Shure MV88 USB-C review: $160 palm-sized mic that upgrades phone audio

ZDNET reviewed the Shure MV88 USB-C, a palm-sized USB-C microphone available for $160 that the outlet says is designed to give smartphone video recordings a more professional-sounding audio track. The reviewer noted the MV88 USB-C is easy to carry and plug into a phone and that it includes five audio presets — speech, singing, flat, acoustic and loud — which can be customized.

ZDNET's reviewer said they often used speech mode to reduce room tone from a home-office heater. ZDNET also tested the mic's Auto Level Mode and real-time denoiser while recording daily vlogs at CES, saying Auto Level helps stabilize gain and the denoiser kept ambient crowd noise from interfering with recordings.

While recording on the Las Vegas Strip, ZDNET reported that car honks were dampened enough to add color rather than distract. The review describes the MV88's mono cardioid pickup pattern and notes that the Shure Motiv app lets users toggle features, adjust polar patterns and direction, and save preferred settings even after disconnecting the mic.

The review highlights limitations: the MV88 must be tethered to a phone when recording, it is not wireless, and its performance falls off at a distance. ZDNET says interview setups require a bidirectional pickup pattern and relatively close positioning of the speaker to the mic.

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