“Should you’ve got smaller ears, the Mifo S ANC may be for you. If not, you’ve other options.”
Pros
- Slick design
- Super comfortable fit
- Good sound quality
- OK battery life
- Great for runs and workouts
Cons
- No app support in any respect
- No aptX support
- No voice assistant access
- No wireless charging
When wireless earbuds fit right, it’s hard to part with them. Ask anyone about priorities with regards to their earbuds and the chances are good that a cushty, secure fit will likely be near the highest of their list. Mifo got that memo and designed its Mifo S ANC to suit like a glove for just about anyone who decides to wear them.
They’re small and nimble, yet packed tight enough to incorporate a pleasant set of features like ANC and transparency. It’s an excellent mix to begin things off, but can these earbuds do greater than just slot in? We kept away from taking them off to seek out out.
What’s within the box
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Mifo includes 4 pairs of ear suggestions within the box, starting from small to extra large. You get a pleasant flat USB-C charging cable, together with a manual, which you will have to read fastidiously to learn all of the controls available. My black review unit didn’t match the image depicted on the packaging, which was of the green and black variant emblazoned with text throughout each the case and earbuds. There are also blue, green, and white variants, rounding out the entire of 5 options.
Design
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Mifo calls it a “horn-shaped design”, which will not be altogether different from what a wing is in other wireless earbuds. The difference is that the majority of those include silicone wings you possibly can remove or swap out for one more size. The Mifo S ANC were crafted with the horn (or wing) as a part of the chassis. Those horns flow well into the remainder of the earbuds, playing a job in how they anchor into the inner ear.
A rigid, unmoving horn, together with the feathery weight, only adds to the soundness and natural comfort.
Such a design alternative would potentially work against the Mifo S ANC in the event that they were greater, but their more diminutive size makes them feel like they only slot in. A rigid, unmoving horn, together with the feathery weight, only adds to the soundness and natural comfort. I realize it’s a subjective point, but when you’ve smaller ears and feel betrayed by other pairs, these could also be closer to what you’ve been searching for. Even in case you consider your ears “greater,” you possibly can still get the identical feeling using the ear tip that matches best. I do know I did.
“Sport and outdo” is a mantra Mifo communicates through these earbuds, signifying that they’re able to go in lively situations. The IP67 rating actually gives them that, letting you dunk them right down to 1 meter for as much as half-hour. Should you were searching for workout — or especially — running earbuds that won’t fall out, the S ANC deliver that. I rode my bike and wore them in other lively situations, coming away impressed at how neatly they stayed in.
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The outer shell sporting the Sport and Outdo logo is where you’ll find the touch controls. Taping once on the left lowers the quantity, whereas the fitting raises it. Triple-tap on the left to repeat a track, and on the fitting to skip one. Double-tap either side to play/pause (or answer/end calls). Hold for one second on either side to cycle through transparency, mild ANC, and powerful ANC. Tap five times to toggle low latency mode on/off.
You possibly can’t adjust these because Mifo doesn’t have a dedicated app to support these earbuds. That also means you possibly can’t fully turn them off in case you don’t want them. I discovered mixed results, especially early on once I needed to kind of “feel” for the touch surface in order to avoid by accident lowering or raising the quantity. That smaller surface will be too sensitive in some cases, and never enough in others. I also found no solution to access my phone’s voice assistant, and even the manual doesn’t mention it.
One other missing feature that has change into fairly standard on earbuds at this price is wear sensors, so there’s no solution to auto-pause your tunes whenever you remove an earbud (or resume whenever you replace it).
One thing that’s slick is the case. Mifo put the S ANC earbuds in a pleasant clamshell case that closes with a satisfying click and opens through the button on the front to release the latch. That button also serves one other purpose, which is to factory reset the buds whenever you press it thrice in succession.
No app, no control
Nowadays, I come down harder on earbuds that don’t offer any app support, particularly in the event that they sell for over $100. It’s just too common now to see an app with an EQ or control adjustments, amongst other features. It’s an actual shame the Mifo S ANC lose out on all that, just because it limits what the earbuds could do, especially with regards to the sound signature.
Apps are also good for firmware updates, which sometimes open up recent or improved features. One more thing impossible here. Speaking for myself, I find apps have a capability to assist construct personalization for earbuds I’m using, but with Mifo’s pair, I used to be left lamenting the things I couldn’t control when faced with situations where a tweak or adjustment could’ve made a difference.
It’s an excellent tougher thing to just accept when Jabra’s excellent Elite 4 Lively cost less and are available with among the finest companion apps, period.
Sport and sleep?
Wondering why Mifo mentions sleep on the S ANC’s box? No, these buds don’t possess any fancy features like sleep monitoring or perhaps a set of built-in soundscapes to show you how to get some z’s. As an alternative, this is solely a reference to their size — they’re so small, you possibly can, in case you wanted, sleep in your side and still be comfortable with them in your ears.
Should you do plan to sleep with these on while listening to some gentle tunes, consider, you’ll have a dead battery whenever you get up because there’s no self-timing feature. Just one other thing an app could’ve taken care of.
