In this review, we are going to be looking at the second pair of TWS earbuds sent to us by Mifo the FiiTii HiFiPods. First impressions you can see similarities between these and the Sports & Outdo Mifo S TWS we recently reviewed. This model compared to the Sport & Outdo has a sci-fi look to them the case looks like you might think a UFO might look like.
Mifo FiiTii HiFiPods (Left) vs SPORT & OUTDO MIFO S TWS (Left)
The FiiTii HiFiPods currently retail at £179 via amazon and come with the following features:
- Bluetooth 5.2
- AptX & AAC codec compatible
- IP67 rated
- Up to 7 hours playback (ANC off)
- Charging case
Unboxing
The FiTii HiFiPods packaging really makes you feel you have something premium in your hands the packaging looks expensive and the unboxing makes you excited to see what the earbuds can do. When you lift that plastic cover and see the most stylized charging case we have seen for a while it ticks all the boxes in terms of style.
What you will notice is the word FiiTii this is just the name of the latest series of buds from Mifo. In addition to the charging case with buds inside you also get a USB-C charging cable, a user guide and 4 sets of eartips to allow you to get that perfect fit.
You will notice the medium tips are already installed on the earbuds. If the medium pair is not the right fit you have a pair of small, large and extra-large tips all included for you to get the right fit which is really important when it comes down to fit and the seal.
Design
The stand out about these buds is clearly the style and design! The case is a large round case made of aviation-grade aluminium alloy. The case has concentric circles in design the case is smooth to touch it has a blue-grey colouring with metallic edges around the lid and the button to open the case.
When you open the case the earbuds fit into the grooves of the charging case you will also see three LED lights which indicate the battery life in the case. I found picking the earbuds out of the case really easy and what you will notice is the open button on the case can also restore the buds back to factory settings if you need to do this simply put the buds in the case and press the start button three times when the indicator light of the charging case is on and it will restore back to factory settings.
Last but not least on the rear of the case is a USB-C charging port the battery capacity is 1000mAh and can offer the buds 9 full charges which offer a total battery life of 70 hours which is incredible battery life.
Moving to the buds they have an in-ear design that uses silicone eartips on the filter and this has two benefits they can help reduce unwanted noise and the contact between the buds and the ear canal can reduce the foreign body sensation in the ear canal.
The shape of the earbuds conforms to the contour of the ear socket which adds to comfort, and fit and they do not protrude from the ears at all. The mould of the buds has a small bump in the top end of your ear and becomes bigger down below. This helps the bud fit snugly and is comfortable to wear for long periods of use.
The style of the earbuds is a unique design that does not really match the look of the case. The buds have that shiny black copper pattern design with a steel look on the inside that does not really match and the stell finish does get dirty quickly.
The buds also have a green LED on them that only flashes when the buds are placed in the case or when they are in pairing mode. Luckily the light does not flash when in use.
What is inside the buds?
The earbuds use a hybrid sound unit that uses 8mm dynamic drivers and is paired with 2 balanced armature drivers. This has a real benefit as the dynamic speaker has insufficient high-frequency resolution and the armature speaker has insufficient low-frequency. The use of a hybrid driver solves those issues which are fantastic for the user.
The battery capacity is only 55mAh and offers between 7 to 5 hours of battery life depending on if the buds are in transparency mode or mild or strong noise reduction mode. When you have used that battery life in the buds the case provides an additional 10 charges. Finally, the buds also come with IP67 ratings which make them fine to use when in the rain and can also survive a sweaty gym session.
Connectivity
The earbuds use Bluetooth 5.2 which is the latest version and connecting the buds is really easy simply open the case and the buds will pair click the name of the buds and they will pair. Something to note these buds do not come with Google fast pair but connecting them the old fashion way is hardly time-consuming.
The Bluetooth connection will offer a 10-meter range which is useful if you want to listen to music but do not have your phone on your person all the time. The buds also offer master/slave technology allowing you to just use one bud and keep the other in the case charging. Another feature that is not surprising is that the HiFipods don’t support is multipoint connectivity which seems to be more found among more expensive options on the market.
Controls
As with lots of earbuds they are touch control and powering the buds up is as simple as opening the case and the buds will turn on and connect to your device instantly. In terms of the controls, you can do the standard functions such as –
- Play/Pause
- Transparency Mode & ANC Mode
- Volume controls
- Track controls
- Low latency gaming mode
What you will notice is you are unable to use your smart assistant via these buds I guess it had both volume and track controls they could not fit the option to use smart assistant but they do seem to be missing a track as its a common feature to have on lots of TWS. I would have preferred switching the low latency gaming mode for the smart assistant.
