When comparing Nolan LiveMIC2 vs Alead Nolan LiveMICRX2, the Slant community recommends Nolan LiveMIC2 for most people. In the question“What are the best bluetooth microphones (excluding headsets) for mobile devices?” Nolan LiveMIC2 is ranked 3rd while Alead Nolan LiveMICRX2 is ranked 8th. The most important reason people chose Nolan LiveMIC2 is:
With this product, you are connecting the unit (the transceiver) directly to your tablet, phone, or other Bluetooth enabled device (the receiver). No receiver is supplied with this product. You must have something compatible for this to work with either the [A2DP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Bluetooth_profiles#Advanced_Audio_Distribution_Profile_.28A2DP.29) or [HSP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Bluetooth_profiles#Headset_Profile_.28HSP.29) Bluetooth profile. On iOS this does not work for Apple's built-in apps, but for some 3rd party apps, you can use your phone as the receiver. For Android it likely won't be as much of an issue. YMMV.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Microphone connects directly to mobile device by Bluetooth (no 3.5 mm jack)
With this product, you are connecting the unit (the transceiver) directly to your tablet, phone, or other Bluetooth enabled device (the receiver). No receiver is supplied with this product. You must have something compatible for this to work with either the A2DP or HSP Bluetooth profile.
On iOS this does not work for Apple's built-in apps, but for some 3rd party apps, you can use your phone as the receiver.
For Android it likely won't be as much of an issue. YMMV.
Pro Incredibly portable
It's very small and lightweight. It easily clips on to your pocket, shirt, or wherever else.
Pro 7 hours battery life
While advertised battery life is 8 hours, a user reports the battery life as being 7 hours in real world use.
Pro Works with most mobile devices
Pro Included receiver gives more flexibility and uses for system compared to LiveMIC2
The transceiver can still connect to compatible mobile devices directly by Bluetooth. But if latency becomes an issue such as with an echo effect, the included receiver can be used so long as the mobile device in question has a 3.5 mm jack for the receiver to connect to.
Having a receiver means the system can be setup to work like a Chromecast Audio enabling wired speakers or headsets with wireless capabilities.
It is possible to use a different Bluetooth receiver than the one the manufacturer made and included in this combo, but YMMV. A USB to Bluetooth adapter was a commonly added item on Amazon for the Nolan LiveMIC2, presumably for laptops and computers with less than Bluetooth 4.1 capabilities, so it's a path well traveled.
Pro Potentially better performance for delayed audio issues/ echo effect
Compared to the standalone transciever product from the same company Nolan LiveMIC2. The product description boasts of .02 second latency and that this is 10x lower (faster) compared to other Bluetooth products.
Cons
Con Flaky, low quality hardware
In less than a month, my unit became unreliable, sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't.
Con The buttons are unclear about what they do
You have to look at the manual and memorize that pressing left or right on the directional pad will put the embedded microphone in either omnidirectional or cardioid pattern.
Con Requires a 3rd party app in order to use
Default video/voice recording apps of iPhone/Android don't support the use of a bluetooth microphone, you will need to use a different app for that.
Con Latency/Lag can be an issue
If latency lag is a concern, consider purchasing the Alead Nolan LiveMICRX2 instead as it has the same transmitter as this product and a Bluetooth receiver that claims 10x lower latency (meaning 10x faster transmission and receiving) than most Bluetooth devices. Using linked product would mean your mobile device would have to have a 3.5 mm microphone jack as that is how the receiever would connect to your mobile device.
You can also buy the Nolan receiver a la cart, although you lose the savings (~$2 at the time of this writing) by buying it in a bundle. It is also possible to purchase other stand-alone Bluetooth audio receivers or USB Bluetooth dongles (for computers) depending on your needs.
Con User reviews report echo effect
Con Latency Lag can still be issue if not using the included reciever
If you use the included receiver, the lag/latency should not be a problem or much reduced at least.
Con Expensive
At this price range, budget analog transceivers and receivers with far better range capabilities are available.
