JBL Quantum Stream Wireless review: simple and portable

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The JBL Quantum Stream Wireless is simply a awesome action if you’re looking for an easy-to-use portable microphone that’s perfect for contented creation connected nan go. While astir won’t request a lapel mic, it’s a superb fresh for conventions and events.

Pros

  • +

    Portable design

  • +

    Solid artillery life

  • +

    Plug-and-play compatibility

  • +

    Decent audio quality

  • +

    Good software

Cons

  • -

    Fiddly windshield

  • -

    Niche usage case

Why you tin spot TechRadar We walk hours testing each merchandise aliases work we review, truthful you tin beryllium judge you’re buying nan best. Find retired much astir really we test.

JBL Quantum Stream Wireless: One-minute review

If you’re a contented creator who needs a portable microphone for a convention, aliases moreover conscionable immoderate on-the-go video making, you really can’t spell incorrect pinch nan JBL Quantum Stream Wireless. This pocket-friendly lapel mic comes pinch a convenient charging case, overmuch for illustration a brace of wireless earbuds, and useful readily pinch your telephone correct retired of nan box. You simply insert nan included Lightning aliases USB-C dongle and you’re fresh to go.

I’ve been impressed pinch nan capacity during my testing and recovered that nan JBL Quantum Stream Wireless delivers clear sound moreover successful rather large environments, particularly erstwhile paired pinch nan noise-canceling capabilities of nan compatible JBL Headphones mobile app. The shaper touts a 24-hour artillery life, pinch six hours from nan microphone and different 18 from its charging case, and this fig was broadly meticulous - giving you much than capable juice for an full day.

Factor successful a fewer much useful features, specified arsenic nan onboard microphone shut up button, and you person a very robust wide package. My 1 title would beryllium that nan included windshield, useful for outdoor recording, is simply a touch fiddly and tin beryllium rather difficult to securely install. 

Potential buyers should besides measurement up whether they really request a lapel mic. The capacity is bully for a small, portable device, but you will still get superior sound value from galore of nan best microphones for streaming - which would beryllium a amended prime if you want to grounds astatine home. 

The JBL Quantum Stream Wireless mic and its charging case.

(Image credit: Future)

JBL Quantum Stream Wireless: Price and availability

  • $99.95 / £89.99 
  • USB-C and Lightning variants
  • Launched successful March 2024 

The JBL Quantum Stream Wireless is readily disposable for $99.95 / £89.99 straight from JBL and astatine retailers for illustration Amazon. This mightiness look for illustration a adjacent chunk to walk connected immoderate microphone, but intends that this exemplary sits neatly betwixt super-budget offerings and much premium portable microphones from companies for illustration Rode and DJI. The DJI Mic, for example, features 2 transmitters and a akin retention abstraction but comes successful astatine astir double nan value of nan JBL Quantum Stream Wireless. 

JBL Quantum Stream Wireless: Specs

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Price$99.95 / £89.99
Polar patternOmnidirectional
Sample rate48 kHz (16 kHz ENC on)
Bit rate16 bit
Frequency range20 Hz – 20 kHz
ImpedanceN/A

JBL Quantum Stream Wireless: Design and features

  • Portable size
  • LED powerfulness indicators
  • Good app

The creation of nan JBL Quantum Stream Wireless shares rather a batch successful communal pinch your mean brace of wireless gaming earbuds. Its achromatic carrying lawsuit is compact, pinch a subtle embossed JBL logo and a mini statement of 4 achromatic LED indicators utilized to denote its existent complaint level. On nan backmost of nan case, you tin find a type-C charging port, compatible pinch nan included charging cable.

The apical of nan lawsuit opens up for illustration a lid connected a hinge, revealing slots for nan clip-on microphone and dongle. Both are secured by magnets, though conscionable nan microphone besides has 2 metallic contacts that let it to complaint while it’s successful nan case. Removing nan microphone gives you a bully look astatine its design, which is chiefly constructed from plastic. The beforehand has a soft fluted pattern, pinch a small JBL logo, while nan backmost has a generously sized clip for attaching it to your clothes.

On nan broadside of nan microphone is simply a mini button, which tin beryllium utilized to quickly shut up it. There’s besides a agleam parameter LED, which is reddish erstwhile nan microphone is disabled. Otherwise, it flashes achromatic earlier turning a coagulated colour erstwhile paired pinch your phone.

There’s very small to study astir nan dongle itself, which is rectangular and rather ray and thin. It attaches to your telephone via a type-C aliases Lightning connector depending connected your exemplary of choice, but besides has its ain USB larboard for pass-through charging. This is simply a awesome small characteristic and intends that you don’t person to interest astir not being capable to complaint your telephone while nan microphone is successful use.

Most of nan microphone’s halfway features are accessed done nan JBL Headphones mobile app aliases JBL Quantum Engine PC software, some of which are compatible pinch this product. Given nan clear attraction connected portability, I chiefly relied connected nan app which offers nan action to cheque artillery levels, change mic gain, alteration AI sound canceling, flick betwixt a fewer preset effects, and tweak powerfulness settings for illustration LED brightness and nan automatic powerfulness off.

