The sound is decent
Do you think the audio is very strong?
We have been using the Hero 2 for a couple of years and have loved it.  We use our Hero for taking video of skiing, rafting, body boarding, and getting underwater images.  So we were excited to give the Hero 3 a try.  The Hero 2 is a great camera, and the Hero 3 follows in that tradition, but the redesign has resulted in a few problem areas.  Below are the pros and cons after nearly four weeks of use:Pros-  It is perhaps 30% thinner than the Hero 2.  The slim form factor is immediately noticeable and welcome.  I always felt the 2 was too bulky.- Using the menu system is about the same.  That is, you use a pair of buttons to navigate through a series of two-level menus.  Your options show up on the small LCD screen on the front of the Hero.  The great thing about the Hero 3 Black Edition is that you can control the menus via a mobile iOS app over WiFi.  The app greatly enhances the the ease of use of the Hero 3.  If you don't  use the app (or the add-on LCD screen), be sure you practice navigating the menus and understanding the camera's features before you use it.  The menu and features are moderately intuitive but we need to refer to the user's manual for one-off features.- The WiFi on the Black version is great.  As mentioned before, the iOS app let's you change the camera's settings, but it also allows you to preview what the camera sees without having to buy the $70 LCD add-on.  Using the WiFi feature was very easy and makes this camera worth the price.  You can remotely start recording set the recording features (resolution, time lapse, etc.)  The Black edition also comes with a rechargeable wireless remote that replicates the small monochrome LCD screen on the Hero 3. You can navigate the two-level menu on your remote like you would on the Hero 3 itself.- The quality of the captured video is amazing.  You can select resolutions from VGA through 4k cinema quality.  We use ours at HD resolution and get great results.  The lens is wide angle, so you capture all of the action.- The camera is very versatile.  One of our favorite features is the looping feature that allows the camera to loop back over itself.- You can save your video in RAW camera format to do significant post-processing.  This is a great feature for pros.  It also has a "Protune" feature that records at 24 fpm (a TV standard).- You can take photos while it records video.  This feature works great, giving us clear wide-angle shots.- The LCD and extra battery pack that we used with our Hero 2 also work with the Hero 3CONS- The camera is fast and responsive, but a couple of times the camera has frozen while I'm paging through menus.  I have the latest firmware update, so maybe another one is needed by GoPro.  We have to shutdown the camera to unfreeze it.- The sound is decent, but not super-clear.  GoPro makes it clear that using the waterproof case will muffle the sound.  Well, that's the price you pay for a waterproof case.  With the standard case, the sound is better.  Without a case, the sound is very acceptable (but it still doesn't match the quality of the video).  We have not tried out the external mic, but it wold be a good idea to use it if great sound is important to you.- The battery life is only about two hours in our best case.  A second battery would a good idea.CONCLUSIONA great camera.  It is the first generation of an overhaul, so you might well-served waiting for the Hero 4, but the Hero 3 really is a good choice if you want to get your adventures on film.  We love using it for filming wildlife (using the MiFi iOS app), on rollercoasters, etc.  THe positives definitely outweigh the negatives.  Fun, versatile, professional camera. 