Sennheiser MKE 200 review

The Sennheiser MKE 200 microphone is an affordable instant upgrade for smartphone and camera audio

Sennheiser MKE 200
(Image: © Basil Kronfli/Digital Camera World)

Digital Camera World Verdict

The Sennheiser MKE 200 is an instant upgrade microphone that will level up your camera or smartphone audio recording. For novices looking to match it with their mobile, Sennheiser doesn’t offer the suite of solutions Shure does with the pricier MV88+ — a mount, mini tripod, and an app to manage audio recording. What saves the MKE 200, therefore, other than its value is that it also doubles up as a DSLR or mirrorless camera microphone, and works a treat at improving audio capture at a relatively low cost.

Pros

  • +

    Instantly upgrades audio capture quality

  • +

    Battery-free solution

  • +

    Smartphone and camera support

Cons

  • -

    Confusing front to back design

  • -

    No on-body gain control

  • -

    No smartphone app

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Sennheiser’s powering up your mobile audio capture with its MKE 200, a welcome addition to the handful of reputable smartphone mics on the scene, which include the Shure MV88+. Smartphone video quality is getting better and better, thanks to larger sensors, more compact periscope zooms, and smarter image stabilization. But when you’re watching back crispy 4K video, crackles, muffles, and wind noise are the last things you need to kill the vibe. 

With tiny pinhole microphones dotted around the bodies of all phones, it’s little wonder the result in a compromise on audio quality. That’s why Sennheiser has come to the rescue with the MKE 200 smartphone-focused microphone. A multi-function shotgun-like mic, which also doubles up to help digital video cameras with line-in ports too, the portable solution could be exactly what your mobile movies need to ditch the snap, crackle, and pop in favor of sweet directional sound capture.

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Basil Kronfli

Basil Kronfli is a freelance technology journalist, consultant, and content creator. He trained in graphic design and started his career at Canon Europe before moving into journalism. Basil is also experienced in video production, independently running the YouTube channel TechEdit, and during his time at Future, he worked alongside the Digital Camera World team as a senior video producer.