The package isn’t thing revolutionary, but it’s sewage a decent action of options and is, importantly, very responsive and well-presented.

The JBL Quantum Stream Wireless mic connected a level achromatic surface.

(Image credit: Future)

JBL Quantum Stream Wireless: Performance

  • Effective sound cancellation
  • Works good astatine events
  • Great artillery life

It’s difficult to responsibility nan capacity of nan JBL Quantum Stream Wireless. I chiefly tested nan merchandise astatine events, including nan engaged halls of Gamescom, and recovered that it did a awesome occupation of cutting done nan inheritance sound to present perfectly understandable recordings contempt its mini size. 

You do announcement a dip successful value erstwhile things get rather loud, pinch my sound often taking connected a somewhat robotic separator successful peculiarly ample crowds, but that was still preferable to nan frankly incomprehensible recordings produced by my phone’s microphone successful nan aforesaid areas. This is besides existent of its capacity outdoors, peculiarly pinch large upwind aliases vehicles. Expect a much earthy sound erstwhile you’re retired connected a calm day.

It is simply a tad unfortunate that nan included windshield is truthful fiddly, though. It clips connected nan apical of nan microphone via 2 small holes but is rather difficult to align. I struggled to do it successful mediocre lighting and was often unsure whether it was really attached. This is not a dealbreaker, but it is worthy base successful mind if you intend to usage nan windshield a lot.

In position of artillery life, nan JBL Quantum Stream Wireless is much than capable. I only person to complaint up nan lawsuit each mates of days pinch semi-frequent usage and ne'er had nan microphone dice during a signaling session. Unless you want to deterioration it, turned on, for hours and hours astatine a time, you’re not going to tally into immoderate problems here.

The JBL Quantum Stream Wireless mic lawsuit connected a level achromatic surface.

(Image credit: Future)

Should I bargain nan JBL Quantum Stream Wireless?

Buy it if...

You want a plug-and-play solution
The JBL Quantum Stream Wireless is incredibly easy to use. You simply clip nan microphone to your clothes, plug nan included dongle into your phone, and you’re fresh to go.

You want to create contented connected nan go
The JBL Quantum Stream Wireless is simply a bully action if you’re looking to return your contented creation retired and about, improving nan value of your audio recordings compared to your phone.

Don't bargain it if...

You want a desktop microphone instead
Unless you intend to capitalize connected its portability, nan JBL Quantum Stream Wireless is not for you. For much wide gaming aliases streaming, see a modular desktop microphone instead.

You request moreover much features
More costly models connection moreover much expansive characteristic sets and could beryllium a amended prime if you want a much master signaling setup.

Also consider...

If you’re not keen connected nan JBL Quantum Stream Wireless, you tin see these 2 apical gaming and content-creation microphones instead.

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Row 0 - Cell 0 JBL Quantum Stream WirelessDJI Mic 2 JBL Quantum Stream Studio
Price$99.95 / £89.99$349 / £309$149.99 / £129.99 / AU$199.95
Polar patternOmnidirectional Omnidirectional Cardioid, bidirectional, omnidirectional, stereo
Sample rate48 kHz (16 kHz ENC on)48 kHz44.1kHz / 48 kHz / 96 kHz / 192 kHz
Bit rate16 bit24-bit16 / 24 bit
Frequency range20 Hz – 20 kHz50 Hz – 20 kHz50Hz - 16kHz
ImpedanceN/AN/A16 / 32 ohms

DJI Mic 2

DJI Mic 2  
If you person much to walk and want a akin group of microphones but pinch 2 receivers and compatibility pinch much master video equipment, see nan DJI Mic 2. 

For much information, cheque retired our afloat DJI Mic 2 review

JBL Quantum Stream Studio

JBL Quantum Stream Studio
JBL besides offers a robust action for contented creators successful nan JBL Quantum Stream Studio. It’s not arsenic portable, but it is still elemental to usage and offers awesome capacity for nan price. 

For much information, cheque retired our afloat JBL Quantum Stream Studio review

The JBL Quantum Stream Wireless mic lawsuit unfastened and empty.

(Image credit: Future)

How I tested nan JBL Quantum Stream Wireless

  • Tested complete a fewer months
  • Used astatine various events
  • Tried indoors and outdoors

I tested nan JBL Quantum Stream Wireless complete a play of astir 5 months pinch an iPhone 15 Plus. During that clip I took nan microphone to a assortment of gaming events and tested it successful a wide scope of conditions some indoors and outdoors. I was observant to measure its capacity and trial each of nan disposable features successful its mobile app.

I compared it to a number of desktop mics specified arsenic nan Asus ROG Carynx, SteelSeries Alias, SteelSeries Alias Pro, and more.

Read much astir really we test

First reviewed October 2024.

Dashiell Wood

Dash is simply a exertion journalist who covers gaming hardware astatine TechRadar. Before joining nan TechRadar team, he was penning gaming articles for immoderate of nan UK's biggest magazines including PLAY, Edge, PC Gamer, and SFX. Now, erstwhile he's not getting his greasy small mitts connected nan newest hardware aliases gaming gadget, he tin beryllium recovered listening to J-pop aliases feverishly devouring nan latest Nintendo Switch otome.

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