Sound quality
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Mifo is somewhat cryptic on specs and details, but what is clear is that it tuned the S ANC to a more neutral sound signature. You’re going to get some decent bass out of them, especially whenever you use the fitting ear tricks to seal it in, though the highs get a few of the preferential treatment. Mids aren’t bad, and I liked how they got here through with a few of the classic rock tunes I played. By now, it’s a well-known theme on this review, but I do wish I had the prospect to tune them myself for various genres to suit my very own tastes — the Jaybird Vista 2, for example, are a set of sports earbuds that nail this requirement.
There’s good clarity to the sound, so I can’t knock what the default profile provides an excessive amount of. Should you like various genres, you might find they handle them with relative equality. Not there aren’t some inconsistencies, like how male vocals on a rock track resonate in a different way than on an R&B or jazz one.
You’ll notice that the difference between the “mild” and “strong” ANC modes isn’t all that striking.
Things also begin to get difficult whenever you add variables to a given situation. For instance, in a louder gym or walking with street noise, you’ll notice that the difference between the “mild” and “strong” ANC modes isn’t all that striking. I noticed higher blockage for low-frequency sounds once I toggled strong on, but otherwise, it wasn’t all the time easy to inform. That’s why a extremely good seal is crucial, because the passive isolation helps to at the very least drown a few of that ambient sound while the ANC is doing its thing.
I do think it’s value trying these earbuds with foam tricks to see in case you can block out much more since they deform to create an excellent tighter seal. I didn’t have any that fit the anchors on these earbuds, so couldn’t try it out to gauge any contrasts.
Transparency mode is effective for talking to someone or hearing your surroundings while out on a run in a concrete jungle, though there’s nothing too remarkable about it.
You simply get AAC and SBC codecs, so no aptX, unfortunately. The low latency mode is pretty good when it comes time to look at a movie or show, or to begin a gaming session. I didn’t notice much of an issue in any respect with syncing issues once I engaged it.
Mifo plays up the six-mic array between the 2 earbuds, and so they do an adequate job with phone calls. While I didn’t notice anything off-putting, and callers didn’t complain or generally make me repeat myself, I also didn’t find them to be pretty much as good as others when talking in additional crowded situations. The tighter fit made it easier for me to listen to the caller, but they did ask me to boost my voice to overpower the ambient noise.
While Mifo doesn’t list this feature, you should utilize one bud at a time. I discovered success doing it by taking each out to attach, after which putting the one I didn’t want back into the case. The makeshift mono mode worked effective for me.
Battery life
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Mifo rates battery life at as much as seven hours per charge. It doesn’t say explicitly, but that’s without ANC. Leave it on, and also you’re at six hours. Raise the quantity, which you will likely must do commonly, and also you’re now closer to 5 hours or less. It’s a sliding scale you might not care about in case you’re pondering of those more as workout or running earbuds, but in the event that they’re going to be your “every thing” earbuds, keep it in mind.
The case will provide you with one other three charges, though it doesn’t support wireless charging. You’ll need to make use of the USB-C cable for that. I did just like the three LEDs contained in the case when opening it, as they gave me a sign of the battery status. Principally, each light represents 30-33% of the case’s total charge, so you realize where you stand.
Our take
Mifo selected comfort, durability, and aesthetics because the major pillars here, perhaps with the idea that its own tuning would come through brilliantly due to the wonderful fit. The parts make a good sum, yet it’s hard to shake the very fact a dedicated app with EQ and control customizations would have made them even higher. It’s a missed opportunity that does more to set the S ANC except for the competition, somewhat than above it.
Is there a greater alternative?
Sporty and sturdy earbuds aren’t hard to seek out — especially those with an app to play with. The Jabra Elite 4 Lively may are available cheaper, only with excellent sound quality, solid ANC, good durability, and worthy comfort. The Jaybird Vista 2 are a tad greater in size, but are very rugged, and have certainly one of the deepest EQ experiences you possibly can ask for in a supporting app. A whole community of users create and share EQ presets you possibly can save and apply to your pair anytime you wish.
To not be outdone, the Bose Sport Earbuds may are available at the same price, and while not the most effective alternative for those with smaller ears, they will be great for individuals who don’t. Excellent ANC, solid call quality, and vibrant audio playback make them well value a glance.
All three of those products have a lower regular price than the Mifo S, making them very attractive alternatives, especially in case you don’t often struggle to get an excellent fit.
How long will they last?
While they might look swanky, Mifo did construct these to take some punishment. You simply can’t go and assume they will withstand every thing. Rinse off any salt or sweat and dry them immediately before putting them back within the case, and try to be effective. Mifo offers a one-year standard warranty to cover malfunction issues, but not water or sweat damage.
Do you have to buy them?
No, unless you’re thinking that they’ll fit your needs perfectly. The Mifo S ANC are priced at a level that’s highly competitive, where selections are each abundant and superb. Aside from fit and luxury, there’s not much else to point out these stand out from the pack.
Editors’ Recommendations
