With spotty functionality across apps and missing features, the Seiren BT doesn’t dethrone wired lavalier microphones. Here’s why.

Would you rely on the built-in microphone or an easily-pocketable wireless lapel microphone with just a phone in your pocket? Razer is hoping you make the latter choice with the new Seiren BT. It’s a wireless lavalier microphone that clips onto your shirt and can transmit audio directly to your streaming app of choice.

In addition, the companion app features adjustable noise suppression, gain control, sidetone for monitoring audio, and a low-latency gaming mode. It’s also priced at a reasonable $99, which is far cheaper than wireless receivers from big names like RØDE or Sennheiser.

But, what should have been a hit for streamers and mobile content creators instead falls flat due to poor execution of its best features and limited viability outside of streaming.

Low-key Design 

Intended for use as a wireless vlogging microphone, the Seiren BT sure looks the part. It’s slightly shorter than a stick of gum and about as thick as your average ballpoint pen.

Surprisingly for a Razer product, the Seiren BT is without the brand’s iconic, colorful LED lights. Instead, the matte black material blends well, and the only source of light, a sole LED that flashes red or blue, is strictly functional.

The clip grabs on well to a shirt collar and opens smoothly without being loose. The microphone uses Bluetooth 5.2 and has a 10-meter transmission distance with a latency of around 20ms. According to Razer, it can go up to six hours (four hours with Mic AI turned on). 

The Seiren BT has a USB-C port for charging and a 3.5mm port that can be used for input and output, either individually or simultaneously. The audio port is convenient for monitoring audio since the Razer Streaming app is missing an audio level meter to help you evaluate the loudness of your voice or the recording environment.

Annoyingly, you have to switch between a streaming/recording app and the Razer Streaming app to dial in your gain settings since audio monitoring is only active when the microphone is being used.

When it comes to specs, the biggest complaint I have has to do with the single button, which does nothing when streaming or recording. Its sole purpose is to manage calls. 

It seems like it could have been put to better use, such as binding it to toggle a feature on the app or increasing the gain in increments. At the very least, it could’ve been made into a mute button.

Regardless, the Seiren BT is surprisingly robust on the hardware side. It’s the software side where things start to deteriorate. 

Almost Great

The device’s flagship feature is Mic AI, which suppresses noise. It’s an incredible feature that more microphone makers should pay attention to.

Though it sounds complicated, the “AI” part of Mic AI means the software uses machine learning to deliver clear sound. The only settings are “off,” “low,” and “high.”

The difference from off to low is significant and immediately noticeable. The effect from low to high is less apparent, but there’s a difference in the strength of the effect. I found the low setting to work well in most situations, but high is better when it’s noisier than usual.

Since it’s a mic meant for IRL streaming, I took it outside for several days to test varying wind conditions. The results were so-so.

When testing in 9-10mph winds, which is average where I live in Colorado, the high did a better job of blocking out noise. But, it could also be too aggressive and clip my voice.

On another day, with 20mph winds, neither mode could block out the wind, and the noise suppression was fighting so hard that my voice didn’t come through at all. The latter is an extreme case, so I don’t blame the Seiren BT for not being able to withstand gusting—hardly any microphone can—but I was let down by the included windsock, which didn’t do much to block the wind.

Unfortunately, the Seiren BT’s best feature was something of a double-edged sword. Though everything seemed right at first, I noticed a persistent hissing sound when I turned up the volume in post.

It’s not something that most viewers will pick up on when streaming, but if you plan on recording or ripping the audio to sync with video from another camera, the noise doesn’t leave you with many options.

The only thing that got rid of the noise was turning off Mic AI, putting me back at square one when it came to noise suppression. If you’re in a really noisy recording environment, turning on Mic AI and allowing the low hissing noise is better than the alternative, but neither situation is ideal.

Since it appears to be a software feature, it could be patched in a future update. Still, it’s ironic that a feature meant to suppress sound instead introduces noise. 

Bare Bones App 

The other features in the app aren’t as (seemingly) game-changing as Mic AI. As I already mentioned, sidetone is for monitoring audio, which can be adjusted to be more or less sensitive. Connecting a wired headset to the wireless microphone defeats the purpose, but I’m glad it’s there. Otherwise, I wouldn’t know how the audio comes across on the other end.

Low-latency mode allows you to connect a wired headset to the Seiren BT for lower latency when playing and streaming a game simultaneously. If streaming games from your phone isn’t something you plan to do, you can ignore the feature. 

I’m more concerned with what the app can’t do. Though, I haven’t the faintest idea about app development, if you’re going to make me download another Razer App, I think it should at least cover the basics.

Not having a built-in audio level meter is an oversight, especially when the only other ways to evaluate loudness aren’t intuitive. Switching between the Razer Streaming app and my video recording app to adjust my audio levels is a pain. If the button was customizable, it could be possible to cycle through gain in increments of 10 or 20, but instead, the button fades into the background.

Also, I understand the microphone is aimed at IRL streamers, but it could’ve been a considerable bonus to pair the mic to my PC via Razer’s Streamer app. I would think this would be a big selling point to streamers invested in the Razer ecosystem, and it’d allow the product to have reached beyond the mobile streaming market. 

All these items are things I would want; what I need is a way to record video and audio—ideally both—natively on the app. It’s not an unreasonable request, considering that the Sabinitek SmartMike ($99), a microphone with which the Seiren BT shares a lot in common, already provides in-app recording in the SmartMike+ app.

The SmartMike, and the more expensive SmartMike+, can sync audio and video within the SmartMike+ app. It makes it so much easier to create content since you don’t have to leave the app, and it costs the same as the Seiren BT.

In addition, the pricier SmartMike+ ($140) can receive audio from another SmartMike or SmartMike+ microphone.

The pair of microphones can be used to send wireless audio between your subject and a DSLR or mirrorless camera via the audio input port. You can buy a pair of SmartMike+ microphones for $180, which is only $40 more than a single one. Knowing how much other wireless microphone systems cost, that’s a bargain.

And, if the Seiren BT were capable of the same, even if it was more expensive, it’d make all the other shortcomings much easier to swallow. Sadly, it’s not.

Don’t Fall for the Seiren’s Song

Like with the recently-released Razer Audio Mixer, which I’ve already reviewed, and the key light, which I’m reviewing next, the Singapore-based company is flexing its engineering prowess to rush into the streaming space at a breakneck speed. The strategy pays off for the most part.

Razer’s Audio Mixer and key light are not innovative products, but they do deliver, especially the key light. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same about the Seiren BT microphone. 

The noise suppression is ultimately a disappointment, and the app is too basic. With no audio level meter or a way to record in-app, using the Seiren BT is too much of a hassle.

The lack of consistent support across streaming and video recording apps is also a setback. It didn’t work with the Google Pixel Recorder app, which has an excellent live transcription feature that I use for every interview.

It also doesn’t work with Twitch unless you download Streamlabs. Although, it’s the microphone’s inaccessibility to videographers that’s the final straw.

Though the Seiren BT initially held a lot of promise, especially for those of us with budget-conscious setups, it seems wired lavalier mics aren’t going anywhere. 

Here’s a few more mic considerations for you:

Cover image via Razer.