Treblab HD-Mini Reviewed: Smaller Than A Soda Can

Bryn De Kocks | October 29, 2024

Looking For The Loudest Bluetooth Speaker?

Treblab’s HD-Mini is a small Bluetooth speaker with portability at the forefront. It’s slightly smaller than their HD7 but larger than the JBL Clip series and the Sony SRS-XB100. At its weight and dimensions, the HD-Mini could be described as either a large mini Bluetooth speaker or a small portable speaker.

treblab hd-mini front

Treblab HD-Mini

The Bottom Line

The Treblab HD Mini is around the size of a soda can and produces up to 83 dB of volume. Its compact design makes it ideal for taking on picnics or to the beach. It has versatile connectivity options and is protected from harsh weather conditions with an IPX5 protection rating.

6.5
Our Score

Pros

  • Versatile connectivity
  • Able to reach fairly loud volume levels
  • IPX5 weather resistance
  • Long-lasting battery

Cons

  • Lacks clarity at high volume
  • Button placement can cause accidental pressing when carrying

Build & Design

Durability of Finish: 8.1/10
Feel of Buttons: 8/10
Weatherproofing: 6.3/10

The HD-Mini features durable plastic that runs along the back, base, and top of the speaker, while a fabric cover wraps around the speaker. The buttons, connection ports, and carry loop are on the speaker’s rear, along a vertical plastic panel. A rubber ring lines the perimeter at the speaker’s base to stabilize the speaker on surfaces. A passive radiator on the top of the HD-Mini lights up in various colors.

These rubberized buttons consist of a volume up and down, a power button, and play/pause. When pressed for two seconds, the volume up and down double as a forward and backward track skip button. When picking up the speaker, it’s easy to grab one of the buttons on the back accidentally, which can inadvertently cause accidental pausing.

It is useful to note that while the woven wrap protects the speaker from scratches and damage, like most other woven wraps, it tends to collect pieces of sand and dirt and may require frequent cleaning. This can be done easily using a soft bristle toothbrush with good results.

At 4.9” tall, it can be carried in one hand, but its slightly weighty design means you’ll find it best suited to be carried in a handbag or backpack. This size format is best suited as an everyday speaker that can be used at home or taken with you on picnics or to friend’s houses for casual listening.

It has an IPX5 water-resistance rating along with a dust-resistant design. This will protect the speaker from limited exposure to light and moderate rainfall, as well as splashes and sprays. The Treblab HD7 and HD77 offer IPX6 protection, so the HD-Mini falls behind these larger speakers in its weather protection. Remember that the connection ports need to be sealed for the water resistance to be effective.

treblab hd mini

Audio Performance

Bass Performance: 7.2/10
Mid-tone Performance: 6.1/10
Treble Performance: 6.8/10
Volume: 7.7/10
Balanced Sound: 5.5/10
Microphone Quality: 4/10

The speaker features a single 10W 40mm driver positioned at the front with a frequency response range of 30Hz-18kHz. The most intelligible sound is heard when facing the driver directly towards you. However, the HD-Mini still offers good sound dispersion and can be listened to from any position without much volume drop. A degree of detail and clarity is lost when listening to the speaker from other angles, as expected from a front-facing driver design. 

With the Sony SRS-XB13 sharing a similar driver size, I compared these two speakers, listening to each frequency band to determine how the HD-Mini stacks up against speakers similar in price. 

The HD-Mini is noticeably louder than the XB13 and newer XB100 and has more definition to the upper midrange and treble, capturing details that the XB13 doesn’t. Our measuring equipment recorded sound pressure levels up to 83dB at 1 meter. Similarly, it has a more defined bass than the Sony, with a thumping sound, while the XB13 relies mostly on its low-end depth. The built-in passive radiator adds additional bass presence to the HD-Mini.

Towards the upper frequencies, the HD-Mini comes across as a touch harsh, with the treble overpowering some of the midrange. It could have benefited from more warmth to balance these frequencies and bring a more comprehensive sound.

Overall, the HD-Mini sounds good at lower volume levels, but the inconsistencies in the midrange, along with compression artifacts, become more noticeable at higher levels. Still, it can hold its own against speakers of a similar size.

A microphone is located on the back of the speaker, under the play button. Below are some audio samples collected using this microphone, one with the microphone facing towards me and the other with it facing away. As you can hear in the clips, the microphone lacks quality, with little intelligibility to the recording.

Audio sample with the microphone facing towards me (the front of the speaker facing away)
Audio sample with the microphone facing away from me (the front of the speaker facing towards me)

Battery Performance

Charging Type: USB-C
Estimated Playtime: 25 Hours
Playtime: 19 Hours 10 Minutes
Charging Time: 2 Hours 20 Minutes

The HD-Mini is rated for up to 25 hours of playtime, but this depends on the volume level you’re listening at. My testing lasted 19 hours and 10 minutes at varying volume levels. Treblab’s commitment to providing extensive battery life is something that every speaker user can appreciate. 

Connectivity

Treblab has fitted the HD-Mini with a fair amount of connectivity options for a speaker of its size. For its wireless connectivity, it uses Bluetooth 5.0 codecs. There’s an auxiliary input, a USB-A port, and a TF card reader. Adding an aux input has become less common on small Bluetooth speakers and is a positive addition to the HD-Mini.

Conclusion

The strengths of the HD-Mini lie in its unique form factor, making it easily portable while not sacrificing volume capabilities. We don’t typically see the built-in lighting effects on small Bluetooth speakers. Its built-in weatherproofing makes it well suited to versatile indoor and outdoor use.

The HD-Mini falls short in its audio clarity, particularly when pushing the volume up. If clarity is the most important aspect, you may be disappointed in the midrange performance, which carries some distortion at high audio levels.


Disclosure: We received the HD-Mini from Treblab to review. However, we received no monetary compensation for our review and maintained a non-biased and transparent approach to this review.

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Author: Bryn De Kocks

Bryn has worked in the field for several years, writing in-depth speaker reviews for various audio publications. His work has historically focused on headphones and Bluetooth speakers, while incorporating his understanding of the Bluetooth speaker market to help educate potential buyers.

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Originally Published: November 24, 2023

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