Update: After publishing the review, the manufacturer were concerned that the unit I received was faulty. Having sent a replacement unit, I can now confirm that the case issues with disconnecting and charging are gone. I had a faulty unit and the Mifo S is actually a very solid, consistent wireless set of earbuds. Score increased to 8.5. (10/02/23)
The Mifo S model of wireless earbuds is a really mixed bag. The style, finish, and quality are second to none, even the charging case is a pleasure to behold. With solid audio and a comfortable fit, I would happily declare them as one of the best sets of wireless earbuds I’ve ever had the pleasure to review.
Unfortunately, the Mifo S is plagued with some issues around some very basic functionality, and that makes it very hard for me to recommend them.
Let’s start with some facts about the specs, then we’ll look at the good and bad. The nature of the Mifo S and my experience means I won’t review them in the same way I generally review earbuds. There are some nuts and bolts that we need to get into, to make sure anyone reading gets the full picture.
Mifo S
The Mifo S model by Mifo Technology Co., Ltd is a lovely-looking set of earbuds. I was genuinely excited to get these on and play all my usual songs and podcasts to put them through their paces.
The marketing materials and packaging show that the Mifo S is an IPX7 waterproof TWS with active noise cancellation (ANC), positioned for sports enthusiasts. Lightweight, with a comfy fit design, it is mainly focusing on sports use. This was perfect for me because I wanted to give them a good test at the gym!
The official unified retail price of Mifo S is actually £129.99. Mifo S may not meet the requirements of professional audiophiles but there’s plenty of effort put into the unit, especially in the industrial design and material selection.
So, waterproof, and designed for high-activity use. I put them through their paces at the gym. HIIT, machines, cardio. Everything, and thanks to the lovely in-ear design, stayed put!
The audio has been clear, and the multiple phases of active noise cancellation mean that you’re able to really tailor your listening requirements to your activity. The Mifo S lets you have no ANC, light ANC, and full ANC. Full worked really nicely for mowing the lawn! Light noise cancellation worked really well for the gym, blocking out the bulk of the background noise, but letting me still have a level of awareness of my surroundings.
Doing what they say
The box and marketing materials focus heavily on the sporty design, the in-ear shape (fantastic!), and the drivers to deliver a nice audio experience.
I found that I was getting great-quality audio no matter the circumstance. The Mifo S isn’t the highest quality audio in the market, but I was really pleased to hear those basslines cutting through heavy-distorted guitars. Floor toms booming in the mix. Nothing was lost and I feel that anyone mixing the songs would be pleased with how well all the tracks have come out. Panning left and right worked a treat, and you get a really solid stereo experience.
Add in the really effective noise cancellation, and you’re in a good spot!
Basic flaws
I don’t like to call products poor, particularly when there are so many redeeming features. The build, the quality of the audio, and the materials used are all excellent. But the Mifo S just doesn’t deliver in basic operation.
Linking to a Bluetooth device initially, was ok, a standard experience. But disconnecting them is near impossible.
Standard wireless earbud functionality is that you put them back in their charging case and close the lid. Once closed, they disconnect and you go about your day as they charge. Not the Mifo S…….nope, they stay connected and you have to hope they eventually go to sleep to disconnect.
I’d tolerate that, but when re-connecting for a new listen, sometimes only the left will connect, sometimes only the right. And I regularly found myself messing about trying to get them to both connect for 5+ minutes. Sometimes they came on eventually, other times I had to give it up as a bad job.
The Mifo S connect and disconnect process is so poor, that I had to stop using them after a few hours because I was wasting time just trying to use them.
It’s a massive shame, and hopefully just a faulty unit. However, looking at the notice inside the charging case, asking to close for 3 seconds, then open and wait for 3 seconds, etc. This indicates to me that there were known connectivity issues. Note that the guidance doesn’t work….
Overall
There’s a massive amount to love about the Mifo S earbuds, but I couldn’t recommend anyone buying them, even at a discount (20% off Claim code: mifoSSSS) because the core connectivity functions are so poor the experience became that of frustration.
This was incredibly disappointing and never have I ever felt genuine frustration trying to listen to a song before.
Sports Bluetooth headphones help make training easier and the Mifo S earbuds allow me to focus on my running. As an amateur runner, the earbuds have made my training less boring and helped and soon I may be looking to win some prestigious 5K medals and other running medals, which I am will definitely proud of.
The Mifo S earbuds are a great way to make running fun. so if these headphones sound like they’d be great to accompany you on a run, pick up a set and go and compete for that 5K medal. But why stop there, use them on longer runs too, as the battery will last you long enough if you can keep a good pace up.
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