Soundpeats Mini Pro review: Lower price for better sound

It's getting easier to save money on what you put in your ears these days, and a big reason why is because budget wireless earbuds continue to be more competitive. Even the best wireless earbuds routinely include budget-friendly choices, regardless of whether or not you've heard of them before.

The Soundpeats Pro Mini play on both words because they aim to be both diminutive in size, yet with some sonic prowess to go with it. It's not a perfect combination, but there is plenty to like. 

Soundpeats Mini Pro: Price and availability

Soundpeats launched the Mini Pro in February 2022 and made them available for $79.99. Price drops aren't uncommon for Soundpeats products, and you're likely to see some fluctuation that way as time goes on. They do only come in black as well, so there are no other variants. You can purchase straight from Soundpeats or find them on Amazon as well. 

Soundpeats Mini Pro: What's good

Smaller earbuds are nice to have when you're not looking to carry extra weight or heft in your ears, but that's also a relative term. The usual catch when manufacturers shave off some girth is that you lose a feature or two to make room. Soundpeats tries to find a balance that reduces the exclusion of anything you might need.

All of that would be moot if the Mini Pro didn't fit well or feel comfortable. But these do fit really well, though it is important to put them on and twist them into both ears so they nestle into the inner ear (concha). They're slim but that comes at the cost of the length; while nimble, these earbuds do stick out a little. 

They are pretty comfy, though. Not to mention the lightweight build makes them feel pretty feathery every time you put them on. Soundpeats includes three sizes of ear tips in the box, and while it may feel limiting, odds are good one of those three will suit your ears well. 

What also helps is the excellent Bluetooth codec support, which includes aptX Adaptive, giving them broader appeal and use cases, especially for Android users. AAC isn't part of the sonic specs here, taking something away from iOS users, so apart from aptX, you get standard SBC.

With 10mm drivers that don't hold back too much, Soundpeats managed to deliver sound quality that can impress. For one, it was nice to hear mids that weren't muddy or overly restrained, along with good bass and warm highs that round out an effective sound profile. I can't necessarily point to one particular genre over another because it becomes clear early on that Soundpeats didn't want to skew too far one way or another. If you're really into bass-heavy music, you may find these don't rumble enough. Cheap wireless earbuds often cover that, so you've got options if these aren't the right choice for you.

They do work best when active noise cancelation (ANC) is on, though you can leave it off or also go to Transparency mode when you want to pipe the background in. Tap and hold the left earbud for 1.5 seconds to toggle between the three modes. It's worth learning the various touch controls, as there is no dedicated app to share some of those functions.

The aptX Adaptive support is the main reason why Soundpeats includes a Game mode into the mix, reducing the latency to about 60ms — good enough for mobile gaming on your phone. I tried it with Xbox Game Pass and the Mini Pro held up well at all times. That was a pleasant surprise.

Call quality isn't bad, though I would consider it more decent or adequate than anything outstanding. Qualcomm's cVc technology does help to elevate voices on both sides of a call, but I found results were far better in quieter confines. Background noise or even just a voice or two can distract you, but the key is to get as tight a seal into your ear as possible. 

The cool thing is you can use either earbud as the "master" meaning if you want to go in mono mode, you don't have to stick to one of the earbuds every time. This way, the right or the left side can act as the main conduit between your device and the other earbud. 

Battery life is OK for earbuds at this level. You can stretch it up to seven hours if you don't use ANC, Transparency, or Game. ANC knocks it down to five hours, which is in the ballpark of others in this price range, including others that are more expensive. The case gets you an extra two charges, and charges fully in 90 minutes. No wireless charging, unfortunately.

Soundpeats Mini Pro: What's not good

While you can achieve a comfortable fit that's also sturdy with the Mini Pro, they might slip out after a while. I found that when listening to content for a while, one of them would get loose if I laughed or yawned. While it didn't happen every single time, it was more often than I would've liked, personally. 

That's one reason why I don't like these earbuds for running or workouts. The IPX5 rating is already modest for such uses, but the shaky fit would be a cause for concern if you're going to be active. Sweat also makes the slicker surface all the more slippery. Had they been made with wing attachments, or at least a rubberized surface to anchor them in place, it might've been easier to pull it off.

Unfortunately, there is no multipoint here, so no way to use them with two devices at once. And on top of that, Soundpeats doesn't offer an app to get more out of the Mini Pro. It's not that it doesn't have an app — it does, except that it's a mess and doesn't appear to support these earbuds.

Soundpeats Mini Pro: Competition

The Soundpeats Mini Pro would fit in well amongst the best cheap wireless earbuds, though competitors do abound. The Anker Soundcore Life P3 are a solid alternative that offer a lot of the same features and performance, and give you an app to utilize. The Jabra Elite 3 don't have ANC or aptX Adaptive support, though they do have good sound and a super comfortable fit. 

Even as gaming earbuds, the Mini Pro aren't a bad budget alternative to the Razer Hammerhead True Wireless (2021). They certainly lack the flash and app support Razer threw in there, but they can compete. 

Soundpeats Mini Pro: Should you buy it?

You should buy this if...

• You want good sound with ANC support.
• You want lightweight and comfy earbuds.
• You're on a tighter budget.

You shouldn't buy this if...

• You want beefier bass.
• You want something more rugged.
• You want app support.

The Soundpeats Mini Pro are effective at doing a few of the key things right, which is how they sound, and for the most part, how they fit. With good ANC performance, aptX Adaptive support, and decent battery life, they do earn their value proposition. 

It doesn't matter if you have small ears or not, either. Their thinner design could equally apply to any pair of ears, which is great for those looking for something that fits. Just make sure they snuggle in there routinely so they don't squirm out.