I bought this mic in conjunction with a Sony voice recorder (model PX312D ICD). it is self-powered by the voice recorder, it needs no battery. The sound quality is very good, however, as the microphone has a high sensitivity, he also will capture other sounds: small shocks, breath breathing. To give a comparison with the mic built into the dictaphone, I will say that the microphone Sony ECM-CS10 is more sensitive for superior recording quality.