Verdict

The Mifo O5 Plus earbuds go where no true wireless earbuds have gone before, with an impressive 100 hour battery life that is sure to appeal to many. Its comfortable, discreet design manages to achieve impressive noise isolation, while offering an excellent foundation for more than competent audio quality, at an affordable mid-tier price.

Pros

• Long lasting battery life
• Impressive noise isolation
• Affordably priced

Cons

• Buttons too small to use
• Look a touch cheap

Update – 31st March 2020: a number of readers have contacted Trusted Reviews about their experiences with the quality of Mifo’s headphones and deliveries. We contacted Mifo for a response which you can read here. We have reinstated our score as we feel it was a fair appraisal. We will keep this paragraph in our review to inform potential buyers of the issues others have experienced.

Original review follows below.

The O5 Plus are true wireless in-ear earbuds from Mifo, the US brand setting out to make some noise and become your earphones of choice with their official launch in the UK.

As a budget pair of headphones – priced at £99.99 – the Mifo O5 Plus are in the running to be one of the best against more premium brands with its promise of a 100 hour battery life alongside exceptional comfort and a good seal for noise isolation.

Related: Best true wireless earbuds

Mifo O5 Plus design – A secure sound isolating fit, but buttons let the side down

Mifo claims to have examined over 2,000 ear shapes to pinpoint the ideal shape for headphone buyers in search of comfortable earbuds that fit perfectly.

Mifo asserts we should treat the shape of our ears like we do the size of our feet – in the sense that our feet are sometimes slightly different sizes – so it has bundled in several sets of interchangeable tips for the most comfortable and secure fit that’s right for your ears.

After finding the right tips for my ears, it became clear that the O5 Plus are a snug pair of earbuds, ideal for shutting out sound and offering that all-important stability when working out. Taking them out for a run, they didn’t budge, offering great potential for budding athletes looking for a comfortable pair of wireless earbuds.

In terms of design, they’re not an unattractive pair of earbuds. Compared to the dark grey of the aluminium charging case, the silvery outer shell admittedly looks a touch on the cheaper side, and it would have been nice – for uniformity sake – for them to more closely match.

There are plenty of wireless earbuds that jut out and weigh down on the earlobe. The O5 Plus, however, go almost undetected.

Related: Best headphones

There are two buttons on either of the earbuds, the size of which brings the quality of the interface down. There is a volume button on either earbud, and rather puzzlingly, they aren’t in parallel positions with the volume down button sitting at the top of the left bud whilst the volume up button sits at the base of the right bud.

The volume buttons can also be used for skipping between tracks, whilst the other two buttons are for powering on and off and managing calls.

If you can figure out which button is which, you’ll likely find they are so small that trying to locate them is likely to push the earbuds further into your ear. In this regard, the design of the physical buttons aren’t especially intuitive.

Features – A whopping 100 hours of battery life that lives up to its pledge

Packing a 2600mAh cell in its aluminium charging case, the O5 Plus earbuds and charging case feature a combined 100 hours of battery life. As a result, the case is fairly weighty, but it is nice to handle thanks to the quality of the aluminium finish, which seems to put up a good fight against any kind of wearing.

The earbuds themselves can hold up to 7.5 hours, which can be topped a further 15 times, meaning you likely won’t need to charge the case for three to four weeks, depending on your usage. Having played with the O5 Plus as my main set of headphones for well over a month, I’ve yet to plug them in, with the light indicator inside the case only just showing 30-40% charge left (it’ll flash red once it drops to below 30%).

The Mifo O5 Plus support Bluetooth 5.0 and, once paired, will connect instantly to your device. Connection is strong, and I could go into another room and put some distance between myself and the device and still have a reasonably strong connection.

If you fancy taking them out for  a run or any other form of exercise, they’re rated to IP67, meaning they’re water and dust resistant.

Mifo O5 Plus sound quality – Impressive noise isolation offers the foundations for competent audio

Mifo hasn’t ventured into the territory of active noise cancellation, although that would be a huge ask at this price. That said, noise cancellation technology isn’t altogether needed in the O5 Plus.

It’s a case of trial and error in swapping out the various pairs of ear tips to find one that suits, but once found the O5 Plus achieve a tight, cosy fit for impressive noise isolation. Whilst background noise isn’t rendered altogether void, the O5 Plus do a good job of blocking out the noise.

When it comes to the audio itself, whatever you listen to has a pretty good foundation to start from.

A spin of Wilderness by Explosions in the Sky demonstrates a fairly decent balance of frequencies, while also highlighting the clarity the Mifo O5 Plus delivers as it deftly picks out the pluck of strings alongside the lower-end pulse that drives throughout the track. Similarly, the vocals of The Weeknd’s Wasted Times are still distinct above the low throb of the baseline, offering decent separation.

Putting on Sign of the Times by Harry Styles, a 70s inspired British rock power ballad that throws out guitar, drums, bass, piano and a keyboard, as well as a choir and Styles’ own vocals, the Mifo O5 Plus take on the challenge with gusto.

Style’s falsetto is cutting, and his vocals remain so throughout. As the song builds with its clash of drums, strummed baseline, you’re able to pick out the epic melody of the piano throughout and enjoy a rich, depth-filled sound.

Should you buy the Mifo O5 Plus?

Admittedly, the Mifo O5 Plus aren’t foolproof when it comes to their interface. If you’re in the habit of taking calls and want to benefit from voice assistant integration or not having to reach for your phone to skip a song or adjust the volume, there are likely better wireless earbuds out there.

However, in other areas, the Mifo O5 Plus hit the mark. Discreet and comfortable, with a seal that provides a solid foundation for the audio performance sound isolation. At around £100, the Mifo O5 Plus are ideal for those looking for good audio without paying through the nose for it.

Verdict

The Mifo O5 Plus earbuds go where no true wireless earbuds have gone before, with an impressive 100 hour battery life that is sure to appeal to many. Its comfortable, discreet design manages to achieve impressive noise isolation, while offering an excellent foundation for more than competent audio quality, at an affordable mid-tier price.

Trusted Score