Below is the list of instructions in terms of controls:
| Play/Pause/ or Answer/finish phone calls | Double-tap either left or right bud |
| Transparency mode/ANC ON / ANC OFF | Hold L or R |
| Increase Volume | Tap right bud |
| Decrease Volume | Tap Left bud |
| Skip a song | Triple tap Right bud |
| Return to the previous track | Triple tap Left bud |
| Activate or deactivate low latency gaming mode | Tap either left or right bud 5 times |
It’s also worth knowing the buds do not come with any kind of app support meaning you can’t change any of the controls. One thing I did notice with the buds was when you are finished with the buds you need to place them in the charging case and close the lid. Just make sure they are correctly placed in the case otherwise they won’t switch off properly.
Sound Quality
We have been testing out the HiFiPods for a few weeks now and I have been very impressed they are very smooth sounding and offer a really strong bass. In fact, they make most music sound super smooth. The sound quality of the HiFiPods I would say is up in the top 3 best TWS earbuds I have tested both at my time at What Gadget and my time at What Mobile before.
The bass is powerful & explosive and compared to other brands at a similar price point they perform very well. The HiFiPods can handle even the most challenging basses and handles them with class and control. The sub-bass sounds nice and deep and will grab you. When listening to tracks that allowed me to test the bass the mid-bass performs well and it is not too light or too heavy. The mid-bass pulsates with a slight thump but is not too punchy.
The lower mid-tones are elevated and tracks from Darf Punk with electronic drums sound full and darker electronic tones are louder and last longer. When considering the vocals and instruments such as a guitar or piano in “Guns N Roses – November Rain” both lean towards the lower mids. What I did notice was the vocals were not very forward they are smooth sounding without being sharp.
Another thing I noticed was the separation even when limited was outstanding. You will notice most compositions are handled with ease and sound expansive. It’s a combination of warmth, and depth and is so smooth thanks to the cut-off treble. This thick sound relaxes on the lower volumes and immerses in higher ones. The HiFiPods offer a deep sound that is well executed it won’t be for everyone but I very much enjoyed them.
ANC Quality
The HiFiPods offer noise-cancelling the default setting is known as mild noise cancelling you could argue it’s just passive noise isolation due to the design of the buds. It reduces the volume of some unwanted sounds but it doesn’t block all the noise.
When you switch on the ANC function it does a good job of blocking that additional unwanted noise and draws mid-tones out from your surroundings. For example, traffic when walking to work sounds softer. When on the train hearing other people’s conversations are still heard but reduced the overall sound meaning you won’t hear everything but a percentage will still be heard.
The buds also come with transparency mode which I was a little disappointed with. Yes, some lighter sounds enter but it’s the brighter sounds you might need that don’t quite happen. When music is played the transparency mode is just pointless.
Making Calls or Mobile Gaming
The HiFiPods as you might have expected allow you to make phone calls and when we tested this the quality you appeared to sound a bit blocked up your voice is loud and clear to a degree. However, the built-in mics do a poor job of blocking background noises and can be heard in calls. The wind is also an issue you have with most buds but the HiFiPods do a really poor job of blocking wind noise making it tricky to be heard when on the phone outside.
The HiFiPods also have a low-latency gaming mode that is designed to speed up sounds when gaming but in reality, there is a tiny delay between what you see on the screen and what you hear. Its not the worst experience but could do with a little improvement.
Verdict
The FiiTii HiFiPods use 8mm dynamic drivers and make them sound like you have 16mm, dynamic drivers. It does this by the application of low-frequency technology that provides a bass that is powerful & explosive but does not attack the other frequencies. The earbuds come with a 6-microphone noise reduction that can reduce unwanted noise to the depth of 36dB and reaches 200HZ.
The buds come with a unique design that is sure lots of people will like and the fact they are IPX7 waterproof means they are ideal when being caught in the rain or hitting the gym hard these earbuds won’t be affected.
The audio quality I found was excellent, especially around the bass but was let down slightly by the ANC/Transparency mode. Another area of improvement I would say is the battery life in the buds yes the case offers an excellent amount of battery life but I would have liked the buds to have given us a few more hours of use.
I would have also liked the buds to have had a smart assistant offering and a chance to use an app to adjust the controls would have been nice. There is clearly room for improvement and I would also question the price when you compare it to something like the Sennheiser CX Plus which comes with a smart assistant and has a better transparency mode and gives you that extra battery life in the buds you want. Plus they only cost £129 compared to the HiFiPods at £179.
Overall yes the price point feels wrong in my opinion but when you consider the sound quality is pleasing and smooth and this is why I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a pair of TWS with a unique style that will stand out compared to other brands on the market.
Product Rating:
Design: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Connectivity : 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Controls: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Battery Life: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Sound Quality: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
ANC: 3.0 out of 5.0 stars
Value For Money: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Overall Rating: 4.2 out of 5.0 stars – 4.2 Stars
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