🎧 Not a Big Year, But Still Some Highlights

Let’s call it like it is — the audio side of NAB 2025 wasn’t exactly overflowing with groundbreaking tech. At TechInform, we’re always looking for gear that makes us pause and say, “Okay, that’s clever.” This year? Fewer of those moments than usual. But that’s what made Dark Corner Studios’ latest video a nice surprise.

Instead of pretending this was the year of audio innovation, they leaned into the little wins — subtle, problem-solving gear you might’ve missed walking the floor. I haven’t used any of these products myself, but after watching their roundup, I found myself bookmarking a few tabs just in case.

🔍 What’s New – The Standouts from the Video

🎙️ Embrace E07 On-Ear Lavalier Mic

This one definitely made me raise an eyebrow — in a good way. It’s a lav mic that wraps around your ear instead of clipping to your shirt. The idea? Avoids chin rustle, shirt friction, and tape drama.

Dark Corner ran it through a Rode Wireless Go Gen 3, and while it wasn’t a full studio demo, it sounded surprisingly clean for a raw floor recording. It’s a niche design, but one that solves some very real frustrations — especially in run-and-gun situations.

🎚️ Shure MoveMic 88+

This was new to me — apparently released back in March. It’s a compact mic that can switch between polar patterns (cardioid, stereo, mid-side) using your phone. The mid-side feature in particular stood out. Sure, it requires some decoding in post, but the flexibility here is wild for such a tiny package.

Dark Corner didn’t get deep into real-world testing yet, but it’s clear this is a field mic with serious potential for creators or mobile crews.

🎛️ Sony PCM-D10 Recorder

This one was more of a “hey, remember Sony makes recorders?” kind of moment. The PCM-D10 isn’t new-new, but it caught the attention of Dark Corner’s host — and for good reason. It’s rugged, sounds solid, and has the kind of build quality you’d expect from Sony.

They mentioned they’ve got one on the way for testing, and honestly, I’m curious to see how it stacks up against some of the newer Zoom and Tascam options in 2025.

🎤 Sony C80 Condenser Mic

If you know about the legendary Sony C800G (aka the one with the weird heat sink), this is its smaller, solid-state cousin. According to Dark Corner, the C80 captures some of the vibe of the C800G — in a more compact, less bank-breaking format.

Obviously, we’ll wait for full tests in a quieter setting, but early impressions were positive. The C80 could end up being a sleeper hit for home studios and vocal setups.

💭 Our Take – Why These Stood Out

What I appreciated most about this video is that it didn’t overhype anything. It was refreshingly grounded. None of these products are pretending to reinvent the wheel — but they are trying to fix specific problems. Whether it’s better lav placement, flexible field audio, or overlooked recording gear, each item solves a real workflow issue.

Again, I haven’t personally used any of them yet, but as someone who’s spent too much time troubleshooting lav mics and fighting with polar patterns, I get why these stood out.

🔢 Trevor Score: 7.5/10 — Small Gear, Smart Ideas

“This isn’t a formal review — it’s just how I felt watching this thing. A gut-check from someone who actually follows the gear and sees how it fits into real workflows.”

While NAB 2025 didn’t blow the roof off for audio, this video did a great job surfacing smart, practical gear that could make everyday recording a little smoother. No over-the-top demos, no wild promises — just cool tools with actual use cases. Respect.

🧭 Final Verdict – Not Flashy, But Still Worth Noting

Dark Corner Studios reminded us that even in a quieter year, there’s still interesting stuff worth paying attention to. If you’re into audio production or just love weirdly niche gear (guilty), these finds might be worth a closer look.

We’ll keep an eye out for their full reviews once the gear hits their studio. And hey, if any of these make their way into our kit, you’ll hear about it.

👋 Worth the Watch

Shoutout to Dark Corner Studios for putting this together. You can watch their full roundup below — and maybe discover something you didn’t know you needed.

👇 Watch the full video: