What We Like
- Super compact form factor that doesn’t take too much space.
- Great performance and audio quality.
- Can be used both inside and outside of a vehicle.
What We Don't Like
- Weird position of the AUX port makes the device stick out.
In the world of monotonous Bluetooth car kits, Mpow went out to design a truly simple model that does most of what you need it do. Therefore, it’s definitely among the best Bluetooth kits out there for your car.
Design
What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of Bluetooth car kits? Is it a bulky cigarette lighter plug with a massive plastic interface on top? If you’ve answered yes to this question, you are one of many consumers who had to deal with these devices. Mpow took a whole different route.
Instead of saturating a large portion of your control cluster, they made a Bluetooth receiver that is as tiny as they come. In all honesty, Streambot Mini looks more like a key FOB than anything else. Small, light and built well, this Bluetooth receiver does just about everything you could ever need it to do, and then some.
With three buttons in total, you can control everything. With that said, Mpow Streambot Mini’s abilities transcend strict car use, which is why its compact form is even more of a benefit.
Features
When it comes to features, you get a basic package that is catered to music streaming. Before we get any deeper into the subject, we have to mention one of the biggest differences between Mpow Streambot Mini and other Bluetooth car kits. Streambot Mini is battery powered.
There are no hard connections to the cigarette lighter or anything similar. One battery charge will get you some 10 hours of playtime while charging the battery is done via the Micro USB cable. Right across from the charger port, there is another USB available where you can plug in a thumb drive with your music on it.
Streambot Mini is connected to your car’s audio system using a 3.5mm headphones male to male adapter. This is also its biggest flaw in a way. Instead of being mounted flush against the center console, the position of the AUX port makes it sit perpendicular. Thankfully, it’s small enough to where it doesn’t matter.
Performance
The question which many are probably asking right now is, how good of a sound can you really expect from such a small device? Fortunately for us, size has nothing to do with it. Considering the fact that Streambot Mini is connected to the audio system using a hard link, you won’t really have to worry about interference.
This also means that you will need an AUX port in the first place, which is not something many older cars have in general. The very same port where you hook up the 3.5mm adapter can be used to plug in headphones. Even though there isn’t much practical value in using Streambot Mini at home, you certainly can if you want to.
Overall performance is very respectable considering the price, size and build quality of this unit. Also, those 10 hours of playtime are more than enough for casual users.
The Rumble:
A great low-profile solution that actually works. We can see where Streambot Mini would excel compared to its immediate competition. However, there are some things we would like to see done differently. Overall, this little guy is on point.
