DJI continues to release new products at an impressive pace. We’ve already reviewed their latest budget drone, the DJI Neo, and their outstanding action camera, the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro. This time, we have their newest microphone: the DJI Mic Mini, a smaller and more affordable version of the popular DJI Mic. Will it perform almost as well as its bigger brother? Let’s find out in this review.
Table of Contents
The Unboxing
Unboxing the DJI Mic Mini, we are greeted with a pouch containing all the components. Inside, we have the DJI Mic Mini itself, two sets of DeadCats (one black and one grey), a cable for connecting the camera’s mic port to the DJI Mic Mini receiver, and a USB Type-C to USB Type-A cable for charging.
The Design
The DJI Mic Mini we have is the two-transmitter, one-receiver, and charging case bundle. The charging case is made of plastic with a sanded texture finish, which I dislike as it easily shows scratches. However, the included pouch, made from higher-quality material, is a nice touch.
The front of the charging case has LED lights to indicate battery status, along with a button to open the case. On the back, there’s a USB Type-C port for charging, and the top features an embossed DJI logo
Inside the DJI Mic Mini charging case, there are two transmitters, one receiver, and a USB Type-C connector that attaches to the receiver, making it compatible with any USB Type-C port on compatible phones.
The receiver is compact and not too bulky, which makes it easy to attach to a phone as well as a camera. It’s made of plastic and has a built-in clip that isn’t detachable. On the front, the receiver has the DJI logo. The right side features an adjustable gain knob with settings of +12, +6, 0, -6, and -12, along with a power button. The left side has an audio jack port and a link button.
The bottom contains pogo pin connectors for charging, a pogo pin connector for the USB Type-C insert, and a USB Type-C port. On top, there are LED indicators for Mic 1 and Mic 2, as well as a receiver status indicator. If the LED is blinking, the receiver is not connected to any device; when it’s steady, it indicates a successful connection.
The transmitter design features angled edges with the DJI logo on the front. At the back, there’s a non-removable clip and a magnet which also bears the DJI logo but can be rotated to hide the logo if preferred. The sides have LED lights: green indicates that the transmitter is on, while yellow shows that noise cancellation is active. The left side has a power button that also toggles noise cancellation when the device is on, along with a pairing button. The top has the microphone hole, where you can attach the included DeadCat windscreen. The bottom houses the pogo pin connectors for charging.
The transmitters are small but have some weight to them. When I tested clipping one to my shirt, I noticed it still dangled, which is disappointing since a mini version should attach more securely compared to the larger DJI Mic. Besides the weight, the clip makes it bulkier on the shirt. However, you can turn it around so that the mic is inside the shirt, with the magnet facing outward, making it less visible to the camera.
The Features
The standout feature of the DJI Mic Mini is its ability to connect directly to devices like the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro without needing a receiver. You can simply pop out the transmitter, press the link button, and connect it to your Osmo Action 5 Pro effortlessly. Achieving better audio quality is that simple.
To activate the noise cancellation feature, press the power button once more on the transmitter while it’s already on. A yellow light will illuminate on the transmitter, and on the receiver side, the corresponding microphone number will change from green to yellow. They said that it has two noise cancellation features which are basic and strong. But, in our experience using the DJI Mic Mini with our Android phone, it just cycles with one noise cancellation. I think it is just a basic noise cancellation.
For me, the LED lights on the microphone can be an annoyance in videos as they are quite bright. However, you can turn the microphone around so that the mic is inside your shirt, making it more stealthy.
Regarding battery life, DJI claims it can operate for 48 hours with its charging case. The transmitter and receiver alone can operate for up to 11.5 hours and 10.5 hours, respectively. When the charging case is fully charged, it can recharge the transmitter and receiver 3.6 times. For quick charging, a 5-minute charge provides an additional hour of use.
Other smart features of the DJI Mic Mini include an auto power-saving mode, which automatically shuts down the device after a period of inactivity, and synchronized power on/off with your camera. It also has an auto-limiter which prevents you to audio clipping.
The Audio Test
We tested the audio quality in both a noisy environment and a quiet environment, with noise cancellation on and off, while connected to our phone. We encountered an issue with one of our phones, which didn’t detect the DJI Mic Mini. I’m not sure why, but my guess is that, it has a headphone port, preventing the audio from connecting via USB Type-C. Additionally, it didn’t work with the included audio cable since it is TRS and not TRRS.
In our test, the audio from mic 1 and mic 2 was mixed into both channels when recording on a phone using only the built-in camera app, so there is no way to edit them individually afterward. However, we were informed that to record separate tracks, you need to use the DJI Mimo app, which is slightly inconvenient. Regarding audio quality, I found it tinny when speaking, so it’s better to set the gain around -6. In our audio test, it was set at gain 0.
The voice remains clear throughout our tests. However, even with noise cancellation turned on, the mic still picks up a lot of background noise. You can adjust the gain to find the right balance, ensuring the mic captures more of your voice and less of the surrounding environment.
Here is the audio test of the DJI Mic Mini:
DJI Mic Mini Verdict
The DJI Mic Mini is a great on-the-go microphone, especially if you pair it with devices like the DJI Osmo Pocket or DJI Osmo Action. It’s easy to connect and allows you to start recording immediately with decent audio quality. However, the noise cancellation doesn’t fully isolate your voice, as it still picks up surrounding sounds. That said, your voice remains clear and understandable.
Here are the prices of the DJI Mic Mini:
| DJI Mic Mini (2 TX + 1 RX + Charging Case) | Php 8,299 |
| DJI Mic Mini (1 TX + 1 RX) | Php 4,099 |
| DJI Mic Mini Transmitter (Arctic White) | Php 2,499 |
| DJI Mic Mini Transmitter (Infinite Black) | Php 2,499 |
