It was only a couple of years ago that Apple launched the first AirPods and the world woke up to the possibility of true wireless earphones. The technology that underpins the technology has seen many iterations since then, with a manufacturers new and old all bringing their own expertise to the field and looking to out-do each other with extra features.
Last year, ENOD Audio had a surprise hit with their Mini Ring earphones, and this year they followed them up with the Mini Ring Pros that we will be testing out today.
Look & feel
The sporting focus of the Mini Rings Pros set them apart from much of their competition in both form and function. Each individual earphone is made of a strong black plastic and housed in a comfortable black rubber skin to create a premium rubberised feel. There is a wing-tip to make sure of a secure fit in your ear, so you don;t have to worry about they falling out when you head out for a run.
The earphones come with a black plastic charging case that is relatively small and weights just 46g so should fit pretty easily into any bag or jeans pocket. The case is charged via Micro-USB, which is pretty standard for such earphones, but I would like to see manufacturers start to make the move to USB-C soon.
Setup
There’s almost no setup involved with the Mini Ring Pros, but to be clear these are the steps to pair your phone:
- Switch off Bluetooth on your smartphone
- Take the earphones out of their case and they will immediately pair with each other automatically
- Switch on Bluetooth on the smartphone and select “Mini Ring Pros” and connect
That’s it – they just work.
Once in-use, each earphone works as a clickable button allowing you to control your music or podcasts or to receive calls.
- Single-press – Play/Pause
- Double-press – Next track
- Triple-press – Previous track
If you receive a phone call while using the earphones, the music/audio will automatically pause and you have two options.
- Single-press – Receive call using the built-in mic on the earphones
- Double-press – Reject call and music/audio will resume
In use
As soon as you take the earphones out of their case they automatically switch on, sync with each other, and go into pairing mode, so could not be easier to set up with your phone (see steps above). Only a handful of other brands have earphones this easy to set up – it should be the new standard.
The earphones are Bluetooth 5.0 and so offer a stable and clear connection at distances up to 15m, and I found no drop outs or stuttering in more than a month of testing, which is an impressive feat. They are also IPX7 rated, so they will have absolutely no issue with your sweat or even if you drop them in the sink whilst filling up your water bottle. Phew.
I found the fit to be pretty comfortable in my ears and definitely appreciated the extra security of a wing-tip to keep them in place when I went for a run. My one main complaint of true wireless earphones is that without the strap one can fall out your ear pretty easily and then it might be lost forever – that is much less of a problem with wing-tips.
I was also quite impressed by the sound quality. The bass it strong but remained pretty tight, whilst the mids and highs were clear, creating a pleasant warm mix.
Specifications
- Play time: 5h per charge
- Portable case: Holds 3-4 charges
- Bluetooth version: 5.0
- Range: 15m
- Built-in mic
- Frequency range: 20-20,000 Hz
- Sensitivity: -42dB +/- 3dB
- Impedance: 16 Ohm
- Weight with charging case: 46g
Conclusion
Overall, I was impressed by the E’NOD Mini Ring Pros. The sound was good and warm, with enough bass to get you through the toughest of workouts. The battery life was pretty decent and the in-ear fit was more comfortable and secure than almost any other true wireless earphones I have tested.
Buy
Price at time of review: €77/£69 (incl. UK delivery) from EA Tech Direct
