JBL EasySing Mic Mini - More Versatile Than You Might Think

By now I think most of us recognise JBL as being a market leader when it comes to portable sound, from bluetooth speakers, to headphones and earbuds.

I've also reviewed various PartyBoxes and even PartyLights - some of the speakers come with pre-paired wireless mics and some even have inputs for external mics.

Another feature JBL has been early to adopt and master is Auracast - which allows you to pair any Auracast-enabled devices - speakers or headphones - to create a bigger, even multi-room, sonic experience.

But until recently, I'd never really rated JBL as a go-to brand for more serious musicians - until I reviewed the BandBox Solo practice speaker last week, that is.

And now there's a microphone that might just about be the most useful thing JBL has ever made.

Ostensibly, at first blush, the JBL EasySing Mic Mini appears to be a mere add-on - if you have a JBL speaker or two and you're in the mood for a bit of karaoke (and who isn't?) wouldn't it be nice to have an actual microphone so you can add your actual voice to the actual song?

And to start with, that's exactly what this wee microphone offers. It comes with its own, wireless dongle and a magnetic charging case that'll provide enough charge for about six hours' singing, which, let's be honest, is probably about four-and-a-half hours more karaoke than most parties can handle.

JBL has also utilised the magic of magnets with the included ring handle, which instantly converts the Mic Mini into a legitimate handheld.

Although the inner loop of the handle is slightly too cramped for my pudgy mitts, it's just as easy to grab it around the outside and the magnet is definitely strong enough to hold the Mic Mini in place, even during your most frenetic dance breaks. (Don't ask me how I know this, I just do)

But it's not merely a matter of plugging the dongle in to a compatible speaker and singing along. The EasySing Mic Mini has a lot more to offer than that.

As you'll see from the pictures, there's a push-button volume control at the base of the Mic Mini. Not only can this alter the volume of your voice in the mix, believe it or not, it can also alter the level of lead vocals in your chosen track as well.

Gone are the days of trying to find a library of karaoke mixes of the songs you want to perform as though they're your own. With a single push of the the EasySing Mic Mini's controller, whoever the original artist is gone, leaving you to step up to the mic and take over. And if you don't quite have the confidence to sing solo, another button press brings back the original vocals quietly, while a third push plays them slightly louder still. Tell you what, I reckon this AI thing might catch on one day.

However, we're not done yet. By pairing the EasySing Mic Mini with the JBL One app on your phone, you'll have access to AI Vocal Removal and Mic Volume at a more precise level, via virtual on-screen sliders. There are several preset EQs to choose from, or you can tweak your Treble and Bass levels yourself.

Perhaps most importantly of all, you can adjust the level of Echo - a kind of reverb/delay combo effect that most singers like to use to smooth things out a little. Or you can smooth things out a lot if you're feeling a bit rough by the end of the night.

And even if your favourite song isn't in your key, not to worry, there's a Pitch Shifter option to raise or lower the tone to something more befitting your range.

So what we've got here is perhaps the most advanced karaoke mic you've ever used.

But what if you don't have one of the compatible late-model JBL speakers with the right USB-C input for the wireless dongle?

Well, there's more than one way to sing a song about skinning a cat.

Depending on your speaker, you either just plug the dongle in, or hold the Play button down while you're plugging in until you hear a pairing chime.

But as long as your speaker has an AUX in jack, you can still use the Mic Mini because it has a 3.5mm jack too. Although no auxiliary cable is included in the box, you can connect the EasySing Mic Mini that way, even to wired headphones to keep your singing session private.

And we're still not done. There's one more component sitting back in the case I haven't mentioned yet. Guess what? It's a magnet!

Literally, a little square magnet with the iconic JBL exclamation mark on it. This enables you to stick the mic to your shirt, blouse, jacket or lapel, for a totally hands-free experience. That means this microphone is no longer just for singing.

Plug the dongle directly into your smartphone and you now have a wireless mic for your next video. That means even if you're many metres away from your phone's camera, you'll still be heard loud and clear - the quality is quite excellent, as you'll see (and hear) me demonstrate in the video below.

In fact, for the video, I plugged the dongle into one of my Mac Mini's Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports and it instantly appeared as an input option under my sound settings.

It seems there's nothing this mic can't do. You even get a soft carrying pouch to bundle everything into.

So, not just a karaoke party in a tiny package, but a high quality lapel mic to boot, complete with easily customised echo and EQ. Worth every cent of its NZ$249.95 - and then some.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the JBL EasySing Mic Mini.