Mighty 3 – IPod Shuffle for the Spotify Era
Sometimes I want to listen to music and not think about the Internet, which in 2024 is harder than it seems. My music is on my phone, and if I pick up my phone, I’ll see notifications that I can’t ignore. I admit it’s a weakness, but I’m sure I’m not alone. Because of this, I can’t really listen to music in the backyard or read a book – I’ll inevitably get distracted.
Mighty 3 aims to solve this problem. This is a music player that can sync playlists from Spotify Premium or Amazon Music. At first glance, comparisons to Apple’s iPod Shuffle are inevitable, and if you liked that device, you’ll probably like the Mighty. It offers a similar way to listen to music without a screen, updated for the streaming era. It also supports Bluetooth headphones, something no (non-touch) iPod has ever offered.
For $125, the Mighty 3 offers music streaming users the ability to listen to music without any screens—and, aside from a few disappointing design quirks, it delivers.
A great, almost nostalgic listening experience
Let’s start with the listening experience, which is perhaps the most important thing. It’s a very small music player – at least smaller than your phone. The front is a 1.5-inch square, and the product is just over half an inch thick—not huge, but thicker than a fourth-generation iPod Shuffle. The Mighty 3 weighs 0.7 ounces, which is light enough to clip to clothing and forget about. I could clip it to my shirt, plug in my headphones, and press play.
A special button in the upper right corner allows you to switch between all the playlists that I have synced. Navigation is accomplished via a computer voice that announces the current playlist. It all works very well – I was able to look through the 10 or so playlists I had synced and found the one I wanted very quickly. The Mighty remembered where I was in each playlist, meaning I could jump between them and pick up where I left off.
On the Mighty, you can adjust volume and change tracks using physical buttons, which I didn’t even realize existed until I started testing this device. This is especially convenient while driving – I can switch between playlists without even looking down, which is extremely impossible when using a phone. I also really enjoyed it during runs and workouts, although the way the device is attached to clothing made it sometimes difficult to remember which buttons did what while running. As a result, I restarted a track that I had tried to quit more than once, although I’m sure I’ll get better at it with practice.
If I have one criticism about using the device, it’s how the button placement affects my ability to use the clamp. The clip is difficult to open without pressing the button, meaning I often found myself accidentally turning up the volume or switching playlists while trying to attach it to my shirt. It’s an unfortunate design flaw, but it’s not a deal breaker.
Syncing works well, but using streaming services has some disadvantages.
Syncing music with Mighty is a little more difficult than we’d like, but is ultimately doable. Controlling the device requires a smartphone app, which means if you were hoping to sync using a computer, you’re out of luck. The app is simple and helped me through the setup. After installing the app, I was able to connect to the device and connect it to my streaming service of choice.
I could then choose which of the playlists in my library I wanted to sync. To sync with your phone, Mighty must be connected to a power source and must remain connected until the sync completes. There were occasional glitches, which meant I had to restart a sync loop that only partially completed. I can’t help but think that all this would be more reliable from a computer, but alas.
There’s no specific way to sync podcasts, meaning I had to either create or find playlists on my streaming service to sync episodes. There’s also no way to sync albums, meaning I had to do the same thing. I got into the habit of looking for discography playlists of my favorite artists – I almost always found one.
I also needed to use my phone to connect Bluetooth headphones and speakers to the Mighty. The first connection required the usual amount of Bluetooth effort, but after that it was easy to use. I wish the Bluetooth range was a little better – putting the Mighty in your pants pocket is obviously too far for the sound to work reliably. However, a shirt pocket, sleeve or collar is great.
One disappointment: there’s no way to sync my own MP3s. At the moment, most songs are available on streaming services, but not all. The lack of an MP3 backup option means it’s impossible to listen to such music or any audiobooks you have.
However, these are all minor things. If you need access to Spotify or Amazon Music playlists without access to your phone, the Mighty 3 is a great device. I loved taking this with me before a run or ride – it gives me a way to listen to music that doesn’t tether me to the internet. If that’s what appeals to you—and you don’t mind paying $125—Mighty works well.