stereo electret microphones in 2026

This is a summary of sources for electret microphones in May 2026. These mics are a great choice for stereo and binaural recording where tiny size is the over-riding concern. Paired with a small audio recorder, these make a compact setup for field recording and other tasks. Please check out the Field Recording Gear page for other useful resources. 

Introduction

These electret condensers require a small voltage (up to 5V) in order to function. So your recorder will need a stereo minijack input with plug-in power (PIP) capability. Not all models offer this voltage even if they have the correct input socket, so please read the spec sheet. 

You can also use an adapter (LOM model shown in the photo above) to power from standard 24 or 48 V phantom XLR sockets. Don't buy a dumb splitter because these will not have a transformer to lower the voltage to a safe range for your mics. 

The most popular capsule used by microphone builders is the Primo EM172-Z1. It has also been confirmed that the Sony PCM-M10 uses a variant for its internal mics. Capsule specifications are as follows:

• maximum input: 119 dB SPL
• self-noise: 14 dBA
• sensitivity: -28 dB at 1kHz (±3 dB, 0dB=1V/Pa)
• polar pattern: omnidirectional

For some applications a cardioid pattern might be better and retailers might also sell these variants.

Current models

Here's the full list of available electrets at retail. If you know of any others, put them in the comments. 

• Uši from LOM (Bratislava, Slovakia) @ €135
• Earsight Standard V2 from Immersive Soundscapes (Nantes, France) @ €123
• Clippy from Micbooster / FEL Communications (Surrey, UK) @ £75
  Available in Europe at Veldshop (Netherlands) @ €118
• SO.1 from Sonorous Objects (New York, USA) @ €190
• micverve YH713 (Shenzhen, China) @ $72

All of these manufacturers use the Primo EM172-Z1 except for Earsight who do not state the capsule but claim:

• max input: 110 dB SPL
• self-noise: 14 dBA
• sensitivity: -24 dB at 1kHz (±3 dB)

In the past I have endorsed Audiotalaia (Valencia, Spain) who no longer offer microphones.

I continue to endorse LOM (Bratislava, Slovakia) who offer superior build quality but are often out of stock since they produce in small batches. So likely you will simply buy the product that is a) available and b) located closest to you. This is because today's shipping rates (and import duties) will swamp any difference in retail pricing. 

And what about far more expensive products from the likes of DPA? You might wish to start with my Valentine's Day tests. Links on the the Field Recording Gear page. 

Conclusions

I am back to writing about field recording gear because there's so much misinformation on social media. Besides, I plan on increasing the amount of field recording over the next 12 months. Who knows what I might cover next!

Here's a photo of my two trusty recorders for your interest. Both are defunct and rather decrepit. But both work very well with the mics listed above. 

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