However, you can use a wiring option instead if you prefer more stability. The wiring connections mean that you can chain as many speakers as you like, without having to rely on Bluetooth. One slight downside is that the more you ramp up the volume, the more likely it is that you’ll lose out on things like bass clarity.

Bluetooth Minirig Portable Speaker Review | Trusted Reviews

Hooking together 2 Minirigs and the subunit makes a stand-alone 2.1 sound system that remains portable enough to take with you to parties and camping trips. It is an incredibly versatile, well-thought-out system and one that we think has been grossly overlooked by the audio community thus far. There are many things that make the MiniRig 3 well-worth your attention if you’re looking for something compact, durable, and brimming with power. There’s also an app for Android and iPhone that enables you to play and pause your media, pair up Minirigs, switch between stereo and mono modes and even turn them off remotely. It’s a great little addition to the whole setup.The Minirig Mini is an interesting proposition: the stark design will be appreciated by some, its small stature will be attractive to the space-conscious, and the sound is solid. With so many Bluetooth speakers now on the market, it can be hard to choose one. Many are laden with features, and others can be had at super low prices. The most important thing to me is sound, and for the life of me, I can’t think of anything this size that sounds even close to being this good. Really to get something better sounding, you are looking at getting the Minirig 3. Other than the single control button that powers the speaker on and off and, as mentioned, switches the gain modes, there are no other physical buttons or controls. There are no pause, play, skip, or volume controls, so everything will have to be monitored from your source device. This may be a deal-breaker to some, but since I tend to control my music from my phone, I never found it an issue. The combination of it being able to get so loud and the quantity of bass from such a small unit impressed me most. I thought some of the other speakers that I own from this price category are excellent, and any issues they did have could be forgiven because of that eternal struggle of balancing sound, price, and size. I didn't expect it to be as markedly different from what I had heard before, but it was. The Minirigs is not just a little better; it is a lot better.

Minirig Sub 3 - Portable Subwoofer - Made in the UK Minirig Sub 3 - Portable Subwoofer - Made in the UK

Usually, when you see something as small as this compact device, it’s easy to assume that you’re going to miss out on functionality, sound stage, or volume. Although Bluetooth is available on these speakers, getting everything set up and working properly can be a real headache. There may be issues with lag and dropped connections to consider. Connectivity Credit: Minirigs So many other companies try and stuff multiple small diaphragms (tweeters, bass ports, etc.) into their small speakers that they end up with that weak and tiny sound. Minirigs solution of just putting in one single, high-quality unit inside. This seems so simple, but it provides the fullest, richest, deepest listening experience in this kind of form factor. On a normal volume, you can expect a good sound base response down to around 80hz, thanks to the powerful main drivers. There’s dynamic equalization included within these devices to ensure that the sound remains as crisp as possible. Some of those upper-midrange notes are also harsher than we would like. They have an unnaturally coarse cutting edge to them, which leaves you recoiling a little at each draw of the violin’s bow. This is only exacerbated at higher volumes.The idea is that, because the Minirig relies on the volume control of your device to control the output volume of the speaker, having two inputs that support a large range of output volumes ensures it offers the best quality, whatever device you use. Yes, the Wonderboom is bigger than the Minirig Mini - it's about twice the size, in fact - but it is still very small in its own right and is certainly very portable. In short, we think that someone eyeing-up the Minirig Mini could and should also consider the Wonderboom, and the latter finds a sweeter spot between size and sound quality.

Minirig Mini review | What Hi-Fi?

This little device can deliver some sensational power, with 40w of RMS to ensure you fill a whole room in seconds. Even if a speaker looks and feels amazing at first glance, it’s difficult to fall in love with the device if it’s tough to operate. Managing the MiniRig 3 portable speaker is very straightforward. One of the standout features of the original speaker was the exceptional build quality. That continues with the new model. It's a seriously well-made bit of kit. The speaker consists of a single 52mm diaphragm driver housed in a tubular metal chassis with a metal grill outside. It's powered by an internal 15w amp. The appearance and durability of the MiniRig 3 portable are among the first things you’ll notice when evaluating this speaker. The hand-assembled devices come with ruggedized grills for internal protection and fantastic anodized aluminum bodies. Clearly the long and thin stereo approach is more desirable for enhancing the audio when watching video on a laptop or any other occasion where you’ll be sat directly in front of the speaker/s but for just blasting out music while camping, gardening, cooking, partying in your hotel room, a single loudspeaker does the job just fine.

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Available for both Android and Apple devices, the app gives you a 5-band equalizer that you can experiment with. There’s also more control over your music through the app. For instance, it’s nice to know that you can link multiple speakers to the same system and create a stereo surround sound effect. For most professionals, the incredible battery life of the MiniRig 3 is likely to be one of the most exciting features.

Minirig Mini Review - The Ultimate Travel Speaker Minirig Mini Review - The Ultimate Travel Speaker

Now, as I mentioned right at the start, I get a ridiculous number of Bluetooth speakers sent to me each year, so I think I have a good basis for comparison. You might notice audio occasionally cutting off from one unit if you have multiple devices connected. The app does have the occasional bug to worry about, and Bluetooth isn’t perfect, but there are a lot of great bonuses that help to make up for this. It’s nice to be able to experiment with EQ components and other features within the app. In fact our existing Minirig has even survived a few rain showers and the new Minirig is specifically IPX4 rated for resistance to splashing water – Minirigs also claims it has an “air tight enclosure”. It won’t survive a trip to the bottom of a pool, but the general abuse you’d expect from a camping trip or being left at the bottom of the garden is something it will brush aside. Keep in mind that there are also a host of additional peripherals that you can link to the MiniRig 3 from the same brand.The Mini is essentially a smaller version of the Minirigs 2, and they have kept almost all the good features from the bigger model and refined a couple of others. The size is petite when you consider the sound it puts out. It’s half the size of a can of coke and has excellent battery life. Why am I so excited about the Minirig Mini? Although there are slightly more attractive great speakers out there, you’ll struggle to find anything as simultaneously strong and compact as the MiniRig 3. The MiniRig 3 is just one of the many speaker options available today, but with its 100 hours of battery life, it’s become a must-have for many festivals and weekend events. However, at the louder levels, the low frequencies do begin to dwindle. MiniRig 3 Review: Pros and Cons