Music on the go has taken many forms over the past 40 years, ranging from bulky boomboxes to palm-size iPods, and it’s still changing.
Today, many people listen to music through smartphones and Bluetooth headphones. While convenient, it’s not the most practical option. That’s why Mighty decided to roll out the Mighty Vibe, a music player that offers easy listening through offline streaming via Spotify Premium and Amazon Music.
Mighty claims the Mighty Vibe’s simple, distraction-free design contributes to a more peaceful, enjoyable listening experience. It plays Spotify and Amazon Music without a phone, screen or internet connection. The Mighty Vibe holds up to 1,000 songs and podcasts and offers 5 hours of playback. The tiny device measures only 1.5 x 1.5 inches and clips onto clothing — a far cry from smartphones that take up entire pockets.
We decided to try the Mighty Vibe to see whether it delivers on the easy, carefree listening experience it promises. Here’s what we found.
We tested the Mighty Vibe with someone who listens to music while they work out and while they engage in everyday activity. They normally listen to music through Spotify or YouTube via an iPhone. Their preferred headphones are Apple AirPods.
The Mighty Vibe is a small music player that lets users listen to Spotify and Amazon Music without relying on an internet connection. It measures 1.5 by 1.5 inches, weighs a mere 19 grams and clips onto clothing or straps.
It’s Bluetooth-compatible and works with most Bluetooth headphones, speakers and car entertainment systems. The Mighty Vibe has a standard audio jack for wired headphones as well.
The Mighty stands out for its pared-down design, a unique feature in a world where many devices feature busy touchscreen interfaces. The Mighty Vibe lacks a screen and instead is equipped with three tactile buttons to navigate settings and scroll through playlists.
Because the Mighty Vibe is geared toward on-the-go listening, it’s designed to withstand the rough-and-tumble of high-activity use. It’s drop-resistant and has an IPX4 water resistance rating, meaning it can withstand splashes, sweat and light rain exposure.
Before users download music on the Mighty Vibe, they need to fully complete the setup process. This includes charging the Mighty Vibe, downloading the Mighty app, and creating a Mighty account. Next, Mighty Vibe connects to the app via Bluetooth and uses Wi-Fi to sync with Spotify and Amazon Music to access playlists.
Once Mighty Vibe is connected to Spotify and Amazon Music, playlists are viewable on the Mighty app. Users have two options to add and sync playlists with Mighty Vibe, in which they can be manually selected or randomized.
Mighty Vibe is equipped with Stay Fresh, a feature that allows users to automatically sync new content daily, including updated music and new podcast episodes. Users often select early morning or late evening times for syncing.
While the Mighty Vibe lets users sync playlists, it doesn’t currently support individual artists, songs or albums, as is the case with Apple Music. Instead, users need to create custom playlists within Spotify or Amazon Music.
To use the Mighty Vibe and take playlists offline, users must have a Spotify Premium account. Spotify Premium plans start as low as $4.99 per month.
The Mighty Vibe offered a carefree, hassle-free listening experience. The lightweight, clippable design stayed secure on our clothing all day, even during high-impact exercise, without requiring adjustments. It charges quickly, taking less than an hour to reach a full charge.
The lack of a screen significantly reduced the normal distractions we experience with smartphones, such as texts, push notifications and social media. It was easy to navigate playlists with the Mighty Vibe’s onboard buttons in lieu of a touchscreen.
As far as durability is concerned, the Mighty Vibe held up well to occasional impact. We dropped it a few times from a standing position, and it briefly cut out for a couple seconds before returning to smooth playback.
The Mighty Vibe retails for $109.99 and comes in four colors. The Mighty Vibe is backed by a 1-year warranty.
The Mighty Vibe is available from the Mighty website.
The Mighty Vibe is a user-friendly music player that makes it easy to sync playlists. Given its simple, distraction-free design, we were able to focus better on our workouts and enjoy a more immersive listening experience.
Despite its small footprint, Mighty Vibe is quite durable. It passed our drop tests without sustaining damage or interrupting our listening. Mighty Vibe holds up well to sweaty handling as well, a quality that many active users will appreciate.
The Mighty app offers a straightforward user experience. Like the device itself, it has a simple orientation to make for easy navigation. We didn’t experience much of a learning curve setting it up or syncing our Spotify playlists.
In order to use the Mighty Vibe, users must have a Spotify Premium membership, so for individuals who don’t already have one, there’s an ongoing cost to use the device.
Mighty Vibe lacks an onboard battery indicator, which means users must open the app to view battery life. Some users report it’s easy to forget to turn off Mighty Vibe, and this results in battery drainage. Adding larger playlists quickly depletes the Mighty Vibe’s battery life.
Connecting Bluetooth headphones through the Mighty app was a little tricky; however, if the headphones are paired to the smartphone prior to setup, it’s fairly straightforward.
Based on our experience with the Mighty Vibe, we feel it lives up to its promise for an enjoyable, distraction-free listening experience.
The Mighty Vibe is a convenient solution for individuals who want to listen to music on the go without lugging around bulky devices. It’s also recommended for those looking to disconnect from smartphones while they exercise while listening to music and podcasts.
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Sian Babish writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
