MIIEGO BOOM MIINI

A special feature of the MIIEGO BOOM MIINI, available in black and white, is the changeable ear pads, of which two different versions are included. One is pre-installed for everyday use, and this noticeably reduces ambient noise. For sporting activities, on the other hand, you can use breathable mesh ear pads, and according to the manufacturer these can be washed at 30 degrees in a washing machine, and they shield less sound due to their more permeable material. The heat build-up caused by the closed system is also lower with the mesh version.

I noticed that the fit of these on-ears was rather loose for sports headphones, making them comfortable, especially as they are really lightweight at only 155 grams. However, this also means that these headphones can slip during sports, especially during fast, jerky movements or stronger vibrations such as when jumping. However, there is sufficient support for a relaxed endurance run. At the same time, the headband size adjustment covers a range from larger to quite petite head shapes, meaning teenagers could also wear this sports model without any problems.

Battery life

These sports headphones can hold a charge for a good 23 hours of use at high volume. The MIIEGO BOOM MIINI can be fully charged in just under two hours, using the micro-USB port on the right ear cup serving as the charging socket. However, the more modern USB-C variant and a fast-charging function have been omitted. The battery level indicator for iOS devices also offers little guidance, as only about four hours of listening time remain from a level of 50 per cent. But one advantage is these on-ears can be used wired via the 3.5mm audio input on the left side as an alternative to wireless operation. A mini jack cable with a length of 110 centimetres is included as well as a USB charging cable.

Device control

The MIIEGO BOOM MIINI support Bluetooth standard 5.0 and offer a range of 15 metres in open spaces. Inside buildings, two to three rooms can be covered at a distance of up to ten metres. The headphones can be paired by pressing and holding the power button on the right-hand side, and this switches the system on and puts it into pairing mode. Once a wireless connection is established, the same button controls playback and is used to answer and end calls. Two separate buttons are also available for volume control. However, these are not assigned as intended in the manual, but are the wrong way round: pressing the plus button advances to the next track and pressing the minus button returns to the previous track, while the volume can be adjusted by holding it down. This makes control quite abrupt, but it is possible to quickly turn up or turn down the playback level. Finer gradations, however, must be made on the unit itself. Pressing the minus button twice activates the voice assistant. Missing, however, is a transparency mode that amplifies ambient noise. This would have been a desirable function, at least when wearing the everyday ear pads due to their isolation properties, which would make it possible to better perceive your surroundings when required.

Speech intelligibility when talking on the phone

In a quieter environment, these sports earphones are excellent for making phone calls, as one’s own voice is transmitted very cleanly and clearly. The other person can also be understood perfectly. However, wind and ambient noises are not attenuated by the microphone technology, and this influences speech intelligibility, but given the price range, this is not a shortcoming.

Audio codec

The MIIEGO BOOM MIINI do not use higher-quality codecs such as aptX or the AAC format, so you have to make do with Bluetooth standard SBC. This can be noticeable in films and computer or mobile phone games with a perceptible offset between picture and sound, as the headphones do not offer latency optimisation in the form of a gaming or low-latency mode.

Sound

When using the everyday ear pads, the bass response of these sports headphones came across as quite full-bodied and massive, and occasionally somewhat muddy and muffled, with precision being lost in the lower registers. The warm, rather dense sound did benefit from an appealingly clear midrange that brought out voices well, which also made for entertaining listening during podcasts and audiobooks. It’s a pity that the treble reproduction, which was lively in itself, fell off in the upper registers, making the bass-driven sound seem rather dark and monotonous.

The MIIEGO BOOM MIINI’s breathable mesh ear cushions, by contrast, conveyed a much brighter listening impression with a more spacious presentation. At the same time, the bass reproduction sounded slimmer and much more defined, but did not reach as far down, so that with hip-hop, electro etc you have to do without a developed low bass. Apart from that, the reproduction seemed more powerful and punchy. Especially as the mid- and high-frequency ranges gained in detail, with the cramped sound image becoming wider and noticeably clearer. At higher volume settings, however, the presence in the upper regions could be perceived as a bit loud and could turn into sharpness at higher playback levels.

These headphones do not offer sound control via app, which is a shame as this would allow targeted, individual adjustment. In leisure mode, however, it is possible to assess which ear pad version better suits your own listening habits, which provides a certain degree of sonic flexibility.