Tested Mighty
In case you’re missing your old ipod Shuffle
This next-gen offline Spotify player offers phone-free music on the go, but it has some old-school issues
US$86 / bemighty.com Q The ipod Shuffle was the perfect runner’s music player. The trouble is, it’s no longer 2006 and most of us don’t download music – we use streaming services like Spotify. So here’s the Mighty: an mp3 player that plays Spotify Premium tracks without a phone.
Q Install the Mighty app on your mobile and it teaches the player your home Wi-fi network login and gives it access to your Spotify account. Then choose the playlists you want to have beamed over via the little guy’s own Wi-fi link.
Q Plug in your headphones (or pair up your Bluetooth cans), press the little three-pip button, and a robot lady reads out the name of your playlist before starting to play. Press this button again and it cycles to the next playlist. It’s just like an old mp3 player… except it can’t shuffle. We’re told this feature is coming.
Q You can’t even fast-forward or rewind, only skip to the next or previous tune, and there’s no way to get that robot to tell you what you’re listening to mid-song. More importantly, you’re stuck with Spotify – no other streaming services, no podcasts.
Q Compared directly to a few recent Android phones, the Mighty’s audio doesn’t come off well. There’s a drop in dynamic range, the bass loses power and the mids are less smooth – all the signs of a cheap DAC. At least you can choose between Spotify’s usual Normal, High and Extreme standards.
Tech specs
Storage 4GB File format mp3 (requires Premium Spotify account) Connectivity Bluetooth, Wi-fi Dimensions 38x38x18mm, 17g