REVIEW – When it comes to audio, there’s nothing quite like the depth, soundstage, clarity, and sheer power of large speakers. To feel music can be as—or more—exhilarating than hearing it. The emotions that can be experienced from a favorite piece can sometimes overwhelm—in a good way. However, one cannot be subjected to such power constantly—it’s too exhausting. That’s why small—really small—speakers like the Tronsmart Mirtune H1 Portable Outdoor Speaker can be so cool and so useful. Let me explain.
What is it?
The Tronsmart Mirtune H1 is a small, handheld Bluetooth Speaker with a built-in carabiner that’s designed to go almost anywhere under almost any conditions. A canvas/mesh grill adorns the front of the H1 with the rest covered in a rubberized and durable plastic. Colors are Black or a muted blue/gray.
Inlaid into the mesh grill are three raised buttons: Volume Down, Play/pause, and Volume Up. This arrangement is almost identical to other brand’s small speakers such as the JBL Clip and Tribit StormBox Micro. The top of the H1 sports a Bluetooth pairing button, an On/Off button, and a row of lights that indicate remaining battery life and a Bluetooth indicator.
Even at its low price, the H1 doesn’t skimp on features. An IPX7 rating ensures that the speaker can withstand being underwater (up to 3 feet) for 30 minutes. Rain should never be an issue.
Up to 20 hours of playtime is available. Note that volume and other factors can greatly affect battery life.
Tronsmart touts the H1’s “punchy bass”. More on that later in the review. A Tronsmart app (iOS and Android) is available. It offers equalizer settings (preset and customized), Firmware updates, TWS pairing, Manual, and Voice prompts on or off. There are 5 EQ presets plus a 5-band custom EQ. Note that the app remembers the previous Custom EQ setting, but it cannot be renamed or saved.
One welcome feature of the H1—that’s becoming more common among portable Bluetooth speakers—is Totally Wireless Stereo (TWS). When two H1 speakers are paired, each becomes a left or right speaker resulting in true stereo. The effect is always more than the sum of its parts. More on this later, also.
What’s included?
- H1 speaker
- USB-C – USB-A charging cable
- Manual
- Warranty
Tech specs
Click to expand
- Bluetooth: 5.3
- Range: (up to) 50 ft.
- Water resistance: IPX7
- Playtime: (up to) 20 hours
- Charging: 2.6 hours
Design and features
Holding the Tronsmart Mirtune H1 Portable Outdoor Speaker is similar to holding the JBL Clit 4 I reviewed. Weight and size are comparable, as is the attached carabiner. The mesh grill is also similar the the JBL and the Tribit speakers. I sense a trend here.
The carabiner is small enough for the clip to go around most small shower head pipes or small branches if outdoors. It will not fit around larger shapes. It can also easily hang from a backpack strap or belt loop.
Using the Tronsmart Mirtune H1 speaker couldn’t be easier. Everything is clearly marked and works as advertised. It even searches for a Bluetooth signal without asking when first powered on. Speaking of Powering On, the On button must be pressed and held for a second for the speaker to come on. I wish the On button powered the speaker instantly as the Tribit speaker On buttons do.
Although the app provides you with what you need, its bare-boned design looks a bit unfinished. Most of the app’s functions could be on one or two screens rather than be spread over multiple screens. It’s not a big deal, but it could be more efficient.
Tronsmart lists punchy bass as one of the H1’s features, but to my ears, it’s fairly weak sounding when directly compared to the JBL or Tribit speakers. However, that is not a reason to avoid the H1. Any perceived weakness in bass can be compensated in the app’s EQ settings. Then there’s spoken word. The H1 is perfectly EQ’d for either podcasts or audiobooks. This is my primary use for speakers as small as these. Speakers geared for bassy music are usually too muffled-sounding for spoken content. The H1 is better for audiobooks than most other small speakers.
Note that I didn’t state that music sounds bad on the H1. My (weird) EQ setting works perfectly well for music—for my ears. Yours will be different. As I’ve said before, there is no wrong EQ. It’s whatever works for you.
My musical tastes are geared towards the 60s-80s music, with an emphasis on British electronic and 70s glam rock. Electronic music sounds best with bass cranked up (but not muddy-sounding). That bass punch may be missing, but if you want some background tunes while doing other things, the H1 is great at that. While it may sound like I’m contradicting myself, I’m not.
The H1 may be tune-able to a person’s taste, two H1 speakers shine in TWS mode. Pairing two Left/Right stereo speakers makes everything sound so much more. Not only do you get a large soundstage with two H1s in stereo, but there’s the effect of an invisible center speaker that’s almost magical. I’ve used the word magical many times regarding TWS. It’s true here.
What I like about the Tronsmart Mirtune H1 Portable Outdoor Speaker
- TWS is magical
- Priced well
- Sounds good
- Perfect for spoken word content
What needs to be improved?
- On button could be quicker
- Bass is not as punchy as advertised (but can be EQ’d)
Final thoughts
Despite any nitpicking I may have towards the Tronsmart Mirtune H1 Portable Outdoor Speaker, understand that it sells for 30 bucks! That’s almost half the price of either the JBL or the Tribit speakers! You could get two at the same price as their single speaker and have true stereo. What a bargain!
Price: $29.99
Where to buy: Tronsmart and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Tronsmart. Tronsmart did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
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I bought one of these a few months ago to use in my garage to play audiobooks while I’m working. I have some wire overhead racks that I clip it to to keep it out of the way. It’s worked fine so far, despite hitting my head on it a few times when I forgot where I clipped it.