General Information
Tronsmart Nimo Portable Mini Speaker
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Tronsmart Nimo
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DISCLAIMER
I would like to thank Tronsmart for providing this review unit.
The Nimo can be gotten here: https://www.amazon.com/Tronsmart-Nimo-Super-Compact-Waterproof-Black/dp/B0CH5BSS93 or https://www.tronsmart.com/products/tronsmart-nimo-portable-mini-speaker (no affiliate links).
SPECIFICATIONS
Tested at $19.99 USD
ACCESSORIES
Tronsmart has provided only a USB-C to USB-A charging cable inside the box. Such an austere accessory packaging is unsurprising though, since the Nimo costs less than a restaurant meal, and I can close an eye for this.
BUILD/UTILITY
The Nimo has a rounded triangular chassis, and is made of sturdy metal. There are no sharp edges along its design. During ordering, one can opt amongst a black, violet, gold or green-hued housing.
It measures half the size of a palm - and weighing in at 0.24 pounds - it is extremely compact and portable. The Nimo comes with an attached lanyard, so it can be easily hung along on a bag or bike.
The bottom of the speaker has 3 sets of rubberized feet for grip, if it needs to be placed on a table or shelf for example.
On side of the fuselage, we have the buttons and charging port.
The buttons work as advertised:
Interestingly, unlike a conventional up and down volume button, pressing the power button once will increase the volume instead. Holding the multifunction button PLUS power button will lower the volume. Holding the power button longer (for > 2 seconds) will turn it off. Pressing the multifunction button once will pause/play music, while pressing it twice skips to the next track (a triple press will bring us to the previous track).
For those that intend to use this speaker for calls and meetings, I'm glad to report that it comes with an inbuild mic, and the multifunction button can be also used to accept or reject calls. It even has voice assistant support, which is quite nifty for such a low-priced speaker.
The Nimo will automatically shut down after 10 minutes if not paired with any other Bluetooth device. Additionally, it has an automatic protection function to shut itself down when the battery reaches critically low levels.
This speaker is quite frills free. It has no aux in or SD card slot, and can only be fed music via Bluetooth. It is charged via a type-C USB port, with no wireless charging available. There are no shining LED lights, unlike some of the other speakers in Tronsmart's stable.
Tronsmart markets that the Nimo has IPX7 waterproofing, which theoretically means it can survive submersion of 1 meter of water for 30 minutes! Thus, the Nimo can be brought for pool or beach parties, in addition to rough-and-tumble usage in the rain or sweaty environments.
FUNCTION/CONNECTIVITY
I tested the Nimo with multiple Bluetooth devices (both android and apple based, laptops/PCs and DAPs), and it was easily paired with these different devices.
It supports Bluetooth 5.3, but only with SBC codec. Higher-end codecs like AAC, aptX, aptX HD and LDAC are unfortunately not supported, but I guess we can't have unrealistic expectations for the retail price of sub-$20 USD.
During my field tests, the effective Bluetooth range is around 10 meters with no obstructions, or about 7 meters or so with obstructions. Stuttering was encountered with thick walls, albeit with nil drop outs. Latency is below a second.
Tronsmart advertises 12 hours battery life on a full charge, and it is thereabouts on my testing, but this is also partially dependent on volume used. Of course, battery life is expected to go down with repeated charge cycles, but 12 hours for a budget speaker is more than decent. The Nemo takes 2 hours to achieve a full charge.
This speaker can also support a stereo pairing mode where 2 Nimos can be linked for an expansive stereo effect. Unlike other Tronsmart speakers, there is no app support for the Nimo, which is a nitpick, but nonetheless a missed opportunity.
TECHNICAL ASPECTS
The Nimo sports a very transparent and clear sonic profile, and is quite neutral. It isn't a bassy speaker, even when placed on reverberant surfaces - there is a sub-bass roll-off - thus bassheads may need to get their bass kicks elsewhere (figuratively and literally). But the Nimo makes it up with a clean and fast bass, that has minimal bleed. The unveiled soundscape is a great match for not only music, but for calls, meetings and podcasts, as vocals are intelligible and not masked.
From an audiophile perspective, the Nimo doesn't have the largest soundstage or class-leading micro-details, but when looking at the sub-$20 price tag, the sonics are decent enough for day-to-day use and outdoor usage. For such a wee profile, the Nimo can get deafeningly loud in a small enclosed room, so it may be a useful option for office presentations or video playback, or even late night movies at home.
CONCLUSIONS
For consumers that are looking for a compact and well-built speaker that won't burn a hole in the wallet, the Nimo comes in with a very solid price-to-performance ratio. It furnishes an uncoloured signature, with big sound that belies its minute frame. It even has IPX7 waterproofing for the outdoor or gym enthusiasts, with decent battery life and relatively stable Bluetooth connectivity.
It isn't the last word in audiophile-grade sound, and an app and more Bluetooth codec support would have been appreciated, but considering it costs less than a restaurant meal, the Nimo would be a commendable daily beater for multiple case usages, and may even be a practical gift for relatives and friends.
