pod, doesn’t have a built-in pop filter, and has two extra pickup patterns that the Wavo Pod doesn’t have, I didn’t notice much difference in sound quality between the two.

This is probably because the two microphones have similar specs, like a frequency response of 20 Hz to 20 kHz and a sample rate of 48 kHz, which isn’t as high-resolution as the 96 kHz sample rate found on more expensive mics but is still the recommended resolution for streaming platforms like Twitch, which limit bandwidth anyway.

Joby Wavo POD review: Setup

The better of the two pickup patterns is without a doubt the cardioid mode. It only picks up what is right in front of the mic. It doesn’t pick up background noise or conversations that are happening elsewhere. Now that the Wavo Pod is set up to stream, it sounds more professional.

The metal pop filter that was given, on the other hand, is not very useful. On the front of the mic is this mesh-like grille. During my tests, the sound coming out of the mic didn’t change in any way. When I record voiceovers, I usually use a pop filter, but the Joby accessory didn’t stop pops and sibilant sounds from getting into the recording.

Joby Wavo POD review: Audio quality

Its independent design gives you better quality and more control than a headset microphone and, especially, a webcam microphone. If you’ve never used a USB microphone before, it may pick up more vocal sounds than you’re used to. When someone is far away, there will be less echo and more seductive tones in their voice. When you are close to the microphone, your voice and instruments will sound better, and you may even be able to add more speakers more easily. The fact that the Wavo Pod sounds as good as it looks is a good sign.

Even though this is true, it doesn’t mean that the Wavo Pod is perfect. First of all, this microphone makes a big deal out of its pop filter, which is supposed to reduce audio clipping by making hard sounds like plosives and consonants less harsh. It’s just a trick because I couldn’t tell the difference between it and the Blue Yeti. Don’t get me wrong, pop filters are a good accessory that many experts swear by. But a muffler that stands on its own is not the same as this thin piece of plastic that clips on.

Joby Wavo POD review: Conclusion

The Blue Yeti is the best cheap microphone right now, but the Joby Wavo Pod is a great cheap microphone that can easily compete with it. It works with Joby’s ecosystem of accessories, so anyone who already has a few Joby tripods or doesn’t want to deal with a boom arm adapter because the Wavo Pod already has one should find it easy to choose.

But it doesn’t live up to any of its claims, especially the one about the built-in pop filter, which is a big deal but mostly useless. That’s surprising, since Joby is known more for its accessories than its sound quality. It’s not encouraging to see the situation turned around so that the quality is good but the main accessory seems like a gimmick. I’d like this to be fixed in the next version.

Joby Wavo POD review: The good and The bad

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