Audio / microphone
A better microphone still needs to be close to the person speaking.
The original Wave:3 is a capable USB condenser microphone with direct monitoring and mixer software, but placement and room noise matter more than its maximum sample rate.
Elgato Wave:3 (MK.1)
USB condenser microphone · Amazon ASIN B088HHWC47 · listing unavailable when checked
It provides a single USB connection, capacitive mute, onboard headphone monitoring, Clipguard, and Wave Link mixing—useful when calls, recording, or streaming need several software audio sources.
A condenser microphone can capture keyboards, fans, reflections, and room noise. Good results usually require close placement; that may mean adding a boom arm and accepting another object in the camera frame.
Check current availability first, then plan a position close to your mouth, confirm your OS supports Wave Link, and account for a boom arm or shock mount if the included desk stand puts the mic too far away.
Elgato specifies a 17 mm cardioid electret capsule, 24-bit resolution, 48/96 kHz sample rates, 70–20,000 Hz response, USB-C, a 3.5 mm headphone port, and 1/4-, 3/8-, and 5/8-inch mounting support through the adapter.[1]
Skip it if the exact listing remains unavailable, your untreated room is noisy, you cannot place the microphone close, you only need intelligible meeting audio, or you want an XLR upgrade path.