I would like to thank Tronsmart for providing this review unit.
The Nimo can be gotten here: https://www.amazon.com/Tronsmart-Nimo-Super-Compact-Waterproof-Black/dp/B0CH5BSS93 or https://www.tronsmart.com/products/tronsmart-nimo-portable-mini-speaker (no affiliate links).
SPECIFICATIONS
Tested at $19.99 USD
ACCESSORIES
Tronsmart has provided only a USB-C to USB-A charging cable inside the box. Such an austere accessory packaging is unsurprising though, since the Nimo costs less than a restaurant meal, and I can close an eye for this.
BUILD/UTILITY
The Nimo has a rounded triangular chassis, and is made of sturdy metal. There are no sharp edges along its design. During ordering, one can opt amongst a black, violet, gold or green-hued housing.
It measures half the size of a palm - and weighing in at 0.24 pounds - it is extremely compact and portable. The Nimo comes with an attached lanyard, so it can be easily hung along on a bag or bike.
The bottom of the speaker has 3 sets of rubberized feet for grip, if it needs to be placed on a table or shelf for example.
On side of the fuselage, we have the buttons and charging port.
The buttons work as advertised:
Interestingly, unlike a conventional up and down volume button, pressing the power button once will increase the volume instead. Holding the multifunction button PLUS power button will lower the volume. Holding the power button longer (for > 2 seconds) will turn it off. Pressing the multifunction button once will pause/play music, while pressing it twice skips to the next track (a triple press will bring us to the previous track).
For those that intend to use this speaker for calls and meetings, I'm glad to report that it comes with an inbuild mic, and the multifunction button can be also used to accept or reject calls. It even has voice assistant support, which is quite nifty for such a low-priced speaker.
The Nimo will automatically shut down after 10 minutes if not paired with any other Bluetooth device. Additionally, it has an automatic protection function to shut itself down when the battery reaches critically low levels.
This speaker is quite frills free. It has no aux in or SD card slot, and can only be fed music via Bluetooth. It is charged via a type-C USB port, with no wireless charging available. There are no shining LED lights, unlike some of the other speakers in Tronsmart's stable.
Tronsmart markets that the Nimo has IPX7 waterproofing, which theoretically means it can survive submersion of 1 meter of water for 30 minutes! Thus, the Nimo can be brought for pool or beach parties, in addition to rough-and-tumble usage in the rain or sweaty environments.
FUNCTION/CONNECTIVITY
I tested the Nimo with multiple Bluetooth devices (both android and apple based, laptops/PCs and DAPs), and it was easily paired with these different devices.
It supports Bluetooth 5.3, but only with SBC codec. Higher-end codecs like AAC, aptX, aptX HD and LDAC are unfortunately not supported, but I guess we can't have unrealistic expectations for the retail price of sub-$20 USD.
During my field tests, the effective Bluetooth range is around 10 meters with no obstructions, or about 7 meters or so with obstructions. Stuttering was encountered with thick walls, albeit with nil drop outs. Latency is below a second.
Tronsmart advertises 12 hours battery life on a full charge, and it is thereabouts on my testing, but this is also partially dependent on volume used. Of course, battery life is expected to go down with repeated charge cycles, but 12 hours for a budget speaker is more than decent. The Nemo takes 2 hours to achieve a full charge.
This speaker can also support a stereo pairing mode where 2 Nimos can be linked for an expansive stereo effect. Unlike other Tronsmart speakers, there is no app support for the Nimo, which is a nitpick, but nonetheless a missed opportunity.
TECHNICAL ASPECTS
The Nimo sports a very transparent and clear sonic profile, and is quite neutral. It isn't a bassy speaker, even when placed on reverberant surfaces - there is a sub-bass roll-off - thus bassheads may need to get their bass kicks elsewhere (figuratively and literally). But the Nimo makes it up with a clean and fast bass, that has minimal bleed. The unveiled soundscape is a great match for not only music, but for calls, meetings and podcasts, as vocals are intelligible and not masked.
From an audiophile perspective, the Nimo doesn't have the largest soundstage or class-leading micro-details, but when looking at the sub-$20 price tag, the sonics are decent enough for day-to-day use and outdoor usage. For such a wee profile, the Nimo can get deafeningly loud in a small enclosed room, so it may be a useful option for office presentations or video playback, or even late night movies at home.
CONCLUSIONS
For consumers that are looking for a compact and well-built speaker that won't burn a hole in the wallet, the Nimo comes in with a very solid price-to-performance ratio. It furnishes an uncoloured signature, with big sound that belies its minute frame. It even has IPX7 waterproofing for the outdoor or gym enthusiasts, with decent battery life and relatively stable Bluetooth connectivity.
It isn't the last word in audiophile-grade sound, and an app and more Bluetooth codec support would have been appreciated, but considering it costs less than a restaurant meal, the Nimo would be a commendable daily beater for multiple case usages, and may even be a practical gift for relatives and friends.
